Whether in San Diego for Work or Play, There are Plenty of Options for a Quickie Golf Fix

                                                 Torrey Pines Golf Course

 A destination for business and pleasure travelers alike, San Diego is a mecca for the active outdoor aficionado who, especially, has golf on the mind.  No matter how you get here or the circumstances behind your stay, it seems that there's always a little time in San Diego Country to squeeze in a quick nine holes or a full round to experience the diversity and variety of golf offered by the area.

Of all of the San Diego courses that come to mind when traveling to the area, probably the most popular is Torrey Pines South Golf Course.

           

Site of the 2008 U.S Open and the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines' cliffside location Affords panoramic ocean views beneath the area's famous hang gliders that launch from the gliderport off the back nine. The South's signature par-3 third hole showcases downtown San Diego's skyline, as, conveniently, Torrey Pines is centrally located between North Country and the City of San Diego, making it accessible no matter where home base was made.  

The Crossings at Carlsbad

For those based in North Country, the Crossing at Carlsbad is a favorite for kicking off or closing out the day with a round. San Diego's newest addition to the golf family opened in 2007 by the City of Carlsbad, and its rolling terrain and elevation changes two distinct and challenging front and back nines that play just as well as nine-hole courses as an 18-hole round.

Connected by five bridges ("crossings") in place to work with the course's environmental and topographic conditions, many holes at The Crossings boast ocean views thanks to its setting atop the city, and its Canyons Restaurant is as popular with non-golfers as those there to play thanks to its Bloody Mary bar and terraced seating that showcases San Diego's famous sunsets.

 For visitors to make the most out of the area, The Crossings is not even five minutes away from Legoland, the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, and Carlsbad beaches and dining.

Coronado Golf Course

Set beneath the iconic Coronado Bridge, Coronado Golf Course has long been one of San Diego's favorite municipal layouts thanks, in part, to its setting amidst San Diego Bay.

Located only minutes from downtown San Diego, Coronado's golf layout combines flat terrain and tree-lined fairways to create a resort-like feel, complete with views of docked sailboats and the historic Hotel Del Coronado.

Barona Creek Golf Club

Barona Creek Golf Club is the centerpiece of Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside, located in East Country on the Barona Indian Reservation. It's beautifully peaceful and quite, while offering a nearly 7,100 yard test of golf that winds its way through the natural terrain. Archetict Todd Eckenrode pulled in inspiration from Scotland to work with the natural terrain of the land. More than 100 bunkers are strategically scattered throughout, and along with natural long grasses and the course's iconic old oak tree that splits the first fairway, it offers lots of unforced challenges.

Other San Diego stops

Sycuan Golf Resort in El Cajon is a classic 27-hole property, perfect for the golfer looking to catch a quick nine holes before or after a long day. The Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad is a popular destination for family and corporate travelers, and after reopening its Championship Course after an ectensive renovation, unviels its Legends Course renewal in late 2013. Reidy Creek Golf Course in Escondido is a  great executive course option that cuts out the par 4s and par 5s and leaves 18 tricky par-3 holes for a quick and satisfying round.

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Mystic Rock and Links Golf Courses at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Southwestern Pennsylvania: Scenery, drama and a Pete Dye challenge

Combine the name of dastardly designer Pete Dye  with these daunting numbers -- 7,526 (yards), 77.0 (course rating) and 147 (slope) -- and it's easy to see why players might be intimidated by the Mystic Rock Course at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa.

         But those with a realistic view of their ability have no reason to fear. Play from the appropriate tees, and a round at the muscular course in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania can be as satisfying as the view on the signature 12th hole, an arresting par 3 over rock and water.

Opened in 1995, Mystic Rock is one of two dramatic mountain courses at Nemacolin Woodlands. The Links Course, which traces its roots to 1970, is built on a similar tract of rugged land and comes as a surprise to those who have heard so much about Pete Dye's creation.

                        

"The course itself was amazing, talking about the Links, not Mystic Rock," wrote jepst14, of Pittsburgh. "The scenic view on each hole makes your round exciting and (it felt) like a getaway."

      Designed by William Rockwell, the par-70 Links Course checks in at 6,658 yards with a rating of 72.6 and a slope of 134. By contrast to Mystic Rock, whose 18 holes include a staggering 95 tee boxes, the Links has a traditional set of tees -- blue, white (6,274 yards) and red (4,716 yards) -- and a traditional feel.

Nothing is traditional about Mystic Rock, the result of the vision and (some say out-sized) ambition of resort owner Joe Hardy, who made his fortune with the home-improvement chain 84 Lumber.

      When Hardy brought Dye to Farmington, Pa., the legendary architect was overwhelmed by the prospect of building a course on such inhospitable land. But the promise of an unlimited budget convinced Dye to take on the project, and he went about the familiar business of moving heaven and earth.

      Dye's work is evident on virtually every hole, as sprawling bunkers extend as long as 150 yards along fairways, and decorative boulders dot the landscape and mark transition areas. Rocks also abut cart paths and water hazards. Ravines are loaded to the brim with boulders that were blasted from the land and transported.

     The result is a unique resort course with wide fairways and plenty of undulation, especially around the greens. Mystic Rock hosted the PGA Tour from 2003-06 and ranks No. 1 among public golf courses in Pennsylvania (Golfs Digest, Golfweek). The best endorsement might have come from Vijay Singh who called the majestic clubhouse the best in the world.

GolfNow.com raters rank both courses at Nemacolin Woodlands an average of 4.6 on a scale of 5, many of them impressed by the abundant amenities, including the lavish practice range, touch-screen GPS and forecaddies.

