California Golf Course Reviews
Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert offers colorful courses for all levels
There's scenery, water and green everywhere at the 36-hole Desert Willow Golf Resort, a getaway within the hubbub of one of the Coachella Valley's most bustling cities. Owned by the City of Palm Desert, Desert Willow's Firecliff and Mountain View layouts make up one of the finest municipals in California, a public facility with a non-public feel. The golf courses are maintained like a top-tier private club, writes Katie Denbo, and were born from years of intricate planning to protect the resilient desert environment.
... full article »Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club in Clio: The High Sierra's remote golf escape
Scenic, remote and fun-to-play golf courses offering a few birdie chances define destination golf travel for a lot of folks. And few do it better than Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club in Clio. Part of a small residential community built on former ranch land, its ever-changing surroundings hold the key to a golf experience that is arguably better than anything you'll find nearby, Brandon Tucker writes.
... full article »History and nature come together at Knollwood Country Club in Granada Hills
When thinking of Los Angeles-area golf courses, Knollwood Country Club isn't one that initially comes to mind. Sitting above the bustling San Fernando Valley, home of the entertainment industry and its workers, Knollwood is what many would consider a tucked-away flag of sorts. But with open fairways, forgiving landing areas and no water hazards in which to lose balls, Knollwood is a short but enjoyable layout, Katie Denbo writes.
... full article »Playability makes for fun rounds on the Palm and Valley golf courses at Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert
Steps from the resort and surrounded by the Santa Rosa Mountains, JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa's two Ted Robinson layouts are straightforward, fair and allow few tricks -- just pure and classic desert golf. It's part of the reason the Valley Course and Palm Course have remained so popular for more than two decades, Katie Denbo writes.
... full article »Fun on the slopes of Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey
The sunshine over Laguna Seca Golf Ranch reveals green hills, majestic oaks and emerald fairways, often viewed from elevated tees. It's a collaboration of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Robert Trent Jones Jr., available for play at a fraction of the cost needed to enjoy more storied venues on the peninsula. Not overly difficult, it's plenty challenging for most players, Mike Bailey writes.
... full article »Led by the Ike course, Los Angeles area's Industry Hills Golf Club deserving of its national honors
Recently named National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association, Industry Hills Golf Club has long been synonymous with high-class Southland golf. Now in the limelight and fresh off a $22 million renovation, Industry Hills has cemented its position as one of the most respected golf facilities in Los Angeles. Katie Denbo takes a look at the club's challenging Ike course.
... full article »Poppy Hills Golf Course shouldn't be the Rodney Dangerfield of Pebble Beach golf
It has to be tough trying to live up to Pebble Beach Golf Links or Spyglass Hill. That's the task for Poppy Hills Golf Course, an excellent Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that's always been overshadowed by its big brothers in the area. Judged on its own, Poppy Hills is a very good golf course. Combine that with interesting and challenging holes, terrific scenery, on-cart GPS and a nicely laid-out clubhouse, and you've got a mighty enjoyable golf experience.
... full article »Vallejo's Hiddenbrooke Golf Club is more than meets the eye
It's easy to get lulled into a false sense of serenity when playing Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, for the first time. If you catch this Arnold Palmer design in the early or late afternoon light, it is mesmerizing. But at every corner, danger lurks. Once you start getting into your round, it's easy to see why this is one of the Bay Area's favorite public facilities.
... full article »Classic Club in Palm Desert: Former Bob Hope Classic stop still plenty worthy of traveling golfers
The secret is out about Classic Club. This one-of-a-kind charitable golf course offers value and quality in the Coachella Valley. Some pros griped during its short stay among the rotation for the Bob Hope Classic, but their tastes don't apply to the traveling golfer. There's never been a better time to play Classic Club, Brandon Tucker writes.
... full article »South Course holds its own at storied La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad
Don't let the ratings fool you. The South Course at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad presents every bit the challenge of the North Course. And the South, designed by Dick Wilson, does it mid-1960s style, with tight fairways and small, rounded greens. It's good enough for the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic and worth a spot on any tour of San Diego-area golf courses, Mike Bailey writes.
