STRAWBERRY FARMS GOLF CLUB (949-551-1811)
Orange County/Los Angeles, California golf course review
Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine about 25 miles from Los Angeles is a beautiful Jim Lipe championship design that features two distinctive nines, and some of the best "target golf" in the LA/Orange county region. Unrestricted walking is allowed on this par 72, 18-hole layout, which is set amid canyons and wetlands with picturesque vistas across a 35-acre reservoir. Scenic hills are studded with granite boulders and waterfalls, and native wildlife and vegetation is in abundance.
Recognized as one of the finest golf experiences in Orange County and awarded 4 stars by Golf Digest Places to Play, Strawberry Farms inaugurated in 1997 and is always open for public play. Sand bunkering is a prominent feature, with 76 traps of varying shapes and sizes located near the landing zones or situated greenside. Water hazards come into play in some shape or form on 9 holes.
On property is a clubhouse with pro shop plus restaurant/veranda that can sit 100 people comfortably. The Big Red Barn banquet facility can accommodate up to 350 guests for weddings and special events, and the clubhouse conference room can facilitate meetings and groups of up to 22 people. Practice facilities include a targeted grass range, short game area for chipping, plus putting green.
There are five sets of tees that play to distances and slopes measuring 6700 yards/136 slope, 6276 yards/131 slope, 5805 yards/126 slope for men and 128 for women, 5243 yards/118 slope for men and 121 for women and 4832 yards with a slope of 114 for ladies hitting from the red tees. An on cart GPS system provides accurate yardages from tee to pin, and the course also has 150 stakes on both sides of the fairways, 150 markers on cart paths, plus 100, 150 and 200 yard blocks on the fairways. Color coded flags indicate front, middle or back hole locations.
The front nine plays through the valley along a mildly rolling terrain with fairways framed by trees, native brush or wetlands. There are a couple forced carries, but everything is pretty straightforward. The back side presents more of a desert feel and features significant elevation changes, tight fairways, and some beautiful water hazards. Throughout golfers will encounter nicely manicured greens, that are often elevated and protected with bunkers and mounding on the sides.
This is a beautiful course with nice facilities and friendly service. The restaurant and outdoor patio serves breakfast and lunch daily, with dinner menus Tuesday through Saturday. For more info, visit our page for the course, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
|
