Southern California:
Stars, shopping,
beaches, and golf

Southern California is perhaps America's most glamorous and culturally influential vacation destination. The area's Hollywood holds, snazzy shops and behemoth beaches attract millions of stargazers, shop-aholics and beach bums each year.

But if staking out Jack Nicholson's house or dropping a grand on a designer wallet on Rodeo Drive isn't your idea of fun, you will find the region's embarrassing amount of resort and daily fee golf to be an attractive alternative.

Putting tee to ground in "So Cal," as it is known to the locals, can be a mind-blowing experience.

Orange County is making a push for admittance to the Golden State's list of top tier golf destinations. And the "Golf Coast," as it has been dubbed by a collection of the county's finer facilities, boasts the scenery, year around comfortable temperatures and design pedigree to go head-to-head with the big boys. Among the Orange county honor roll are Monarch Beach and Pelican Hill. Both courses offer oceanside links replete with drama, challenge and more photo ops than a walk down Rodeo Drive.

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Down Interstate 5, San Diego is known more for its world-famous zoo and a challenging little course called Torrey Pines South than it is for its large collection of pay-for-play golf tracks. However, the metro area is home to more than 90 courses, most of which are open to the public. You will find the high-end courses (such as LaCosta Resort in nearby Carlsbad) well-represented, but a solid sampling of municipal courses are more than worth a look.

Contrary to popular belief, golfing in Southern California is not all about the major metro areas and their environs. Head up the coast on the 101 to the idyllic town of Santa Barbara. PGA Touring professional Fred Couples makes his home here, and it is little wonder why: the mild, maritime climate is ideal for year round golf, and the course selection is surprisingly robust for a town known to cater more to artists and writers than duffers.

Southern California Course Reviews