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Aviara Golf Resort
Whether you are a weekend duffer or a scratch golfer, San Diego is without a doubt a premier destination for the sport of golf. With a number of courses designed by Gary Roger Baird, Tom Fazio, Gary Player and Ted Robinson, it is no surprise that San Diego is consistently ranked among the top 50 golf destinations in the world; not to mention a 2008 nod from Golf Digest as a top 10 – alongside Hawaii, Ireland, Phoenix and Myrtle Beach.
Southern California certainly holds its share of notable courses and fairways; from Pelican Hill in Newport Beach and Morgan Run in Del Mar, to the greens at Admiral Baker, La Jolla and Fairbanks Ranch. Serving a game with unforgettable panoramas of the coast and rolling hillside slopes, along with near-perfect temperatures year-round, San Diego is home to more than 90 courses and corporate offices for several top brands of the sport. In celebrating an active month of golf in San Diego, FINE offers the following tour of local courses of choice – chosen based on accessibility, course challenge/difficulty, hospitality reviews and landscape.
Aviara Golf Resort
Location: 7447 Batiquitos Drive, Carlsbad
Architect: Arnold Palmer
Head Golf Pro: Renny Brown, PGA
Course Features: 18-holes over 7,007 yards with a par of 72
Overlooking the ecological reserve at Batiquitos Lagoon, Aviara Golf Club holds several notable accolades as the only course in San Diego designed by Arnold Palmer; the Club was named by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine as one of the best resort golf courses in the U.S., as well as the #1 golf resort in Southern California by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler. The course is complemented by premier golf facilities that include a practice driving range, putting and pitching greens, an industry-leading GPS system on all golf carts, and an upscale golf shop.
Kip Puterbaugh’s Aviara Golf Academy – the longest running golf school in the west (opening in 1987) – is consistently ranked as a Top 25 U.S. golf school; Puterbaugh is among the Top 100 golf instructors. The Academy is also home to the first TaylorMade Performance Lab in the U.S. Previously available only to PGA Tour professionals, the two-hour custom fitting experience includes driver, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putter.
Web: parkaviara.hyatt.com
Desert Willow Golf Resort
Location: 38995 Desert Willow Drive, Palm Desert
Architect: Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry
Director of Golf: Darrell Souza, PGA
Course Features: Firecliff Course – 18 holes over 4,000 yards with a par of 72
Desert Willow Golf Resort has emerged as a local favorite in the Coachella Valley; surrounded by a desert scene of palms and jagged peaks from the San Jacinto Mountain range, the resort is well received for both its natural beauty and its game. In fact, Golf Digest named the Firecliff Course one of the “Places To Play;” this tournament-tested layout is one of only three courses in California and one of the best 50 in the U.S. to receive this distinction in terms of conditioning. It is a true test of skill where golfers must negotiate their way around extensive natural areas, over 100 bunkers, and numerous water features.
Desert Willow Golf Resort
The Palm Desert Golf Academy at Desert Willow is a world-class golf instruction facility providing instruction, golf clubs, club repair and group clinics. PGA instruction offers guests state-of-the-art video computer swing analysis, golf fitness evaluations and teaches innovative swing drills to help accelerate the learning process. Likewise, the Fairway Kids Junior Golf Program instills an overall appreciation for the game while developing golf etiquette; January through May sessions are available.
Web: desertwillow.com
The Grand Del Mar
Location: 5300 Grand Del Mar Court, San Diego
Architect: Tom Fazio
Director of Golf: Shawn Cox
Course Features: 18 holes over 7,160 yards with a par of 72
Known for his strong sense of environmental design and challenging-but-fair courses, Tom Fazio, utilizing Los Peñasquitos Canyon as his canvas, married dramatic elevations, diverse bunkering and lush fairways for an exceptional game at The Grand Del Mar. Melding extreme playability with the serene natural setting of this stunning San Diego golf resort, the 7,160-yard par-72 golf course spans more than 380 lush acres, punctuated by dramatic elevations, rolling hills, scenic valleys and shimmering water features.
The Grand Del Mar
Thanks to San Diego’s renowned climate, one can play year-round on the private rolling greens. Learn one-on-one with PGA-certified instructors. Try the latest clubs, or simply relax in the handsome Clubhouse. This challenging and unforgettable experience is reserved exclusively for resort guests, Members and Villa owners of the resort. From the 5,000-square-foot driving range with two large tees at each end to the secluded short game practice area complete with two bunkers and a green, players can attempt a variety of shots from different mounds, lengths and breaks. An additional separate putting green near the first hole offers yet another option for fine tuning.
Web: thegranddelmar.com
La Costa Resort and Spa
Location: 2100 Costa Del Mar Road, Carlsbad
Architect: Dick Wilson (1965); Joe Lee (1973, 1984); Damian Pascuzzo, Steve Pate & Jeff Brauer (2011)
Teaching Pro: T.R. Marritt, PGA
Course Features: Champions Course – 18 holes with a par of 36-36-72
Since opening in the coastal foothills of North San Diego, La Costa Resort and Spa has held a long, distinguished history with the greatest players in golf [think Hope, Sinatra and even Wadkins], dating back to the Tournament of Champions in 1969. Most recently hosting the Match Play Championships from 1999-2006 and the LGPA Tour’s inaugural Kia Classic in 2010 [with plans to host the 2012 event as well], the resort also celebrates the dramatic renovation of their North Course; the new Champions Course – under the direction of Damian Pascuzzo and Steve Pate – embraces the integrity of the original Wilson design with modifications to all 18 holes, bunkers, fairway routing and subtle elevation changes [not to mention better drainage, irrigation, turf and conditioning]. As a result, the new course extends a “resort-friendly” aptitude, while offering a challenging and engaging golf experience.
