Southern California Trip Report

[Argonne69]

I'm out in Southern California for 4 days, and hopefully 7 rounds of golf. The schedule includes rounds at Arrowood, Aviara, La Costa Champions, The Crossings at Carlsbad, Pelican Hill North and South, and Oak Creek. Unfortunately the forecast looks rather bleak for the next three days, with strong winds, T-storms, and cool temps. The weather back in Chicago will actually be better. Lol. My luck. Hopefully I'll catch a break. If not the rain gear will get a good workout.

 

I started this morning with a warm up round at Arrowood. I haven't swung a club in 4 weeks, so I wasn't expecting much. I did get a major surprise when I discovered that many LPGA and KLPGA players spend some time here in the winter. Before I teed it up I got a chance to watch and chat with a few at the range. The highlight was meeting the lovely Hee Young Park (LPGA). It certainly made for a great day for this LPGA fanboy.

 

The course itself was a nice surprise. Plenty of elevation changes, and a good variety of short and longer par 4's. The condition was very good. The greens were a bit slow on the front nine with the morning dew, but they sped up considerably on the back. The greens were quite tricky, with multiple levels on some. I'm an excellent putter, but I still managed a few three putts being in the wrong place on the green.

 

All around good start. I stumbled a bit out of the gate, but by the 5th hole I was hitting it good. Managed 9 fairways and 11 greens, with 2 birdies.

 

Overall it was a very good course. Given that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd recommend it as a companion for Aviara.

[Argonne69]

My 2nd stop today was at Aviara, the site of the LPGA Kia Classic next month. They're prepping the course, so it's starting to show some teeth. The greens were a bit soft, but still rolling at 11 or so. I imagine they'll firm them up, and they'll roll a bit faster for the Kia.

 

The course has a very nice combination of holes. The par 3's are really something. I don't recall seeing this much landscaping on any course I've played. The first few holes play uphill and into the wind, so they're a tough start. The greens were tough. It seems there were slopes where the eyes said flat. The bunkers were in great shape, but aren't overdone.

 

I played the Kia Classic combo, which is basically the setup for the tournament. I thought that was pretty cool. It played at ~6475 yards, with a majority of the holes played from the blue tees. A few were played back, or forward one set. One of the par 4's played from the gold tees at just under 300 yards downhill, and was driveable. I had a great round ball striking, hitting 10 fairways and 12 greens. Unfortunately the putting was a bit spotty, and a handful of 3 putts spoiled what could have been a great round. Oh well.

 

Overall I thought it was an excellent course. The peak rate pushes $300, which is too high. I managed to get a discounted round in the afternoon weekday, and the $125 was a great deal.

 

[Argonne69]

My first round early this morning was at the Omni La Costa Champions course. The course is an out and back design located in a shallow valley with homes overlooking the course. It's fairly flat terrain with plenty of water on the course. The description that comes to mind is scruffy. The rough and fairways are not meticulously manicured, so it has a rather rough look to it. The greens were in decent shape, but nothing to brag about. The bunkers looked nice, but there was little sand on top of the hardpan.

 

I got a break with the weather. The strong winds stayed away, as did the rain. I had an overall mediocre round. Drives were going left, so I didn't give myself many good looks at the flag. I managed to bogie three of the par 3's, which is a bit unusual. I think I was rushing too much trying to get to the 2nd round of the day.

 

The course is OK, but too pricey for what it delivers. I'd pass on it

[Argonne69]

My 2nd round today was at The Crossings at Carlsbad. This is a wonderful layout, especially the back nine which routes through a valley/canyon. Holes 10, 11, and 16 have significant elevated tees, and allow a great view of the course. The greens had enough undulation to keep you on your toes. Speeds were fast without being punishing. For almost half the price of La Costa, I should have played two rounds here. The only minor quibble is that the par 3's are fairly benign. Otherwise it's a top notch layout. Conditions were excellent,although the bunkers could use a little more sand.

 

Given that the winds had picked up to 20+ mph, I had a great round ballstriking. My home course is windy, so the practice paid off. I hit 11 fairways and 13 greens. Unfortunately I didn't really give myself too many looks at birdie. The holes playing into the wind were long, and simply hitting the green was an accomplishment. The highlights of the round were a pair of 300 yard drives on 11 and 16. Lol. Of course, it helps when you have a strong tailwind, and a 4 story drop to the fairway. I was able to reach the par 5 16th in two, and had a fairly easy two putt for birdie.

 

I managed to beat the rain and hurricane winds. Hopefully tomorrow's rounds at Pelican Hill aren't a washout.

 

Overall I'd say the course is a must play. Great views. Good conditioning. Challenging greens.

[Sean2]

Good luck with the weather! Hopefully it will stay a bit north of where you will be playing!

 

Enjoy :-)

[Argonne69]

Good luck with the weather! Hopefully it will stay a bit north of where you will be playing!

