Book a House for Your Golf Trip and Keep the Group Together
A house keeps the group together and puts the morning back under your control. Coffee goes on before dawn, clubs go straight into the car, and there is somewhere to sit when the round is over. Seven California destinations worth building a trip around.
Seven California Destinations for a Golf Trip
Palm Desert, La Quinta and the Valley
The default golf trip: PGA West and SilverRock in La Quinta, Desert Willow in Palm Desert, Indian Wells Golf Resort between them. October through May is comfortable.
Palm Springs
Mid-century houses with walled yards and pools, flat streets, and a downtown that handles a large dinner reservation. The Aerial Tramway and Indian Canyons for anyone skipping the round.
Temecula
Courses sit near the vineyards and Old Town is walkable after dinner, keeping the half of the group that would rather taste than play perfectly happy. Spring and fall are the best windows.
Orange County
South county courses sit above the water while the rest of the party takes the beach, the harbors, or the theme parks inland. Mild most of the year, busiest in summer.
Monterey, Carmel and Santa Cruz
Pebble Beach Golf Links and Pacific Grove Municipal share the same coastline. The weather is part of the deal: fog, wind off the bay, and cool afternoons even in July. Bring layers.
Santa Barbara, Ventura and Oxnard
Mild nearly year round, making this the safest bet for a winter round on the coast. Sandpiper runs along the bluffs at Goleta, with Spanish colonial streets to come back to.
The Central Coast
Paso Robles has golf among the vineyards inland, with Pismo Beach and Avila Beach on the water nearby. A group can play in the morning and swap to tasting rooms without rearranging the day.
