COURSE REVIEWS

Barbara Worth Country Club:
Holtville Course a Desert Oasis

By Ryan Finley,
Regional Staff Writer

HOLTVILLE, Calif. - When one thinks of the nations finest golfing cities, a few come to mind: Palm Springs, Scottsdale and...Holtville?

Cropping up 100 miles east of San Diego, courses in towns from Brawley to El Centro to Holtville have been bringing putt-for-go courses in pitch-and-putt towns. The Imperial Valley, where greens are for eating rather than putting, has brought inexpensive golf to a part of the state that is drastically in need of entertainment.

Well, If the Barbara Worth Country Club in the small Imperial Valley town of Holtville is any indication of the possibility of what big-time courses in small-time towns can be, I suggest the relocation of Pebble Beach to Brawley.

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The toughest hole of the course, according to PGA teaching professional John Hildreth, is the 18th--and final--hole.

A par 4, 432-yarder, the final hole includes a heavy dose of trees, doglegs, and elevation.

But as tough as the approach may be, he hardest part about the Barbara Worth 18th hole would be the putting.

“We have a small, small green,” Hildreth said. “It’s incredibly well-sloped, front to back. It’s a tough hole to put away.”

For Hildreth, a good drive may set the stage for hole dominance.

“A good drive is really important,” Hildreth said. “I’ll usually try to drive it hard and move from there, usually with a 5-iron.”

Hildreth advises that mastering the hole could be the key to athletic and financial gain. Simply put, master the hole and win the money, preferably from the rest of your foursome.

“If you can make it in four and get par, you win your bet,” Hildreth said. “You can’t go wrong with a par on this hole.”

Barbara Worth Country Club
2050 Country Club Drive
Holtville, CA 92250