Moving to SoCal.....

[sidewinder]

Folks,

 

 

My wife and I currently live in the San Jose area of Northern CA. My wife wants to move back to SoCal to be close to her parents who are getting up in years. I was born and raised in Pasadena and know the area well.

 

We are trying to figure out where we would like to live. My mom still has a house in the Linda Vista area of Pasadena, which is west of the Rose Bowl, that I could buy. It's a great neighborhood and I would be very happy living there. However, I am really into golf and have never looked at the area in regards to regularly playing golf at nice courses. Both of our jobs allow us to work from home so the we could live anywhere from the Northern San Diego area to the Pasadena/La Canada area. We wouldn't mind semi-remote areas.

 

I would like to have the option of having several nice courses in reasonable driving distance (~20 miles) without too much traffic (probably impossible in LA!). I am not adverse to living in a Golf Community with a private course.

 

Suggestions? Ideas? Thoughts?

 

I would greatly appreciate any comments!

 

Thanks,

 

Scott

[artfulgolfer]

Have you considered living a little north of LA - either Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo? We've got some great golf and much more affordable prices than So. Cal. Otherwise, I'd pick North County San Diego... check out golfslo.com or golfsd.com.

[smarshal75]

Have a look at this map:

 

http://www.eatgolf.com/california/courses/losangeles.php

[jdhallissey]

Well you want ot live in LA-- but if you went 45 min south without traffic you end up in Temecula. Amazing courses in that area i grew up there too!!!

[RICKOSOH]

How about Irvine, CA. Nice area with nice golf courses in the area. Strawberry Farms, Eagle Glenn. Great shopping too, Irvine Spectrum.

[rymack]

I live in Orange County right now. I have to say that for the amount of money that is here, there are not alot of really good courses. Your best bet is Northern San Diego County. You would be a reasonable distance from the courses out in the Inland Empire ( Temecula, Riverside, Corona) as well as the courses in Orange County. Obviuosly you would be able to play all over San Diego as well, which has some phenomanal courses.

 

Also note that a 20 minute drive anywhere in Southern California is only about 2 blocks. You will not have a big selection of courses within that distance:)

[sidewinder]

rymac,

 

Keep in mind that I grew up in SoCal and visit there often. Also, I said 20 miles, not 20 minutes. I understand the traffic situation.

 

jdhallissey,

 

Temecula looks real good. It is a little less than 70 miles to my wife's parents house...not too close and not too far. The property prices look nice as well. Is that area appreciating now? Do they have cable or DSL for high speed internet access? Lot's of good golf close by.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone!

 

Scott

[KingOAces]

What better place to live for golf than the Palm Springs Area!?!

There are golf courses on, what seems like, every block. And the mountains in the background make for some amazing sights. Except for some days in the summer, the weather is nice and there is sunshine for the better part of the year, so there are plenty of days to play. Not too crowded so traffic isn't really a problem and the myriad of courses allows you to pick one that best suits your preference.

I lived there for almost 5 years and just recently moved to New Jersey and boy do I miss Palm Springs. Unlucky for me, I didn't play golf then so missed out on some great opportunities, but I do go back every Christmas and i must say, it is a treat!!

 

 

KinG

[SDB1]

rymac,

 

Keep in mind that I grew up in SoCal and visit there often. Also, I said 20 miles, not 20 minutes. I understand the traffic situation.

 

jdhallissey,

 

Temecula looks real good. It is a little less than 70 miles to my wife's parents house...not too close and not too far. The property prices look nice as well. Is that area appreciating now? Do they have cable or DSL for high speed internet access? Lot's of good golf close by.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone!

 

Scott

 

Temecula is a great area that has really come into it's own over the last few years. Housing prices are still somewhat reasonable and there is no shortage of great golf courses (SCGA, Cross Creek, Temecula Creek Inn, Redhawk, Pala Mesa Resort, Talega, Menifee Lakes, Diamond Valley). Not to mention you are within 40 minutes of some of the best courses in the world in either direction and a little over an hour from the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio) which has over 100 top courses. Yes sir, Temecula is really the center of it all. Oh, and of couse they have broadband!

