A club rich in history, tradition and camaraderie, Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra has gone through many physical changes in the last two years but all the while has maintained a sense of challenge and competitiveness that has attracted golfers of all ages in its 87 years of existence.

"Hacienda began as a dream of turn-of-the century oil millionaire Alphonso Bell," says Hacienda President Robert Wolfe. "Before founding Bel-Air Country Club...Mr. Bell founded Hacienda Golf Club. In a beautiful canyon carved out of the La Puente Hills, he sought to lay out a golf course of demaning and championship caliber. He retained the services of Willie Watson [who designed the Olympic Club], the most prolific and best-known golf course architect in all of California at the time, to design the course. The first nine holes opened in 1920, and the second nine in 1924. The first real clubhouse was built in 1927. In more than 80 years since, the layout of the course has remained the same."

Hacienda recruited John Harbottle III to oversee the "re-perfecting" of the course two years ago. Among the changes, every green and green complex was rebuilt to current USGA specifications, a significant number of trees were removed for agronomic and (sometimes) strategic reasons, every bunker was redesigned and reshaped to reflect the original look of classical-age courses from the early 20th century, and an elegant clubhouse was rebuilt that sits atop the hill overlooking the canyon and the golf course. With new challenges and a uniqueness to other courses in the Southland, the 6,925-yard layout (which will play from the blue tees at 6,600 yards for this year's senior amateur) will provide a true test of golf for competitors.

This is not the first year that Hacienda has hosted an SCGA championship; Tiger Woods set the course record of 62 in 1994 en route to winning his first and only SCGA Amateur Championship. It is the first year, though, that Hacienda has hosted the SCGA Senior Amateur Championship.

Players will open the round with the straightforward 400-yard first hole, with an elevated tee facing a generous fairway flanked by large bunkers and topped with a view of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. As they proceed, however, players will begin hitting into a prevailing wind on some holes and navigating barrancas, ridges and fairway undulations on others. This can be seen on the 455-yard fifth hole, the No. 1 handicap hole which has players avoiding the newly cleared barranca lining the right side of the hole.

There are opportunities to make up for lost strokes, however. As one of Hacienda's best birdie opportunities on the challenging front nine, the 315-yard par-4 third hole may seem intimidating from the tee with a narrow fairway and bunkering surrounding the green, but players could likely see themselves on the green in two.

Click HERE for a hole-by-hole course tour of Hacienda.

Interesting facts: Hacienda's first course record was held by Gene Sarazen, with a score of 70 in 1921...The combined age of its men’s and ladies' club champions is 154. Marge Cryan, 82, recently won her 24th Lady’s Club Championship, while Bob Carver, 72, is the current Men’s Club Champion and a two-time former SCGA Super Senior Amateur Champion (2004 & 2005)...Carver will be joined by fellow Hacienda member Bob Jordan, 60, in this year's SCGA Senior Amateur Championship.

Information
Location
Hacienda Golf Club
718 East Road
La Habra, CA 90631
Phone: 562/694-1081
Web: www.haciendagolfclub.com

Directions
From the Pomona Freeway (Highway 60):
-Exit Hacienda Blvd. and proceed south approximately 4 miles.
-Turn left on East Road .75 mile to the clubhouse on the right.

From the Orange Freeway (Highway 57):
-Exit at Lambert Rd. and proceed to Harbor Blvd.
-Turn Right and head north for approximately 2.5 miles.
-Turn left onto Fullerton Rd. proceed up the hill for .75-mile.
-Turn left on East Road 1 mile to the clubhouse on the left.

From the Santa Ana Freeway (Highway 5):
-From the south, exit at Highway 57 and proceed as above.
-From the north, exit at Beach Blvd. and proceed north to Whittier Blvd.
-Turn right, immediately turn left onto Hacienda Blvd.
-Head north to East Rd.
-Turn right on East Rd. for .75 mile to the clubhouse on the right.

Club Policies
Players, spectators and guests: Please respect Hacienda's dress code of no denim, cutoffs, cargo pants/shorts, jerseys, and sweatpants on premises. On the golf course, all shirts must be collared (mock turtleneck ok) and tucked in at all times. Please refrain from changing into golf shoes until inside the locker room, as changing shoes in the parking lot is NOT permitted.

Cell phones are permitted on premises, EXCEPT inside the clubhouse.