Pick your California posh with golf hot spots like Monterey, Palm Springs and SoCal

From ocean-sprayed greens that are among the most famous in all of golf, to Southern California scenes that are the stuff movies are literally made of, to striking desert obstacles under a blazing sun, California golf truly does offer it all. It helps that this is one of the biggest states in the entire U.S., but that alone doesn't account for California's golf riches.

The Golden State routinely places the most courses on Golf Magazine's "Top 100 You Can Play List" - (including 10 out of the 100 in 2008, four more than any other state). With this plethora of potential must plays stretched across the vast state, California is also a place where you absolutely need to have a golf vacation plan.

Different regions bring completely different types of golf and scenery. Here's a quick breakdown to start you California dreaming:

Southern California

Home to Hollywood, Beverly Hills, that cool-than-thou LA scene and constant traffic jams on the 405, SoCal also brings an eclectic mix of golf options. Donald Trump's only public golf course is here, out near Long Beach, Trump National LA and there are a few unexpected bargains on the other end of the price spectrum too, like Rustic Canyon Golf Course. Southern California is also home to Orange County, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and just about every other ultra fashionable beach community you've ever seen on an MTV reality show. Golf courses in Orange County include Pelican Hill Golf Club and its two ocean cliffside Tom Fazio courses.

San Diego

One of the most expensive places to live in the U.S. due to its beaches, temperate climate and lack of Los Angeles traffic, San Diego makes for a great golf retreat as well. Torrey Pines South - renovated before the 2008 U.S. Open that a hobbled Tiger Woods won - marks just the start of the high-end golf options. Other well-known tracks like the North and South Courses at the famed La Costa Resort & Spa and Grand Golf Club, the only public Tom Fazio design in greater San Diego, are also showcase vacation plays.

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Palm Springs

With its palm trees and stark desert scenes, the Coachella Valley - which includes well-known golf havens Palm Springs, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Indian Wells - is one of California's most unique vacation retreats. There's a reason this place has been a golf legend since the days the Rat Pack made it one of their getaway hangouts.

A new generation of upscale courses like The Classic Club, SilverRock Resort and PGA West Greg Norman Course have joined desert standbys like Pete Dye's famed hacker torturer PGA West Stadium and Indian Wells Country Club. You can golf almost right up against mountains in greater Palm Springs while being less than two hours from LA.

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Monterey Peninsula

Ocean golf anyone? Monterey is only home to the most famous ocean golf course in the world, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and almost equally trumpeted sister courses like Spyglass Hills and The Links at Spanish Bay. The whole area can seem like one big postcard of ocean spray though with small trendy communities scattered along the coast full of bistros and wine bars (this is the region where Clint Eastwood was once a mayor). Don't sleep on courses like Half Moon Bay Golf Links, which would be even more renowned for their Pacific bluffs settings, if the region wasn't so golf star packed.

Northern California

More than just Lake Tahoe and its picturesque-lakeside setting with casino gambling, Northern California is where you can golf among towering redwood trees and hang out in eclectic outdoors-lover town like Truckee (a place where Beatle Paul McCartney sometimes shows up unannounced to play a set). This is also where you can find some of California's best golf bargains and unexpectedly wowing courses like Coyote Moon and Old Greenwood.