San Diego – Golf Course Paradise

It’s no wonder that Golf Digest named San Diego one of the Top 50 golf destinations in the world. There are more than 40 golf courses in the city of San Diego alone. If you count the entire region of San Diego County, you can choose from 90-plus golf courses ranging from seaside to desert mountain settings. Add an average temperature of 70 degrees and more than 300 days of sunshine, and you have a golfers’ paradise offering year-around play.

The San Diego area plays host to two exciting PGA tour events: the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines and the Accenture Match Play Championship at La Costa. The Torrey Pines Buick Invitational is usually held in January. Tiger Woods won the 2005 Buick Invitational, posting a 4-under 68, and walked away with the $4.8 million first prize. Torrey Pines will be hosting the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Torrey Pines offers 36 holes of championship golf, as well as an on-site restaurant and lounge. Nearby lodging overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Accenture Match Play Championship kicks off annually in February at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, a short 30 minute drive from the city of San Diego. David Toms beat his close friend Chris DiMarco with a 6-and-5 win worth $1.3 million at the 2005 Accenture. La Costa boasts two championship golf courses and twenty-one tennis courts on more than 400 lush green acres nestled along the coastal foothills. La Costa also offers guests a full-service spa and salon, along with a wealth of wellness programs.

Other great San Diego area golf courses include the challenging Morgan Run Resort and Club in the upscale San Diego community of Rancho Santa Fe. Aviara Golf Club, in the north San Diego County city of Carlsbad, was designed by Arnold Palmer and has stunning terrain. Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club in Santee offers one of the best fairways in San Diego County. Carmel Highland Doubletree Golf & Tennis Resort is hilly with hard greens. Riverwalk Golf Club is located in the Fashion Valley area of San Diego and features a Ted Robinson Sr. and Jr. design.

Golfers will want to allow enough time on their golfing vacation to visit other San Diego area attractions which include Balboa Park, SeaWorld, Seaport Village, Old Town, San Diego Harbor excursions and whale watch, the world famous San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, and LEGOLAND California. There are miles of beaches in San Diego County as well, which will appeal to golfers who also like boating, surfing, fishing, scuba diving, and ocean swimming.

Visiting golfers will find excellent fine dining opportunities in San Diego. The downtown Gaslamp District is noted for its high concentration of good restaurants. The La Jolla area has many ocean view dining sports. Del Mar, which is located just north of the city of San Diego, has world-class restaurants as well