... full article »- Memorable North Course at La Costa Resort & Spa still fit for the pros
- The Crossings at Carlsbad: San Diego-area golfers get another top-flight municipal golf course
- Nine holes with bite: Links at Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes reinvents par-3 golf
- Tricky greens, panoramic views make Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda a slick escape from Orange County
- The Bridges Golf Club in San Ramon: Beauty and the beast rolled into the fairways
- Golf is better than good at the Challenge Course at Monarch Dunes G.C. in Nipomo
- San Francisco city escape: The New Links at Bodega Harbour in Sonoma
- Journey at Pechanga in Temecula: Tribe's golf course embraces history
- Renovated Black Horse Golf Course is the perfect Monterey-area complement to Bayonet
- Changes suit Monterey Peninsula's renovated Bayonet Golf Course
- Sonoma County's Road to Hana: Sea Ranch Golf Links a whole trip of its own
- Don't be fooled by Back Bay Golf Course: It's good for kids days only
- Industry Hills Golf Club and Pacific Palms Conference Resort: First-rate golf minutes from Los Angeles
- Palm Desert Country Club golf course sheds its problem past with ultra-green redo
- Desert Willow Golf Resort's Mountain View brings mellow good times to Palm Springs
- Robinson Ranch in Santa Clarita offers private-club-quality golf at daily-fee rates
- Find the golf too relaxing in Los Cabos? Trent Jones Jr.'s Cabo Real is the cure
- Palm Springs' Desert Princess C.C.: House hecklers, go-for-it par 4s and lakes aplenty
- Quirky Cimarron Golf Resort in Palm Springs: Hot girls, weird sand, and some good laughs
- Nicklaus plays nice: Tahoe's Old Greenwood Golf Course not the same old Jack
- Plumas Pines Golf Resort squeezes that driver in Reno/Tahoe shadow
- From buffalo gnats to humbling trees, Reno-area's Golf Club at Whitehawk Ranch delivers
- Prehistoric golf theater: Coyote Moon Golf Course's ancient granite a Sierra blast
- Big bushes of horror: Desert Dunes Golf Course brings dire desert to Palm Springs
- Horses but no horse track: Indian Canyons Golf Resort for everyone
- Dye's Dunes Course comes off as the fifth wheel at PGA West for a reason
- PGA Tour's loss is your gain at historic, eccentric Indian Wells Country Club Classic Course
- SilverRock Resort golf course: Great potential overcomes shaky conditions in Palm Springs-area's new Palmer showcase
- Trump National L.A. brings waterfall wonders, but no Pebble Beach aura
- New Escena Golf Club a Palm Springs trendsetter in style too
- Forced carries over subdivision streets: Pete Dye has fun with resort courses
- Spotless and easy in Palm Springs: Gary Player Signature course at Mission Hills supplies perfect fairways, career rounds
- Quail Lodge: A slice of California countryside for Monterey golfers
- Pacific Grove Golf Links gets into the groove - at a mellow California pace
- Links at Spanish Bay offers golfers a long, leisurely day at the beach
- Del Monte serves up ample style and charm for Monterey golfers
- Bayonet Golf Course bares its teeth for those who dare to take it on
- Harding Park falls short of its renovated hype, but still worthwhile
- Pete Dye's fortified greens loom over the Mountain Course
- Cheap golf with spectacular scenery awaits at San Francisco's city heart Lincoln Park
- Still hard to beat the show-stopping finish at La Costa North
- Norman Course toughness cannot overcome its design choke
- Barona Creek sticks out from the SoCal crowd: a rare underpriced delight
- La Costa South gets its character from the front nine
- Saddle Creek Resort: Gold Country haven leaps into national prominence
- Mare Island layout sails under the radar
- St. George pacesetter Entrada every bit as demanding as Johnny Miller
- DarkHorse: Sierra Foothills gem golden for golfers
- Stevinson Ranch: Fertile land, wetlands define a valley classic
- Old Greenwood: New Nicklaus design proves player-friendly
- Coyote Creek GC has history, and celebrity, on its side
- Cinnabar Hills GC a special place
- Escape from L.A.: Mountain golf in Santa Barbara
- Pasadera Country Club: Nicklaus design features sunny side of Monterey
- Bayonet, Black Horse sprint to new heights
- Tierra Rejada stands out in Emerald Triangle
- Pebble Beach Golf Links: Crosby weather, unmatched scenery define ultimate layout
- La Costa hosts golf's version of March Madness
- Torrey Pines: Muscled up South Course showcase for golf's big boys
- Indian Palms gets modernized, and now it's even more of a test
- Harding Park gets Jenny Jones-like makeover
- Sierra Lakes is a playable course in the Inland Empire
- Carmel Valley's Quail Lodge gets a bit of a facelift
- Mission Hills Country Club: Unique memberships allow non-members to tee it up
- TPC at Valencia provides challenges, but that's the fun part
- Desert Falls: A desert jewel celebrates 20 years
- The Hideaway: Tumultuous beginning levels out for affluent desert golfers
- The Course at Wente Vineyards: Norman Creates a Vintage Blend
- Bodega Harbour Golf Links offers true Scottish experience
- DarkHorse runs away with the prize in the Gold Country
- Half Moon Bay Golf Links is California's great unknown
- Barona Creek: Lean and mean layout means new leader in San Diego
- Indian Springs starts over: The old is new at La Quinta
- Trilogy at La Quinta: New home of Skins Game could produce 'birdie fest'
- Moorpark Country Club is a hot story out West
- Review from Haggin Oaks: Alister MacKenzie Golf Course
- Course Review: Bing Maloney Golf Course
- Bodega Harbor Golf Links: All That You Can Handle
- Cascades Golf Club: Beauty In Desert Places
- Rolling Hillside Terrain at Castle Oaks Golf Club
- Course Review: Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course
- Coyote Moon Golf Course: A Piece of Magic near Tahoe
- Diamond Oaks Golf Course: A Fun Layout that Won't Beat You Up
- KCourse Review: Greenhorn Creek
- Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club: Tree-Hugging for Beginners
- Landmark at Oak Quarry: Jensen Quarry Backdrop and Scenic, Rocky Golf
- Landmark Golf Club at Oak Quarry
- Rescued from the Shadow Course at Lost Canyons Golf Club
- Lost Canyons Brings Big Sky Country To Southern California
- Monarch Beach Golf Links: Pacific Ocean Panorama, White Sand, Slick Greens
