Now There’s Golf in Them Thar Coyote Hills

Coyote Hills Golf Course will never be known for its length, so it’s only fitting that three of the best holes are par threes.

Even from the coyote or championship tees, the par-70 layout measures 6,510 yards and there are no par fives on the front nine. It’s 500 yards shorter from the back tees and 5,618 yards from the regular tees.

The course, which went into the planning stages in 1980 and opens today, starts out below Bastanchury Street but quickly moves into the hills, reaching its acme at the seventh tee, which is said to be the highest point in Fullerton. From there it’s more than a 150-foot drop to the wide fairway.

The course was built around an oil field that has been renovated to become one of the most technologically advanced in the United States, according to Dennis Chapman, the vice president of land development for Unocal.

The hole that generated much of the talk at a recent private grand opening was the par-three eighth.

It’s 205 yards from the back tee and 178 from the regular tee. The hole, which features a deep ravine in the middle, plays slightly downhill but normally into the wind.

Cal Olson, the course architect, provided a nice break on the hole, a forgiving hillside on the left that is sloped to bring the ball back to the fairway alongside the green.

There is a trap on the right side but a steep cliff past that.

“[Olson] gave the weaker player or the intelligent player an out on every hole,” said Jamie Mulligan, the course’s head professional.

Payne Stewart, the PGA tour consultant for the project, said No. 8 could end up being the signature hole.

“That tee shot will get your attention,” he said. “That’s for sure.”

Stewart and Olson also mentioned No. 14, which is 215 yards from the championship tee and and a much more reasonable 188 yards from the back tee.

A lake, with a small island, runs along most of the right side and a stream protects the front of the green. The large sand trap along the right side of the green blends into the water to create a beach, albeit an unfriendly one.

The final par three is the 17th hole, and it’s 161 yards from the championship tee and 143 yards from the back tee. The tees are perched on a knoll and the kidney-shaped green, which is more than 100 feet below, is protected by a creek and a large sand trap.

Each nine features a strong finishing hole, both par fours.

The ninth, 414 yards from the tips and 377 from the back tees, is also more than 100 feet above the fairway and features a lake, dotted with a series of boulders, along the left side, which is reachable off the tee for stronger player.

The 18th--419 from the championship tee and 393 from the back tee--requires the most demanding tee shot of the day.

A tee shot of about 160 yards, which sounds easy until you have to hit it, is needed to carry the chasm on the slight dogleg-left hole that has a stream in front.

“It’s a very user-friendly golf course,” Olson said. “It’s not a PGA-tournament type of course. What you see is what you get.”

Notes

Coyote Hills, which is located at 1440 East Bastanchury, is operated by American Golf Corp. Greens fees are $55 Monday through Thursday and $80 Friday to Sunday for reservations made seven or fewer days in advance. For reservations made from eight to 45 days in advance, the fees are $10 more. All prices include a cart. There is a large driving range, which has an area to practice uphill and downhill shots and a sizable putting green. The clubhouse includes a pro shop and a locker room. The phone number is (714) 672-6800.