Southland Focus
A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.
LA PURISIMA GOLF COURSE
Address: 3455 State Highway 246, Lompoc.
Phone: (805) 735-8395.
Green fees: $50-$60.
Tee times: Seven days in advance.
The facility: Carved into the rolling hills of the Santa Ynez Valley, La Purisima is one of the premier public courses in Southern California. It has been the site of many top-level tournaments, including an LPGA Tour event, and has hosted various stages of PGA Tour qualifying school, including the finals in 1996. The PGA of America is considering La Purisima for the 2007 PGA Championship. At first glance it appears that you can overpower the seemingly wide-open layout, but subtleties such as rolling fairways and well-placed hazards force you to use every club in your bag and make it an excellent test of your game. Water comes in to play on five holes. Four sets of tees include one primarily for seniors at a manageable 6,200 yards.
The good: The generous fairways are in excellent shape and the large, udulating greens are smooth and true. It’s one of the few top-quality courses that still allows walkers. It’s the type of course that makes you forget about your score.
The bad: Not many flat lies on the fairways and several blind shots make it tough for the first-timer. The afternoon wind can be brutal.
The score: For the quality of course, this is one of the best values in the state--especially if you can make it there for a weekday twilight round and play where the pros play for $30.
Overall 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 1 542 529 5 447 2 432 403 4 337 3 158 130 3 98 4 340 321 4 274 5 433 400 4 344 6 566 527 5 457 7 427 400 4 353 8 437 405 4 353 9 227 201 3 165 Out 3,562 3,316 36 2,828 10 465 438 4 365 11 389 371 4 329 12 609 587 5 558 13 169 149 3 123 14 366 366 4 304 15 532 503 5 458 16 436 395 4 340 17 167 145 3 118 18 410 387 4 340 In 3,543 3,341 36 2,935 Total 7,105 6,657 72 5,763
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Rating/Slope: Back--143/74.9; Middle--133/72.5; Front--131/74.3