Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 16th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 16th
Four bunkers ring the 16th green on the Champions Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 1st
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 1st
The first hole on the Champions golf course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa rises to an elevated green. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 4th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 4th
The fourth hole on the Champions Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa shows the bold bunkering of the redesign. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 5th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 5th
The fairway bunkers, like these on the fifth hole, are deep hazards on the Champions Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 8th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 8th
Take an extra club to clear the water at the eighth hole on the Champions Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions G.C. - 11th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions G.C. - 11th
Water lurks everywhere at the 11th hole on the Champions golf course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa near San Diego. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 13th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 13th
The 13th fairway on the Champions Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa swoops right around a wetland. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 15th
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions golf course - 15th
The short 15th hole on the Champions golf ourse at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa requires a decision off the tee. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
Omni La Costa Resort - Champions GC - no. 18
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Omni La Costa Resort - Champions GC - no. 18
The 18th green on the Champions golf course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa sits in the shadow of the famous resort. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfAdvisor
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The renewed, renamed Champions golf course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad embodies SoCal cool

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- A redesign has revived the Champions Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.

Whether the work completed in 2011 leads to a return of the PGA Tour remains to be seen, but the changes on the old North Course have certainly upgraded the experience for members and resort guests.

Architect Steve Pate, winner of the 1988 Tournament of Champions at La Costa, and design partner Damian Pascuzzo, with help from consultant Jeff Brauer, built four new holes, reshaped the new bentgrass greens, renovated and repositioned bunkers and capped off the fairways with 3,000 truckloads of sand to encourage better drainage.

Many tees and greens were elevated for strategic and aesthetic purposes. Eliminating 30 acres of turf and adding several water hazards enhanced a more natural look. The course's four-hole finish, starting at no. 15 with a drivable par 4 and ending with a risk-reward par 5 at no. 18, was designed with "swings in the leaderboard" in mind. The historic tournament venue has hosted more than 35 PGA Tour events and the LPGA Tour's inaugural Kia Classic in 2010.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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The renewed, renamed Champions golf course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad embodies SoCal cool