CARLSBAD -- I took a tour of the North County's newest golf course on Thursday, The Crossings at Carlsbad, and immediately thought of Petco Park.

Remember all the skeptics who thought the new downtown ballpark would be a disaster? Haven't heard much from them recently, have we?

It is human nature for people to immediately dislike what they haven't seen or experienced.

People are already judging The Crossings, and the course doesn't open until the first week of August.

That is a mistake.

From what I saw during my tour, The Crossings will be special for golfers and non-golfers alike. It will be a tremendous asset to Carlsbad.

Located east of Legoland off Palomar Airport Road, the new course has one feature that few courses in North County share: a view of the ocean without any homes on the course.

Built around the strict confines of acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands, The Crossings appears to be an elegant and challenging layout.

How challenging? Veteran golf instructor Bill Hartley viewed the course recently and said, "The 18th hole is every bit as tough as No. 18 at Oakmont." He was referring to the final hole at the recent U.S. Open.

"People are going to get off the green and head straight to the bar," Hartley said, laughing.

The final hole slopes away from golfers. If you hit long, you are out of bounds into a canyon. If you hit the green, the surface has so many twists and turns that a straight putt is nonexistent.

Golf, however, is just one part of this facility, which features a 28,000-square-foot, two-story clubhouse and a walking trail around the wetlands that won't interfere with golfers.

"This is more than just a golf course," said Jeff Perry, general manager of The Crossings. "It is a place to have breakfast or lunch, a place to enjoy the hiking trail, a place to hold weddings, and it is a place to practice golf without having to play."

Perry works for KemperSports Management, the group the city contracted to run the facility. He is no stranger to starting up new facilities. He oversaw the reconstruction of Riverwalk (formerly Stardust CC) in Mission Valley.

The biggest issue, naturally, is money. City manager Ray Pachett said the project, which was approved by the voters, is in the $55-60 million range.

"It is considered high, but when you look at the cost of constructing anything today -- we are looking at the cost of the next park we construct at $50 million," said Pachett, referring to the Alga Norte Park at the north end of La Costa.

The other issue is playing fees.

Perry said all courses establish a rack rate that will not apply to Carlsbad or San Diego County residents. The non-discounted rate is $90 from Monday through Thursday, $95 on Friday and $110 on the weekend.

"Carlsbad residents will receive $30 off on all of those rates, so their rates will be $60, $65 and $80," Perry said. "And for San Diego County residents, anyone with a 92 zip code, it's $15 off the rack rate, meaning it will be $75, $80, and $95, which is pretty competitive with JC Resort Properties."

Perry also said there will be discounts for frequent players.

By comparison, Arrowood Golf Course in Oceanside, a JC Resorts property, has a base rate of $80 to $110 per round. It is cheaper if you have a JC Resorts card.

Carlsbad city councilman Matt Hall is a strong supporter of the project.

"Carlsbad is the golf capital of the world, with Aviara, La Costa, and this adds the third jewel in the crown," Hall said.

I can't wait to try it.

Steve Scholfield is senior sports columnist for the North County Times. He can be reached at (760) 740-3509 or stevescho@cox.net.