 

Enjoy :-)

 

Thanks. It doesn't look like it. The radar shows a large storm due west of Carlsbad. It's probably going to hit in an hour or so. Hopefully it passes through the night and clears by morning. If not, I may have to settle for one round at Pelican Hill tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers.

 

Now, for some important business. Carlsbad and Oceanside appear to be brewpub strong. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

[Argonne69]

I just finished my morning round at Pelican Hill North. Given that the course got 3 inches of rain, it was in great shape. They blew some of the water off the greens, so they were rolling OK. What a wonderful course. Views of the Pacific are numerous. The rolling terrain is quite a challenge. The sweeping par 5 17th is the highlight of the round.

 

Credit for this round goes to my forecaddie. His green reading was phenomenal. I had 30 putts for the round, and lipped out 3 putts. Could have been a real winner. Donning full rain gear in a light rain, I got out of the gate slowly. My ballstriking was a bit off, but the putting helped salvage the nine. I turned it up on the back, hitting all fairways, and 7 greens. Two birdies made for the best nine holes of the trip.

 

I'm getting ready to head out on the South course. Hopefully the scattered storms will stay out of the area.

[Phreddy]

I've been just up the coast from you this week. I played a truly memorable round at Pebble but was washed our at Spyglass. I would love to repeat this pilgrimage in the fall when I feel good about my game vs trying to bring it our of a coma. The highlights for me were having a birdie putt on #7 (missed, but parred), hitting a pure iron shot to the green on my second shot at #8 and landing my tee shot on the short grass between the tree and the surf on #18. A double bogey on 18 is enough in itself to bring me back for redemption.

 

Phred

[sharkiesj]

Argonne were you able to stop by SC Gallery store in Encinitas?

[Argonne69]

Argonne were you able to stop by SC Gallery store in Encinitas?

 

No, I didn't plan on it. Worth the trip?

 

[Argonne69]

'Just finished my round on Pelican Hillary South. It took much longer because there are a ton of great photo opps. Words can't do it justice. I'll post photos on Monday when I get home. The South course is considered the lower of the two courses. It plays a bit easier, but is more picturesque than the North course. It routes through a number of valleys, and has a handful of great views. The par 3 12th and 13th holes play along the Pacific. Now, it's no Pebble Beach, but it's no slouch.

 

I started off in a light rain, but it finally cleared by the 5th holes. The breeze picked up, and the course started drying. I had another great round ball striking, hitting 11 of 13 fairways and 12 greens. Three birdies were sweet, as they helped offset some of the mediocre putting. Playing without a forecaddie meant making my own (bad) reads. Lol.

 

Overall it was a fantastic day on what could have been a wet, windy, washout. Yeah, it was cool and wet, but it could have been a lot worse. The courses are definitely a must play. Yes, it's pricey. However, you do get a bit of a discount on the 2nd round.

 

[sharkiesj]

We'll you were about 10 min away yesterday in Carlsbad. If you like SC stuff, then it's def worth it. If you don't then I wouldn't bother.

[Argonne69]

We'll you were about 10 min away yesterday in Carlsbad. If you like SC stuff, then it's def worth it. If you don't then I wouldn't bother.

 

This has been a great trip. I'm leaning towards flying into San Diego next February, and played Torrey and a few other courses. I'll certainly consider it next trip

 

[Argonne69]

My final round was at Oak Creek this morning. The course is a parkland style layout that is mostly flat. The property is rather large, so it doesn't feel pinched at all. If it wasn't for the constant din of traffic on I-5 next to the course, you wouldn't know there were several million people nearby. I thought the course was rather bland. It's playable, but nothing really stands out. The course was wet, but given the amount of rain in the past few days, it wasn't unexpected. Some of the greens were still punched, which was unexpected.

 

Decent round ball striking this morning. I hit 11 fairways and 12 greens. Three birdies kept the bogies in check. After seven rounds in four days, I was running out of gas.

 

I'd say that Oak Creek is one to skip. If it was less than half the price, it would be worth an occasional round. However, it's way overpriced at $180. I'd rather pony up the additional cash and play Pelican Hill.

 

I was originally considering an 8th round. However, with cart path only at most courses, I'm not sure I could fit it in. Besides, my back is telling me that I've had enough. I think I'm going to head over to the coast and work my way up through Long Beach, and then on to LAX.

 

Overall it's been a great trip. The weather could have been better, but then again it could have been much worse. I managed to keep to my original schedule, and found a few good brewpubs along the way. Traffic has been lousy, but I didn't expect otherwise. I'll probably head back this way next year. I'll post some pictures when I get home, and give my course rankings.

[Sean2]

Maybe you should stay until May? You know those Chicago winters...

[Argonne69]

Maybe you should stay until May? You know those Chicago winters...

 

Yeah, but it's 65 in Chicago today. Gotta get back to the warm weather. Lol.

 

I drove up the coast and past Trump LA. Looks great. Should have played it instead of Oak Creek.

 

[Argonne69]

Arrowood

 

 

No 16

 

[Argonne69]

 

The Lovely Hee Young Park

 

 

 

Hmmm, just a bit of a Mizuno fanboy. Lol.

