Southland Focus

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

Rancho San Marcos Golf Course

Address: 4600 Highway 154, Santa Barbara

Phone: (805) 683-6334

Green fees: $80-$100, $40-$80 for residents of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties

Tee times: Ten days in advance

The facility: This idyllic course meanders along the Santa Ynez River amid copses of centuries-old California oaks in the Lake Cachuma watershed. Opened in January, it is built on the site of the original adobe ranch headquarters--hence the “1804” under a bear logo--and is at the midpoint of the old stagecoach route linking the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez missions. Full amenities, including a 15-acre practice facility with all grass tees.

The good: Young course has a mature look and feel. Not only do they care about your golf experience here, as well as preserving the environment and any archeological sites, they care about driving hazards--off the course: No alcoholic beverages are allowed on the premises because of concern for those driving on the tortuous Highway 154 through the San Marcos Pass.

The bad: With no hole diagrams at the tee boxes or on the scorecard, club selection off the tee, especially for the first-timer, can be a guessing game.

The score: Beautifully tended layout is typical of Robert Trent Jones Jr. designs: difficult pars, easy bogeys. Greens are as true as they come and they are fast, with stimpmeter readings as high as 12 in hot, dry conditions (during Masters week, Augusta National’s usually register about 12-13). A unique course where eagles are not a rarity--at least the ones that majestically soar over Lake Cachuma.

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Overall course rating: 4 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 Middle Tees Par Front Tees 1 556 524 5 465 2 202 172 3 113 3 382 333 4 242 4 410 379 4 299 5 170 166 3 120 6 629 585 5 468 7 179 154 3 106 8 434 388 4 323 9 404 387 4 328 Out 3,366 3,099 35 2,475 10 491 473 5 394 11 447 408 4 309 12 528 503 5 460 13 139 118 3 88 14 157 115 3 78 15 410 390 4 292 16 223 199 3 145 17 449 382 4 359 18 542 518 5 432 In 3,386 3,106 36 2,557 Total 6,752 6,205 71 5,032

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Rating/Slope: Black--72.6/132, Middle--69.2/117, Front--69.8/125