First Hole
Men’s Handicap: 11
Women’s Handicap: 11
Hole: 1
Par: 4
Blue – 362
White – 343
Red – 325
Gold – 251
Perched some 50 feet above the fairway, the opening tee at Victoria offers expansive views of the golf course, with Victoria Bridge to the west, and the San Bernardino mountains to the north.
The fairway narrows the further you hit your tee shot, which must avoid a lake on the right and two fairway bunkers on the left.
The large green is sloped severely from back-to-front, setting the tone for the rest of the round.
Second Hole
Men’s Handicap: 15
Women’s Handicap: 9
Hole: 2
Par: 4
Blue – 299
White – 299
Red – 293
Gold – 293
The short, par 4 2nd hole provides options off the tee, with a shot to a wide fairway that bends gently to the right. Golfers who play down the right side are rewarded with a short pitch to the highly sloped green. Those going left off the tee will face a longer approach, and may be blocked by a strand of trees. These Japanese olive trees run along the third tee, and are some of the oldest trees on the property.
Most approach shots will have to carry a deep, fronting bunker. Once safely on the green, players must contend with a ridge running through the middle of the putting surface, and severe back-to-front slopes on the front-left and front-right portions of the green.
Third Hole
Men’s Handicap: 7
Women’s Handicap: 3
Hole: 3
Par: 4
Blue – 362
White – 341
Red – 333
Gold – 250
Inspired by the 5th hole at Long Island’s National Golf Links of America, the 3rd is one of Victoria’s most scenic and interesting holes. Tee shots aimed at the green must carry a small valley and a grass bunker to safely reach the fairway. Shots played close to the hog’s back feature on the left will leave the best angle into the green. This was even more the case for the original 3rd green which can be seen to the right of the current green. Alternatively, tee shots can be played up a narrow strip of fairway to the right, leaving a longer approach.
The uphill approach, and subsequent putts, require precise play, as the small green has some of the most subtle contours on the course.
Fourth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 3
Women’s Handicap: 1
Hole: 4
Par: 5
Blue – 556
White – 537
Red – 521
Gold – 450
The only par 5 on the front nine, the 4th plays along the creek that runs east to west through the course. While some penalty areas are easily avoided, the creek on Victoria #4 demands full attention on both the first AND second shot. Playing a tee shot aggressively down the middle or right side of the fairway will leave an easier second shot over the creek. Playing too far from the creek, on either the first or second shot, may leave the player in heavy rough, possibly blocked by trees..
As an added option, the second shot may be played to the left and short of the creek, leaving a 130-150 yard third shot.
The 4th green is relatively flat in the back, with the front half sloping severely toward the front.
Fifth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 17
Women’s Handicap: 17
Hole: 5
Par: 3
Blue – 136
White – 123
Red – 110
Gold – 110
Victoria’s shortest par 3 requires a high, accurate shot to one of three distinct hole locations. The right hole affords the least amount of green depth, and shots missed right or long will leave a fast, downhill chip. The middle hole requires a carry over the front bunker with more green depth but fast, breaking putts. The left hole sits in a bowl, allowing golfers to play directly at it, or more to the middle of the green, using a ridge to funnel their ball left, and toward the hole.
Sixth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 1
Women’s Handicap: 13
Hole: 6
Par: 4
Blue – 445
White – 441
Red – 436
Gold – 360
The #1 handicap hole, #6 is a long, straight par 4. Players can aim their tee shots down the right side to gain additional roll but must hit a solid shot, or risk having a sidehill lie for their second. The long approach is played to a large green, sloping from back to front, guarded by three bunkers.
In addition to its length, #6 is often made more challenging by a prevailing wind from the southwest.
Seventh Hole
Men’s Handicap: 13
Women’s Handicap: 7
Hole: 7
Par: 4
Blue – 412
White – 355
Red – 342
Gold – 300
The 7th is one of California’s most unique and natural holes. The tee shot is played either left to a large landing area that leaves you with a blind shot to the green, or the more aggressive play to the small, elevated, right side with a look at the green for your approach. Longer hitters can try to carry their tee shots down the 40-foot drop. But miss it short and you may end up on the steep embankment, with an awkward, downhill stance. The challenging approach can be aimed at one of the tall palm trees behind the green when faced with a blind shot.
One of the few remaining original bunkers guards the bailout area to the right of the green, which slopes to the left and to the front.
Eighth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 9
Women’s Handicap: 15
Hole: 8
Par: 3
Blue – 199
White – 180
Red – 147
Gold – 147
A long, uphill par 3 with a false front, players can aim right, to avoid the large, front-left bunker, while utilizing a mound to deflect their ball toward the middle of the green. While the mound may help on the tee shot, players who miss the green right when the hole is in the back, will have to play a precise chip over, and down the back of the mound, in order to get close for their par putt.
Ninth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 5
Women’s Handicap: 5
Hole: 9
Par: 4
Blue – 382
White -382
Red – 330
Gold – 330
The ideal tee shot on #9 is usually played to the right side of the fairway, leaving the golfer with the best angle of approach. Shots played down the left side will be obstructed by trees short-left of the green. Originally, a 15 foot ridge ran diagonally through the right side of the fairway, requiring players to play a blind shot to the best landing area. Today, the right side is guarded by a lake, and a small group of trees. The second shot on 9 is played over the creek which is 100 yards from the green.
Scoring opportunities are available in the front and right side of the green while the back and left side are more contoured, with putts often sliding 3-5 feet beyond the hole.
Tenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 4
Women’s Handicap: 6
Hole: 10
Par: 4
Blue – 416
White – 404
Red – 399
Gold – 330
The tenth is a slight dogleg left that rewards tee shots played along the trees and creek to the left. The medium-to-long approach is played to a green that is narrow in the front and wide in the back. A unique, 3-foot high berm, originally designed to funnel storm water to the creek, cuts diagonally across the fairway, 80-90 yards out.
Similar to hole #4, the front of 10 green slopes severely from the middle of the green to the front. The back-right features a steep slope from the fringe that can be used as a backstop, while the back left portion of the green features a small area with a more gentle slope.
Eleventh Hole
Men’s Handicap: 18
Women’s Handicap: 16
Hole: 11
Par: 3
Blue – 190
White – 145
Red – 136
Gold – 136
#11 is a medium length, uphill par 3 along the southern edge of the arroyo. Tee shots missed to the right may end up on the hillside, or may roll into the long strip of bunker in front of the green. Sedgwick Avenue and Out of Bounds are beyond the green.
Players who hit the green will be rewarded with a birdie putt on one of the flatter surfaces on the course.
Twelfth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 2
Women’s Handicap: 4
Hole: 12
Par: 4
Blue – 406
White – 388
Red – 362
Gold – 330
The #2 handicap hole, 12 is an uphill, dogleg right par 4 with a view of Box Springs Mountain. After hitting their tee shots, players should check the hole location on this two-tiered green. The front of the green slopes from middle-right to front-left. If the hole is on the upper tier, the approach can be played right, and take the slope left to the hole. Attempting to go straight at an upper-left hole may result in the ball rolling down to the lower tier, or the shot being missed left into the greenside bunker.
#12 is the last par 4 of your round, a unique feature of the Victoria routing.
Thirteenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 10
Women’s Handicap: 18
Hole: 13
Par: 3
Blue – 187
White – 170
Red – 120
Gold – 120
The par 3 13th plays downhill to a green surrounded by five bunkers. The green surface has several interior contours that create a variety of interesting and challenging putts. Most notable is the back-middle hole location which players must stay below, while judging the deceptive amount of sidehill break.
Fourteenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 8
Women’s Handicap: 12
Hole: 14
Par: 5
Blue – 486
White – 475
Red – 390
Gold – 390
Two distinct teeing areas create a downhill shot, leaving a second shot over the creek which cuts diagonally across the fairway of this par 5 hole. Longer hitters may attempt to carry the creek on their tee shot. A ball that ends up close to the creek may allow for a shot at the green and a possible eagle putt. Golfers need to consider the hole location when playing their second shots, as the green has three tiers, and is protected on the left by a large pepper tree. Approach shots that are missed short will end up in the large, fronting bunker.
Once on the correct tier, golfers will have a relatively flat putt.
Fifteenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 10
Women’s Handicap: 2
Hole: 15
Par: 5
Blue – 491
White – 472
Red – 452
Gold – 398
The par 5 15th is one of the great risk/reward holes in all of golf. Players are free to drive their tee shots to a wide, receptive landing area, before deciding how to play their second shot. Playing left, over the creek affords a straightforward third shot to a green that slopes toward the player. Playing short of the green means deciding how far to lay back…Anything closer than 150 yards must contend with trees, bunkers, and a blind shot to the “punchbowl” shaped green complex. Players who attempt to reach the green in two shots have the added risk of missing left, into the creek.
Course architect Max Behr patterned the 15th after the famous “Alps” hole, #17 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, home of the first Open Championship.
Sixteenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 14
Women’s Handicap: 14
Hole: 16
Par: 3
Blue – 193
White – 157
Red – 133
Gold – 110
A reverse Redan style par 3, the 16th hole is unchanged from its original, 1925 design. Tee shots are played to a narrow green that cants from left to right. The ideal shot is played low, to the front-left of the green, where it will release toward the middle. Players should avoid going long-left and facing a delicate downhill chip, or going right and facing a blind uphill pitch to a shallow target.
Regardless of the hole location, a par on 16 is always a good score.
Seventeenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 16
Women’s Handicap: 8
Hole: 17
Par: 5
Blue – 497
White – 488
Red – 460
Gold – 325
The third of four par 5s over the closing five holes, the 17th tee shot is played downhill, toward the lake on the left and the creek on the right. Balls missed right will often hit a large pine tree, leaving over 300 yards into the green. Balls played down the left side of the fairway will gain an additional 5-10 yards of roll.
After a precisely played second, the third is a pitch to a green sloped back to front, with bunkers guarding the front. Special care should be taken to avoid missing your approach to the right, as balls catching the hill right of the green may roll into the creek.
Eighteenth Hole
Men’s Handicap: 6
Women’s Handicap: 10
Hole: 18
Par: 5
Blue – 538
White – 524
Red – 428
Gold – 428
The 18th is a long par 5 that plays over the creek on both the tee shot and the third shot. Although wide, the angled fairway makes choosing an aiming point difficult. Tee shots played too far right will find rough, trees and mounding. After playing their second shot, golfers will have an approach over the creek which runs diagonally in front of and to the right of the green. The deceptively deep green puts a premium on club selection. And the large oak tree short-right of the creek, while beautiful, must be avoided. With the clubhouse in full view, the gently sloping 18th green affords many opportunities to hole a long putt to finish your round.