Every once in a while you trip over a unique golf course, one that does not fit into any of the neat categories of course design. Rustic Canyon is one of those, a blend of links design with an arid desert course feel. Created by Gil Hanse with the help of long time associate Jim Wagner and golf writer Geoff Shackelford the course was built on flat firm, sandy turf in a two-mile long arroyo between dusty foothills about 40 miles north of the Los Angeles sprawl.

At first glance the land must have seemed ill suited for golf, but credit the imagination of these three guys to come up with a rough-edged “rustic design” to delight and challenge golfers of all abilities. A dry wash full of distinctive desert vegetation and scrub dominates the center of the property and provides most of the hazards the golfers will encounter. With wide open fairways, an absence of trees, no rough to speak of, natural desert hazards complimented with a limited number of Wagnerian thick-lipped jagged edged bunkers, and no man-made water in play, they used a minimalist approach to integrate natural beauty and topographical nuance into an almost intoxicating golf experience.

(Double-click on any photos for an enhanced look)

On #11 you see all the rustic elements composed into one hole

Taking a page from the links formula of course design they created holes using broad fairways and angled proximity to the natural hazards coupled with wide, flowing, and uncluttered green complexes. There is a vague similarity to what Hanse did seven years later at Castle Stuart Golf Links where he built a user-friendly links course with wide driving areas and strategic approach lines on stretches of rolling terraced land overlooking the Moray Firth in Inverness, Scotland.

Slope, contour, and seamless integration of the greens into the fairways

As you often see in the British Isles these green complexes, many of which the surrounds blend seamlessly into the green surfaces, encourage ground approaches. Depending on wind direction and pin positions each day this makes for an inherent variety of strategic approaches. Managing one’s way successfully around this place takes a links mentality where every shot requires proper consideration of how it affects the next shot. This means at times one must temper aggressive instincts and allow the flow of the course to dictate the proper and efficient way to play.

The first order of business was that Rustic Canyon be assembled as a municipal facility to serve golfers of every ilk in Ventura County and the greens fee had to be quite reasonable. The driving range, short game area, and practice putting green are modest but adequate to provide players a proper stage prepare for the day. Golf carts are outfitted with a rudimentary GPS system that can be very helpful considering that the lack of trees makes depth perception an enigma and visual distancing a challenge. The course is walker friendly with hand carts available and there is a pricey hand drawn minimalist yardage book that can be helpful as well. The yardage book is done in the style of the touring professional so it has all the real detail a thinking player needs without the glossy window dressing. But honestly you have to be of a particular mindset to find this yardage book user friendly.

The wrap-a-round of the Par 4 12th is one of distinctive features of the three short par fours

With four sets of tees on the scorecard there is a distance to present the appropriate challenge for every handicap. You will note that there is a peculiar fifth choice, the Hanse tees, that is actually a Pu Pu Platter of holes from the Black, Blue, and White Tees. It makes for a wonderful 6400 yard challenge if one thinks the Blue Tees at 6634 is more than they can chew. Playing the Hanse tee you have to pay attention to the Hanse scorecard yardage for each hole to see which color tee to play on that hole. The shorter holes are often played from the Black Tees which satisfies the perverse macho element in most of us-that in itself makes for an interesting twist.

The fairway from the 1st tee seems confined but there is plenty of wiggle room beyond

The opening hole is a perfect example of the design characteristics you will see all day. Standing on the tee of this five par the harrowing bunker on the right makes the driving area appear seriously constrained whereas it actually widens past the bunker to almost 70 yards of width and a warm welcome for almost any drive. In spite of this wide driving berth, position is very important depending on how you will negotiate the dry bed fissure on your second shot that bisects the last 140 yards of the fairway into the green. For a bump and run approach shot into the green, the second shot needs to be played from the left side of the driving area deftly into the narrow channel of mown fairway grass left of the fissure. Up the right off the tee allows for a longer second shot lay up to a more open area closer to the green but what is left will be a lawn dart pitching club across the hazard to a green steeply pitched toward you. If the pin is on the front right this can be a difficult approach and putt to negotiate. Throughout the day these types of decisions have to be anticipated so it is a matter of knowing where the pin is located and plotting an approach path that is appropriate.

Hide and Seek on the Par 3 3rd hole keeps you guessing on the best line of approach

Further study of the scorecard reveal quirky hole yardages and hole sequencing that is equally intriguing. The front nine has three par 3s and three par 5s with all the par threes coming in a five hole sequence. In the links tradition the three pars have great variety from longer semi-blind approaches to large sprawling greens to short pitches to small greens surrounded by deep sand pots or nasty grass hollows. Throw in a two very imaginative short par fours on the outward nine and you are playing an a collection of finesse holes where length is of little advantage.

