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Los Angeles or Phoenix?

Spoonie-J

Newbie
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
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3
I'm going to be on vacation in San Diego in early September. I've already played all of the courses I know of around San Diego so I was considering taking a side trip to either LA or Phoenix for a couple days to try something new. Anyone have any advice on which area may offer the best options?
 
I haven't played any courses in California. I have been in Phoenix for a few months and played all of the courses here. Of all the states I have played in, Phoenix area are the worst. Long generally open courses with rock fairways and minimal trees. Check out my reviews and see. Although Flagstaff about 2 hours north of Phoenix, has some of the best courses I have ever played.
 
Sounds like it will be worth the extra trip up to Flagstaff if I go to Phoenix. If I have to choose only 1 course in Phoenix and 1 course in Flagstaff, what would be the recommendations? I'm thinking of Fountain Hills and then either Thorpe or Snowbowl.
 
Personally, I've enjoyed a couple excellent vacation days playing DG all over LA. And I would think the weather would be more tolerable there in early September than in Phoenix. But I've only been to Phoenix once, and that was way before I picked up DG.
 
Good point. Maybe I'll stay in CA this trip and plan a future trip directly to AZ when I'll have more time to play more courses in both Phoenix & Flagstaff. Lately I've been trying to play as many new courses as possible whenever I travel but I don't want to get too far off the path on a side trip.
 
Thorpe Park or Snowbowl in Flagstaff are awesome choices. Fountian Hills just outside of Phoenix is great as well, with probably Buffalo Ridge close behind.
 
Cruise on up to Lake Casitas in Ventura, the weather is better, and the course is awesome. You can make a camping weekend trip out of it.
 
I would do the greater LA area...including OC -- there are only a couple of courses in the PHX area that are worth driving over for and even with traffic in LA/OC...you;ll be better off because it's 6 hours just to get to PHX from SD...you can be in OC in 1 1/2 hours and be playing
 
LA. I have played mostly all the so-cal courses, as well as fountain hills in phoenix and snowbowl i Flagstaff... and I say "stay in LA".

I mean... Fountain Hills is good... but, LMirada is better. SnowBowl is good... but, Ski Sunrise in Wrightwood smokes it - and it's not even close. And, on top of that... You would get to play OG (oak grove) - the first DG course ever. And, Sylmar... just down the road from OG. Other good options are Huntington Beach or Ventura (Lake Casitas)... then you can go to the beach afterwards. Are there any beaches in AZ?

I will say this... LA courses (the good ones) a distant from each other. You really need to plan your day to maximize your golf experience. The ski sunrise course in Wrightwood IS the best mountain course I have ever played... but, to go there will kill the whole day and provide little chace to play anything else. Basically the same for Lake Casitas... However, the're both great golf experiences.

I would also say, don't miss LaMirada, Sylmar and OG. LaMi and Sylmar because they're dope... and OG for the history.
Hope this helps,
DSCJNKY
 
I would also say LA. There are more courses in the are to choose from and even though traffic is bad, you can get from to another quicker than the two hour drive from phoenix to flagstaff.
 
I lived in phoenix for 4 years, but Ive never been to LA, so take this with a grain of salt.

Phoenix has a few good courses, which i recommend, but not enough to justify that long of a roadtrip. The problem with AZ, is there are courses in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff, but nothing in between, so if you wanna travel to other courses from phoenix, its either a 20min drive to local ones or a 1.5-2 hr drive to one of the other hubs.

LA looks like it has courses spread all over, so I would recommend LA over phx, even tho ive never been to CA at all. Hope that helps. Plus, LA would probably be a shorter drive from where u are
 

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