[ToddGsell]

Scott,

I'm in a very similar situation. I grew up in the same area--there's nothing quite like Super-twilight at Brookside. I don't think I ever paid more than $5 as a junior golfer. I'm amazed that they manage to keep the course up as well as they do considering all of the traffic it gets (not to mention the annual on-course Rose Bowl parking).

My wife and I are also going to be moving to Southern California later this year, but we're looking more towards North SD or South OC. So I'm interested in what people say here as well. Eventually, I would love to end up in LC/Pasadena again.

As far as golf in the Pasadena area, options are limited. Unless you're willing to drop some major money and join a private club (read: Oakmont in Glendale or maybe Annandale in Pasadena) the public courses are over-booked and few and far between. I've played at Angeles Nationa--a newer course in Tujunga--a few times, and it doesn't get much play because of the price, but it's more target-style golf with a lot of wilderness areas, and I prefer more traditional layouts. If you like target golf LC Country Club is a short course on the side of a mountain, the back 9 is unwalkable. The dues aren't bad up there, and you could check it out and see what you think.

If you are considering joining a private club, I don't think you can go wrong with Oakmont. They hosted an LPGA event a few years back and Tiger used to drop in every now and again (but that was over 10 years ago). They have some of the smoothest greens I've ever played. I don't know if they have a waiting list to get in, but if you have the means, definitely look into it.

There's also been a quite a few course built out in the valley, but that might not be the area you're looking for. I know the TPC at Valencia either just went private or is about to shortly.

Good luck with the re-locating.

 

PS Thanks everyone for the comments so far. I've played a few times down in Temecula and it's sounding better and better. Now, I just need to convince my wife that golf options should play a major role in our decision for where we end up settling!

[Steel Ninja]

I moved to Temecula about 6 months ago and love it. I definately got more house for the money vs. San Diego or Orange County area. I live on Red Hawk golf course and really enjoy this course and the quality of golf in this area. I am also less than 10 minutes from the wine country and enjoy going out there every weekend for tastings, food events and concerts. Temecula is conveniently located about an hour from Palm Springs area, Central San Diego and Orange County. Good luck with your decision.

[wholeinwon]

Hey SanDiegoSam...hows the La Quinta, Indio area for rental properties or housing prices?

 

Do you have any information there, I have a job interview for a course there and was wondering what housing prices are like.

 

Thanks for any info.

[toddnt]

Move to San Diego, sure its pricey but we got the beach, golf and nices weather.

[jdhallissey]

Hey SanDiegoSam...hows the La Quinta, Indio area for rental properties or housing prices?

 

Do you have any information there, I have a job interview for a course there and was wondering what housing prices are like.

 

Thanks for any info.

 

 

Indio/ La Quinta/ palm Springs is booming. There are so many golf courses out there it is unbelievable. The house market is very good all in southern cali. If you can afford to have a rental house in that area you will have a gold mine.

 

Temecula is a great area. I am actually going back in a week for some work.I am bring my clubs and seeing my old stomping grounds. They are building houses all over Temec. Look in Redhawk, Wolf creek. Wolf creek is a new sub-divison going in underneath redhawk ( bottomside of the hill). Pechanga is building there golf course too. Anything else you wanna know just ask.

[wholeinwon]

Ok, I'm a student looking to do a co-op for the summer and was contact by a course in Indio, CA.

 

I was just wondering the approximatley value of a NICE appartment or condo or house for one or two people in that area.

 

Thanks for the help already Jd!!

[jdhallissey]

How much are you willing to spend? Indio gets pricey and then has it's really bad area as does everything. You are probably looking around 1000 dollars a month then 200 or so for utility's. So between 2 people that is 600 each. That isn't that bad. What course??? I might be calling in a favor if it is a nice one and you can sneak like the golfwrx forum people out! :drinks: