THE LINKS AT LAKEHOUSE

The rolling terrain northeast of San Diego delivers one of Southern California's most underrated public tracks, where strategic bunkering and elevation changes demand thoughtful club selection on nearly every approach. The back nine climbs through natural canyons and oak-dotted hillsides, creating dramatic downhill par-4s that reward aggressive lines while punishing wayward drives with unforgiving native areas. What separates this from the typical municipal grind is the routing's clever use of the property's natural amphitheater setting, particularly the risk-reward par-5 finishing hole that plays downhill to a well-guarded green.