Ojai Valley Inn

The Ojai Valley Inn is a course of historical curiosity to modern golfers, the center for what was once one of numerous California tracks created by the duo of George Thomas and William P. Bell, and a one-time hotspot for celebrities from Hollywood and the PGA alike. Although much of Thomas and Bell’s work has given way to renovation completed by Jay Morrish, the short total yardage of just less than 6,300 yards makes it a throwback challenge to golf’s golden years.

Thomas and Bell were certainly renowned in their day but it can be assumed that the Inn’s popularity drew considerably from its prime location in the Ojai Valley, with holes set against mountainous backdrops...views almost as tough to ignore as Morrish’s eye-catching traps.

Some semblance of its original architecture remains, however. Carter Morrish, Jay’s son, was hired during the ‘90s to restore two of the “lost holes” that disappeared during the World War II era. Morrish rebuilt what were once the No. 3 and 4 holes as what are now the course’s No. 16 and 17 holes.

You can enjoy a fine 36-hole day by heading down the road to Soule Park, one of the state’s most celebrated municipal facilities.