Shady Canyon Golf Club

Irvine, CA • Private

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Channing Benjamin

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JOHN HENEBRY

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JOHN HENEBRY

Overview

Opening in 2002, Shady Canyon is a Tom Fazio design in Irvine, just south of Los Angeles. Fazio said his “ultimate goal is to have it appear as if nothing has been done, that the layout is completely natural.” At Shady Canyon, the course weaves through the canyon, with native brush and streams lining many holes, giving the layout the natural feel that Fazio strived for. Many of the greens have a significant amount of slope, often creating numerous distinct sections. If you’re not on the proper section, you’ll face a difficult two-putt.

About

Holes 18

Length 7012

Slope 144

Facility Type Private

Designer Thomas Fazio, ASGCA

Awards

Ranking history:

Second 100 Greatest: Ranked 200th, 2017-'18.

Best in State: Ranked inside the top 20, 2007-'12. Ranked inside the top 25, 2005, 2013-'16. Ranked inside the top 30, 2003, 2017-'20.
2023-'24 ranking: 30th.
Previous ranking: 32nd.
Highest ranking: 13th, 2011-'12.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.2

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

7.1531

Character

7.1446

Challenge

7.1602

Layout Variety

7.1972

Fun

7.11

Aesthetics

7.2195

Conditioning

7.2547

Reviews

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Review

“2002 Tom Fazio private course located in the foothills of Irvine, CA. Very well maintained course with lots of changes in elevation and challenging green complex. There are a few pretty water hazards and the back nine, including a creek that runs off the entire left side of the hole."

2023

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Review

“Shot options: The front side had a lot of holes with good risk/reward, the back side was less so. Best holes were 2/3/7/11/12. ; Challenge: I played it ~10 years ago, and remember it being really fast greens; if they were the same this time, I would have had to rate it much tougher, probably 7.5-7.8. ; Layout variety: Good mixture of up and down and length of holes, but a lot of holes that were quite straight when they probably didn't have to be. ; Aesthetics: It was quite dry, so everything was very brown, and wasn't that great to look at. When I played 10 years ago, it was a bit greener, and thought it was great. Rating it from this latest time, it was only ok; Conditioning: Greens was reasonably fast and firm, but remember them being a lot faster a decade ago, could have been a 7.6-8.0 based on my memory of the last visit. ; Character: I didn't find the course to be overly profound in its design, and thought it would have been better. ; Fun: I enjoyed it quite a bit, but my wife thought it was quite hard. Without the ability to walk it, it wouldn't be that great to play everyday."

2022

3 / 6

Review

“One of the best "canyon" style courses in Southern California. Fazio's attention to design detail makes it a special experience. And a great, enthusiastic member adds to the great vibe. Jump at the chance if invited to play!"

2018

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