Maderas Golf Club

Opened at the start of the new millennium, the 18-hole layout at Maderas Golf Club nestles in the rolling hills to the north of San Diego, where it winds its way around a landscape of rocky outcrops, winding creeks and mature woodland.

Laid out by former professional Johnny Miller, in association with architect Robert Muir Graves, the course was one of the last golfing projects undertaken by this esteemed designer in a career spanning almost half a century.

Water comes into play on several holes, including the par four 9th, which features ponds on both sides of the fairway, narrowing the landing area for the drive and challenging the approach to a double tiered green complex.

The hilly terrain is bound to throw up a number of uphill or downhill lies during the course of a round but the biggest obstacle to a good score here is probably the severity of the bunkers as many of these traps are penal with high lips.