At Hidden Valley Course, the Only Wood Will Be in Your Bag
Often when a golf course opens there is a lot of talk about how much better it will be when it matures.
But that isn’t the case with Hidden Valley Golf Club, which opened last month in the foothills of Norco. This is mainly true because there isn’t a tree that comes into play anywhere on the course.
Instead, the layout it dotted by a series of boulders, the largest of which is more than 20 feet tall. Several others are in tiny groupings that form natural boundaries for many of the fairways. One large group sits in the middle of the 15th fairway.
Many people consider trees a natural part of golf courses and even Hidden Valley architect Casey O’Callaghan, who is based in Costa Mesa, struggled with the idea at first.
“I think it was Chuck Cox, who is one of the owners who had a vision of a course with no trees,” O’Callaghan said. “But all I was thinking was how without trees [the course] was going to be wrong.”
But it didn’t take long for O’Callaghan to embrace the concept and design a course that seems to fit almost perfectly into the hills and valleys of the area that once was used by off-road motorcycle riders.
Shortly after construction began last spring a family from San Diego rolled up to the site in a recreational vehicle with at least a half-dozen motorcycles in tow, surprised to find that golf carts would now be negotiating the hills instead.
This course includes five sets of tees and ranges in length from 6,721 yards from the back to 4,649 from the front. The championship tees are 6,330 and recommended for those with handicaps between eight and 15. The white tees are only 5,826 yards and should be used by those who have 16 to 25 handicaps.
Most of the holes on the course are built in a pair of large valleys but none of the holes looks or plays the same.
The fifth and sixth holes offer the most intimidating tee shots, but both look much more difficult than they are. The fifth hole, a 196-yard par three from the blue tees, appears hard because of a deep canyon just beyond the tee box and a deep ravine filled with dense brush to the right of the green.
But it’s only a 130-yard carry over the canyon and there is a large area in front and to the left of the green. The sixth is a 455-yard par five that requires an uphill tee shot over a canyon, but the carry is only about 165 yards.
The most dramatic tee shot is probably No. 15, a 574-yard par five. The tee box is 220 feet above the fairway that sits at the bottom of a canyon.
“I scratched my head and wondered how we could get a golf course out there,” O’Callaghan said. “But now it’s nice to just have it up and running.”
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The facts: Hidden Valley costs $55 Monday through Thursday and $75 Friday through Sunday and both prices include a cart. The course is located about three miles north of the 91 Freeway at the McKinley off-ramp in Norco.
Tee times are accepted up to 14 days in advance. Call: (909) 737-1010.
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Rattlesnakes: The score card at Hidden Valley offers a very serious snake warning that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Players should be very careful around rocks, ravines and hills.
Signs placed in locations that rattlesnakes are most likely to be found read: “Rattlesnakes may be found in this area. They are important members of the natural community. They will not attack, but if disturbed or cornered they will defend themselves.”
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Coming eventually: O’Callaghan, 30, is working on a 27-hole course in Aliso Viejo that is expected to break ground in about two months.
O’Callaghan, who used to work for Cal Olson, designer of Coyote Hills in Fullerton, struck out on his own about five years ago. Besides designing entire courses, he also has been involved in remodeling work on holes at SeaCliff Country Club in Huntington Beach and Recreation Park and El Dorado in Long Beach.
Golf Notes
Concordia University is hosting the Eagle Golf Classic May 5 at Mission Viejo Country Club. Former Dodger Rick Monday is scheduled to be a celebrity golfer. Tournament includes putting contest and a trick shot clinic by long drive specialist Gary Hambright. Fee is $150 and includes dinner. Proceeds benefit Concordia’s athletic program. For more information: (714) 854-8002, ext. 862.
The Orange County Golf Notebook runs monthly. Suggestions are welcome. Call (714) 966-5904, fax (714) 966-5663 or e-mail Steve.Kresal@latimes.com or Martin.Beck@latimes.com
