Much like confronting a former bully at a high-school reunion, playing golf requires an efficient swing and at least three friends to cheer you on. Take a stand against a shank-producing stroke with today's Groupon: for $55, you get 18 holes of golf for two people including range balls and a cart rental (up to a $98 value), plus a $10 food voucher (up to a $108 total value) at Diablo Grande Golf & Country Club in Patterson.

Nestled above the Northern California fog line, the pair of rustic valley courses at Diablo Grande Golf & Country Club challenge players with 36 championship-caliber holes amid breathtaking views of surrounding vineyards, hills, and canyons. The Ranch Course's rolling terrain, typified by the challenging 12th hole, tests golfers’ nerves with oak-lined fairways, ball-gobbling creeks, and roving herds of wild golf carts. The masterfully engineered Legends Course hearkens back to the refined play of old-school golf, and, along with the Space Needle, was co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen. Along the trek to 18, sphere-slingers revel in each fairway’s long, wide-open landing strips, putt over the demanding small greens, and take cover from club-snatching ospreys in the course’s numerous deep bunkers. Although twosomes may quibble over which course to play, a cart rental keeps them from arguing over traversing the course by foot or the traditional method of riding atop a Scottish sheep.

After an enjoyable outing on the links, golfers can retire to the cozy confines of the Sunset Lounge, endowed with panoramic views of nearby foothills and bolstered by a tasty menu designed by Head Chef Kirk Doyle. At breakfast, the eggs in a plate of huevos rancheros ($7) sport a piquant sombrero of New Mexico green chile sauce and avocado and sit mounted atop a tasty steed of refried beans and potatoes. Meanwhile, dinners of Southern fried tilapia ($16) or pork carnita tostadas ($9) muzzle post-game bravado and bragging rights with rapturous flavor.

Diablo Grande Golf & Country Club's rates fluctuate throughout the week; plan ahead to make sure you're redeeming your Groupon at the most opportune time.