Goin'6 California Golf Getaway

Great Golf in the Golden State
Every golfer has their own favorite "home" course, but sometimes you need to test your game with a few rounds on the road. That's why we've put together a Goin' 6 golf getaway that includes some of the best courses you can play, and mixes in some of the state's great golfing values to help keep you on budget.

Since California's a pretty big place, we've narrowed our itinerary by sticking close to the coast from San Diego up to the San Francisco Bay area. We can help you select where you'd like to play and arrange affordable Motel 6 accommodations. Securing the tee times and keeping your ball on the short stuff is up to you:

San Diego
Just an all-around great place to be a golfer, the San Diego area is blessed with some consistently fine weather and some extremely playable courses. The list starts with the beautiful yet brutish Torrey Pines South Course, one of the few courses in the U.S. Open rotation that's open to public play. Ocean gusts, tricky greens and monster yardages all conspire to sabotage your scorecard. Other current or recent PGA Tour stops that you can play include a Torrey Pines North Course that's memorable in its own right, and two highly enjoyable 18s at La Costa, in nearby Carlsbad.

While San Diego residents can catch a break on the green fees at Torrey, the rest of us have to look a bit further to find the real area bargains. Overlooking San Diego Harbor, Coronado Golf Course on famous Coronado Island is as scenic as they come. Here, the biggest challenge you'll face is coming up with a tee time. Depending on the time of year and the amount of play it's gotten, Carlton Oaks in Santee can show a few rough edges, but this Dye-design has enough inherent character to make for a memorable golf test. Some of the area's newer daily fee courses are also getting solid reviews for their affordability and their playability. The Crossings at Carlsbad and Arrowood in Oceanside, are two relatively new additions that strike a nice balance between value and accessibility. And that's just scratching the surface. Wherever you stay in the San Diego area, there's bound to be a worthwhile track close by.

Los Angeles/Orange County
Golf in L.A. and Orange Counties can get a little tricky. You've got lots of people and not much available land - a combination that equates to scarce tee times and lofty greens fees. Still, if you know where to look and you're willing to work for it, you can find some outstanding southern California golf experiences - especially on weekdays. If you want to play where the pros used to play, Rancho Park near Century City is an exceptionally good city course that used to host the L.A. Open before it returned to Riviera. Again, the biggest challenge here is getting the tee time. Other city and county courses that attract considerable play include the Wilson and Harding courses in Griffith Park, and Los Verdes Golf Course, a difficult-to-reach gem that sits atop the Palos Verdes Peninsula and offers an incredible view of Catalina Island. El Dorado and Recreation Park in Long Beach are two more enjoyable municipal courses worth considering. If you're a masochist with a surplus of golf balls, Pacific Palms Resort (better known as Industry Hills) has two courses, the Ike and the Babe, that will give you more than you can handle.

If money is no object, Pelican Hill in Newport Beach is Orange County's most spectacular golf facility. With two extremely challenging 18-hole layouts (recently re-worked by Tom Fazio) and ocean views as good as any south of the Monterey Peninsula, you can treat yourself to a memorable round even if your score is forgettable. Names like Oak Creek, Strawberry Farms, Tustin Ranch, and Talega are other popular daily fee courses in the area that command a premium but deliver some quality golf. You won't find too many bargains in this neck of the woods, but the Navy Course (The Destroyer) in Cypress is open to limited public play and is where a young Tiger Woods cut his teeth as an amateur. Heading a bit further inland, Anaheim Hills has some extremely good holes and offers good value.

Santa Barbara
Let's keep this simple. When you visit Santa Barbara, there's one must-play public golf course - Sandpiper. With the recent surge in the game's popularity, this may not be the incredible bargain it once was, but at Sandpiper you'll enjoy a challenging yet fair test of golf in a setting that's been called a poor man's Pebble Beach. With much of the back nine hugging the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, you'll be sorry when your round comes to an end despite the slippery greens, challenging rough and vast stretches of wild grass that devour errant shots. If you've got the time, ask about their replay rate and make it a glorious 36-hole extravaganza.

If you're looking for the perfect way to round out your Santa Barbara golf excursion, you can't go wrong at La Purisma in Lompoc. About 45 minutes north west of Santa Barbara, La Purisma is a gorgeous rolling layout that turns downright nasty when the prevailing coastal winds start to blow. Catch it early in the day though, and you can enjoy success at what is considered one of the state's toughest courses and best golfing bargains.

Central Coast
Just north of Santa Barbara County, the Central Coast of California gives bargain hunters a great place to get in a few rounds. While the area is short on any true signature layouts, it's also short on three-figure greens fees. Cypress Ridge near Nipomo is a challenging and well-maintained course that will keep you coming back for more. A bit further down the 101, Blacklake offers three separate nines, each with their own unique flavor. Also in Nipomo, the recently completed Monarch Dunes is building a reputation as one of the best new courses you can play for under $75.

Close to the coast, courses like Avila Beach, Sea Pines, and Morro Bay provide captivating views of the Pacific and refreshing affordability. Head inland toward foothill country and you'll find rolling fairways, oak groves and a different type of scenic beauty. Dairy Creek near San Luis Obispo, Chalk Mountain in Atascadero, and Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles all have their fans. The biggest challenge here is finding the time to play them all.

Monterey/San Francisco Bay Area
Where to begin? Throw out the bargains and let's just focus on the must-play golf experiences awaiting you in Northern California. With greens fees approaching $500, Pebble Beach is understandably too much to swallow for many golfers. In that case, at least visit the course and walk out on the lawn overlooking the 18th green, the most spectacular setting in all of golf. When you're finished, head up to Spyglass Hill, where it will only cost you a small fortune to play, the golf is more difficult, and it's just as breathtaking. Poppy Hills is your best chance at finding a bargain on the Monterey Peninsula, and it's another one of the courses you can play that the pros play too. Just north of Monterey in Seaside, Fort Ord's Bayonet and Blackhorse Golf Courses have developed a fierce reputation for lulling unsuspecting duffers into some astronomical numbers. Beware.

If your ego can still take the pounding, Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz will humble all but the most accomplished of golfers. This stunning track is the handiwork of revered golf architect Alister MacKenzie and reputed to be his personal favorite. Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco is another public course that's caught the eye of the PGA Tour. To give you a sense for its quality, it will host the 2009 Presidents Cup. For a brutal test at a friendlier price, The Course at Wente Vineyards in Livermore is a Greg Norman design that's been know to chew up more than one tour pro.