Best Municipal Golf Courses in America…

…are within a few minutes of Downtown San Diego!  There is no equivocation in this statement.  And this blogger will gladly debate the topic with any dissenters.

To set the stage for this topic, there are some huge innate advantages for golf in San Diego.  First, golfers enjoy approximately 325 days per year of ideal weather.  72 and perfect describes both an average day–and the ideal score on a golf course.

Second, the best golf courses are built in beautiful places.  The three San Diego Muni Golf Courses are on an island with views of San Diego bay and the city’s skyline, winding through canyons in the midst of charming urban residential streets, and finally (and famously) on cliffs at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

OK, a moment’s perspective, before continuing.  I’m a Downtown San Diego Realtor AND a golf nut (not sure in which order).  I’ve stayed awake over night to walk on at Bethpage Black and dropped the Benjamins it takes for Pebble Beach.

Within 20 minutes of home in Downtown San Diego are 3 of the best munis anywhere.  And as a resident of San Diego, I rarely pay a green fee over $40.  This includes the very famous US Open venue pictured here.

So, whether you want to talk golf courses or real estate, drop me a line at david.manes@welcometosandiego.com or call 858.432.3203

Must Play San Diego Golf

Coronado Golf Course is truly a gem for public golfers. Visitors to San Diego often are not aware that the course is open to the public and is a mere 5-10 minutes from Downtown San Diego hotels and condos.

It is a very traditional tree lined course, with water in play on nearly half of the holes.  Conditions at Coronado Golf Course are always outstanding.  You will be very surprised by how fast greens are maintained on a golf course that is this busy.  Here are just a few of the awards and recognition Coronado has received:

• 2008-09 Golf Digest 4-star “Places to Play” rating
• “Best Value in San Diego County” for five years running by greenskeeper.org
• 10 (out of 10) rating by The San Diego Union Tribune

And best of all, the 18 hole green fee is $30 midweek and $35 weekends.  Although the Coronado locals would like to put a barrier at the end of the bridge to keep people from the San Diego side of the bridge out–green fees are the same for residents and visitors.

Balboa Park and Coronado–Great Golf under $40

Access from Downtown is similarly easy for the city of San Diego Public Golf Course located in Balboa Park.  Balboa Park Golf Course is the oldest course in San Diego, and was built in 1915 by famed architect William Bell.

Snaking through canyons (the signs say “do not look for balls because of rattle snakes in the canyons!”) the course looks back to beautiful bay and skyline views.   Balboa Park Golf Course is said to be the working man’s San Diego Public Golf Course.

But it’s no pushover.  Only 6,200 yards, the hills, canyons and sloping greens make it a real challenge for all players.  Best of all, after being drastically “undermaintained” for years,  a new irrigation system was installed last year and Balboa Park is a green and lush golfing experience.

With green fees maxing at under $40 on the weekends, it’s a fantastic golf value.

San Diego Municipal Golf Course and US Open Site

If you’ve ever known the most basic joy of a drive down the middle of the fairway or the pain of a “3-jack” you know that San Diego is home to Torrey Pines Golf Course.  It’s 36 holes of the most picturesque golf anywhere in America.

Although the South Course is the US Open venue, the North Course is superb also.  And in spite of the low scores the pros shoot at The Farmers, for an amatuer it’s every bit the challenge of the South.

The USGA has made a commitment in the 21st century to play its most noteworthy events (US Open, Ryder Cup and President’s Cup) on true Public Golf Courses.

So far, these include Torrey for the 08 US Open, Bethpage Black for the 09 Open and Harding Park for the 09 Presidents Cup.  I wanted to compare my rate at Torrey with these others.  It shows that the savings of resident rates for a course like this is staggering.  And if you have the privelege to play 2 or 3 (or more times) a month it’s thousands of dollars over the course of the year.

Check out the following rate comparison:

Unfortunately, if you’re visiting from out of town, resident fees don’t apply at Torrey Pines.  At any price, the experience and views are worth every penny.

For a vacation or golf trip, you can’t beat this 72 hole public golf extravaganza in any American City.  Come to San Diego and check it out.

The real estate is pretty spectacular too!