Golf in Escondido

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.

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.

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