        Over the years, Mystic Rock been softened from the days when it had a 78.1 rating and 151 slope. The back tees are still as long as ever, but at 2,700 feet, distances are inflated. The next most-distant set of tees come in at 6,791 yards with a 73.5 rating and 139 slope; a course many more players can consider tackling.

"Beautiful layout (in) pristine condition," u000005180014 wrote on GolfNow.com. "Fastest greens I have ever played! Pace of play was slow at a little over 4.5 hours. Other than that, it's a must-play for any avid golfer."

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Public Golf - in All its Forms -- The Real Star of Diverse Virginia Beach, Virginia

In the heavily populated Hampton Roads, Virginia area, it's often difficult to figure out who's who and what's what. Few regions have such a plentiful mix of vacationers and residents, civilians and military, worker bees and retirees, and transients and locals.

The diverse population adds up to a large demand for public golf in an array of forms. From spectacular and pricey Bay Creek Resort on the pristine Eastern Shore; to affordable muni Lake Wright Golf Course, nestled in an urban setting in Norfolk; to meticulously landscaped housing development gem the Signature at West Neck; to private, neighborhood course-turned-upscale-muni Cypress Point Country Club, Hampton Roads has -- as the saying goes -- many different courses for different horses.

                     

An example of facilities with vastly different clientele despite their proximity and matching green fees are Stumpy Lake Golf Course and Honey Bee Golf Club, two of the seven municipal courses under the umbrella of Hampton Roads Golf Clubs.

At Stumpy Lake, a secluded, tree-lined, traditional beauty set in a wildlife preserve and designed by Robert Trent Jones, the tee sheet is full of players who approximate the age of the course, which opened in 1953.

Less than two miles away, at Honey Bee, where homes line fairways instead of trees, the crowd is younger and more diverse, drawn by the modern design (1988) of Jones' son, Rees Jones, who added definition with shaped fairways, greens and bunkers.

Another factor that guides the decisions of Hampton Roads golfers is geography. With so much of the region defined by water and so many major arteries traversing bridges, tunnels and toll booths, players must be mindful of the choke points that have to be navigated to reach the course of their choice.

For example, as one of the few courses in the under-served south side, just three miles off I-64, Cahoon Plantation Golf Club in Chesapeake, would seem to have a locational advantage. But getting there can be dicey as Route 17 narrows to a two-lane drawbridge crossing the Elizabeth River. The trip will become even more problematic over the next four years with the construction of a four-lane toll bridge.

"The one way to get here is to cross that bridge," said Dan Shea, director of golf at Cahoon Plantation. "And that’s a big consideration for people who have blocked out a specific time to play."

Those who have made the trip can attest to the excellence of Cahoon Plantation, brilliantly crafted by Tom Clark. On a flat, tree-less, windswept canvas, Clark created a course with the feel of Scotland. Raised greens give many of the holes a majestic presence. Large mounds frame generous fairways and help hide surrounding homes on the back nine.

Because Cahoon Plantation offers something unique to the area, it belongs on any list of Hampton Roads' elite publics. Narrowing the roster to 10 is difficult when one considers the illustrious names associated with the following courses -- Bay Creek (Jack Nicklaus), Bay Creek (Arnold Palmer), Virginia Beach National (Pete Dye), Riverfront Golf Club (Tom Doak), Heron Ridge Golf Club (Fred Couples), Cypress Creek (Curtis Strange), Hell's Point Golf Club(Rees Jones), Nansemond River Golf Club (Tom Steele), Lambert's Point Golf Club (Lester George), Bide-A-Wee Golf Course (Strange), Cypress Point (Clark), and Signature at West Neck (Palmer).

Nearly all of these courses were built (or redesigned) in the last 15 years. Before then, golfers in the Hampton Roads area had to truck up I-64 to Williamsburg to find a selection of quality courses at developments such as Kingsmill, Golden Horseshoe, and Fords Colony.

The forerunner of upscale public golf in the Hampton Roads area was Hell's Point (1982), now showing its age but still a great example of the ambition of the times. With much movement of earth, the course was built in the low-lying swamps west of Sandbridge with no surrounding homes.

For nearly two decades, Hell's Point remained the lone upscale public in the area. Then a wave of courses opened including Virginia Beach gems Heron Ridge (1999) and Virginia Beach National (1999). To the east came Cypress Creek (1998) in Smithfield, then Nansemond River (1999) and Riverfront (1999) in Suffolk.

Also in 1999, Strange's collaboration with Ault, Clark & Associates on a redesign of Bide-A-Wee, in an unlikely middle-class neighborhood in Portsmouth, transformed the course from old and unremarkable to fresh and upscale.

Arnold Palmer's arrival upped the ante further with the opening of Bay Creek (2001), an ambitious marina and housing project in Cape Charles, and Signature at West Neck (2002), which incorporates woodlands, wetlands, 13 lakes, and the area's most meticulous golf course landscaping.

It requires an adventurous trek across the 23-mile engineering marvel known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to reach Bay Creek on Virginia's lightly populated Eastern Shore. But Palmer's course was so successful that Jack Nicklaus built another 18 holes there in 2006 and perhaps outdid the King with his longer, tougher layout, which has more variety and seaside holes.

After the wave of upscale public golf hit Hampton Roads like a hurricane, adding eight outstanding courses in a span of five years, new construction has slowed over the last decade. The exception is Lambert's Point, a nine-hole, par-34 municipal course, built on a landfill that juts into the Elizabeth River.

Including such a course in this discussion of stellar tracks might sound like a stretch. But with its outstanding conditions, water views, windswept character and implausible location in Norfolk, Lambert's Point is a worthy play and every bit as memorable as the grand designs of Palmer, Nicklaus, Strange, Doak and Dye.

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