The 8th is a classic Irish Par 3-the challenge seems simple but add a wee bit of wind and…….

As you make the turn sequential technical par 5s on nine and ten followed by another on thirteen provide good scoring chances in the second leg of your Nassau bet. The heart and soul of the back side are three long and challenging par 4s which set an entirely different cadence for the way in. To further complicate matters the routing keeps you off balance as the hole directions switchback five times on the back nine. With any prevailing North/South wind down the valley this will wreak havoc on your swing rhythm and force you to play differing trajectory controlled shots on every hole.

From the start gate on the Par 4 16th tee this is a full Six Flags thrill ride if I have seen one

It is hard to imagine as you walk the course that there is actually a 240 foot drop in the property as it works from the top of the valley to the bottom. The last change in direction on the sixteenth tee will release you on a downhill ramp that stretches the rest of the way to the clubhouse. This makes for three of the most majestic holes you play all day but the increment of club selection adjustment can be astounding, especially if the wind is at your back. Ground control to major Tom…..it is the only way to control the approaches into the last three greens.

One last set of steeplechase hurdles coming down the finishing hole

The Hanse crew was determined to create a rustic golf experience with the natural design feel of the architects of the Golden Age of Design who could not move large quantities of dirt to make a superb golf holes. Honoring that tradition, Rustic Canyon requires thoughtful play with strategic agility. The satisfying feeling of mental exhaustion one gest from negotiating the vagaries of a classic design is something to reflect on long after the Rustic Canyon experience is done.

Moorpark, California

Architect: Gil Hanse (2002)

Tees      Par      Yardage      Rating      Slope

Blue      72         6634          71.6         128
Hanse   72         6390          70.4         126
White    72         6049          69            122
Red       72         5275         65.3          112

(Click here to review Rustic Canyon Golf Course hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Postcard From Rustic Canyon

The Ocean South is the first of two stunning seaside offerings Tom Fazio did at the Pelican Hills resort overlooking the Pacific at Newport Beach.  Pelican Hills is a grand resort done in the 16th Century Palladiam architectural style of Northern Italy.  Everything about it is large scale, top shelf, with great attention to detail.  The golf facilities share all three of those characteristics.

From the moment you drive up it is obvious that everything about this place-the front entrance, clubhouse, golf shop, and restaurant speaks of a high end private club.  They spared no expense in developing the property.   Hell, the on-course bathroom facilities are probably in the $1.2 million dollar range.  This would be a lovely course to walk and appreciate the dramatic ocean views but  the golf course is built on a severity of the terrain with long walks from greens to tees that takes away any consideration of walking.  The carts are even outfitted with performance seats with side cushions to make sure you stay in place on some of the billy goat turns.  The only disappointing feature is that the practice facilities-range, short game area, and practice putting greens-are really not up to the standard of the rest of the place.

Try not to be distracted by the jaw dropping beauty of the opening hole.

First impressions matter.  Once you drive down the path from the staging area you  cross the most expensive cart bridge on the planet and pull up next to the first tee box to watch the world unfold beneath your feet.  The grandeur of this impression should not be lost on you because it will be repeated throughout your four and half hour tour of this course.  From the high perch you have a sense of vertigo as you try to maintain your balance looking down a tree lined 400 yard log flume that spills to a green resting on a grass ledge above the ocean below.  The question crosses your mind as you prepare to alight your drive, is this ball ever going to stop rolling and will I be able to play from where it comes to rest.  Keeping your ball in front of you through the day is a must because the wayward shots have a way of becoming unplayable.

Par 3 4th-the first look down into the gorge at a majestic green setting.

After the free fall on the first Tom marches you right back up the hill from which you came and you will get to the environmental gorge clusters that dominate the center of the property.  After a dramatic two story downhill approach to the par 3 fourth green, you are staring to your right across an environmental abyss that would feel right at home at Kapalua on Maui.  Your play on the fifth is across and adjacent too this intimidating haven for rocks, scrub, and critters that will make your knees chatter.  Having the focus to pick targets and make unfettered swings is a requisite in this version of target golf.  When your ball does start to wander just let the fear of the result go and bask in the wonderful beauty of the terrain that just ate your Titleist.

The full length of this hole on the 5th hangs precariously above the snake sanctuary.

