When you’re trying to find a home course in Southern California, there’s more to consider than just what the course looks like and location.
Both of those may be important, but it’s also a good thing for your course to have top-notch practice facilities. Sometimes you don’t have time to play 18 holes — but as well all know, even 20 minutes of golf a day will help keep the bogies away.
When you don’t have four hours to play a full round (or heck, even two hours for 9-holes), it’s nice to be able to hone your skills at the range, on a manicured putting green or even at a chipping and pitching area.
Looking to improve? Here are eight Southern California golf courses with superb practice facilities:
8. Vista Valencia Golf Club
We’ve already profiled Vista Valencia Golf Club as one of the best values but now we’re chronicling the club for its excellent practice facility and reputation for instruction.
The club features not only putting and chipping area for players, but a 28-stall lighted driving range that is open daily until about 9:30 PM unless otherwise noted.
At the expansive practice facility the club also provides lessons and clinics for players of all ages, either in groups or individually by appointment.
Source: La Mirada Golf Course
7. La Mirada Golf Course
Another Los Angeles County gem that is more than just a great 18-hole championship golf course is La Mirada Golf Course in La Mirada.
Named as the top golf course in L.A. county six times and ranked by Golf Digest as one of the area’s best places to play, La Mirada is also a fabulous place to tweak your game.
Like Vista Valencia, La Mirada also features a two-tier lighted driving range, catering to golfers looking to work on their games even after the sun goes down.
6. Black Gold Golf Club
Two of Southern California’s best public golf courses are on property at the Black Golf Golf Club in Orange County.
Located in the foothills of Yorba Linda, California, the two courses aren’t the only drawing point for Black Gold — the “Oil Field” practice facilities and instruction are also top-notch.
Source: Black Gold Golf Club
Boasting three separate practice greens (one dedicated to high lobs and bunker shots), 28 hitting stations with either natural or artificial grass turf and a range that has five real-grass green complexes to give golfers a course-feel on the range, it’s hard to argue with the Black Gold Golf Club as one of the premier areas to improve your came in Southern California.
5. Stadium Golf Center
Based in San Diego, Stadium Golf Center may not be an actual championship golf course, but makes this list because it’s far more than just a driving range — it truly is a practice facility.
Stadium Golf Center offers 72 hitting bays with natural and artificial turf options as well has three short-game practice greens for chipping and pitching with one dedicated to bunker play.
On top of that, you’ll never be beating beaten balls as the facility replaces all 55,000 golf balls every 90 days.
4. Bighorn Golf Club
Ranked as the 44th best practice facility in the United States by Golf Digest, Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, California is easily one of the best golf experiences in Southern California.
If you’re looking to improve your game, the practice facilities and instruction benefits that come with the Bighorn experience is second to none. It’s a bit more expensive than some of the other options on this list, but you’re certainly going to get your money’s worth.
Among the amenities and perks of improving your game with the top-instructors at Bighorn are a state-of-the-art putting lab, lesson DVD’s, club fitting and club repair.
3. The Madison Club
While it isn’t available to the public, if you have the means and are looking to improve your game with some of the best technology and instructors in the game, you’re going to want to get into The Madison Club.
Ranked as the 43rd best practice facility in the United States by Golf Digest, the club offers “members the ultimate in golf instruction experiences through a combination of state of the art technology, teaching, and physical wellness.”
Seriously, how many golf clubs have a doctor of biomechanics on staff to help members understand their games?
Source: The Madison Club
2. The Golf Club at Rancho California
If you’re looking for some of the private luxuries of The Madison Club at a more friendly price point, than The Golf Club at Rancho California is a great option.
Armed with some fantastic practice greens, chipping area and range, the Golf Club also offers club fitting services and instruction by Eric Rogers, one of the nation’s top teachers.
Interested in getting your child involved in the game? The Golf Club offers multiple instruction options for junior golfers designed for any skill level.
1. Angeles National Golf Club
Perhaps the best practice facility in Southern California belongs to Angeles National Golf Club.
Open daily from 6:30 AM until 7:00 PM, the practice facilities boasted by Angeles National Golf Club include an all-grass driving range, pitching and chipping areas and practice putting greens that allow golfers to really tailor their games.
If you’re tired of grinding on your own, Angeles National also offers instruction from top professionals and uses state-of-the-art computer analysis of your swing so you know exactly where you need to improve and where you’re strongest.
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