Pelican Hill Golf Club: Ocean North
Pelican Hill Golf Club: Ocean North
22800 Pelican Hill Rd S
Newport Coast, CA 92657-2007
United States
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Overview
This Tom Fazio-designed oceanside course provides stunning views of Catalina Island and Newport Beach. Set on slightly higher ground than its sister course (Ocean South), the North Course at Pelican Hill features sloping greens and several carries over canyons off the tee.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest Public: Ranked for 10 years from 2005-'06, 2011-'12, and 2015-'20.
Highest ranking: No. 80, 2011-'12.
Best in State: Ranked 33rd, 2011-'12. Ranked 42nd, 2015-'16. Ranked 45th, 2021-'22. Ranked 48th, 2023-'24. Ranked 54th, 2025-'26.
Previous ranking: 48th.
2025-'26 ranking: 54th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“A public course with the feel of a private club. This high end luxury resort with it's 2 Tom Fazio Courses is a must visit in Southern California. Set on the rolling hills just above the pacific, there are views of the ocean from nearly every hole. Thick vegetation surrounds and defines most holes. there are several forced carries over small canyons and ravines. Fairways are generous and greens are slick with lots of breaks. Pick the right Tee box and you'll have a memorable round."
Read More2025
Review
“PH is a resort destination that offers two courses (North & South). Both built by Tom Fazio, and both courses are approximately 20+ years old. Shot Options and playing strategies from the back tee's can be very different depending on the ocean sea breeze. The North Course is longer than the South with numerous hills and bunkers providing a good defense to the greens. The fairways do not run out equally due to the watering pattern required to keep it looking lush (a resort mandate). Character & Aesthetics are two of the strengths of this course. Stunning views of the Pacific Ocean from almost every hole, good use of the hilly landscape with interesting elevation changes and the ability to play approach shots off of the hills to find the difficult pin location. Good recovery options around the green but the rough is very sticky and will grab your club face. Pelican is a very fun course to play with greens that can be ramped up to 12 on warm days. Due to the amount of play that both of these courses receive, a tee time after 10am will typically result in a 5+ hour round."
Read More2024
Review
“A solid place to play as the service from arrival to leaving is excellent. Good course conditioning from tee to green. Pick the right tees based on your skill set and remember sea level conditions. Expect to play in 5 hours."
Read More2024
Review
“This is the course you take a non player to ride the cart with you and enjoy the views. The collection of par 5’s and a couple mid-length 4’s are outstanding holes without even with out the views."
Read More2023
Review
“Great views. Well conditioned. Pricy but inline with other resort courses of this caliber."
Read More2022
Review
“A bit more challenging course than the South. The North is scenic, just not quite as scenic as the South and never makes it to the Pacific. Well maintained with excellent service. Pro shop is outstanding as is the restaurant nearby. Pricey but worth it."
Read More2022
Review
“Great Views of the Ocean on most holes."
Read More2019
Review
“Some fun holes, the greens fee of over 285 dollars makes it a tough bill to swallow."
Read More2018
Review
“Fantastic conditioning and views. Walking would not be a realistic option for most golfers. The resort overall is top-end. However, it is a little bit of a downer that the Ocean North course does not actually reach the Pacific at any point unlike the Ocean South course. Choose a day and time where green fees are discounted somewhat. Paying full dollar is not really worth it unless you have not played there before and want to say that you have."
Read More2018
Review
“Pelican Hill is a beautiful place with spectacular views of the ocean. The golf course is fun and challenging, but you are paying a steep price for the views. I would say it is a B golf course with A+ views."
Read More2018
