Making my second trip to San Diego in mid-April.  I have already played both Torrey Pines Golf Courses, Morgan Run and Salt Creek. Looking for some different courses to play.  Have had several people tell me to playThe Crossings at Carlsbad and Aviara.  Cross Creek gets good reviews as well, are there any others I should look at?

Thanks Jerry

Aviara and The Crossings... High end courses.

In that league there is also Maderas Golf Club, and La Costa Resort and Spa, Barona Casino course all open to the public.

It depends on what kind of experience you are going for. If money is no object then Aviara, Maderas and La Costa are worthy options. They are beautiful courses, but most of the locals will tell you that they are overpriced at $150-250 a pop.

If you are on a budget, I'd consider Riverwalk, Encinitas Ranch or Mt. Woodson, all of which will give you better "bang for your buck," but aren't quite as pristine as the aforementioned.

The Crossings is sort of middle ground - it's nice and priced a bit below the top end courses. I played it once and enjoyed the round, but it's not somewhere I'm dying to go back to.

Honestly, if you don't mind a bit of a drive, my favorite recommendation in the SD area is Barona. It's an awesome course, well maintained and challenging. It's out in the boonies in Lakeside, but it's affiliated with an Indian Casino, so the golf is relatively affordable. I think we paid $96 for a prime Friday morning tee time, and I thought the course was just as good as La Costa.

Any more reasonable fee courses you would recommend?

Regarding Cross Creek, just to clarify, he's talking about the layout of the course. It's pretty and was in great condition, and pace of play was fine, but the layout was so gimicky. One of the holes (16 maybe) had a fairway that for so narrow and sloped at the landing area that it was nearly impossible to keep your ball from rolling into a hazard. Another hole has a blind tee shot and the fairway ends so if you bomb your drive ... Yay, another hazard!! That kind of crap. You don't want to make that kind of drive from SD for that kind of stuff. And from their descriptions, Crossings is similar. If you're really on a budget, I'd throw a vote in for Cottonwood (Ivanhoe). It's a muni with all the usual muni issues, but it's a decent layout and reasonably priced.

I played Vineyards at Escondido a few years back (six, now that I think of it) and I don't remember disliking it. But I've played it once, and that was in 2008, but maybe others have played it more recently and can say something more relevant.

I like Vineyard with the only drawback to me is sometimes the pace of play can be extremely slow, it's not well marshalled.

I'd vote for Balboa Park Golf Course which is celebrating it's 100 year in 2015.  Old school, short and narrow course and in good shape for a muni.  The tournament record there is a 59 held by Sam Snead, that's pretty cool.  It's a 71.1/127 from the blues.

http://www.balboagc.com/golf-tee-times

I also have the capability to get on these private courses? Anyone played any of these?

The Country Club of Rancho Bernardo ($110 -$120)

De Anza Country Club  ($110)

Pauma Valley Country Club ($125)

St. Mark Golf Club ($40)

StoneRidge Country Club ($100)

DeAnza is in Borrego, 2 hour drive or so east of San Diego towards Palm Springs. Can't believe its worth the drive for you unless you spend a few days in Borrego or Palm Springs and play other courses too. I've never played there.

St Mark got out of BK somewhat recently, some odd holes that can be not much fun the first time you play there. I'm in no hurry to go back. If you are looking for a $40ish walking course I'd say Cottonwood Ivanhoe (not Lakes) or Balboa, as prev mentioned. Best walking course by far to me is Torrey north, nothing really close.

Barona at $95 is better value than all of the ones in this list except maybe Pauma Valley which I haven't played but have heard neat things about. I'm not as sold on RB Inn as mvmac is

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsgolfer

Making my second trip to San Diego in mid-April.  I have already played both Torrey Pines Golf Courses, Morgan Run and Salt Creek. Looking for some different courses to play.  Have had several people tell me to playThe Crossings at Carlsbad and Aviara.  Cross Creek gets good reviews as well, are there any others I should look at?

Starting with your list of the private courses, I've played them all, and the only one on that list I'd bother with is Pauma Valley, however I still wouldn't suggest it. The front nine is pretty boring, but the back nine is a very nice layout with interesting holes. The rest of the clubs you mention are really "D List" places, and there are much better public course options at better prices.

