The next morning, breakfast beckons at the Harbor House Café, a legendary eatery featuring a choice of more than 25 omelets (our recommendation: guacamole, bacon and cheese). The Harbor House is on Pacific Coast Highway, between the St. Regis and Interstate 5 South, en route to the next stop, Talega Golf Club in San Clemente, and another 4 stars. Talega is a Lee Schmidt-Brian Curley design, with input from Fred Couples. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean guarantees coastal breezes that counter the summer heat but also play havoc with the golf ball.
The afternoon destination is the Monarch Beach Golf Links adjacent to the St. Regis. Monarch Beach is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that works its way down to the beach. At that, the 19th might be the best of Monarch Beach's holes. Club 19 affords an unobstructed view of the sun setting over the Pacific.
A visit to Orange County also warrants a round at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in the rolling hills of Mission Viejo. It's as yet unranked but among the more enjoyable golf outings available in Orange County. You might encounter one more star there, too, in the person of Sandra Palmer, the 1975 U.S. Women's Open champion who is on the teaching staff.
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