Golf in Dana Point

Yelpers give Cottonwood Golf Club a 3.5-star average:

Designed by golf legend Gary Player, Steele Canyon Golf Club’s 27-hole championship course thoughtfully incorporates the scenic Southern California landscape into three distinct nine-hole courses. Divot-tearing duos can contend with the rolling terrain that characterizes the Canyon Course, a nine-hole odyssey where severe elevation changes place a high premium on sound club selection and a golf cart that does not fear heights. The nuanced difficulty of the Meadow Course hinges on shifting winds and fortified greens as it snakes through more open, pastoral terrain. On the Ranch Course, players can test their mettle at the par 4 third hole—the championship course's signature hole—where a dramatically elevated tee box and a lingering group of ball-snatching paratroopers have led to the hole’s apropos nickname, “Parachute.” Golfers can play any two of the three nine-hole courses with a club-wielding frenemy or combine two Groupons to play as a foursome.

Golf can be a bonding experience with friends or a make-or-break business meeting that masquerades as a leisure sport. Make the most of your time with friends and colleagues by knocking their argyle socks off with effortless dominance on the green. Today's Groupon to Carlsbad Golf Center gets you a one-hour private golf lesson with your choice of Carlsbad's experienced PGA and LPGA instructors (a $75–$125 value, depending on participating instructor), plus a large bucket of balls with which to practice during and after your lesson (a $10 value). Because the object of golf is to hole the ball in the fewest number of strokes, a better game will help you conserve energy for other activities such as off-track betting or braising Cornish hen.

Via 3-D motion analyzers and the one-two combo of certified fitness professionals and physical therapists, your form will be psychoanalyzed and rebuilt to start trading bogeys for birdies. The evaluation consists of a series of more than 25 golf-specific tests assessing your flexibility, core stability, posture, and more. Like fulfilling an out-of-body experience, you’ll see the old you disappear as experts help you modify and adjust to achieve the ideal follow-through. Any serious golfer or competitive swinger has tremendous learning opportunities less than a chip shot away with today's Groupon.

GolfTEC has thirteen convenient locations in the Los Angeles area, all staffed by experienced golfing professionals and computers who’ve sworn allegiance to the Three Laws of golfing robotics. Motion sensors and high-speed cameras monitor your swing and break down your form on a high-definition video display. GolfTEC’s PGA specialists point out your flaws, strengths, and coach you on how to permanently improve your game, from tee to green. Sensors chirp with approval when you’ve executed a perfect stroke or cracked an especially witty golfing joke.

The family-owned Sun Valley Golf Course cultivates a welcoming atmosphere that sets nerves at ease so that youngsters and beginners can make a stress-free foray into the lifelong game. The par 27 excursion politely omits any tee shot longer than 145 yards, eliminating the trepidation felt on long tee shots over water or asteroid craters at larger venues. Nevertheless, small greens and quick changes in elevation keep even more experienced players on their toes and help them to hone short-game technique. The course's short layout ensures that players average less than 90 minutes for a nine-hole round, leaving plenty of time in the day to polish lucky golf balls.

Its simple course layout makes Sun Valley Golf Course a natural place for young club cadets to take up the game. Junior golf programs led by instructor Mike Cortes help kids to develop proper form at an early age through camps, clinics, and classes.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 27 course
• Total length of 1,057 yards from the back tees
• Two sets of tees per hole