Best golf courses near Newport Beach, CA

The first of the two Tom Fazio designs at Pelican Hill, The Ocean South course opened in 1991 and boasts striking Pacific Ocean vistas. Wide fairways, large undulating greens and fantastic conditions make for an enjoyable round on this coastal track.

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.

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.

In 2016, Santa Ana Country Club in Orange Country underwent a total transformation by architect Jay Blasi. The traditional treelined Ted Robinson redesign of an early 20th century course was entirely reimagined with a new routing that broke up the monotony of holes running back and forth in the same direction, angling them in new orientations and utilizing the club’s boundaries more engagingly. The new design keeps the play turning with strategies defined by lovely bunkering that’s more effective at evoking pre-Depression era architecture and a wild set of greens highlighted by expansive shortgrass surrounds. Santa Ana feels both aged and fresh at the same time.