As part of AmateurGolf.com's ongoing look at
the best places to play in some of the
country's hottest golf regions, we present --
thanks to AmateurGolf.com Player Staff
member
Greg Austin -- this in-depth
look at
the course offerings in the San Diego, Calif.
area.
Courses to Play on a Budget
The Vineyard at Escondido:
The Vineyard golf course in Escondido, CA
is a great course in North County San Diego
where the golfer can find great deals and a
challenging layout. The Vineyard is a par 70
golf course that stretches out to 6531
yards from the back tees. The course is kept
in very good shape and will generally be
found very green while maybe a bit wet and
soft. Tee times need to be booked at least
a few days in advance, as the Vineyard does
get quite a bit of traffic. Rates at the
course range from $30 to $65, but the course
often offers email specials and other
discounts. Golf carts with a basic GPS system
(no graphics) are included in the greens
fees.
The Vineyard is a challenging course but still
offers several very scoreable holes. The
course is laid out between Lake Hodges, a
winery and vineyards and some agricultural
areas (bring your bug spray). You will only see
houses on a small portion of the 18
holes, which is a nice break from most of the
courses in the area. The front 9 and the
back 9 play like two different courses. The
front 9 plays a little tighter and has more
hazards. The first tee shot is a difficult par 4
that requires the golfer to not stray too
far left or right as hazards line both sides. The
second hole is a short par 4 that doglegs
left around a pond, while the 3rd hole is a very
short par 3 (125 yards from the back
tees) which requires a carry over a pond, but
penalizes a long shot with a bunker behind
the green and a hazard beyond that.
Unfortunately, the penalizing hazards on the
1st
three holes of the course tend to result in a
very slow pace of play to start your day.
Quite often the course has delays on the first
tee and a backup on the 2nd tee. Luckily
the course starts to open up some after that
and play generally starts to move pretty
well from there. The driveable, par 4, 7th hole
forces the golfer to consider a
risk/reward tee shot. While playing 295 yards
on the card, the hole is a slight dogleg left
and requires about a 260 yard carry from the
tips to reach the putting surface. Beware
of the hazard that runs the length of the hole
on the right though. Many players will
choose to layup and have a short wedge shot
in, but make sure to stay out of the
fairway bunkers long and left. But if you’re
looking to challenge yourself, pull out the big
stick, and maybe you’ll get an eagle. The first
eagle I ever had was on this hole! The
front 9 finishes with a reachable par 5 and
another chance for a birdie.
The back 9 plays a little more open after you
get past the 10th hole. Water comes into
play on the par 3, 12th and par 4, 14th. Don’t
bank on a birdie on the only par 5 on the
back 9, as the 15th hole plays to 550 yards
and is generally not reachable in two due to
the prevailing headwind and slight uphill
approach shot. The golfer doesn’t get a break
on the number 1 handicap, 453 yard, par 4,
16th hole as the tee shot is straight up a
hill, leaving a long iron approach shot to an
undulating green. Enjoy your last hole on
the course though as the 18th offers great
views from the elevated tee box and a great
scoring opportunity. The 411 yard, par 4 plays
much shorter as your tee shot will drop
30 to 40 yards down to the landing zone,
leaving a short iron or wedge shot into a very
large green that slopes quite a bit from front
to back. Stay below the hole and drain
your birdie putt.
If you’re looking for a challenging but fair
course for a decent rate, the Vineyard in
Escondido is a great option. You won’t set
any records on pace of play due to the
amount of traffic the course gets with the
rates they offer, but you will get the chance
to score some birdies to offset the lost balls.
Oaks North Golf Course: The
Oaks North Golf Course is an executive course
in the Rancho Bernardo area of North County
San Diego. Oaks North offers three 9-hole
courses (North, South and East) with an
extremely affordable rate and the option to
walk or ride. This course is a great option for
the golfer looking for a quick round after
work, a beginner looking for a low stress
course to learn to play on, or anyone looking
for
some great practice with your irons and
putting. Oaks North has a full driving range,
putting green and small short game area.
They also offer lessons and the perfect spot
to work on your game.
