Looking to head down to SOCAL in the next couple of months to play a few rounds and while I know quite a few Northern California courses, I find myself rather non educated on the greater L.A. based ones. Where to play? Looking for opinions. Thanks.
Need Opinions on Southern California Courses
What part of greater LA will you be in?
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Rustic Canyon is in Moorpark, a top 100 public course. My home course is in great condition right now, Simi Hills in Simi Valley. Both are in Ventura county. If you want to go a little further north, a little over 2 hrs or so, La Purisima and Alisal are up in Santa Barbara County. I personally have avoided playing in Los Angeles county since the pandemic started because of their added restrictions (no short game areas or putting greens are open). Head out to riverside county to the east and I'd try Goose Creek, Oak Valley, Eagle Glen.
PS everytime I see your avatar I have to doubletake to see if it was my post.
PS everytime I see your avatar I have to doubletake to see if it was my post.
Lived in Thousand Oaks for 6 years and Rustic Canyon was my go to, but also like Moorpark CC, Tierra Rejada mainly because of proximity If you’re in SB La Purísima and Sandpiper.... some say it’s pebble beach south.... been 8-10 years since I last played there
livegolf
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Rams Hill is on my list!
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Tierra Rejada is my twice a week course. Simi Hills is in great shape, but a bit of an obnoxious muni. Rustic Canyon is always recommended, but it really isn't what it used to be.
La Purisma is a hike from here, but worth the drive
@time4tim if you make it down here before Feb be sure to hit me up!
La Purisma is a hike from here, but worth the drive
@time4tim if you make it down here before Feb be sure to hit me up!
Bumping this thread as I dont want to start a new thread witha simlar topic. Im going to SoCal mid February to golf with my brother. He lives in Lake Elsinore and we plan on golfing 5 days. We have a list of courses and I'm hoping to get feedback if anyone has played any!
Black Gold
Journey at Pechanga
Oak Quarry
Monarch Beach
Sandpiper
Ojai GC
Eagle Glen
CrossCreek
Tijeras Creek
Talega
Maderas
Steele Canyon
Singing Hills
Coyote Hills
Any insight anyone has would be helpful!
Black Gold
Journey at Pechanga
Oak Quarry
Monarch Beach
Sandpiper
Ojai GC
Eagle Glen
CrossCreek
Tijeras Creek
Talega
Maderas
Steele Canyon
Singing Hills
Coyote Hills
Any insight anyone has would be helpful!
Give me a little to reply to this, busy workday. I've actually played every one of these and grew up playing Black Gold and now live really close to Sandpiper. Any other criteria? I can suggest a few too. Also pretty spread out list. Do you mind driving?
That'd be awesome! And we don't mind driving. If there are two a bit out there but close together we will grab a hotel.
I know some are much more expensive than others and I just don't want to play all the most expensive ones haha. That's my only criteria. Oh, and houses. No houses around the course. I dont have the money for the trip AND broken windows.
Lou W
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Please use google maps for your drive times in the LA Área. What looks close can be an hour + drive at times.
jspangs
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Maderas is my favorite on this list. It is easily one of my favorite in SoCal.
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Oh and are any just extremely difficult courses that a new, high handicapper would just be MISERABLE playing?
I've only played a few of those, here's my thoughts (keep in mind I haven't played them in a number of years, so some of my info could be dated):
Journey at Pechanga - I used to live a couple miles from Pechanga. Never played the course because $$$$, but my buddies that played it said it's a very tough track. From what they said, it may fit your definition of a course a high handicapper would be miserable playing.
Oak Quarry - Neat layout in an old rock quarry, cool views on some of the holes, it was a fun course and I'd definitely play it again.
Cross Creek - Fun, scenic course built in the mountains west of Temecula. Isolated location, lots of mountainous contours, arroyos/canyons, no homes lining the course. It's challenging, but not ridiculous. If you're having a bad day with your driver it can be a nightmare, as there are thickly vegetated arroyos right in front of a lot of the tee boxes. They're not long carries, but if you hit a worm burner it's an automatic unplayable/lost ball. It was one of my favorites in the Temecula/Murrieta area.
Another one that's not on your list - Temecula Creek. It's near Pechanga, at the south end of Temecula off Highway 79 South/Pechanga Parkway. They have three 9s and it's a fun track that's usually in very good condition. A lot of my buddies who still live in Temecula play there often, and it was another one of my favorites in the area when I lived there.
If you make it down this way, hit me up. Singing hills and/or Steele canyon is just down the street from me
Some of the courses on your list will be a hike from Lake Elsinore area… namely Sandpiper (Santa Barbara, has some spectacular ocean views and is pretty open) and Ojai GC north of Ventura which has some great holes, with rolling hills. Both are pretty expense.
Have played both and would recommend both! Other courses on the list I’m not familiar with at all. Have a blast!
Maderas is booked! Is awesome when you have to take out a customer and can expense it.....
Will do! Preference between the two? Also, I know Singing Hills has two courses. Any opinion on one vs the other?
So singing hills is completely different from Steele. Steele is target golf on all 3 courses. Greens are usually fast and course plays dry. Singing hills has the two courses both which play similar but offer slight differences not seen on the other. Greens are mid speed and views are better on oak
Another_132
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Oak Quarry is a great course, love playing there.
I haven't played Monarch Beach but so many of my good friends have said if you have the option to play Monarch Beach or Pelican Hill, most would pick Pelican Hill South.
