SOUTHLAND FOCUS

A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.

JURUPA HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

Address: 6161 Moraga Ave., Riverside

Phone: 909-685-7214.

Green fees: $25-$40.

Tee times: Seven days in advance.

The facility: One of the Inland Empire’s friendliest courses. Designed by Billy Bell Jr. in 1960, it is short, only 6,022 yards from the back tees, but well-designed, tree-lined fairways that take advantage of rolling terrain make it sneaky long. Bell built it for two Southern California PGA Hall of Fame professionals, Joe Robinson and George Lake, and it is the annual site of the SCPGA Seniors and the Inland Empire Amateur championships.

The good: Eleven of the par fours are less than 400 yards, but not No. 11. Jurupa Hills’ signature hole is 441 yards, a mostly downhill dogleg that calls for an uphill shot to a well-bunkered green. A strong tee shot down a narrow chute is necessary to set up the second shot. An all-grass driving range and two large putting greens help prepare for the game.

The bad: Poor drainage on some holes creates soggy landing areas for tee shots, and if trains rumbling past affect your putting touch, have earplugs ready when you’re on the seventh green.

The score: No matter what you shoot, a trip to Jurupa Hills is worth it for the view from the sixth hole of a railroad bridge built in 1901 by Chinese workers over the Santa Ana river. Although it was built without use of steel, trains still run regularly over it. It is a site to remember if you’re fortunate enough to be there when the trains are rolling.

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Overall rating: 2 1/2 balls.

* One ball: No-frills golf.

** Two balls: Worth an occasional round.

*** Three balls: Like shooting four strokes under your handicap.

**** Four balls: Where the golf gods play.

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Hole Back Tees Men’s par/women’s par Front Tees 1 376 4/4 366 2 355 4/4 345 3 159 3/3 139 4 347 4/4 323 5 372 4/4 356 6 377 4/4 364 7 499 5/5 483 8 161 3/3 148 9 341 4/4 329 Out 2,987 35/35 2,853 10 363 4/4 350 11 441 4/5 429 12 336 4/4 327 13 378 4/4 358 14 134 3/3 121 15 512 5/5 507 16 362 4/4 350 17 368 4/4 354 18 141 3/3 124 In 3,025 35/36 2,920 Total 6,022 70/71 5,773

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Rating/Slope: Back--69.5/122, Front--73.4/123