Each of the nines wind through a residential
area in Rancho Bernardo, but the homes
aren’t too close to the course and don’t
generally come into play. Each nine includes
three par 4’s and 6 par 3’s, so you do have the
opportunity to pull out a 3 wood or driver
at least once or twice if you want. Some of
the par 4’s are straightforward, but most of
them offer a substantial amount of risk when
attempting to drive the green. The variety
of yardages on the par 3’s also allows the
golfer to use most their irons up and down
through their bag.
If you’re looking for a quick round of golf that
will challenge your iron shots and help you
hone your golf game, head to Oaks North in
Rancho Bernardo. This is also a great
location to consider for practice sessions, as
they have a better practice area than
many of the full-length courses in the area.
Courses with the Best Value
The Crossings Golf Club: The
Crossings Golf Course in Carlsbad, CA is one
of the most polarizing golf courses in San Diego
County. Golfers either love the 6,835
yard, par 72 course for the views, layout and
challenges, or they loathe the course for
the undulations and difficulties of some of the
holes. The Crossings at Carlsbad is
located only a mile or two from the ocean and
offers great views on many holes. Due to
the proximity to the ocean, temperatures
remain mild year-round, and ocean breezes will
definitely influence your shots. The course
winds through open space in the Carlsbad
area, so there are no houses on the course.
There is plenty of brush to swallow up
errant tee shots though. Course conditions
are usually excellent and the course
features beautiful landscaping and water
features. The signature landmarks of the
course are several bridges, or “crossings” built
into the course while traversing from one
hole to the next. Due to the distance
between a few holes, the course does not
allow
walkers. Golf carts with a well-functioning GPS
system are included in your greens fees.
There is a very nice short game area for
chipping and bunker practice, a large putting
green, and a full driving range with lights at an
additional charge. You can expect to
receive a high level of service at the
Crossings, starting with a staffed bag drop
where
they will take your bag down to the cart area
and load it up for you. The restaurant
and other facilities on site are excellent for
anything from after-golf pub and grub to a
group event or nice dinner. Green fees range
from $60 to $110 with occasional deals
available, but this course delivers a high level
of service, challenging layout, great
course conditions and ocean views for much
less than many other high-end courses in
the area.
Your day on the tee will start right away with
a taste for what’s to come – a forced
carry over a canyon to a fairway with well-
placed bunkers, elevation changes and
decisions on which club and line to take. Your
trip to the 2nd tee will take you over
your first bridge, but rewards you with a short
par 4 and a good chance at birdie. The
par 3, 4th tee box has taken you away from
the ocean but up in elevation, so the views
are excellent. The par 5 5th hole requires
another forced carry but then heads downhill
to the green. If you catch the speed-slot,
you may be able to have a go at the green.
The par 5 7th hole is a well-designed hole that
tempts you with the ability to go for the
green in two, but will require a carry over
water. Try not to get distracted by the
flowers and waterfalls next to the green – it’s
not where you want your ball to end up.
The course continues with several short par
4’s that are also very narrow with hazards
ready to catch your ball if you aren’t straight,
several long par 4’s that require a good
drive and mid iron to the green, and a couple
of short par 3’s. The par 5’s on the back 9
are back to back, but they are very different.
The first requires a blind tee shot to a
sloping and dog-legged fairway. You must
stay much farther left than you could ever
imagine. The hazard on the right comes in
very quickly. The green is very elevated and
extremely undulating. Being in the correct
portion of the green is very important. The
last par 5 on the course has a downhill tee
shot that could result in the option to play a
blind 2nd shot into the green, or a sensible
layup to a wedge position. The last two
holes on the course will test you greatly. The
par 3 17th hole plays 30 feet downhill but
into the prevailing wind with a hazard to the
right and into a green with plenty of slope.
The par 4 18th doesn’t look difficult on the
card at only 407 yards, but plenty of danger
awaits. The approach shot is especially
difficult with essentially an island green. The
course did re-design the 18th green to soften
the undulations and make the hole a little
less penal, but it will still test you and a
closing par is a good score.
The Crossings at Carlsbad is a must-play for
any golfer travelling to the area due to the
challenge provided, the course conditions and
the coastal views and temperatures.
Arrowood Golf Course: Arrowood
Golf Course is an 18 hole, par 71, 6,721 yard
public course tucked away in the hills of
Oceanside California. The course is close
enough to the ocean to enjoy a temperate
climate year-round, but the views are of the
North County hills, not the ocean. Arrowood is
a challenging course that is laid out
through some homes in the area, but they are
set back from the course far enough to
not intrude on the experience. The golfer isn’t
as at-risk of going OB into someone’s
backyard, as he is at-risk of losing a ball in the
natural habitat lining most holes. The
natural elevation changes, ocean breezes, firm
and fast conditions and difficult layout
make this a fair but challenging experience for
all golfers.
