Rating 9.8/10 (at least)
For years and years Pelican Hill had been on my hit list and the entire time that I lived in San Diego I was never able to make it up to play. Finally, in late December of 2020 I made that dream a reality.
In all fairness, this was no small undertaking. As you can imagine, any elite course located in Newport Beach is going to cost you and when looking for opportunities to play spectacular courses in Southern California, this is at the top of any die-hard golfer's list. So, when I came across some of their twilight specials I was shocked to see a somewhat reasonable price point.
Now the thing is, I knew we probably wouldn't be able to make it around on all 18, but for $115 just getting to experience the scene, the course, the views, and hopefully enough cool holes to get a feel for the course I convinced two friends to join me and off we went.
This is one of those golf adventures that you know is going to be special from the time you confirm your tee time and the anticipation never really stops building until you arrive on the first hole. For us, we drove up the 101 from San Diego and passed through Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and all the other spectacular beach communities in between. It was a perfect sunny day in December with the temperature still in the low 70s, beautiful blue sky, and waves crashing along the shoreline the entire way.
By the time you make your way into the outskirts of Newport Beach, you immediately remember that you're in one of the most affluent areas not only in Southern California, but the entire world, and it's hard to ignore the frequency of Ferraris and Lamborghinis that seemingly appear out of nowhere as you make your way into town.
Heading north, you will begin to see signs for Pelican Hill Resort and as you make your right towards the course the grounds of the resort are immediately impressive. As you climb up the hilly entry way a realization occurs that you are heading into prime ocean views behind you and it's hard to keep your eyes on the road as you scan between the perfectly manicured lawns, hills, exotic cars, and ocean in your rear view.
Once you arrive at the course itself, it really all hits you, and the sprawling clubhouse provides the grand entrance that you would want and expect from a course of this caliber. The driving range is well situated with a variety of uphill targets and the synthetic grass used for the practice tee boxes was legitimately the best I have ever experienced, anywhere.
After a couple warm up shots and small talk with my friends we headed into the clubhouse to check in and the bar to grab some beers and cigars for the course. To be honest, the prices for beers weren't too horrible and we walked out feeling like we were well equipped to make the most of our experience.
Given that we were playing the South Course we took an extended bridge towards the first hole and at the halfway point the surrounding mountains opened up to reveal an incredible ocean view below. That same view is exactly what you get from the first tee box and the sweeping, downhill Par 4 provides a nice opening hole to settle yourself and get focused on the round ahead.
As you'd expect, the course was in excellent condition and even for offseason the grass was bright green, consistent, and with little damage or discoloration. As we made our way around the opening holes each provided a series of challenges but were completely fair and relatively attackable assuming you had a good drive.
The view on the Par-3 Fourth is the first great look at the ocean (over your back shoulder) after the opening hole, and the green orients you back towards the canyon with a sloping green to the right.
The Par-4 fifth is a great looking hole aesthetically as you are forced to drive over an open section of the canyon requiring a well placed drive to carry. By the time you make it your drive the ocean is in your face and you can catch views of Catalina Island in the distance.
Six works you back along the coastline and uphill, setting the stage for the Par-3 seventh which has water to the right, and ocean views dead ahead.
Eight, Nine, and Ten are all somewhat run of the mill, but I also felt the need to keep reminding myself that this was only the case because so many of the other holes were truly spectacular.
Eleven is a great par-4 with tons of sand behind the green, and it was at this point that the sun began to set and our carts alerted us that we only had 30 more minutes to conclude our round.
In all fairness, this was a bit disappointing (we had planned to play until nightfall) and forced us to skip what are probably the most memorable holes on the course, the back-to-back Par-3s on on Twelve and Thirteen. Even just driving alongside these holes it was difficult not to stop to take pictures and the sprawling sand traps, undulated greens, and sun setting over the ocean was a spectacle to behold.
From there we skipped ahead to 16 which was where the most intense photos of the outing occurred (as pictured). As the golden sun set over the horizon it became clear that this round was really more about being there, than it even was about the golf. This was truly one of the most spectacular settings you could ask for and while we were forced to make our way back to the clubhouse, it was clear that none of us felt cheated for getting cut short, at all.
I can only hope to return and play the course in its entirety again, as well as take a crack at the North Course which is said to be every bit as spectacular. All in all, this only counts for a partial addition to our Hit List, but we wouldn't change it in any way.
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