The Best Golf Courses in California
- 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 Farmers Insurance Open (formerly known as the Buick Invitational) takes place here; the rest of the year, these gorgeous municipal courses are open to everyone.