Best of the rest

11/10/2020

The par-3 14th hole at Oak Quarry Golf Club was a reader favorite.

Our favorite hole contest is over, but here's a bunch more reader submissions

We asked our readers to tell us their favorite holes in Southern California and received a variety of responses.

And while not all of our entries could be winners (we picked four in October), here are the rest of the submissions. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the four winning entries.

Thank you to all who participated!

OAK QUARRY GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 14
The hole is visually appealing, which softens the blow of not scoring well on this long, demanding par 3. Proper club selection and accuracy off the tee are required in order to get into the right position on the large green to have a shot at birdie. And just as you are rewarded for a good shot, you will have a hard time recovering if you miss the green, making it a always good test.
– Brad Stienstra

Stunning hole, but very hard. If you are caught up with the view, making double bogey is going to creep up quickly.
– Yoshi Shiratori

Picturesque and very exacting. Very tough par 3!
– Clint Refsnyder

OAK QUARRY GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 4
A par 4 that is a risk-reward hole where you can go for the green in one or lay up in the two fairways. A slight dogleg left, there’s a canyon on the left side of fairway from tee to green and the right side is all mountain. If you go for the green, there is fairway to the right and sand traps to the left and all the way around the back of green. A great golf course to play.
– Chris Wright

INDIAN CANYON SOUTH COURSE, Hole No. 9
A par 5 with a perilous water hazard on the right and a fairway that slopes toward it on every shot. Strategically bunkers on the left make playing it safe by aiming left a hazard as well. Your final shot to the partially bowled green presents more difficulty with a front bunker, a tiered green and water in the back should you go too long. Beware, do not let the beauty distract you from the required focus necessary on each stroke. The old course has many holes that lull you into complacency but this one often blemishes one’s card as you complete the front nine in a spectacular location. Bring a ball retriever as the pickings for fishermen in the shallow water near the shore on the right are often plentiful and remind you of the power of gravity, which works equally as well on golf balls as it does on apples.
– Robert Israel

AVIARA GOLF CLUB & RESORT, Hole No. 18
Your drive has to be in the fairway, and on your second shot, you have to contend with the lake on the right and a sloping area to the left of the green. Plus, the green is huge and, if you’re playing into the wind, well, four shots need to be played for a well-deserved par.
– Conrad Glewicz

SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 10
First, I love the view from the tee in the early to late afternoon. The green perched at the end of the fairway with the Pacific Ocean in the background and the sun setting late in the day is a beautiful scene. The hole, a par 4, isn't that difficult IF you keep the ball on the fairway. Don't go left! The narrow fairway and long, narrow green presents a challenge and again don't go left with your approach. It doesn't require driver off the tee, it is more about accuracy here.
– Steve Lockhart

SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 11
Beautiful view with the beach and the ocean behind the hole.
– Robert Freeman

EL DORADO PARK GOLF COURSE, Hole No. 18
Excellent risk/-reward dogleg par 5. Go for it in two and risk going in the lake or lay up and hope to chip close for a birdie. Great closing hole especially if a tournament or match is on the line!
– Chuck Farrell

RANCHO DEL SOL GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 16
Hole offers a beautiful sight above the Inland Empire with mountains in the background and city of Moreno Valley and Riverside in view with the sun setting in the West. It feels like a PGA Tour hole. Nearly made a hole in one a couple of times. Course was closed for five years, happy to see it open again and making strides to be a great place for many more fun rounds.
– Mark Gilbert

The par-3 third hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines was another reader favorite.

TORREY PINES SOUTH COURSE, Hole No. 3
Hands down the best par 3 in Southern California. Almost aced it during the Farmers Insurance Open Pro Am!
– Mark McDonough

On a clear day you can see forever.
– Douglas William

BALBOA PARK GOLF COURSE, Hole No. 16
There’s a hazard most of the way down the left side of the par 5 and OB on the right. The narrow fairway leans left, and the hole requires three good swings to hit the green in regulation. You can easily record a double-digit score if you get sideways on the hole. Balboa has three very difficult holes: – 4, 6, and 16. No. 16 is the hardest because the range of possible scores are much wider.
– David Struwe

JOURNEY AT PECHANGA, Hole No. 5
After starting on a series of somewhat enclosed holes nestled by trees and mountains, you turn the corner after No. 4 and all of a sudden there is this wide open view with a lake on the right to carry, bunkers on the left to keep you honest, a creek that cuts across across to punish poor approaches, and a challenging multi-tiered green with massive slopes to navigate. Anywhere from iron to driver off the tee makes me think hard about how to play the hole and the approach is a real test of skill. I always look forward to this hole. It’s a beauty, but can really bite you too!
– Paul Kim

JOURNEY AT PECHANGA, Hole No. 6
Big elevation drop, long, forced carry and spectacular view of the Temecula Valley.
– Scott Underhill

WOODHAVEN COUNTRY CLUB, Hole No. 3
This par-3 hole is the site of my third career hole-in-one. I have had at least four other close encounters with hole-in-ones there, from hitting the pin to rimming the cup to four-inch tap in putts.
– Thomas Brokl

TIJERAS CREEK GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 7
A tough shot over water when playing the tees all the way back.
– Ron Birtch

RUSTIN CANYON GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 16
A long, downhill par 4 – can't go left off the tee or you’re out. Hit a good drive and you’ll still be left with a mid-to-long iron to a plateau green. And depending on pin placement, the putt can be a roller coaster. A lot to think about and a par is a good score.
– Bill Mazal

PALOS VERDES GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 3
Demanding tee shot from the back tees that requires a slight cut on the drive and a baby draw for the second shot. Both downtown Los Angeles and the "queen's necklace" coastline, north to Malibu are visible on the entire hole.
– Michael Eatmon

RANCHO PARK GOLF CLUB, Hole No. 18
Because of the Arnold Palmer plaque.
– David Chan

LOS VERDES GOLF COURSE, Hole No. 15
Chamber of Commerce view of Catalina Island from 200 yards out.
– Samuel Levee

THE QUARRY AT LA QUINTA, Hole No. 13
Only 348 yards, but fraught with danger.
– Bruce Gall