Accommodations:

Rancho Bernardo Inn

Location:

San Diego. Imagine 75-degree temperature all year long.  Sounds great for golf, doesn’t it?  Well, it is.  With all the attractions, like the San Diego Zoo, Old Town, Balboa Park, Coronado Island, La Jolla and Gas Lamp District, the San Diego area has outstanding golf courses that will challenge you and astound you.  The Inn is situated in a beautiful valley just 28 minutes from the San Diego airport.  The inn has been recognized as a premier resort for many years.  It is the area’s only Mobil 4 Star and AAA 4 Diamond resort.  It is a very comfortable and relaxing environment with fireplaces and fountains.  There is a heated pool for adults only and the hydro spas are tucked away in three secluded spots.  Every room has a private patio or balcony and the rooms are provided with comfy terry cloths robes, double vanity areas and even a refrigerator.

Rancho Bernardo Resort Course
is both challenging and enjoyable to all level players.  William Bell, designer of La Jolla Country Club, Torrey Pines and Industry Hills Eisenhower Course, designed the course.  Ted Robinson redesigned and updates the course in 1986.  This traditional style course, once the home of the San Diego Open, gives golfers a beautiful resort setting with two natural lakes, meandering streams and waterscapes that come into play on 14 holes.  The greens are generous and fast.  Rated 3 ½ stars by Golf Digest. This will be a great warm-up for your upcoming days of golf.

Torrey Pines North
The course, nestled high on the bluffs overlooking La Jolla’s beaches and the Pacific Ocean, gives the golfers and opportunity to play the home of the Buick Invitational.  The scenery is overwhelming, but you will have a club professional escort you the first three holes to calm you down and orient you for an outstanding round of golf.  The North Course is only 6659 yards from the blue tees, but remains one of the toughest challenges of your golf skills.  My favorite hole is the tough little Par 3 #6. Because of the ocean wind affecting your club selection, you could hot a 7 or 5 iron into the green and accuracy is the key.  Primary trouble is short with a left hand bunker and a very steep canyon. Over the green or just to its side can be just as severe when you chip of the green.  Measuring 24 yards deep, sloping from front to back, the green can yield a birdie, but be happy with a par.

Mt. Woodson Country Club
is one picturesque course, situated in a quiet valley and built on natural terrain.  The fast greens are well manicured and the fairways are plush.  An abundance of wildlife roams freely throughout the course and every hole features views of the beautiful Roman Mountains.  The Amy Strong Castle, a National Historic Landmark built between 1916 and 1921, is located on the course property.  There is a wooden trestle, a golf cart bridge, which takes you to the third tee that crosses a canyon sixty feet above a creek.  It’s very scenic and a little scary.  The terrain overall is hilly, so you have should expect many uneven lies and changes in elevation.  Some of the downhill par 4’s can tempt you to try to drive the green.  If the wind is right, it is very possible.  However, due to the tall vegetation on the sides of the fairways, accuracy is at a premium.  If you hit a ball in it, then it is played as if hitting into a lateral water hazard.  Forget about looking for the ball.  Give it up, kiss it goodbye.

The Grand Del Mar
is one of California’s must-play golf courses.  The spectacular layout features dramatic holes that play along ridges and hillsides then move gracefully down into ravines, valleys and meadows.  This Tom Fazio design was built in 1999 and is already the talk of the town.  Even though it is located in a housing community, the elevation changes in the 380 acres create a secluded feel along each tee, fairway and green.  There’s a little meandering creek that can comes into play on a couple of holes and the there’s a lake to carry over off the tee on #12, but the 17^th is another story.  This cute little Par 3 can rip you up and ruin your round.  Measuring 241 yards from the back tees, you not only have to carry the lake, but also avoid landing in it around the green.  Don’t even think about hooking the ball.