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

The ladies of the KLPGA

 

Song Yi Ahn

 

 

 

Min Sun Kim

 

 

[Argonne69]

Avaria

 

The par 3 3rd

 

 

The par 3 11th

 

 

The par 3 14th

 

 

No 18

 

 

No 18 approach

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Omni La Costa Champions

 

Par 4 1st

 

 

 

 

 

The par 3 16th

 

 

No 18

 

 

No 18 approach

 

[Argonne69]

The Crossings at Carlsbad

 

View of the back nine

 

 

 

Looking back at the par 5 7th

 

 

The par 4 11th

 

 

Looking back at the 11th

 

 

The short par 4 13th

 

 

The par 5 15th

 

 

The par 5 16th

 

[Argonne69]

Pelican Hill North

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The par 5 17th

 

 

Looking back at the 17th

 

 

The par 4 18th

 

 

[Argonne69]

Pelican Hill South Front 9

 

 

 

 

 

The par 3 7th

 

[Argonne69]

Pelican Hill South Back 9

 

The par 4 11th

 

 

11th approach

 

 

 

The par 3 12th

 

 

Looking south from the par 3 13th teebox

 

 

13th

 

 

The par 5 14th

 

 

Looking back at the 15th

 

 

The par 3 16th

 

 

The par 5 17th

 

 

17th green

 

 

Par 4 18th

 

 

18th approach

 

 

18th green

 

 

'Not a bad spot for a wedding

 

[Argonne69]

Oak Creek

 

 

9th

 

 

 

Par 5 18th approach

 

[tw422]

Maybe you should stay until May? You know those Chicago winters...

 

Yeah, but it's 65 in Chicago today. Gotta get back to the warm weather. Lol.

 

I drove up the coast and past Trump LA. Looks great. Should have played it instead of Oak Creek.

 

You didn't miss anything with Trump LA - way over rated (great for views). Golf is mediocre with a boring (super tight) layout. Oak Creek is over priced too but way better in terms of golf course.

[kidcardio]

Wow. Nice photos! Looks like you had a fun trip.

[Sean2]

Great job with the photographs!

[Argonne69]

Thanks! The cloudy conditions were not conducive for great pics, but you play the hand that you're dealt.

 

Yeah, it was a fun trip, even if I did have to don rain gear at times. As noted above, I managed to keep my original agenda, although I did have to rush through Friday's rounds to avoid the storm. 'Not a big deal, as I'm basically a speed player. My 4 solo rounds averaged less than 2.5 hours, which is a little slow for me, but then again, I was taking quite a few pics. I was paired with another single at PHN, and two twosomes at Avaria and Arrowood, and we had a good time. I didn't mention the couple I played with at Avaria. The husband had a solid game, but his wife was shooting lights out. I figured she shot 77 or 78. 'Solid player who likely played college golf.

 

The beer was great, too. There are plenty of brewpubs and bars with extensive beer menus. 'Something for everyone.

 

My rankings for the courses would be 1) Pelican Hill South, 2) Pelican Hill North, 3) The Crossings at Carlsbad, 4) Avaria, 5) Arrowood, 6) Oak Creek, 7) La Costa Champions.

 

PHS blew me away with the elevation changes and views of the ocean. It also helped that I had the course to myself. It's not every day that you get to tee it up without a soul in sight. I had a few rounds like this in Nebraska last August, but this is SoCal for goodness' sake. Obviously conditions were a bit spotty, but given that they absorbed nearly 3 inches of rain the day before, I'll give that a pass.

 

PHN was a close 2nd. Given that I was playing with another player and a forecaddie, I was a bit more focused on my game, and less the course. It felt more open than the south course, being built on higher ground. The two rounds set be back five Benjamins, but I'd have to say it was worth it.

 

The Crossings was a pleasant surprise, especially the back nine. 'Great views, and some tricky shots.

 

Avaria was decent for the price, but I wouldn't pay full rate for it. Given that I'm such an LPGA fanboy, it's always a treat to tee it up on a course the women play. The course had the most appealing par 3's of the trip.

 

Arrowood was special only because I ran into The Rocket and the KLPGA players. Otherwise it was an OK layout that was good for a warmup round. The 16th and 17th holes were fairly interesting, but otherwise it was a forgettable layout.

 

Oak Creek was simply overpriced. It's a solid layout, but no hole really stands out. I can see paying $80 for it, but that's about it.

 

La Costa's conditioning dropped it to the bottom. I think the layout is more interesting than Oak Creek, but it looked like a shagged out muni.

 

I'm definitely considering a return trip next year. I'll have to decide if I want to fly into San Diego, and play the courses north of the city, or fly back into LAX, and hit a few more of the courses I missed. When booking my rounds I noticed a lot of courses that don't allow singles to book, so I avoided them. This is somewhat unusual, as most places I've travel to allow single to book. In the Chicago area, only 5 or 6 courses out of 150+ don't allow singles to book a round.