The first hole starts out with a somewhat
challenging drive to a downhill approach to a
par 4. The green is severely sloped from back
to front but is receptive to a good
approach shot. The fun starts in earnest on
the 622 yard, par 5 2nd hole. The player
needs to avoid missing to the right on the
downhill tee shot, as the ball tends to bounce
to the right into the hazard. Some short par
4’s coming up at 5, 6 and 7 allow you to
recover some shots though. The 282 yard, par
4 6th is easily reachable to a shallow but
wide green, but going long will result in a ball in
the hazard. And coming up short results
in a challenging bunker shot from a large
bunker. The downhill, 465 yard, par 4 16th
hole
is one of the most challenging holes in the
county. A solid downhill tee shot to a blind
landing area will still leave the player a long
iron over water to a large green. It will
require 2 great shots and a solid putting stroke
to leave this hole with a par. The short
par 4 18th allows the player a chance to get a
shot back coming into the clubhouse as
long as you avoid the fairway bunkers and the
lake fronting the green.
Due to the somewhat remote location, this
course gets slightly less traffic than other
courses in the area, but is an excellent
location to test your game. The driving range,
short game area and large putting green are
perfect areas to warm up before a round or
work on your game on an off day. The views,
conditions, and food and drink at the bar
will keep you coming back even if you lost a
few balls along the way.
The Golf Club of California: The
Golf Club of California is in Fallbrook, CA
which is the avocado capital of California.
Avocado trees can grow in rough, hilly terrain
as can great golf courses. While bordering
some residential areas, the course is
surrounded by natural areas of oak, sycamore
and eucalyptus trees. The Golf Club of
California is a semi-private, par 72 course that
stretches out to 6,888 yards from the
black tees. Fallbrook is a quick drive from
most areas of San Diego, and will transport
the golfer from a big city to a small town feel
surrounded by tree and brush filled areas.
The course rewards good tee shots with
manageable short to mid-iron shots to greens.
The 2nd hole is a 547 yard, double dogleg
right, par 5 with the approach over a brush-
filled dry creek. A great drive will result in a
chance to go for the green in two, but will
require a long approach shot over trees to an
elevated green. A layup to a wedge
approach is generally the best plan. The par
3, 5th hole is a well landscaped area with a
running stream down to a small pond short of
the green. The uphill, 596 yard, par 5, 6th
hole requires three well-struck shots to reach
an undulated green that will test your
putter. After surviving that test, the golfer is
greeted by an extremely elevated tee box
to a par 3 green with a bunker in the middle of
the green. Don’t miss to the opposite
side of the green or you will be chipping from
the green surface, or hoping for a 3-putt.
The back nine brings more risk-reward holes
like the reachable, but treacherous, par 5
10th, or the short 333 yard par 4 12th. The
12th can be driveable, but a left to right
sloping fairway will funnel balls to the water
that runs the length of the hole on the
right. If you’re hoping for a low score on the
day, try to get your birdies in before the
finishing holes. The 435 yard, par-4 17th and
the 238 yard, par-3 18th will test your
mettle.
The championship layout, serene setting, and
private-course level of service will keep
you wanting to come back for more. The
restaurant, bar and views make this a prime
wedding spot in the area. And the bartenders
are experts at pouring the 19th hole
refreshments.
Must-Play Courses
Aviara Golf Course: For the golfer
looking for a top of the line, 5-star resort
level experience with beautiful floral
landscaping, California coastal weather and
championship level golf course, the Aviara Golf
Course in Carlsbad, CA is the place to go.
The 7,007-yard, Arnold Palmer designed, par-
72 golf course is one of the most
beautifully landscaped and developed courses
that you will ever play while maintaining
the natural surroundings and views of the
Batiquitos lagoon off the Pacific Ocean. The
home of the LPGA Kia Classic tests the
professional women and the discerning golfer
alike. Start your day with attentive service
and an apple from the starter and end it
with great golf course attendants and a fresh
cookie. Sometimes the little things make
a big difference – just ask my wife!
