24700 Trevino Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 253-1870
18 holes (par 61)
Yardage: 4,366 yards
Hours: 5.30am-sunset
Green fees: weekdays $22.50, weekends $29.50 (reduced rates available after noon), carts $6-10
Vista Valencia is located about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Just off the 5 freeway (exit Lyons) and located close to Six Flags Magic Mountain. There are two courses here – a 18 hole executive golf course and a 9 hole par 3 golf course. This review is for the executive golf course. This is the furthest north I have traveled to date and the first time playing in Santa Clarita. I continue to travel around bringing you a comprehensive guide of golf in the Los Angeles area. If you click on the map in the sidebar you can see a full list of courses covered.
In addition to the two golf courses there is a driving range and full practice facility at the location. The driving range looks nice with plenty of stalls. The main building (clubhouse) looks like a church from the outside, but once inside there is a pro-shop/ starter office, a bar area and a cafeteria. Prices seemed a little on the high side – $3 for a bottle of Gatorade. There are lots of tables and chairs inside the building.
To date this is the longest executive golf course which I have played in the Los Angeles area (at 4,366 yards). Vista Valencia is over 1300 yards in length longer than Scholl Canyon. There are six par 4’s ranging between 320 and 427 yards. The par 3’s are also on the longer size than your average executive golf course too. Most noticeably hole 2, which is 222 yards. This hole plays as a par 3 for men and a par 4 for ladies. Being such a long executive course this is not one I recommend for beginners. If you are starting out, I would recommend playing and getting comfortable with the 9 hole, par 3 (Chica) course which is also located here. This course however is great for those taking the next step or wanting to play “full-size” golf. It is just like the standard par 72 golf courses out there – minus the par 5 holes.
We found the back nine was considerably easier to play than the front. Also it was more enjoyable. Out of the 18 holes, I enjoyed playing the stretch of smaller par 3 holes (holes 12-14).
One of the standout holes on the course is hole 17. It is a 158 yard par 3. The hole is on an island and completely surrounded by water. It reminds me somewhat of 17 at TPC Sawgrass. You have to drive your cart up a path to an elevated tee. It is one of the most memorable and unique holes in the whole LA area. I would have given this course an overall rating of 3.5/5, but purely based upon hole 17, I bumped it up to 4/5.
The course is in decent shape. The ground is very hard and the greens in particular are very dry. I think this is pretty much due to where it is located. The course is up in Santa Clarita where it is typically about fifteen degrees hotter than downtown Los Angeles. The greens were large, however challenging to play. I gentle tap and the ball would go blasting 20ft past the hole. I would like to see them water the greens a little more. The first nine holes feature a lot of water hazards. There are ponds/ small lakes with lots of geese present. They seemed to be at home on the course and reluctant to move out of the way of the cart at times.
The course is littered with bunkers. Almost every hole (if not every hole) has challenging and multiple bunkers. Some have deep faces and take a lot of skill to recover from. The sand is average, very dense in consistency and not the best quality. Vista Valencia is in a nice setting, there are lots of trees spread throughout and there were good elevation changes throughout the course. We played on a weekday afternoon and it took us about 3 hours 20 minutes to complete the round. There were a sprinkling of people out there and everyone seemed to play at a nice pace. By using carts (rather than walking), it certainly helps to speed up play. Also with the heat I give props to those who were walking. They must have great stamina.
Thanks to Dan Wheeler of American Golf for setting up my visit to Vista Valencia.
Richie says… “This is a very long course, possibly just on the verge of being classified as an executive course. The back nine was a lot more fun than the front nine. The course is challenging with lots of hazards, best suited for intermediate/ advanced players. Drink plenty of fluids, it gets very hot there.”
Hole by Hole
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| Hole 1 – 373 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 1 – 2nd shot (!00 yards out) |
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| Hole 2 – 222 yards |
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| Hole 3 – 196 yards |
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| Hole 4 – 374 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 4 – 2nd shot (100 yards out) |
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| Hole 6 – 167 yards |
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| Hole 7 – 320 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 8 – 145 yards |
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| Hole 8 – green |
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| Hole 9 – 423 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 10 – 452 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 11 – 194 yards |
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| Hole 12 – 92 yards |
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| Hole 13 – 81 yards |
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| Hole 13- green |
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| Hole 15 – 344 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 15 – 2nd shot (100 yards out) |
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| Hole 16 – 396 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 16 – 2nd shot (100 yards out) |
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| Hole 18 – 181 yards |
Vista Valencia is located about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Just off the 5 freeway (exit Lyons) and located close to Six Flags Magic Mountain. There are two courses here – a 18 hole executive golf course and a 9 hole par 3 golf course. This review is for the executive golf course. This is the furthest north I have traveled to date and the first time playing in Santa Clarita. I continue to travel around bringing you a comprehensive guide of golf in the Los Angeles area. If you click on the map in the sidebar you can see a full list of courses covered.
To date this is the longest executive golf course which I have played in the Los Angeles area (at 4,366 yards). Vista Valencia is over 1300 yards in length longer than Scholl Canyon. There are six par 4’s ranging between 320 and 427 yards. The par 3’s are also on the longer size than your average executive golf course too. Most noticeably hole 2, which is 222 yards. This hole plays as a par 3 for men and a par 4 for ladies. Being such a long executive course this is not one I recommend for beginners. If you are starting out, I would recommend playing and getting comfortable with the 9 hole, par 3 (Chica) course which is also located here. This course however is great for those taking the next step or wanting to play “full-size” golf. It is just like the standard par 72 golf courses out there – minus the par 5 holes.
awesome resource man, thanks so much. my girlfriend just played for the first time with me in la jolla at a small par 3 locatd on the grounds where we are staying, and she is hooked (and not bad, soon to be better than me I'd wager). so finding your web site / blog has been a blessing. great job.
i grew up just outside tpc sawgrass and yes, this hole reminds me of home a bit. can't wait to play it now.
cheers.
Thanks for the kind words. I am glad you found some info useful.