La Costa Resort and Spa
“We are excited to begin a new chapter in La Costa’s legacy,” said Paul McCormick, vice president and general manager at La Costa Resort and Spa regarding the Fall 2011 debut of the new course. “La Costa has been synonymous with the top echelon of golf for more than 40 years, hosting 37 PGA Tour events. It is important that we keep its championship spirit alive.”
Web: lacosta.com
La Quinta Resort
Location: 50200 Avenida Vista Bonita, La Quinta
Architect: Pete Dye
Director of Golf & Lead Master Instructor: Bill Shaw
Course Features: Mountain Course – 18 holes over 6,756 yards with a par of 72
Famed for its unique Pete Dye design, playability and stunning visuals, this ultra-challenging course features pot bunkers and rock formations, as well as incredible elevations of tee boxes and well-bunkered greens. Ascending to the top of the elevated tee box of the signature 16th enables you to fully appreciate the majesty of this course, named one of Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 You Can Play.”
La Quinta Resort
Accessible to golfers of every level, La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA WEST features five courses; two at the resort and a trio just a chip shot away at PGA WEST; each is masterwork of breathtaking beauty and challenging, yet forgiving play. Home to the Jim McLean Golf School — rated one of the top teaching facilities in the country by U.S. News & World Report, CNN and Travel & Leisure — golf at La Quinta Resort will bring out the best in every aspect of your game. Considering the overall experience, it becomes clear why the International Association of Golf Tour Operators named La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West North America’s “Golf Resort of the Year.”
Web: laquintaresort.com
Maderas Golf Club
Location: 17750 Old Coach Road, Poway
Architect: Pete Dye
Head Golf Pro: Mike Lissebeck, PGA
Course Features: 18 holes over 6,647 yards with a par of 72 for the gold tee
Rated the top golf course in San Diego County six consecutive years by the Zagat Survey [since 2003], Maderas Golf Club offers beauty and challenge as it meanders through the rugged terroir of North San Diego’s inland hill country; to the golfer’s surprise, the course itself winds through cliffs, rock outcroppings, creeks and forests over the span of 3.7 miles. Former PGA Tour player Johnny Miller, along with acclaimed landscape architect Robert Muir Graves, designed the course for both quality and difficulty; as one review boasted, the course is ‘a great test of golf.’
Maderas Golf Club
The Maderas Golf Academy – providing instruction by Chris Mayson, Skip Van Matre and John Darling, PGA – hosts a 25-station driving range and short game facility with several greenside and fairway bunkers. Use of the range and practice facility is complimentary before a paid round of golf. Club fitting is also service offered, helping golfers improve their game and overall confidence in their swing.
Web: maderasgolf.com
Redhawk Golf Course
Location: 45100 Redhawk Parkway, Temecula
Architect: Ron Fream
Golf Pro: Steve Adamiak,PGA; Nathan Troutman, PGA Apprentice
Course Features: 18 holes over 7,180 yards with a par of 72
Making a lasting impression, the Redhawk Golf Course in Temecula is truly all about the game; the no non-sense golf-centric club features fast greens and narrow fairways, and a gently contoured course proving a challenge for golfers of any aptitude. Rated 7th best among California’s public golf courses, Redhawk was redesigned by Ron Fream in 2002; with a storied history of hosting many local PGA Chapter golf tournaments, the course originally opened in the early nineties and consistently received top honors nationally.
Redhawk Golf Course
Challenging golfers to use every club in possession, the course offers dramatic changes in elevation, lush landscape and an “island green.” Redhawk has 15 driving-range stations, combining grass and mats that enable golfers of every skill level to build their game; the range and separate five greens to putt or chip are a great place to start mastering the intricacies of the game.
Web: redhawkgolfcourse.com
Torrey Pines Golf Club
Location: 11480 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla
Architect: William P. Bell and William F. Bell in 1957; Rees Jones remodeled the South Course in 2001 Director of Golf & Head Golf Pro: Joe DeBock, PGA
Course Features: South Course – 18 holes over 7,607 yards with a par of 72; North Course – 18 holes over 6,647 yards with a par of 72
Stepped along La Jolla’s coastal bluffs overlooking the Pacific, the Torrey Pines Golf Club – easily recognized as the premier course in the region and host to the PGA Tour for the past four decades – is widely known for both its South and North championship 18-hole courses. Playing host to the Farmer’s Insurance Open in the winter, along with the San Diego City Amateur Golf Championships and the Junior World Golf Championships in early summer, Torrey Pines is the only municipal golf course ever selected by the USGA for a U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Often referenced as “Pebble Beach South,” both courses are long and challenging – but do offer unrivaled panoramas of the coast and ocean expanse. The signature hole on Torrey Pines South is the Par 3, #3 Hole; for Torrey Pines North, it is Par 3, # 6 Hole.
Torrey Pines Golf Club
Torrey Pines was the site of perhaps the most memorable modern day U.S. Open Championship, when in 2008, under the typically brutal conditions of this major tournament, an injured Tiger Woods defeated Rocco Mediate during a sudden death playoff after 90 grueling holes of exciting golf. The club also offers one of the largest on-course golf shops in the U.S., expert instruction and advanced golf schools.
Web: torreypinesgolfcourse.com
Winter Golf Calendar
Humana Challenge, PGA West
January 16-22, La Quinta
humanachallenge.com
Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines Golf Course
January 23-29, La Jolla
farmersinsuranceopen.com
2012 Season Opener
North County Junior Golf Association
January 29, Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad
ncjga.com
Waste Management Phoenix Open
February 3-6, TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
February 6-12, Pebble Beach
Northern Trust Open, Riviera Country
February 13-19, Pacific Palisades
World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Champions at The Ritz Carlton Golf Club
February 20-26, Dove Mountain in Arizona
