Best Golf Courses

Back to CaliforniaBest California Golf Courses

Pebble Beach Golf Links: The famous 17-Mile Drive is the site of 10 national championships and the celebrity-laden AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The nearby Pacific and a backdrop of the Del Monte Forest almost justify the astronomical greens fees.

Poppy Hills (Pebble Beach): Golf Digest has called this Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed course one of the world's top-20. Cutting through the Del Monte Forest pines, it is kept in state-of-the-art condition. Unlike many competitors, it's rarely crowded.

PGA West TPC Stadium Course (La Quinta): The par-3 17th hole has a tiny island where Lee Trevino made Skins Game history with a hole in one. The rest of Pete Dye's 7,261-yard design is flat with huge bunkers, lots of water, and severe mounding throughout.

Torrey Pines Golf Course (La Jolla): Two 18-hole championship courses overlook the ocean and give players plenty of challenges -- and distractions. In January, the Buick Invitational Tournament takes place here, followed in June by the 2008 U.S. Open. The rest of the year, these courses are open to everyone.

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