San Diego Golf (am I missing something?)

[ben23]

Hey everyone - after a year of living in San Diego I'm starting to become frustrated with our available courses.

 

I happen to really like Torrey, despite a lot of people who think its overrated. I just hate the pace and crowds there. I've played at Barona Creek twice and absolutely loved it - playing out there in solitude is an amazing experience. I also live right by Balboa Park Golf Course which is in surprisingly good condition these days.

 

From the research I've done, after Barona and Torrey there doesn't seem to be a consensus on any other "good" or "great" public courses in San Diego. I've heard mixed reviews on Maderas and Aviara - for the price there shouldn't be any question.

 

Why the hell are our courses so overpriced?? Most of our public courses have subpar conditions and charge $50-$90. In most parts of the country you can play some excellent courses for that price.

 

Can anyone suggest some courses that at least have nice conditions this type of year? Tracks like Mt Woodson would be fun but the fairways and conditioning are not great. Others I've played like Salt Creek ($65???) and Coronado are just dumps. A buddy had recommended Carlton Oaks, but says the conditions are atrocious right now. Also heard that the Crossings in Carlsbad isn't worth it either. All the JC courses seem pretty boring and overpriced too.

 

Any deals out there, any courses I'm missing?

[samix]

Woods Valley is one of my favorites. A little further out in Valley Center but good prices and an interesting course.
Escondido has some nice ones, Vineyard and Eaglecrest.
San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall is pretty old school but conditions and price are good, Golf Club of California up the road is tough with good conditions (used to be private)
Carmel Mountain Ranch has some good prices and is a tough track.

If you don't mind driving some, Arrowood in Oceanside is nice and Cross Creek in Temecula is great.

I find JC courses to be way overpriced, but if you like their courses the players card is the way to go for the 5 free rounds alone.

Golfnow always has some good deals, just have to keep an eye out and be flexible with the time you play.

[JackpotJohnny]

Somewhere around fifty bucks is pretty average for prime time. Sign up on email lists with courses and you'll get specials. Also, golfnow and EZlinks have pretty good deals.
As far as in your area, aside from Balboa you've got riverwalk pretty close to you, and usually in good condition, just overpriced. Sam made some solid reccomendations for north county courses, but they may be a little far for you.
Check out Greenskeeper.org they have reviews , ratings , photos , and condition updates for most courses in SD

[golfnhack]

Biggest misconception EVER.... "Golf is good in San Diego"

Reality... "Weather is good in San Diego (actually fantastic).... golf SUX".

The public courses are overpriced, limited, short, and generally not in the best shape.

As Samix mentioned... Woods Valley is a great layout for a great price.

My advice.... if you want good, reasonably priced golf, move/vacation in Orando

[moutnaindr3wz]

[quote name='Johnny4379' timestamp='1341879856' post='5246180']
Somewhere around fifty bucks is pretty average for prime time. Sign up on email lists with courses and you'll get specials. Also, golfnow and EZlinks have pretty good deals.
As far as in your area, aside from Balboa you've got riverwalk pretty close to you, and usually in good condition, just overpriced. Sam made some solid reccomendations for north county courses, but they may be a little far for you.
Check out Greenskeeper.org they have reviews , ratings , photos , and condition updates for most courses in SD
[/quote]

+1 The pricing here is spot on! Occasionally you'll have the upper priced fees for the prime tee times. Having said that, the sun doesn't set around until like 8:00 something right now, which is plenty of time to pay the twilight or super twilight rate and still get in a good 18 holes.

I do agree that JC golf course rates are kind of on the high side especially for the condition they can sometimes be in. I know for a fact that Salt Creek went through an ownership change and the new owners are renovating the place so that can contribute to the place not being in perfect shape.

[ruascott]

What about golf club of California? I'm seeing rates of like $44-55 there. Looks pretty nice. I'm also considering playing Maderas for $89 off of golfnow.

Steel Canyon
Carlton Oaks
Vineyard
Woods Valley
Mt Woodson
Barona

This, along with possibly Torrey and Coronado are my working list for my trip in a couple of weeks. I have 4 open days. May do 36 on some days if there is going to be time and deals to be found.