Regarding some of the other suggestions, I'll offer my opinions, and they come from the viewpoint that you're visiting our lovely area and want golf experiences that will be more memorable.    The Crossings is NOT a high end course; it is a strange layout on a difficult piece of property that was a compromise of 20+ years of legal wrangling. Horrible pace of play, especially once you hit the back nine.   Cottonwood is a dump; avoid at all costs.  Vineyard isn't bad, but does play very slow and it seems no one who plays there ever fixes ball marks; for us locals it isn't bad to try occasionally, but I wouldn't recommend it to a visitor.  Rancho Bernardo Inn is hit or miss; the layout is OK and is usually in good shape, but it generally overpriced.  La Costa is way, way, overpriced for what you get; the Champions course is the better layout, but they charge a lot for the place and conditioning is often spotty.  Cross Creek is a long way out of the way, and isn't special enough for me to recommend it to a visitor.   Balboa is a fun little muni with a lot of history, and can be fun to play if it isn't too crowded.  Conditions are often so-so and there isn't anything about the course that will really stand out to a visitor.

But of all of the above, I feel there are much better choices, especially for a visitor to SD.  Since you've played both Torrey courses and are looking for something a bit different, here are my suggestions (in no particular order):

Barona :  Get the casino card (can be done on line or when you hit the pro shop) and take advantage of their very generous twilight rate which starts at 11am and is only $64 mid week.  Best bang for the buck in the county.  The setting is lovely, tucked in a valley about 30 minutes east of downtown, without any houses or anything.  Fairly open off the tee, but scoring well requires good shot placement due to the challenging green complexes and bunkering.  I consider Barona a "must play".

Coronado :  The course isn't tough or filled with uniquely interested holes, but the setting is great and it can be the quintessential San Diego golf experience (other than Torrey).  It is usually in pretty good condition, and the views as you play along the bay and of the Hotel Del are a blast, especially the last half dozen holes.  Pretty cheap; just check their website calendar to see if they have any events planned first, otherwise you can usually walk on pretty easily.  Not the most interesting golf, but the whole experience is fun. Play it in the morning, then have lunch at the Hotel Del and enjoy the afternoon wandering Coronado.

Maderas :  High end facility with great service, an interesting layout, lovely views, and in great condition.  It was originally built as high-end private club and it still feels like one.  It is a tough challenge, but you'll enjoy it very much as all the holes have a lot of variety and offer strategic options.  Look on GolfNow for the best deals; mid-week you should find deals in the $120 range.

Aviara :  Another high end place with outstanding service.  If you're visiting mid-April it will only be a couple weeks after the Kia LPGA tourney there, so the course will be in great shape.  It's fun to play the "Kia Tees" which are a mix of blue, white, and reds that the LPGA plays on Sunday.  Aviara is very pricey at about $250 and deals are pretty non-existent, but go for twilight at about $165.  It still is expensive, but even at that price point it is a good value, especially right after the LPGA tournament.

Golf Club of California :  A private club that has struggled financially and opened up for outside play, located in Fallbrook about 40 minutes north of San Diego.  Nice layout, good challenge, good conditions, and a great bargain.  Look on GolfNow for the best deals, which are typically around $45-65 depending on time of day and general demand.  One of the best values in the county.

Rams Hill :  This is a new wild card I'd add into the mix if you're up for a bit of a drive as it is located in Borrego Springs about 90 minutes or so east of San Diego.  Unlike the De Anza CC in Borrego, Rams Hill is a fantastic layout that just reopened after being closed for years, and it is without a doubt the best conditioned course I've ever played.  Great Fazio design, uncrowded, perfect conditioning....it is worth the drive, and the scenery in the drive is great as well.  Stop in Julian on the drive back and enjoy some pie.

Steele Canyon :  Three nines located southeast of San Diego, it offers a good test of golf with a lot of interesting holes. Cost is very reasonable. The service level and conditioning aren't as good as you'll find at Maderas or Pechanga, but it shares a slightly similar feel as it is a course that is designed into the undulating hills and canyons.  Good solid public track.

Hope this helps, and enjoy your trip.  Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details on any of the courses, or if you're looking for a playing partner when here!

I will be there for a couple of weeks during May and June.

Any info on the courses/deals would be greatly appreciated,I am meeting a friend who lives there so I will have a first class guide.

I have checked out the Mt Woodson website and it looks awesome.

Apart from San Diego,we have plans to visit Vegas,San Francicso,Chico and Palm Springs.This will be my golfing holiday of a lifetime.

Thanks.

Mt Woodson.