| TRADITIONAL DESIGNS - | | | | feet above the green, approximately 200 yards |
| Certified Preowned Callaway Golf Clubs | | | | away. |
| Some 25 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, | | | | THE TOUGHEST HOLE - |
| and right in the middle of Southern California's | | | | The toughest hole on the Valley Course rated by |
| urban and suburban growth, Robinson Ranch has | | | | the lowest handicap index on the scorecard is the |
| captured the feeling of golfing in the country. | | | | par 4, hole four. This hole is a slight dogleg left, |
| Co-architects, Ted Robinson Sr. and Ted Jr., | | | | bordered by a left side fairway bunker and a dry |
| whose family has ties to the Golden State dating | | | | stream bed to the right. The second shot to |
| back to when the early settlers traveled the | | | | reach the green in regulation is between two large |
| Sierra Nevada=s by foot, have given golfers a | | | | heritage oak trees. |
| glimpse of California's lost heritage, "The Way It | | | | Jetsetters Magazine Golf MallThe strangest hole |
| Used to Be." | | | | (nine) on Valley and maybe the true signature |
| The 400-acre complex sets on rolling hills, rock | | | | hole, called "Saddleback" is a par 5 with one |
| outcroppings and dry stream beds with hundreds | | | | fairway to the left and another fairway to the |
| of stately oak trees, natural alluvial and coastal | | | | right. A large heritage oak tree in the middle |
| sage, bordering the Angeles National Forest. It is | | | | separates the two fairways and is very reachable |
| one of the few places a golfer is more likely to | | | | with the driver. If you hit left, it is a traditional |
| look at some of the wildlife, such as raccoons, | | | | three-shot hole, laying up short of the lake that |
| weasels, deer, bobcats, coyote, fox and even | | | | fronts the moderately sloping putting surface with |
| bear - instead of looking at their wild golf shots! | | | | a waterfall backdrop. However, if the golfer hits |
| Ted Robinson, Sr. has designed more than 170 | | | | the ball to the right Saddleback fairway with a bit |
| courses around the world. As a team, both father | | | | of zip on their driver, they stand the chance to |
| and son combined their experience in, and passion | | | | reach the green in two! This golfer/reporter had |
| for, golf with a spectacular layout. For instance, | | | | the fortune to hit a provisional (ball) after the first |
| bi-level and undulating greens, numerous dogleg | | | | gamble to go right posed a few doubts after |
| par 4's and 5's, uphill fairways, cliff-hanging tee-off | | | | watching it fall from the elevated tee-off box |
| boxes, strategically-placed deep bunkers, | | | | some 90 feet above the fairway. Therefore, I hit |
| stream-dissecting fairways, middle-of-the-fairway | | | | my second ball to the left fairway. Luckily, I |
| oak trees, sometimes wide-open and beautiful | | | | learned my lesson without taking my medicine, |
| fairways, canyons surrounding greens, and | | | | and shortly later I was able to find my daring first |
| refreshing, but non-golfer-friendly lakes are some | | | | shot to par the hole! |
| of the eclectic features of the two courses - | | | | All the greens rated 10 on this reporter's meter |
| Mountain and Valley. | | | | as being one of the finest in the entire West. One |
| One of the true signature holes of the Valley | | | | has to wonder if PGA tour golf professionals like |
| Course is the scenic par 3, hole seven called the | | | | Tiger Woods and Davis Love III gets these fine |
| "Tarantula." The golfers' tee-off from some 100 | | | | of greens to putt on "week-in-and-week-out?! |