Maderas Golf Club - No. 13
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 13
You don't see the green setting until you crest a hill in the fairway of the par-4 13th hole at Maderas Golf Club. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 3
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 3
Maderas Golf Club's par-5 third hole is reachable in two and downhill, but there is trouble before the green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 14
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 14
Maderas Golf Club's par-5 14th hole heads uphill the entire way. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 8
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 8
Boulders frame the back of Maderas Golf Club's par-5 eighth green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 1
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 1
The par-4 first hole at Maderas G.C. is a relatively gentle opener. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 16
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 16
Maderas Golf Club's par-4 16th hole is downhill, but features a well protected green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 9
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 9
Maderas Golf Club's par-4 ninth hole is short, but the approach shot to an elevated green over water is no easy task. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - 18th hole
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Maderas Golf Club - 18th hole
Maderas Golf Club's par-5 18th hole is reachable in two, but the green is small and well protected. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 17
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 17
Maderas Golf Club's par-3 17th hole is a tricky, downhill shot that can play up to 188 yards. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club - No. 18
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Maderas Golf Club - No. 18
The view from the tee box on Maderas Golf Club's par-5 18th hole is one of the best in San Diego county. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Maderas Golf Club
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Maderas Golf Club
Maderas Golf Club was designed by Johnny Miller and Robert Muir Graves. Brandon Tucker/GolfPass
Maderas G.C.
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Maderas G.C.
Maderas Golf Club's par-4 11th hole is just 359 yards but features an elevated green guarded by bunkers. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
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Tour Maderas Golf Club, a top 100-ranked course near San Diego

POWAY, Calif. -- One of the top standalone golf facilities in San Diego County, Maderas Golf Club has made a name for itself in a crowded golf scene since it debuted in 2000.

The course, designed by Johnny Miller and Robert Muir Graves, is a little off the beaten path, located to the east of I-5 in Poway, but it welcomes golfers with a top 100-caliber design as rated by Golf Digest in 2015-16. It's also one of Golf Advisor's top courses in the state of California and in San Diego.

Maderas was built as part of a high-end residential community, but homes largely tower over the course, well away from holes, rather than sit beside them. The course winds up and down hillsides, making for few flat holes, but also a lot of great views. Hole variety is a big reason why Maderas is a top 100-worthy course. A lot of shot-making is required to score well here, and holes are a lot different from one another.

The back nine has some pretty spectacular holes, particularly down the finishing stretch. The par-5 14th hole, uphill the whole way, is one of the more daunting for amateurs, but the downhill par-4 16th, featuring a narrow fairway well below an elevated tee, requires great precision. The finishing par-5 18th, also with an elevated tee, makes for one of the most fun drives of the day, with a big fairway and long views beyond.

Managed by Troon Golf, the clubhouse at Maderas is on the smaller side compared to what you'll find at some of San Diego's top resorts, but it's highly functional and well appointed with a fabulous dining room overlooking the 18th, indoor and outdoor seating, with a food-and-beverage menu that includes craft beer and Kobe-style beef burgers, truffle fries, plus fish and other entrees. there's also a great practice facility and range balls are included in the green fee.

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Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
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Tour Maderas Golf Club, a top 100-ranked course near San Diego