Aviara

The luxurious Park Hyatt Aviara Resort overlooks the beautiful ecological reserve of Batiquitos Lagoon and its Arnold Palmer-designed golf course from the late 1980s is the centrepiece attraction within a 200-acre residential property.

Set out on a difficult landscape dominated by deep ravines, the par-72 course extends to just over 7,000 yards from the back markers with a number of man-made water features providing much of the strategic interest on the layout.

Two par fives take the eye on the front nine: the 543-yard dog legged 5th and the downhill 536-yard 8th, which is played to a pond-protected green. The 158-yard 6th is also a fine short hole, where tees shots fly a gaping gorge to a two-tiered putting surface.

The round ends next to the lagoon with the 443-yard closing hole guarded along its right side by yet another small lake that’s embellished with a couple of small waterfalls close to the greensite.

The 4th edition of the Kia Classic was played at Aviara in March 2013, the first time that an LPGA Tour event had ever been held on a Hyatt property.