MONARCH BEACH GOLF CLUB (949-240-8247)
Orange County/Los Angeles, California golf course review
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Monarch Beach Golf Club is a gorgeous Scottish-links course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, and is one of a handful of ocean-front layouts in Southern California. Open to the golfing public, this facility features private club type conditioning and service, and affords spectacular sweeping sea view vistas. Guests will feel as though they are members for the day at this outstanding golf property.
Opened in 1983, renovated in 2001 ($1.5 million renovation) and now managed by Troon Golf, Monarch Beach has been rated as one of the top 30 courses for women by Golf Magazine for Women, and the pro shop has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Golf Shops in the country by Golf World Business Magazine. Visitors can enjoy facilities that include locker rooms for men and women, a snack bar plus cart service, and the Club 19 - a restaurant/lounge that is open for breakfast and lunch. There is an outdoor patio plus banquet/outing facilities as well.
There is no range on property, but players can warm up in hitting cages and on a large practice green. The course features tight, manicured fairways and small undulating putting surfaces that have been described by Tom Watson as having characteristics similar to those on Augusta National! There are approximately 100 sand bunkers of varying shapes and sizes and water hazards come into play in some shape or form on 10 holes.
There are four sets of tee areas that play to distances and slopes measuring 6601 yards/138 slope, 6052 yards/132 slope, 5612 yards/125 slope and 5010 yards with a slope of 125 for women hitting from the forward tees. 150 yard stakes are situated in the center of the manicured fairways on all par fours and fives, and Pro Link GPS on all carts provides accurate information from tee to pin.
The course meanders through a very upscale resort and residential community, with many of the spectacular homes actually adding to the beauty of the experience. The fairways are quite rolling with exquisite perimeter landscaping, and with mounding and sand bunkers strategically situated near the landing zones. There is frequently ample recover room greenside, though undulating putting surfaces, sand traps and collection areas are present to challenge the short games of all players.
The par four third is one of the most memorable holes a golfer can hope to experience - a dogleg left that features an approach along side the pacific ocean, with a sandy beach separating the water from the playing surface. This is a very score-able hole, is long as one can maintain his/her concentration long enough to hole out! The view behind the par 3 fourth - with the ocean as a backdrop behind the teeing area, is also quite spectacular.
There is more elevation change to the back side, with the par three 13th perhaps the most beautiful hole coming in. At just 155 yards from the tips this par three plays from an elevated tee over a pond with the bail out room to the left protected buy a sand trap that can leave a daunting up and down situation (as a sand shot from here plays directly back towards the water hazard).
The finishing hole also ends with a precarious approach to a rock walled green complex with water front right and sand bunkers all around. A visit for food or drink in the beautiful clubhouse is highly recommended after a round here - and visitors also have the option of staying at the wonderfully upscale St Regis Resort property. This is a MUST PLAY golf experience!
For more info, visit our page for the course, with direct link to its' website by clicking here.
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