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Brian Cenci

La Costa (what's the story?)
« on: November 17, 2007, 02:08:35 PM »
I am in San Diego for a wedding and as part of the festivities we played La Costa yesterday (north course I believe....whichever one is the private of the two).  The guy that was in charge of everything mentioned it was in the best shape it had been all year.  Which, either I'm spoiled in Michigan or it implied the course had been in really bad shape and was starting to get better.  The first really 9 or 10 holes I thought were pretty boring but I actually liked the back 9 a great deal.  
     What is the story with the course? I know they used to host a tourney there but overall the condition of the course was poor, at best,  but like I said the back nine I liked....especially 15 and 18.  It was designed by Dick Wilson I saw.   It seemed to me they could take a little of their clubhouse budget and put it into the course it would be better.  Especially cosidering $130 a round.  In Michigan that's a $40 course.  
     Can ayone provide and details on the course...I'd appreciatte it.

-Brian
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Patrick Kiser

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2007, 02:44:16 PM »
I wished you had asked about this course prior to going.  I think the overall response would have been...

DO NOT ... repeat ... DO NOT BOTHER.

An absolute waste of your time and money IMHO.

So why even bother with knowing more about it?  There's not much they could do with what's left of the topo.  Very blah after what earth moving they did.

Trip to Barona would have been time better spent.

Sorry to sound so negative.  It's just from a GCA standpoint, there's not much to learn there ... or maybe you can learn what's "wrong" with the place.  Maybe that helps.
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“One natural hazard, however, which is more
or less of a nuisance, is water. Water hazards
absolutely prohibit the recovery shot, perhaps
the best shot in the game.” —William Flynn, golf
course architect

Dennis_Harwood

Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2007, 06:14:50 PM »
Original tournament course was pretty good, and really challeging (Tournament of Champions was held there for years and years)-- However, to increase access for resort guest they converted to 36 holes, and just kind of "fit" an additonal 18 holes among the 18 of the tournament course, and then "wove" 9 holes of the tournment course with 9 of the new holes--

Result is whichever course you play is 9 of the tournament layout with 9 "fit in" holes. Creates two poor courses-

Original 18 is never played except for a PGA event--
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Jon Spaulding

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2007, 06:16:30 PM »
My version.... the course is mostly uninspired, in bad shape, overpriced. At that point.....we're left with one of the better courses in the county  ???. On the depressing pricing topic, the membership is 2-3x the price of Crystal. So you are spoiled in Michigan.

For the tournament, they would put together a composite of the 2 courses to make an acceptable 18. I think it was 6 from the North and 12 from the South, or thereabouts. They rotate the private loop on a daily basis for resort vs. member play.

What most pains me is that they could have good golf...it's owned by Henry Kravis, and there have been fantastic designs built on worse sites. They just spent $70M to renovate the hotel. Unfortunately none of this went into the golf.
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You'd make a fine little helper. What's your name?

Cliff Hamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2007, 06:27:27 PM »
Quote from: Brian Cenci on November 17, 2007, 02:08:35 PM
I am in San Diego for a wedding and as part of the festivities we played La Costa yesterday (north course I believe....

-Brian

Quote from: Patrick Kiser on November 17, 2007, 02:44:16 PM
I wished you had asked about this course prior to going.  I think the overall response would have been...

DO NOT ... repeat ... DO NOT BOTHER.

An absolute waste of your time and money IMHO.



Yes, there is more to life than GCA ;D
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Patrick Kiser

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2007, 07:17:10 PM »
Agreed.  I'm just quality/price oriented, I would have recommended something down the street.

I guess there are worse things than playing La Costa though.


Quote from: Cliff Hamm
Yes, there is more to life than GCA ;D
[quote
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“One natural hazard, however, which is more
or less of a nuisance, is water. Water hazards
absolutely prohibit the recovery shot, perhaps
the best shot in the game.” —William Flynn, golf
course architect

Cliff Hamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2007, 07:38:42 PM »
My real reference was to wedding festivities so that picking a course was not an option.  It's the company that counts.  I do think though that sometimes one can get too hung up on GCA and forget to just enjoy the game.
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Matt_Ward

Re:La Costa (what's the story?)
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2007, 04:12:13 PM »
One of the most overrated and most overhyped courses one can name in all of the USA.

Here's a place where it's all hat and no cattle (to use the Texas expression). Anyone venturing to LaCosta and not heading to Barona Creek must be in need of some therapy.

You can dress up the clubhouse all you want but the net result is that the Dick Wilson design is an architectural wasteland with little that is even remotely memorable.

LaCosta has benefited to the max in its long time association with the Tour. Now that the Merecedes in in Hawaii at Kapalua there's little real reason why LaCosta will be much of anything from a real need to see and play the place.

No doubt the extra $$$ will go a long way in bringing in all the fancy parties and events -- but the golf side from the several times I have played the place over the years was a real disappointment.
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