Balboa Park 18 Hints and Special Rules
This is a challenging course for all Handicaps so don’t get upset with yourself if you score more than you are used to. Its OK! Be patient with yourself. Bring lots of extra balls and you may just want to use some cheap balls! The greens are FAST! Practice putting before you start so you get a feel for the greens. There is often a breeze that will be more in your face on the back 9 so you may need to take more club than you think on your approach shots. If your ball is on a bare patch e.g. where carts enter and leave the fairway, you may take a 1 club length free relief. Always Enforced is a CART Path Only Rule on holes 1-5. If you have mobility issues, talk to the cart guy and ask for a Handicap Flag to allow you to be on the fairway.
Hole 1: On your approach, you may want to err short Or to the right of the green as you may get a bounce back to the green. Left of the green is deep rough.
Hole 2: There is a cart path that cuts across the fairway and a short fence across a part of the fairway. If the fence directly interferes with your swing or ball, you may remove the cross beams (slide them back) or take a 2 club length relief no closer the hole. Also take a free drop from maintenance area if you land in that rough dirt patch near the cart path crossing, 1 club length.
Hole 3: If your ball ends up in the boulders nearish the green on the right side, take a free drop, 1 club lengths no nearer to hole.
Hole 4: Hint, Avoid the Right at all cost! Err to the left as your ball will most likely bounce off the hill back onto the fairway. If you don’t have great control of your driver, hit your straightest club off the tee even if you give up distance.
Hole 5: Its ok to hit over the green as the hill will keep your ball in play and may knock it back to the green. Watch out for the deep bunker in front of the green! Tee balls hitting the power lines, re-tee with no penalty.
Hole 6: Canyon in front of the tee box is a penalty area, If you hit into it, you may pick up your ball and use the drop zone above near the cart path on the right with 1 penalty stroke.
Hole 7: Wood fence on right, near the street, is out of bounds. Use local rule and drop 2 club lengths inside the fairway at the spot it went out of bounds for a 2 stroke penalty.
Hole 9: If the maintenance building to the left is on your line or in your backswing, take free relief dropping at nearest point of relief no closer to hole.
Hole 11: As above for that same building that is now on the right side of the green area.
Hole 12: Canyon to the right, left and long. If you go into the canyon, drop 2 club lengths from point where it went in for 1 penalty stroke. On Approach, if your ball goes down the cart path past hole 13, take a drop in grassy area between the bench and the cart path above where the white tees are for #13, 1 stroke penalty.
Hole 13: Hint, you might want to take 1 club more than you think to make sure you get over the canyon. If you go into the canyon, you may drop at the bottom of the hill in the grassy area for 1 penalty shot.
Hole 15: Maintenance area is playable. If line of play or swing is blocked by equipment or shed You may take nearest point of relief, No Penalty.
Hole 16: Chain Link fence on right is out of bounds. The OB line continues to the tall white pole. For 2 stroke penalty, drop your ball 2 club lengths into the fairway from the point it went OB. Beyond the OB pole, is considered Red or Penalty area. You can hit out of it for no penalty, but that’s a bit scary. For a 1 stroke penalty you may drop 2 club lengths to the left of the cart path on fairway side where the ball ENTERED the penalty area.
Hole 17: Hint, If there is no wind, you may want to use 1-2 clubs less than usual for this distance. If the wind is up, stick to your normal club for this distance.
Hole 18: Right and Left are BAD! Fairway is narrow. Just use your straightest club to stay in the fairway. If you go over the edge to the left, you will be in deep rough and need to hit back up over or through the trees.
Good luck! If you lose your ball to the right, drop in the fairway 2 club lengths for 1 penalty stroke.
This is a challenging course for all Handicaps so don’t get upset with yourself if you score more than you are used to. Its OK! Be patient with yourself. Bring lots of extra balls and you may just want to use some cheap balls! The greens are FAST! Practice putting before you start so you get a feel for the greens. There is often a breeze that will be more in your face on the back 9 so you may need to take more club than you think on your approach shots. If your ball is on a bare patch e.g. where carts enter and leave the fairway, you may take a 1 club length free relief. Always Enforced is a CART Path Only Rule on holes 1-5. If you have mobility issues, talk to the cart guy and ask for a Handicap Flag to allow you to be on the fairway.
Hole 1: On your approach, you may want to err short Or to the right of the green as you may get a bounce back to the green. Left of the green is deep rough.
Hole 2: There is a cart path that cuts across the fairway and a short fence across a part of the fairway. If the fence directly interferes with your swing or ball, you may remove the cross beams (slide them back) or take a 2 club length relief no closer the hole. Also take a free drop from maintenance area if you land in that rough dirt patch near the cart path crossing, 1 club length.
Hole 3: If your ball ends up in the boulders nearish the green on the right side, take a free drop, 1 club lengths no nearer to hole.
Hole 4: Hint, Avoid the Right at all cost! Err to the left as your ball will most likely bounce off the hill back onto the fairway. If you don’t have great control of your driver, hit your straightest club off the tee even if you give up distance.
Hole 5: Its ok to hit over the green as the hill will keep your ball in play and may knock it back to the green. Watch out for the deep bunker in front of the green! Tee balls hitting the power lines, re-tee with no penalty.
Hole 6: Canyon in front of the tee box is a penalty area, If you hit into it, you may pick up your ball and use the drop zone above near the cart path on the right with 1 penalty stroke.
Hole 7: Wood fence on right, near the street, is out of bounds. Use local rule and drop 2 club lengths inside the fairway at the spot it went out of bounds for a 2 stroke penalty.
Hole 9: If the maintenance building to the left is on your line or in your backswing, take free relief dropping at nearest point of relief no closer to hole.
Hole 11: As above for that same building that is now on the right side of the green area.
Hole 12: Canyon to the right, left and long. If you go into the canyon, drop 2 club lengths from point where it went in for 1 penalty stroke. On Approach, if your ball goes down the cart path past hole 13, take a drop in grassy area between the bench and the cart path above where the white tees are for #13, 1 stroke penalty.
Hole 13: Hint, you might want to take 1 club more than you think to make sure you get over the canyon. If you go into the canyon, you may drop at the bottom of the hill in the grassy area for 1 penalty shot.
Hole 15: Maintenance area is playable. If line of play or swing is blocked by equipment or shed You may take nearest point of relief, No Penalty.
Hole 16: Chain Link fence on right is out of bounds. The OB line continues to the tall white pole. For 2 stroke penalty, drop your ball 2 club lengths into the fairway from the point it went OB. Beyond the OB pole, is considered Red or Penalty area. You can hit out of it for no penalty, but that’s a bit scary. For a 1 stroke penalty you may drop 2 club lengths to the left of the cart path on fairway side where the ball ENTERED the penalty area.
Hole 17: Hint, If there is no wind, you may want to use 1-2 clubs less than usual for this distance. If the wind is up, stick to your normal club for this distance.
Hole 18: Right and Left are BAD! Fairway is narrow. Just use your straightest club to stay in the fairway. If you go over the edge to the left, you will be in deep rough and need to hit back up over or through the trees.
Good luck! If you lose your ball to the right, drop in the fairway 2 club lengths for 1 penalty stroke.
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