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Traces of San Clemente founder Ole Hanson can be seen all over the quaint city — from the Beach Club Pool bearing his name to his old estate, which has become the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. Hanson’s fingerprints are also ingrained on one of the most charismatic municipal courses in all of Southern California: San Clemente Golf Club. He donated the land for the course, which initially opened as a nine-hole, William Park Bell-designed layout in 1930. It blossomed into an 18-hole track in 1955. “It’s a course you can play almost every day and never get tired of,” said PGA head professional Dave Cook. Generous fairways and manageable putting surfaces highlight the front nine, though a three-hole stretch — six, seven and eight — grabs your attention with undulating landing areas. At 419 yards from the tips, No. 8 is the toughest of the bunch, as the short grass is well-guarded by sloping bunkers on the right. The back nine features one of the most memorable pair of holes in Orange County. The green on the 196-yard par-3 15th is one of the layout’s smallest, and a narrow bail-out area on the right is fiercely complemented by a bunker and steep hill that complicate tee shots missing left. No matter the result, the palm trees behind the green and residential views make it memorable. On the par-4 16th hole, large trees block the fairway sight line from the furthest tee box, and players have the option of laying up to the right, hitting a draw around the trees, or carrying the vegetation just short of the green. San Clemente Golf Club is very affordable and was recently enhanced with a renovated clubhouse, which features a new pro shop, snack bar, and the increasingly popular Irons in the Fire restaurant. For more information, call (949) 361-8384 or visit sanclementegc.com. |
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RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
looks like a nice course, any deals to be had?
| Comment at 8/8/2008 |
