Golf: The Santaluz Club

18 Holes With Tina Mickelson: Warner Springs Ranch Golf Club

Tina Mickelson

The Santaluz Club is a private golf club near the Carmel Valley area, but residents and locals know the area simply as Santaluz. (Full disclosure: Santaluz is my home club, but even if it weren’t, it’s still worth a look.) The golf course opened for play in 2002 and the idea was to create a “family of golfers” instead of merely filling a membership quota. As a result, a round of golf involves more than just playing a great course. It’s a major hang session with close friends.

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The course blends with its natural surroundings and features elevated tee boxes, undulating greens, 87 challenging bunkers, and soft ocean breezes. And in terms of sustainability, Santaluz is staying ahead of the curve. The Bermuda grass on the tee boxes and in the fairways is drought-tolerant, reclaimed water is used on the golf course, and the soil is constantly probed to ensure the grass is getting only as much water as it needs. It’s also one of a few courses in San Diego to have pure Bent Grass greens that are mown and rolled every day. The Poa Annua grass is kept at bay by plucking it out of each green once a month.

This little pocket of perfection also has its very own microclimate. The golf course has seen only one day of frost in 12 years. There is also a Chef’s Garden and recently added vineyard, which will bottle its own wine.

There’s just one problem with this sanctuary: Once you’re inside the gates, it’s very tough to leave.

Golf: The Santaluz Club

Photographer: Barry Grimes