Tijeras Creek falls into the fun but slightly overpriced category that includes Arroyo Trabuco, Oak Creek, San Juan Hills. Out of that list, I'd play Arroyo Trabuco hands down for a couple reasons. It's supposed to be links style which is interesting and different. Reminds me a bit of Maderas, it has a good driving range and no houses on the course at all.
Maderas is awesome.
If you're looking at Sandpiper, look at underpar.com for deals.
I'd recommend Rustic Canyon too if you're looking to drive.
I'd add Coronado to the list just for the views alone.
Any feedback? No worries if not! Just gonna start trying to book tomorrow
Sorry was just getting to this!
jspangs
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I will preface this by saying I am not a local I just spend a few months a year out in California. So I don’t play a lot of local courses and stick to the bigger name courses.
Maderas is my top course in SoCal. It is such a challenging course in a fun way it’s crazy more people don’t like it.
Just don’t go to Monarch. While it’s a new course their prices have gotten so ridiculous it’s not even close to being worth the price.
Arroyo Trabuco is definitely worth the money IMO it is cheaper than the others listed in that group; $200 for Oak Creek
. And Arroyo is a better lay out and longer than Oak Creek. Coyote Hills is a gimmicky course that likes to charge a premium. I feel like I can never hit a driver there.
Black Gold is fun but I feel like Hidden Valley is the better of the two. Very similar layout but idk why I always like Hidden Valley more.
Arrowwood in Oceanside would definitely be a fun one to check out and it’s on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Only thing I don’t care for is it’s a subdivision course. But they do a good job of not really bringing the houses in play.
Another one worth looking at is Avaria. They play the LPGA Kia classic there and is a pretty fun track. Definitely pricey being a Marriott resort.
I was just at Singing Hills and it was a decent track for the money but I would never make a trip of it. It could have been the course was under a lot of construction but the conditions in December were not great.
If you really want to make the hike Rams Hill in Barrago Springs is worth the drive. A fun desert course that is only open half the year.
I know there are a few more I’m forgetting but I have gotten around and played a lot.
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@Someonescoat Sorry for the delay! Here are my recs
So if I was in your shoes, I would for sure look to do a San Diego day and play Maderas, the Grand, and Coronado Island.
Maderas is a fan favorite. The Grand is just incredible. I have spent a lot of time at the Grand taking lessons growing up, and it is where many PGA tour players practice and play. I have been on the range hitting next to Phil and other top 10 players in the world. Fair warning, the Grand is pricey. Coronado is really unique and a fun track too. I would for sure try to get out on Coronado and Maderas at a minimum budget considering.
The other location I would look to hit is Orange County. Some options, Monarch Beach and Pelican South, are both really nice but pricey. I loved playing both. Both fun for newer golfers, super pretty locations.
Oak Quarry will be memorable for a day trip too.
Have fun! Let me know if you need any food recs! Let us know your favorites!
- Black Gold- Orange County, hilly course and condition can waver. I would recommend not playing. Black Gold is a course you have to play 10 times before enjoying.
- Journey at Pechanga- One of my least favorite courses. I do not recommend playing here. Really hard and now overpriced too.
- Oak Quarry- A ton of people love this course. In the summer it can be really hot and in OK shape, but in the spring it will be really fun to play.
- Monarch Beach- Great resort course. Pretty open. Excellent food options in this area too. I would recommend playing here and Pelican South too.
- Sandpiper- Awesome views but I think boring layout. I prefer the other Santa Babara courses, and none of them are worth driving 3+ hours to play.
- Ojai GC- This used to be a great course and has some cool history, but they recently redid the wedding area and really ate into the course. I wouldn't recommend it for the price unless you were staying there, which is a beautiful resort.
- Eagle Glen- I haven't played in some time, but the course was in rough shape the last time I did.
- CrossCreek- This course is a fun layout. If you're in this area it is a pretty fun track.
- Tijeras Creek- I like Tijeras Creek, more so because I always played well there, but it can be challenging and a ways away from everything else.
- Talega- I recently heard this one has been in rougher shape but it does have a great layout.
- Maderas- Great course. I would highly recommend a San Diego portion of your trip.
- Steele Canyon- OK course. Public track that gets amount of play.
- Singing Hills- Similar to Steele Canyon
- Coyote Hills- I loved playing this course. However, I stopped playing as the condition got worse and prices got higher.
So if I was in your shoes, I would for sure look to do a San Diego day and play Maderas, the Grand, and Coronado Island.
Maderas is a fan favorite. The Grand is just incredible. I have spent a lot of time at the Grand taking lessons growing up, and it is where many PGA tour players practice and play. I have been on the range hitting next to Phil and other top 10 players in the world. Fair warning, the Grand is pricey. Coronado is really unique and a fun track too. I would for sure try to get out on Coronado and Maderas at a minimum budget considering.
The other location I would look to hit is Orange County. Some options, Monarch Beach and Pelican South, are both really nice but pricey. I loved playing both. Both fun for newer golfers, super pretty locations.
Oak Quarry will be memorable for a day trip too.
Have fun! Let me know if you need any food recs! Let us know your favorites!
Here is a stay and play for the Grand. https://golfmoose.com/product/fairmont-grand-del-mar/
Also, just adding the idea, if you're going to San Diego you could always try for Torrey Pines.
Also, just adding the idea, if you're going to San Diego you could always try for Torrey Pines.