There can be many beautiful golf courses. But there can only be a few ones that offer a golfing experience untarnished by the presence of homes and the noise of the freeway. And fewer ones, still, offer a true wilderness golfing experience without being miles awat from civilization. Among these “fewer ones” is the Cross Creek Golf Course in Temecula. There’s nothing here for golfers to enjoy but golf and nature. And the golf vacation destination is just minutes off the highway. How they managed to keep it as secluded without necessarily being remote is a secret they would probably want to keep to themselves.

The Cross Creek Golf Course is like a world of its own. It is surrounded by groves of sycamores and age-old oaks and the wide wilderness. Golfers really need not be surprised if a coyote shows up; they are pretty much a commonplace around here. The Arthur Hills design was perfectly inserted into the natural setting that even natural wildlife could not tell there were some changes. This course treats the golfers on a golf vacation characterized by dramatic elevation changes, holes that play through natural creeks, and the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.

Despite its being located in the “outbacks”, golfers need not worry about amenities. The 18-hole par-71 course, that stretches to 6,940 yards, is complete with everything a golfer would need on a golf trip: a fully-stocked pro-shop, an excellent clubhouse that serves great meals, a good practice range and putting greens – not to mention 4 ½ stars from Golf Digest. A golfer needs to bring are good ball-striking skills, wise choice of tees, a sense of golfing adventure, and himself. Because nothing stands between the him and the Cross Creek Golf Course. Absolutely nothing.

Art conservatives are usually wary of remakes. At best, the reaction is just plain scornful. At worst, they border on the outrageous. Many conservatives of golf design must have crossed their fingers when Ted Robinson and Dave Fleming handled the renovation of the William Bell design in what is now known as the Willow Glen Course of the Sycuan Resort in San Diego. But from the looks of it, the golf vacation destination looks rather pleasant that even the tightest of conservatives would be beckoned to agree and enjoy a round or two.

The Willow Course of the Sycuan Resort is part of a grand, 54-hole facility. The course is surrounded by a good helping of oaks, pines, eucalyptus and plane trees, and is secluded mostly from the rest of the course by a range of hills. This makes for rounds of golf that are serene at most, peaceful at best. In perfect contrast to the calm surroundings, golfers would have to battle inner turmoils from the rather difficult course layout. Playing on several holes, the Sweetwater River puts its own name in vain and gives golfers something to be bitter about along with several ponds on the course. The strategically placed bunkers and elevation changes also play their roles in making it hard to decide whether this course is easy or not. The bottomline is, it has the capacity to bring EPIC into every golf vacation.

It must have been difficult for old school artists to see the classic being remodeled. Good thing the Willow Course of the Sycuan Resort does not fall short of the glory days of its predecessor. The golf trip haven is every bit as amazing as the original, and conservatives need only give it a shot and they are surely in love.