Stevinson Ranch Golf Club: A fun escape in California's central Valley

STEVINSON, Calif. -- An interesting routing with links characteristics and a great mix of demanding and forgiving, strategic holes is what makes Stevinson Ranch Golf Club such a favorite in California's lush San Joaquin Valley.

GolfAdvisor.com users rated Stevinson Ranch no. 19 among the top 25 golf courses in California in 2014.

Owner/operator George Kelley teamed with architect John Harbottle III to co-design the 7,180-yard course on his family's 10,000-acre ranch in 1995. Wetlands and ponds that have been preserved give the flat site natural character.

Even high handicaps can score on the drivable par 4s at holes no. 8 and 14. The 14th green is completely hidden by a mound, shaped to mimic the famous "Alps" hole at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Risk-reward par 5s at nos. 11 and 18 twist around wetland hazards that gobble up second shots attempting to reach the green.

Kelley, a recent president of the California Golf Course Owner's Association, has nicknamed the final three holes "the gauntlet." Water can change the outcome of any match on the par-3 16th, the par-4 17th or the par-5 18th.

Although the Stevinson Ranch clubhouse burned down in 2013, the temporary trailer that houses the Grove Bar & Grill is still comfortable, thanks to a friendly staff and good food. The 22 cabins on site offer stay and plays since Stevinson Ranch is a little off the beaten path 90 miles east of San Jose.