It's both a wild and smooth ride on the Journey at Pechanga in Temecula, California

TEMECULA, Calif. -- It's easy to forgive the punishment inflicted by the Journey at Pechanga golf course -- the lost balls, shots blocked by trees in the middle of fairways and three putts on wild greens -- when you're playing one of the mountain holes 300 feet above the Temecula Valley.

The elevated tees of the par-4 sixth and par-3 17th highlight the thrill ride created by architect Arthur Hills and partner Steve Forrest in 2008. Like the nearby casino, you'll probably never hit the jackpot in scoring well, but it is fun trying.

To navigate such rugged terrain on the Pechanga Indian Reservation, golfers drive more than seven miles of cart paths and across some of the most beautiful wooden bridges over ravines and canyons. Decked-out Yamaha carts stocked with GPS and plush seats make the journey as comfortable as possible.

The round concludes at "Journey's End," a restaurant/bar inside a lavish 62,000-square-foot clubhouse. Golfweek ranks The Journey at Pechanga the 25th-best public golf course in California in 2014 and 31st-best casino course in the country in 2013.