Has anyone played East Lake CC? Looks like a cheap option. I haven't heard many good things about Salt Creek

[gxDD]

I've lived in San Diego for my entire life...minus Navy time in Hawaii...Turning 33 this month. That said its my opinion that it you're looking for "deals" the only way to go is to purchase the JC Golf package. I'm still young enough to receive this as a gift from my pops, thankfully...and the ONLY courses I've found to be worth the price, when I do pay...& considering the condition they are typically in are:

1. Torrey
2. Temecula Creek Inn
3. Rancho Bernardo Inn

Other than those 3 you'll be hard pressed to find prime time "deals"...golf is stupid expensive here....just stupid. A lot of the courses mentioned already are pretty much hit or miss, but the 3 I mentioned are almost always worth the trip.

[BoomerSooner214]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1341890240' post='5247330']
What about golf club of California? I'm seeing rates of like $44-55 there. Looks pretty nice. I'm also considering playing Maderas for $89 off of golfnow.

Steel Canyon
Carlton Oaks
Vineyard
Woods Valley
Mt Woodson
Barona

This, along with possibly Torrey and Coronado are my working list for my trip in a couple of weeks. I have 4 open days. May do 36 on some days if there is going to be time and deals to be found.

Has anyone played East Lake CC? Looks like a cheap option. I haven't heard many good things about Salt Creek
[/quote]

East Lake is cheap but its pretty blah. Salt Creek will be good once the renovations are done. I'm surprised you've had bad conditions at Mt. Woodson. I have played that course a ton of times and can't remember a time when conditions were bad. That course is one of my favorites around here, especially for the price. The Vineyards is also a pretty good cheap option, although its not the longest of courses.

As for Maderas and Aviara, both are awesome tracks. Maderas might be my favorite in San Diego and I've played most of the high priced ones around here. You should definitely play Steele Canyon and Golf Club of California. Those are great tracks and are usually priced well.

[The Golf Father]

Balboa is getting some residual love fom Torrey Pines hosting the US Open. The city really let the place go when all the attention was on Torrey in 2008, and have finally gotten arond to sprucing it up. If you are looking to get around Torrey in a reasonable amount of time and don't like to sleep, you can always get out there with the dawn patrol. It is suprisingly easy to get on at the crack of dawn, and you can usually show up midweek between 5:30 and 6:00 am and expect to get out by 7:00 and done by 11:00. The early guys don't sit well with slow play.

I just played Maderas last week and it is in beautiful shape right now. Barona is also looking good. Cottonwood was in pretty good shape, but if you head out there, play the Ivanhoe course rather than the Lakes (great deal at $29). And don't forget about Singing Hills. They have 2 Championship courses (Oak and Willow) and a par 3 course that is challenging and fun. Other than that, this time of year does not usually see the best of conditions at most of our public courses. Most are forced to water constantly to keep the grass from dying, and they let the greens get a little furry to keep them alive. The fairways start to go brown in late June, and then everyone starts punching and re-seeding going into the fall. But there is plenty of daylight, so you can easily get in 36 and still have time for lunch.

[moutnaindr3wz]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1341890240' post='5247330'] What about golf club of California? I'm seeing rates of like $44-55 there. Looks pretty nice. I'm also considering playing Maderas for $89 off of golfnow. Steel Canyon Carlton Oaks Vineyard Woods Valley Mt Woodson Barona This, along with possibly Torrey and Coronado are my working list for my trip in a couple of weeks. I have 4 open days. May do 36 on some days if there is going to be time and deals to be found. Has anyone played East Lake CC? Looks like a cheap option. I haven't heard many good things about Salt Creek [/quote]

Eastlake is a fun course! My high school team always played there. But our home course was salt creek, I've seen the place at its best to its worst.

[ben23]

Love the feedback so far, thanks guys!

Glad to hear that Maderas is in good condition right now. I've wanted to play there for awhile, I was just worried that it may be really dried out this time of year.