The par 3’s on this course are some of the
most beautiful holes in the country, while the
18th hole may be the hardest finishing hole in
Southern California. The day starts with a
short par 4, but the golfer must avoid the OB
left. A ball in the fairway could result in a
putt for birdie. The short par 3, 3rd hole will
distract the golfer from the task at hand
with the wildflowers, running water and birds.
But beware that an accurate tee shot is
required, or you will be reaching for a second
ball to drop next to the hazards
surrounding the green. The par 4 9th and par
5 10th are scoreable holes, but require
accurate shots from the golfer. The tee shot
on 10 requires a choice of club, angle and
amount of water that the golfer wants to cut
off. The hole opens up from there but
leads to a very large but relatively flat green.
The par 4 13th may be short, but the
extremely uphill approach requires an accurate
shot to be on the correct side of the
slopes and ridges. The green on the downhill,
par 3, 14th is very visible but requires the
golfer to pull the correct club for the downhill
shot and the breeze. The narrow tee shot
on the par 5 17th hole is intimidating and penal
if you miss left or right. Three good
shots are required to reach the green and
attempt a birdie putt before heading for home.
With water along the right, and OB left of the
fairway bunkers on this dogleg right
finishing hole, the golfer may wish he was in
the lagoon or ocean that are visible from
the tee box. Your troubles aren’t over after
navigating the tough tee shot, since the
fairway continues to pinch in all the way to
the green with water right and OB left. A
finishing par is a great reward that you can
celebrate with your fresh cookie. My wife
says she gets to take two.
The service, landscaping and conditions are
unparalleled at Aviara Golf Club. When
you’re ready to splurge and be rewarded
throughout the day, head over to Aviara.
Maderas Golf Course: The Maderas
Golf Course in Poway, CA was designed by
Johnny Miller. Just like his announcing style,
people either love or hate his golf course
design. Only the extremely brave, talented or
stupid will attempt to tame this course all
the way from the back tees at 7,167 yards
with a 75.4/144 rating on the par 72 course.
For me, 6,856 yards from the green tees is
enough. Surprisingly though, this course has
a set of tees that is very fair for the women at
4,967 yards or 5,393 yards.
Maderas is a semi-private course with a very
high level of service and excellent
conditions. They did have some issues
recently with the grass on their tee boxes, but
they have recovered and returned to their
normal condition. The fairways and greens
are generally kept in extremely firm and fast
conditions allowing the course to play even
more difficult.
The first tee box offers a seemingly benign par
4, but it requires most people to lay up
with a 3 wood since there is a creek crossing
about 100 yards from the green. This
water continues along the right side of the
green and will catch any balls that stray too
far right. The second hole introduces the
golfer quickly to the undulations and elevation
changes that will be seen all day. This is a
short par 4 that plays extremely uphill to a
green that will break much more than it
appears. A pin up front will often result in a 3
putt for any approach shot above the hole.
The 3rd hole will take you back down the
hill with a tantalizing par 5 that seems to be
reachable. But trouble left and right down
the length of the hole will swallow many balls.
The driveable par 4 6th gives the golfer a
chance to score before getting to the very
difficult, dogleg right, par 5 8th.
Strategic play is required all day, as every hole
is lined by water hazards or natural brush
hazards. The back 9 offers a 1-2-3 punch to
the gut combination on holes 14-16. The
par 5 14th seems reachable, but the green is
extremely elevated with a large canyon
swallowing most balls that attempt to go for
the green in two. Long is always better
than short on 14, as a large bank behind the
green will usually funnel a long shot back to
the putting surface. The downhill par 3 15th
stretches out over 230 yards with hazards
left and right. A slight miss right will funnel
down to the green though. The par 4 16th
is not my favorite hole. The golfer will tee off
perched up on the side of the mountain
and will have to hit to a fairway running away
diagonally left to right. What looks like a
good shot will often run through the left side
of the fairway and into the hazard. This
forces the golfer to aim to a blind area right,
but any left to right movement on the ball
could keep the ball from ever covering any land
in play. Luckily, a very short par 3 and a
fun par 5 finishing hole await. Finish your day
in style and head to the great restaurant
and bar on site.
Maderas also has some of the best practice
facilities in the county, with a full grass
range, bunker and short game areas. Practice
balls are included in your green fees.