San Diego Vacations:Golf in America’s Finest CityFor Family fun, you can't beat San Diego vacations! San Diego golf courses are some of the finest in the country. Southern California, and in particular the San Diego area, has many family-friendly golf courses to choose from. Because of the year-round wonderful weather, you can plan a family San Diego vacation and enjoy many outdoor activities, including golf, at just about any time of year.
San Diego is home to the world famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, laid-back beaches, the San Diego Chargers and Padres and a thriving downtown area. Many families decide to take San Diego vacations to enjoy the sunshine and the many tourist attractions; they also plan a golf vacation while they’re here
The 2008 U.S. Open held at Torrey Pines, one of the nation's foremost municipal golf facilities, was where Tiger stunned the world by beating Rocco Mediate in the Monday playoff round before he had his knee surgery. The North and South courses are stunning; they’re bounded by mountains to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west, and are often swept by sunshine or by rain, fog and chilling winds. The Torrey Pines Lodge is a wonderful place to stay and dine. It’s an amazing golf experience; however, it is very expensive unless you are a San Diego City resident. Torrey Pines does have some great junior golf clinics.
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Other local upscale resorts include the Four Seasons Aviara and La Costa Resort, both about a mile or so from each other in Aviara is gorgeous; it seems as if you are playing in Hawaii! The Four Seasons is known for its kid’s amenities; before your stay, simply provide them with the names and ages of the children in your party, so that they can be ready with bedtime milk and cookies for their youngest guests, child-sized bathrobes, complimentary baby and children’s toiletries, and children’s menus. Aviara has many golf packages and some of the best golf instructors in the country. La Costa, which has undergone a major renovation in the last couple of years, has two courses which are more traditional. They also offer many packages and juniors (ages 16 and under) play for free when they are accompanied by one regular paying adult. This offer is valid daily, on a space-available basis. The new pool complex has fabulous water slides for the kids to play on.
Both resorts are very close to Legoland. The Sea Life Aquarium at Legoland opened the summer of 2008. Future plans include Legoland Waterworks, a water park complete with 25-foot-tall slides and a family raft-riding area, which is scheduled to open some time during the summer of 2010. A Lego-themed hotel is planned to open sometime in 2012. Legoland is so much fun for the whole family and it’s right across the street from the new Crossings at Carlsbad, the City of Carlsbad municipal golf course. The Crossings is a reasonable priced course, however, juniors cannot walk on the golf course and must be accompanied by a paying adult. There are many reasonably priced hotels in the Carlsbad area and numerous timeshares to choose from. Within walking distance to both The Crossings and Legoland are the Sheraton Carlsbad (really good food at the fairly expensive, but worth-it-for-a-special-occasion, Twenty/20 Grill) and the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort, which has both hotel rooms and 1-3 bedroom villas. Both also offer discounted family vacation packages.
The San Diego area offers many choices in vacation accommodations and you can easily find upscale resort hotels, timeshares, beach hotels and motels, and beach house rentals. Rent a beach house and plan on playing golf a couple of days along with enjoying the sun and surf! You will find, though, that golf courses closer to the Pacific Ocean have more expensive greens fees than those courses that are just a little bit further inland. Keep in mind that it can get very hot in the summer at the inland golf courses which can play like desert courses. At the same time, you may find that the coastal courses such as Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Encinitas Ranch in Encinitas, and The Crossings in Carlsbad can actually be cool in the summer due to the marine layer and fog. These courses can also be a bit windy from the ocean breeze, so when planning San Diego vacations choose your wardrobe accordingly and remember it can be cool in June!
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Another wonderful family San Diego vacation option is to stay at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido. This resort is north of San Diego, further inland and a little further away from the beach, but is very reasonably priced. Located on the property is The Fountains, a par 62 golf course, and The Oaks, a par 54 course which is a great short game practice facility for experienced and beginning golfers or children. The Welk Resort Theatre, one of San Diego's most celebrated theatres, features live Broadway-style stage musicals that the whole family can enjoy.