Hadn't heard much about Woods Valley - I'll definitely check that out. Golf Club of California Fallbrook does look pretty nice too.

[MB Dirtyy]

Steele Canyon and Rancho Bernardo sounds they could be for you. Golfnow always has some type of discounts for those two. I lived here in SD all my life so it's hard to complain since I haven't played anywhere else in the US really. As long as theres a fairway, a green, and some sun mixed in, that's all I care about. Lake San Marcos CC between $21-28 for an 11:00am-ish tee time consistently on Golfnow is great golf for me. I long for the 606 yard 12th hole.

[ruascott]

Is Carlton oaks any good?

[Clambake]

[quote name='ben23' timestamp='1341873581' post='5245594']

Why the hell are our courses so overpriced?? Most of our public courses have subpar conditions and charge $50-$90. In most parts of the country you can play some excellent courses for that price.

[/quote]

A reason courses here are priced somewhat high is, quite simply, the same reason buying a house costs a lot more here than most other places in the country - our real estate is very expensive. The property tax assessment on 90-100 acres of golf course property here is a lot more than similar land in other (cheaper) areas, and the course operators need to cover that cost the only way they can - through higher greens fees.

But look at the upside. We can play any day of the year here, and it is rarely too cold, or too hot, or too rainy. And it is predictable - you can set up a tee time a couple weeks ahead with no worries that the weather won't cooperate. Consider the slightly higher golf cost like a little insurance policy that your golf outing won't be ever bothered by bad weather!

[ruascott]

Is torrey north worth the non locals cost of $100. South is not in my budget.....at $163. Twilight isn't really going to work for me either.

[golfnhack]

Wow... it's "only" $163 for TPS.... it was $225 2 years ago.

[ruascott]

Sorry $183 Mon-Thursday. $229 weekends.

[RolandofGilead]

[quote name='Clambake' timestamp='1341934111' post='5249492']
[quote name='ben23' timestamp='1341873581' post='5245594']
Why the hell are our courses so overpriced?? Most of our public courses have subpar conditions and charge $50-$90. In most parts of the country you can play some excellent courses for that price.

[/quote]

A reason courses here are priced somewhat high is, quite simply, the same reason buying a house costs a lot more here than most other places in the country - our real estate is very expensive. The property tax assessment on 90-100 acres of golf course property here is a lot more than similar land in other (cheaper) areas, and the course operators need to cover that cost the only way they can - through higher greens fees.

But look at the upside. We can play any day of the year here, and it is rarely too cold, or too hot, or too rainy. And it is predictable - you can set up a tee time a couple weeks ahead with no worries that the weather won't cooperate. Consider the slightly higher golf cost like a little insurance policy that your golf outing won't be ever bothered by bad weather!
[/quote]

It's a part of you guys' Sun Tax. Or at least that's what the cabbie who drove me to Torrey said.

[quote name='golfnhack' timestamp='1342021447' post='5255898']
Wow... it's "only" $163 for TPS.... it was $225 2 years ago.
[/quote]

Nice! I paid about a $220 green fee last August plus $100 in cab fare to get to/from the course from downtown San Diego. That's a huge price reduction.

EDIT: I played on the weekend, so nevermind.

[Suntower]

Wow... I'm surprised that it's hard to find a well kept golf course for cheap in one of the nicest and most expensive part of the world. (Shocked face)

Your best bets are in North County... and probably inland. When I am home (Escondido) I play Woods Valley, Eagle Crest, Vineyard and GC California.

Get on Golfnow... and look for their "Hot Deals"... paying rack rate for tee times is for suckers. I pay between $30 and $60 at peak times for any of those.

All are very good value... but vary in quality and price.

And if you haven't yet... go play night golf at Mission Bay. It's an experience.

[smacdown]

[quote name='The Golf Father' timestamp='1341894900' post='5247738']
B. And don't forget about Singing Hills. They have 2 Championship courses (Oak and Willow) and a par 3 course that is challenging and fun.
[/quote]

Singing Hills is now Sycuan Golf & Resort or something like that. I have played both, the front nine of the Willow is great, back nine is average. Oaks is pretty good, but overall is an average course (and usually about $20 or so cheaper than Willow).

