Coronado Golf Course (Coronado, CA)

Few courses can match Coronado’s setting along San Diego Bay and even fewer can top it’s municipal prices. While an egg omelet goes for twenty dollars at a restaurant in Southern California, how amazing is it that one can walk eighteen holes for only $31!!  It rivals Pacific Grove as the best deal in California and I would even say it’s one of the best values in America. 

(The 406/389 yard par four third gives the golfer a taste of the bay holes to come later in the round.) 

Coronado was designed by Jack Daray in 1957. The property is essentially flat but the greens are built up and slope from back to front. The bunkering is the main defense and they are concave with multiple stances and lies to test the player. When the wind decides to make an appearance, Coronado can be devilishly hard to conquer. Thankfully it’s not loaded with long 450 yard par fours but rather many mid length 375 yarders. There’s only a handful of straightaway holes so the player must work his ball to have a chance of posting a good score. 

(The 389/375 yard par four seventh has a narrow fairway that gently swings to the left. The player is looking to work the ball towards the big tree in the distance.)

(The 175/153 yard par three ninth has a man made pond fronting the green and guarding the left. The wind is the main factor in deciding club selection. Today’s pin is in the rear so anything on leaves an uphill putt.) 

Two stretches of holes are key to the round. The first one, 6-8, are back to back to back par fours. All three dogleg and the sixth and eighth are both into the wind. The inside line is the best play and opens up the angle to the greens. Daray challenges that line with sand and trees. The second stretch is 15-18. All four play either at or alongside the bay. It’s a beautiful location full of sail boats and great views of the bay and San Diego Coronado Bridge. While the first three are tough pars, the final hole is a reachable downwind par five where birdie and eagle is in play.

(The 543/524 yard par five thirteenth doglegs severely around the twelth and eleventh holes. It plays just over 400 yards on a straight line however large trees derails any idea of doing that. The green is terrific. The front pins are sloped towards the player but the back portion of the green is quite large and pitched to the rear. The Coronado Sail Club can be seen in the background.) 

(The 370/359 yard par four sixteenth plays over the corner of the bay. (Note the high net to prevent balls from smacking into the yacht club)…
…if one takes the outside line down the left then they face a tough shot over a bunker. The aggressive line over the water leaves a much easier approach.) 

The course lies on the south end of North Island and curls around Glorietta Blvd. The property the course lies on is from the Navy dredging the bay for the aircraft carriers. Since the land was created by the Port Authority, the course cannot be ran for profit thus the reason why the green fees are so low. There are public walkways around the bay that unfortunately prevent any greens from being tucked up against the water. Coronado is fiercely popular, especially with the many seniors who call this home. It is often said to be a tougher tee time than Torrey Pines. 

(The 427/411 yard par four seventeenth doglegs left with the bay guarding the entire right side. The green is open to a running shot. Note the beautiful view of the Coronado San Diego Bridge in the background.)

(One look at the trees confirms the ferociousness of the wind.) 

If one needs any reinforcement on Coronado then consider Matt Ginella listed it as one of his top five hidden gems in America. There’s so much to like here. Architecturally the course is solid. The back is a little cramped in spots, mainly 11-13, but Daray was a crafty architect who focused on getting the correct angle and was able to make it work. If one is looking for a great time at a terrific price then this is a must play while in San Diego. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

[I played the white tees at 6276 yards. I was paired with a mom, her son, and his friend. She dressed like someone who took the game very serious while the other two were there to shotgun beers and smoke a little Mary Jane. It was a lackluster round and my iron game struggled to hit the ball solidly off the tight kikuyu grass. We barely finished our round with the eighteenth being in the dark. It was the only hole I birdied. Go figure.]