Skirting the gorges for a few holes you step out of your cart onto the secluded seventh tee.   This hole is ensconced by trees, water, sand, and some serious boulders creating a surreal sense of tranquility as you ponder the articulate task at hand.  The ensuing short ride to the eighth tee will take you by some troll caves on the left amongst the boulders and a look across Walden Pond to the landing area in the eighth fairway.  It is almost like you should have brought your sketch pad or a writing tablet instead of 14 clubs, there is something genuinely mesmerizing about the atmosphere created in this corner of the course.

Fazio used the artists full palette of features on the par 3 7th.

Working your way out of the deep topographical divides over the next three holes allows you to catch your breath and prepare yourself for the pure sensory drama of the seaside holes ahead after the turn.  Make sure to charge your camera battery before the round because you could fill an entire flash card with stunning images over these three holes.

Sand is the major concern on the 11th-first of the seaside holes.

Baywatch begins on number 11 with a downhill march to the beach.  Unlike on number one this time it is literally to the beach as the sand and rock outcroppings that frame this green complex will bring to mind Lawrence of Arabia.  The approach shot into this green is one of the scariest shots you hit all day-anything missed to the right will be painful series of recovery attempts from Ramal’s abyss.

Elevation change is the least of your worries on the Par 3 12th.

The next two holes are a unique tandem of consecutive seaside par threes.  This is not like at Cypress Point or Bandon Dunes, not near as punitive, but the holes pack visual drama that will be the postcard images you remember in bed tonight.  The first is a carry over a large piece of the Sahara to a long and narrow green hanging precariously above some nasty sand pits.  The ocean backdrop makes it difficult to frame the target so you have to trust your yardage and give the wind a bit of respect in picking your club.  Serious tilt from back to front in this one so being on the green is no guarantee of making a par.

The small back left green on #13 is an elusive target into a prevailing wind.

As I mention in the detailed descriptive of the course below Tom was of two minds when he looked at the ground for this next hole so rather than decide which he liked better he created a short pitch three par with two green settings.  The one on the left is the more dramatic and wind affected-the tiny green surface makes that task all the more forbearing.  Take a moment to walk off the back of the left green to catch a glimpse of the jagged California coast line that is a Kodak moment for sure.

After the breathtaking seaside romp, the transition par five that comes next will give you a chance to regain your balance before your return to the gorges and a very demanding set of finishing holes.  Fifteen is quite unusual, a hole that would feel right at home in the rocky terrain of Eniscronne Golf Club in the north of Ireland. You drive wide left to a precipice landing area respectful of a furry wilderness that shadows the right side of the hole just beyond the corner of the dogleg.  Your approach has no margin for error as the narrow sliver of a green hangs off a Jai Alai wall on the left and the wilderness preserve on the right. Two well placed shots and two putts would be extremely gratifying as you head to the sixteenth tee.

Infinity edge looking Par 3 16th with only the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop

The last of the three pars is drop dead gorgeous especially if you playing it late in the day into the setting sun over the Pacific.  It calls for a full hybrid or fairway metal across the gorge to a green set on the edge of the horizon.  The mound above the green on the left has a tree that stands sentry overlooking the green.  This vista has the Monterey look of Carmel Bay to it.

Approach into the roller coaster Par 5 17th..from 150 out this is a totally blind shot

After a very rigorous three-shot par five on seventeen the finishing hole is a potpourri of everything you have seen today.  Needing a par here to win the back nine is a tall order.  This is a double hop scotch affair where you drive away from the line to the green to a grassy plateau across the ever present gorges.  The second is either a lay up to a landing area left and short of the putting surface or a bold carry over more oblivion to a long green set on a diagonal into a ledge above the grassy canyon.  Pitching up the length of the green from the lay up area is a doable up and down.  If you figure out how to save your par here that après Guiness will go down smoothly when you are done.

The last 175 yards of the finishing Par 4 to a green that sits majestically below the palacial hotel building

This course is a pure southern California experience-perfect weather, stunning vistas, and unique gorge laden terrain for making memorable golf holes.  Much like Pebble Beach this a place where the golf seems almost secondary, four hours of riding up and down these hillsides will leave you with a strong sense of why so many people want to settle in this part of the country.

