Earlier this year, Golf Digest ranked Monarch Dunes Golf Club third on its list of America’s Best New Golf Courses Under $75—yet another testament to the Santa Maria Valley’s remarkably affordable and diverse golf experiences on California’s Central Coast.
Here, amid the rolling hills and mild weather of the Santa Barbara County wine country, the Santa Maria Valley Visitor & Convention Bureau now offers “stay and play” packages that make it even more affordable to tee it up while staying in the Santa Maria Valley.
Visit www.californiagolfvacation.com to view the latest packages offered by several area hotels. Packages include overnight accommodations and a round of golf for two.
Following are examples of the many exciting golf experiences that await visitors to the greater Santa Maria Valley:
• Marshallia Ranch Golf Course in Santa Maria
An 18-hole Air Force-owned course that is open to the public. Out of 70 courses operated by the U.S. Air Force, Marshallia Ranch is the only one to twice earn a five-star award of excellence from the agency. If you’re lucky, you might even see a rocket launched from the adjoining Vandenberg Air Force Base. Maximum green fee is $37.
• Rancho Maria Golf Course in Santa Maria
A vintage 18-hole championship course that unfolds along beautiful rolling terrain off scenic Highway 1. Maximum green fee is $35 on weekends.
• River Course at The Alisal in Solvang
The River Course is famous for its role in the hit wine-themed movie Sideways, where characters Miles and Jack hacked their way around between adventures in love and Pinot Noir. Maximum green fee is $72 on weekends.
• Blacklake Golf Resort in Nipomo
The only 27-hole course on the Central Coast, Blacklake Golf Resort offers three nine-hole tracks that offer distinct challenges to golfers of all skill levels, all amid peaceful coastal hills. Maximum green fee is $70 on weekends.
Other area courses include La Purisma Golf Course in Lompoc, a Golf Magazine Top 100 Public Course and the 33rd toughest course in America according to Golf Digest; Avila Beach Golf Resort, a 6,500-yard championship course with panoramic seaside and valley views; and Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande. For little golfers, Boomers in Santa Maria offers 18 holes of miniature golf.
After working up an appetite on links, golfers can refuel at one of several fine dining establishments, including those that specialize in the area’s world-famous Santa Maria Style Barbecue. Local favorites include the Wine Cottage Bistro, Far Western Tavern, Hitching Post, Jocko’s, Shaw’s Steakhouse and Chef Rick’s.
Wine tasting also abounds in the Santa Maria Valley, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are among the varietals that thrive in region’s temperate coastal climate. Local wineries with tasting rooms include Addamo, Cambria, Costa de Oro, Cottonwood Canyon, Foxen, Kenneth Volk, Rancho Sisquoc and Riverbench. Visit www.SantaMaria.com or call 800-331-3779 for information.