Played Salt Creek twice in the last month or so. Spoke to the guys in the pro shop - renovations are getting there, and last time I played there were no temporary greens. Seems like the new owners give a darn about the course, we'll see when they're complete.

East Lake can be fun course, but generally is average, and can also get super backed up on the weekends (what course doesn't out here?).

Riverwalk is great and overpriced, but on golfzing there are usually a couple of deals. Mission 9 and Friars 9 is my favorite, but some like Presidio.

Carmel Mountain Ranch is one of the old standbys - usually can find a decent rate, has some challenging holes, and is generally in good condition.

Played Mt Woodson two weeks ago, course is in great shape - more target golf than grip it and rip it.

Steele Canyon is fun also.

FYI, I'm about a 20 handicap, so take that into consideration.

[batgeek29]

wow, what happened to Coronado? they let the place go or something? used to be nice.

i haven't been back home for in 3 years or so. haven't played coronado in much much longer.

[iscarter69]

I lived in SD for many years and now live in Dallas. I always had the same reaction as the original post. Good weather and, for the most part, over priced average courses. So, in my opinion, the orignal poster is not missing anything -- that's what golf in SD is.

Torrey has always been a nice course, even prior to the renovations, but its sooooo slowwwww and not worth over $100. I just have a hard time paying anything to stand around waiting to hit shots. Fortunately, the views are great. Gives you something to do when you are standing around.

The hidden gem to me in SD was always Coronado -- never going to make anyone's best of list, but it traditionally was in good condition and a great value and has nice views. I am sorry to hear the conditions have gone down. I have a lot of fond memories of that place.

[double or triple?]

I think a big part of San Diego golf is that there appears to be a trade off for year round golf - mid range courses that have fees in the upper range of greens fees. That being said, Golf club of California is a great course and as mentioned Barona is great. Played there two days ago and greens were sanded a bit but still holding lines great. Twilight beginning at 11am helps alot. Eastlake CC is a great course in southbay area that offers a test for those players that cant hit driver straight due to the housing surrounding the course (Great ball strikers will go low here).

[3_Jack_Par]

[quote name='batgeek29' timestamp='1342080119' post='5260988']
wow, what happened to Coronado? they let the place go or something? used to be nice.
[/quote]
I played Coronado when I was in town in early June, and it was in fine shape, I thought. Greens were rolling nicely and the overall conditioning seemed pretty good for a muni. It's a little short, but other than that, I thought it was pretty nice for the price.

[ruascott]

Got lost above...but is Carlton oaks any good?

[I3erto]

didnt see it on the list anywhere.. crossing at carlsbad is a really fun moderately priced track

[ben23]

[quote] I'm surprised you've had bad conditions at Mt. Woodson. I have played that course a ton of times and can't remember a time when conditions were bad.[/quote]
[quote]Played Mt Woodson two weeks ago, course is in great shape[/quote]

Well, I just played Mt Woodson for the 2nd time yesterday hoping it was a fluke the first time. Unfortunately, the course is still not in good condition. Half the grass on fairways and around greens are dead. The bunkers are hard, clumpy sand - Nearly unplayable, especially green side. Tee boxes are sloppy, there are dirt areas all over the course, greens are OK I guess. Its pretty fun and a decent deal for $20-$30 but its certainly not in good shape.

I wouldn't want anyone who hasn't played there to get the wrong impression or expect more. Its worth playing there once, but I'm 40 minutes away so I won't be making the drive unless they start to take care of the course.

[mattuop]

Carlton Oaks has a layout that I really like. The conditions are pretty bad though. Played there a month ago. Very disappointed.

I think both Torrey courses are worth the non-resident fee.

Mt Woodson has never impressed me. A groundsman even picked up and took my ball there once.

[bossdog]

Public courses are so crowded and slow play is ridiculous. Also, coots in the winter are nasty haha

[speeder757]

Just curious .... What are the top 5 private courses in the San Diego area and how much are the initiation and monthly fees?