The Crossings at Carlsbad near San Diego, California
CARLSBAD, Calif. -- The Crossings at Carlsbad, located just north of San Diego, is one of California's more ambitious municipal golf courses. It's also one of the area's newest courses, opening in 2007, and is operated by Kemper Sports.
The golf course was many years in the making, and the first glimpse of the site from the clubhouse will explain why. It's plotted out on 1,000 acres of very severe mountain landscape that features wetlands at its lower points. The site has no residential component and is set in an animal habitat and nature trail system.
Course architect Greg Nash faced the challenge of plotting out a golf course that features canyon carries and steep grades beside the fairways. From the course's higher points, such as the straightaway par-4 sixth hole, you can see out to the Pacific Ocean a couple of miles away. The result is a par-72 course with five sets of tees playing up to 6,835 yards. While fairways are usually pretty generous, they're seldom flat and often lined with native grasses and sage brush.
Two severely downhill holes to start the back nine, but the meat of the final stretch takes place at No. 15 and No. 16. They are back-to-back par 5s that play parallel to one another, and each requires a forced carry at some point.
The Crossings has no basic muni-style clubhouse. Instead, it's a 28,000-square-foot clubhouse that overlooks the property and the Pacific Ocean and features a pro shop, locker room and restaurant, plus plenty of meeting space for groups and events.