Temecula's new course is Journey at Pechanga

By: Tom Sheridan - Staff Writer | Tuesday, July 31, 2007 10:49 PM PDT ∞

St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Hilton Head ... Temecula.

Temecula may not be synonymous with golf like these other locales, but it's making progress.

A community that already has four "championship" courses -- Temecula Creek Inn, Redhawk Golf Club, CrossCreek Golf Club and Temeku Hills Golf & Country Club -- will soon add another.

The Pechanga Development Corp. is building a course south of the casino. It is expected to open sometime next year. Work on the course began in August 2006, and the strips of green sod sprouting along the foot of the hills west of Pechanga Parkway seem to indicate that it is coming along nicely.

"Construction of the course is on schedule and the final touches on construction should take place in late August," said Amy Minniear, president of the Pechanga Development Corp. "But it is up to Mother Nature when we are finished, depending on how the Bermuda grass takes."

Journey at Pechanga will be the name of the course. The architect is Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates. That group's most noteworthy layout in Southern California is highly regarded Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda.

According to Minniear, Journey at Pechanga will play to about 7,200 yards from the tips, but will offer alternative tees for golfers of all levels.

"There are five tees on every hole so there is a very big range in terms of playability," she said. "If you are a true player and want to see a challenge you can hit from the back tees, instead of up from the red tees where I play."

When Minniear was asked about the course's signature holes, or trademarks, she didn't waste any time mentioning the sixth hole. The tee rises 300 feet above the ground and requires a shot over a ravine, she said.

"Every hole has been named and although the names aren't final, that one will be called The Place of the View," Minniear said. "There is a Luiseno name tied to that. From there you can literally see the entire Temecula Valley."

She also mentioned the par-3 17th hole, nestled into a hillside, and the 18th, which will be integrated around existing oak trees. Great care and attention was also given to respecting the region's past.

"Through the course we have been able to highlight the cultural aspects of the Pechanga people," Minniear said. "As part of the true experience the carts will have a top of the line GPS system that will not only have yardages, but information based on the history of the land. How they used the land and what was significant about it. The entire course is going to deliver an unforgettable experience."

Andrew Miranda has been hired as the director of golf. Dennis Orsborn is the golf course superintendent.

Right now, Orsborn's focus is on the grass. In particular, the Bermuda that will form the fairways. It will require a lot of heat over the next several weeks to take properly. The greens will be topped with bentgrass.

"We want a good firm Bermuda base by the end of the summer," Orsborn said. "The greens, we'll have no problem in getting those established. I'm pretty confident we will make it without a problem."

Obviously, there is a lot of work ahead. Marketing plans will be devised over the next couple of months. A head pro has to be hired. Minniear said there will be several soft openings next year culminating with a grand opening when the clubhouse is completed, tentatively scheduled for sometime in late 2008.

She said the course's name comes from the Luiseno word pomniv, which means the path that was once traveled.

"For us the journey of the course is going to highlight a lot of different pieces of our people and culture," Minniear said. "Each hole is going to be quite a journey."

Exclusive guests

Pechanga officials hope to take advantage of next year's U.S. Open coming to San Diego. The tournament will be held at Torrey Pines Golf Course in June.

Minniear said that an effort will be made to get some of the players in town -- and many spend a week or two at the site of a major before the tournament --- to play Journey at Pechanga. She said she expects the course to be open to some form of play, although it could be limited, by that time.

"We'll bring people up to experience the course," she said. "I can guarantee we will be a course of interest to the pros."

State Open qualifying

Qualifying for the California State Open gets under way next week at four sites.

The first qualifier will be held Monday, Aug. 6 at The PGA of Southern California Golf Club's Champions Course in Beaumont. Other qualifying sites are Rio Hondo Country Club in Downey (Aug. 20), Redhawk Golf Club in Temecula (Sept. 10) and Temecula Creek Inn (Sept. 17).

Entry fee is $150 and the tournament is open to professionals and amateurs with a verifiable index of 4.4 or less.

This year's Cal State Open is scheduled for Sept. 25-29 at Redhawk. Ji-Hwan Park, a teen-age amateur from Korea living in Orange County, is the defending champion.

-- Valley Golf Notebook runs Wednesday. Staff writer Tom Sheridan can be reached at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2649 or tsheridan@californian.com. To comment, go to www.californian.com.