Southland Focus
A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.
SAN DIMAS CANYON GOLF COURSE
Address: 2100 Terrebonne Ave., San Dimas
Telephone: (909) 599-2313
Green fees: $22-$30
Tee times: Seven days in advance
The facility: Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the course runs over gently rolling terrain, with plenty of live oaks and pines defining the fairways. It’s a fairly short layout with only two par fours longer than 400 yards. There’s a small pro shop and dining room.
The good: This is a nicely designed, well-maintained course that’s tight enough to demand accuracy but forgiving enough to keep you from chucking your clubs into the water that comes into play on six holes. The front nine is fairly tight; the back is almost 200 yards longer, with more character and variety. Nos. 11 through 14 are as good a stretch as you’re going to find on any similarly priced course, and No. 16 is a classic par three over water. Most tee boxes are flat with good turf; fairways are neatly cut and the greens are very true--not too fast but with enough contour to bring three-putting into play. Consistent sand in the bunkers. A great setting.
The bad: Not much, except there’s no full driving range. Practice balls are hit into a net. The course is a bit congested in spots, where play in opposite directions can spill over from one hole to another on adjacent fairways.
The score: This is one of the Southland’s real bargains, particularly when the air is clear. For $22 to walk during the week (with an extraordinary $5 replay rate), this is a very tough deal to beat.
