Golf
Golf Is Good
Green fees, tee times and whether the famous course is actually worth it.
After my family, golf is my biggest passion. It’s also the most expensive way I know to get humbled on a regular basis.
This is where I write up the rounds. What it cost, how hard the tee time was to get, how the course actually played and whether I’d go back. No swing tips from me. Trust me, you don’t want them.
Close to Home
South County Golf
Every course in South County, from Laguna Beach to San Clemente to the canyons. The public ones you can book tonight. The private ones need a member, a membership or a very good friend.
Public: Just Book It
| Course | City | What you’re getting |
|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club | Mission Viejo | Laid out through the canyon along Arroyo Trabuco. A real test from the back tees. |
| Lake Forest Golf & Practice Center | Lake Forest | A short nine and a range. Practice, not a pilgrimage. |
| Monarch Beach Golf Links | Dana Point | Holes right along the water. You’re paying for the view, and honestly, the view is worth something. |
| Oso Creek Golf Course | Mission Viejo | A par-61 executive course. Fine for working on your irons. Don’t expect a driver workout. It’s also where I made my only hole-in-one, on the 3rd, so I’m biased. |
| The Ranch at Laguna Beach | Laguna Beach | Nine holes, par 32, about 2,200 yards tucked into a canyon off PCH. The only golf in Laguna. |
| San Clemente Municipal | San Clemente | The city course, around since the late 1920s. Ocean views at muni prices. |
| San Juan Hills Golf Club My home course | San Juan Capistrano | My home course. Public since 1966. Short on the card, but it wants precision and patience. |
| Shorecliffs Golf Club | San Clemente | A shorter, no-frills layout. Good for a quick round without the resort attitude. |
| Talega Golf Club | San Clemente | Fred Couples co-designed it. Canyon golf with real elevation changes. Bring an extra sleeve. |
| Tijeras Creek Golf Club | Rancho Santa Margarita | The “tale of two nines.” It’s hosted the Southern California Amateur. |
Private: Bring a Member
| Club | City | What you’re getting |
|---|---|---|
| Aliso Viejo Country Club | Aliso Viejo | A Jack Nicklaus design. It used to be a public 27-hole course before it went private. |
| Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club | San Clemente | Formerly Pacific Golf & Country Club. Three Gary Player nines: Royal Lytham, Carnoustie and Muirfield. |
| Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club | Coto de Caza | Two courses, North and South, behind the gates. |
| Dove Canyon Country Club | Trabuco Canyon | A Jack Nicklaus Signature course with waterfalls and canyon views. |
| El Niguel Country Club | Laguna Niguel | A longtime Laguna Niguel club, and one of the tougher tests in the area. |
| Laguna Woods Village | Laguna Woods | Golf for residents of the retirement community only. Not yet, thanks. |
| Marbella Country Club | San Juan Capistrano | A Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish design in the hills, opened in 1989. |
| Mission Viejo Country Club | Mission Viejo | The old-guard private club in Mission Viejo. |
Worth the Drive
Load the Clubs in the Car
Some of the most famous golf in the country is a drive away from San Juan Capistrano, if you’re willing to sit in some traffic. Drive times are approximate, and traffic is always included whether you planned for it or not.
| Course | Drive (approx.) | Why go | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torrey Pines, San Diego | 1 hr | Two municipal courses on the cliffs over the Pacific. U.S. Open history and the PGA Tour’s annual stop. | Getting a tee time as a non-resident is a sport in itself, and the South Course will humble you |
| Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades | 1.5–2 hrs | Hogan’s Alley. A course that’s hosted Tour events for decades and still hosts the best players in the world every February. | It’s private. You need a member to host you, so start being nicer to people who might know one |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 5.5 hrs | An entire golf trip in one zip code: TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, Troon North, We-Ko-Pa and plenty more | Summer is 115 degrees, and the good months are priced like everyone knows it |
| Pebble Beach, Monterey Peninsula | 6.5 hrs | The most famous public course in America, with Spyglass Hill next door and 17-Mile Drive to get there | The green fee costs more than a car payment, and tee times are easier to get if you’re staying at the resort, which also costs more than a car payment |
My take: Pebble is the one you play once and talk about for the rest of your life. Scottsdale is the one you go back to every spring. Torrey Pines is the one you can do on a Tuesday if you can land the tee time. And Riviera depends on whether you can find a member who likes you.
Worth the Flight
The Bucket List
Some courses just aren’t drivable without regretting your life choices. Some of these I’ve played, and some I’m still working on.
- Bandon Dunes, Oregon: Links golf on the Pacific, walking only. It’s in the middle of nowhere, which is exactly the point.
- Pinehurst, North Carolina: The cradle of American golf. No. 2 will show you exactly how mediocre your short game is.
- TPC Sawgrass, Florida: You’ve watched people dunk balls into the water at 17 on TV. Now it’s your turn.
- Kiawah Island, South Carolina: The Ocean Course. Beautiful, windy and completely uninterested in your handicap.
- Augusta, Georgia: You’re not playing it. Nobody’s playing it. But a practice round ticket during Masters week is still the best day in golf.
- Hawaii: Kapalua’s Plantation Course on Maui. Ocean views on almost every hole and trade winds that make club selection a guessing game.
Across the Water
Back to Dublin
I was born in Dublin. So when I say Ireland, I don’t mean a leprechaun keychain and green beer. I mean where my story starts.
It also happens to have some of the best golf on earth. Real links golf: wind, firm turf, pot bunkers and weather that changes four times a round. Portmarnock is right outside Dublin. Out west you’ve got Lahinch and Ballybunion. Up north is Royal County Down, which might be the most beautiful course I’ll ever see. Play 18, find a pub, and do it again tomorrow. That’s the whole trip, and it’s perfect.
And yes, St Andrews is a short flight over to Scotland. Every golfer owes the Old Course a visit at least once.
Lessons Learned
How to Do a Golf Trip
A few things I’ve learned, mostly the expensive way.
- Organize it or it won’t happen. One shared itinerary, one group chat, one person in charge. (That’s me. It’s always me.)
- Book tee times before flights. The famous courses fill up months out. Lock the round, then build the trip around it.
- Ship your clubs, or rent. Airlines treat golf bags like they owe them money. Shipping or renting good clubs usually costs less than the headache.
- One round a day. Thirty-six holes sounds great until the second 18. Leave time for a nap and a good dinner.
- Shoulder season wins. Spring and fall bring better rates, better weather and fewer six-hour rounds.
- Play the muni next door. Some of the best rounds are on courses nobody’s heard of, right down the road from the famous one.
Come Along
The rounds go on YouTube first, then show up here with the full write-up.
Got a course you think is worth the miles? Tell me. If it’s legit, I’ll go. If it’s overhyped, I’ll say so.
Appreciate you.
— Jon, the OC Dad