Newport Beach, California

Architect: Tom Fazio (1991)

Tees        Par    Yardage         Rating      Slope
Black      70        6580             71.9        134
Blue        70        6323             70.5        131
White      70        5929             69.1        126
Yellow     70        4723             68.2        119

(Click to see the complete hole-by-hole review of the Pelican Hill-Ocean South Course)

(Click to see more photos from Postcard From Pelican Hill-Ocean South)

There is something extra special about a public golf facility that has held a major championship. It is the almost counter intuitive combination of a quality golf facility and the lack of the pomp and circumstance of an exclusive private country club.  Seeing a driving range full of regular Joes and pull carts being tugged around the fairways remind you that golf is a game of all the people not just the privileged ones.  At a place like this you see that money invested wisely can pull off first rate venue that can be enjoyed by anyone who is up for the challenge without asking them to sacrifice the monthly mortgage payment.

Torrey Pines has 36 wonderful holes originally designed by William Bell but it is the South Course 18 that was renovated by Rees Jones in 2001 that brought this up to a standard to allow it to play host to the memorable 2008 U.S. Open duel between Tiger and Rocco.

Click on any photo for an enhanced view of the image

The changes Jones made to the course are mostly in the fairway and greenside bunkering and the refinement of the green complexes.  This is not a course with signature holes you cannot forget.  But because we see it on TV as the host to what is now the Farmers Insurance Open, there are images seared in our mind of stunning  seaside vistas and colorful hang gliding parachutes over the rocky cliffs of La Jolla.

Number One the backdrop is superb

The course meanders back and forth atop those rocky cliffs on the coast of Southern California and is dominated by a large rock and scrub canyon in the middle of the property.  The canyon is not in play that often but it’s presence, much like the every present seaside breeze, influences your judgment every time you see it.  The course is lush so there is not much roll out and the prevailing wind makes any hole with the ocean on your left play considerably longer than the number on the scorecard.

Number Two-Green complexes dictate the strategy at Torrey Pines

Most of the holes run quasi-parallel to the cliffs so the directional influence of the wind on most holes is clearly discernible.  It is the intensity of the wind on any given shot that is the enigma.  There will be many times where the final resting place of your approach a club long or a club short will have you scratching your head in bewilderment.

Postcard photo opportunity on signature Number Three

Jones flanked most of the driving areas with bunkers on both sides which suggest a preferred shape to your tee ball to get to the most advantageous position for your attack at the greens.  The new green complexes give this course it’s strategic character.  Most have  flanking bunkers to negotiate, but there is generally an opening in front with the green raised slightly from the fairway, so bouncing it in is rarely an option.

Harry Potter Fortress Green Setting On Number Thirteen

For me this is a walkers course, if you don’t want to lug your carry bag then take them up on the pull cart option.  There are a few cardiac walks from green to the next tee but for the most part the holes have fairly gentle ramping and the scenic views are much better appreciated during a walk in the center of the fairway then from a hurtling cart cascading up the path.

Hang Gliders buzz the shoreline along Number Twelve

I would be remiss if I did not emphasize how unique and cool the hang gliding is to this golf course.  When you get to the seaside holes you may be standing over an approach shot and on your second and final look up at the target your are startled by the sudden appearance of two rugby stripe parachutes jettisoned from nowhere into your visual screen from behind the green.  The coolest part, when you get closer to the cliffs, is to realize that these folks are like the dogs running on the beach, they are having the time of their lives just hovering like marionettes over the beach tugging their lines to find the next wind gust to take them up another ten floors. The hooting and hollering is infectious.

Serene Sixteenth sports the namesake Torrey Pine

The fee for playing is almost reasonable.  As an out of state resident you can actually reserve a tee time over a month in advance.  They only take Visa and Mastercard for the green fees so don’t try and ply your Platinum Amex or you will be reaching back in your pocket for cash before you get on the course.

The golf shop at Torrey Pines is one to die for.  Just endless selections of everything you could want in clothing and accessories with their cool logo.  Best part is that the prices are unbelievably reasonable for everything.  This is the biggest golf store in La Jolla and they have it priced like a warehouse outlet to attract the minions.  There is also a nice food service option across the lawn at the back of the lodge-wood framed patio that overlooks the 18^th green and the visual scenery beyond.  Great place for an after round snack.

The finishing hole has the only water and the largest green on the course

From the standpoint of design, this is not the most memorable golf course you will ever play, but it is a wonderful day of scenic views, perfect weather, and a fine golf challenge that you need to experience.  America needs more of these top line public golf venues that can brag that a major was played there and so did you.

La Jolla, California

Designers: William F. Bell (1957) and Rees Jones (2001)

Tees                     Par            Yardage          Rating        Slope

Blue                      72               7051               75.3           137

White                    72               6628               73.1           133

Gold                      72               6153               70.7           129

(Click to see complete Torrey Pines hole-by-hole descriptions)