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I’ve known golfers who have worked hard to find golf balls during their rounds of golf. They find time to
hit their shots, but sometimes seem more interested in finding balls off the course to refill their supply.
It would seem a tough challenge to find golf courses in the Orange County area of Southern California. Wherever your car takes you, it always seems that there are strip malls, gas stations, houses, apartments and anything else that is not a golf course.
But there are some cases where a golf course has fit in – and seems to be a perfect fit. Take Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita. This is a place that seems to fit in perfectly with the surrounding area filled with a large canyon, tall trees and other challenges that make
Tijeras Creek one of the best courses in the area. It was designed by Ted Robinson and opened nearly 35 years ago. And it has withstood the test of time, becoming one of Orange County’s most popular courses – and for good reasons. The layout is challenging and the two nines are as different as nines can be. In fact, they call it a “tale of two nines.” The front nine plays through trees and offers a series of watery challenges. The back nine has elevation changes and a canyon that comes into play on several holes, including a par-3 with a tee shot across the canyon.
As we stood on the first tee of Tijeras Creek on this sunny day in January, it did not seem like a Southern California course. You might envision views of the ocean or multi-million-dollar houses lining the course.
But this place gets your attention early with a par-5 first hole and keeps it for four hours after that. It’s not often you see a course with two different nines, but this place has it. When you finish the front nine with a tough uphill par-4, you wander to the 10th tee and see a short par-4 and a different look awaiting you.
And just to make sure you are enjoying the first-class experience, the Tijeras Creek range offers a Toptracer experience and when you hit some putts on the practice putting green, you realize that you are in store for some slick putting surfaces.
You can see why the reviews for Tijeras Creek are all positive. This is a place where golf is king and the price is right – a place that is easy on the wallet which is great for a Southern California course that is owned by Arcis Golf, which has done a terrific job upgrading the facility.
Next time I am in town, sign me up for a tee time. I can’t wait to get back.
Steve Turcotte is editor of Inside Golf Newspaper. He can be reached at sdturcotte@comcast.net.