The Course

This is the second shortest Par 4 at Barona Creek. The aiming point off the tee is the right side of the bunker that guards the left side of the fairway. Once again, your tee shot will run to the right when it hits the fairway. For your second shot if the pin is front left, it is critical that you stay short of the pin on your approach. Any pin that is middle or left it is best to error to the left on your approach because the slope on the left side kicks all balls toward the middle of the green. As you will find out, your work is not over once you are on the green. Putts are extremely fast from back to front.

The first of four challenging par 3’s. From the tee this hole looks extremely difficult. Although it is the longest of the par 3’s, 260 from the Black tee, the prevailing wind at your back will allow you to take two clubs less than the yardage suggests. Tee shots that stray left will generously kick on the green. Also, remember this is the largest green on the course – 50 yards from front to back.

This is the first risk/reward hole and is the number 1 handicap hole. The safe play is to stay to the right of the enormous bunker that dissects the center of the fairway. This will leave you with a mid to long iron for your second shot. If you decide to take the risk and shorten the hole by going left of the bunker, beware that all balls that go that route tend to kick left into the native grasses. But if you pull it off, you will have a short iron into the green.

GOOD LUCK!!!

The closing hole on the front 9 is very picturesque with the Barona Hotel in the background and enormous Augusta white bunkers surrounding the green. This hole gives you the option of hitting a wood or iron off the tee. Your aiming point off the tee is the pot bunker that is in front of the green. The fairway slopes toward the water and the farther you hit it down the fairway the narrower it becomes. Approach shots that hit long back left will roll back toward the middle of the green.

The prevailing wind will help make this monster par 4 play easier than it appears. The fairway bunkers will generally not come into play, but any ball hit down the right side tends to kick right into the native grasses. It is impossible to get the ball up and down if you miss this green to the left. Any ball that hits short of the green will not roll up to the green. Be careful when putting toward the front, it can be very fast.

A spectacular par 3. You are generally hitting back into the wind, so take an extra club. There are no bailout areas on this hole. You are on your own!

This is the only blind driving hole on the course – PAY ATTENTION. There is no need to hit driver. Take a club you hit 180 to 210 and aim left of the fairway bunker. This will leave you with a reasonable approach into this dogleg right par 4. If your feeling aggressive, take your driver and aim over the right side of the series of bunkers with a little fade and you will be perfect. However, don’t miss it too far to the right or you will be in the native grasses scrambling for a bogey. Also note, this green plays firmer than most and generally has the wind behind you.

If you are out of gas don’t even attempt to play this monster. Go straight to the Barona Casino and enjoy the remainder of your day. Seriously, this is one of the best finishing holes you will ever play. From the back tee this par 4 plays 472 yards into the prevailing wind. Your aiming point for your tee shot should be the Golf Events Center. Also note that there is more room on the left than what appears. More than likely, you will have a wood left to the green. Don’t go left or you will be in the lake. There is plenty of room to the right to bail out. Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to get up and down from the right side collection area. Bogey is not a bad score on this difficult finishing hole.