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Rating Index Rating
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4.6
208 Reviews (208)
5 Stars
143
4 Stars
41
3 Stars
10
2 Stars
8
1 Stars
6
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.1
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.4
90.3%
Recommend this course
184 out of 208 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.8
6 Reviews (6)
5 Stars
5
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.7
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.8
Amenities
4.2
StaffFriendliness
4.8
100.0%
Recommend this course
6 out of 6 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.8
11 Reviews (11)
5 Stars
9
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.4
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.8
90.9%
Recommend this course
10 out of 11 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This stunning Carlsbad course consistently impresses with its exceptional layout, well-maintained fairways, and greens that strike a satisfying balance of challenge. Friendly staff across the pro shop and snack cart elevate the experience and make every round memorable.

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Par 72
Length 7007 yards
Slope 140
Rating 74.6
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Aviara Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1991
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Arnold Palmer (1991) Ed Seay (1991) Robert Walker (1991)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
GPS Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Available Activities

Swimming, Billiards

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Golfers' Choice (2019 #8) (2015 #42)
  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in California (2019 #3) (2016 #15) (2015 #5)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Courses for Layout in the U.S. (2019 #3)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Off-course amenities in the U.S. (2019 #9) (2016 #19) (2015 #16)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Friendliest Courses in the U.S. (2015 #8)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Courses for Pace of Play in the U.S. (2015 #8)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Course Conditions in the U.S. (2015 #19)
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Reviews

4.6
208 Reviews (208)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 28
Dinner 21
19th Hole Scenic Views 19
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 26
Water Hazards 26
Elevation Changes 25
This course/club is great for:
A Weekend Splurge 31
Entertaining Clients 28
Advanced Golfers 27
This Course's Location is:
At a Resort 30
Worth the Drive 17
Near Local Attractions 15

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Aviara Golf Course

Amazing course, great location and views, and super friendly staff. After the round we got a round of drinks and some awesome tacos next to the pro-shop in the restaurant, and it was overall a great experience.

Would recommend to anyone looking for a great day of golf!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 25+
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Gorgeous Course

Staff was friendly and helpful, course was in pristine condition. Best course I've played yet.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0

Not So Great.

First off, the course plays way longer than the scorecard indicates. 14 holes play uphill or in to the wind. The greens were the biggest I have ever seen. That combined with the extreme slopes and speed made for a round of golf similar to a goofy pitch and putt..Terrible. La Costa is a much more fair test of golf. Encinitas Ranch is close by and half the price and way more fun!

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Fair
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Sandy greens not good

Played today front side was cart path only(fine) but there were 4-5 greens completely covered in sand for punching. Course wasn’t discounted, next time will take our business to maderas or somewhere else.

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 324
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Texas Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Used cart

Total upscale experience

Second time playing Aviara and I think I liked it even more the second time around. It is a step up from nearby La Costa (and that's reflected in the green fee - tough to get a really good deal here). The service and landscaping is off the charts. The course is playable and interesting. I had a great round going until the 18th tee and couldn't get a ball in play. The 10th hole is a little goofy but play it conservatively as a three-shot par 5 and you'll be fine. Gorgeous scenery with elevated tees and tricky greens. All-in-all it's first-class, including the locker rooms and dining room.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good Conditions for August

Played this track back in June when the place was immaculate. I expected Aviara a little worse related to conditions and was fairly pleased. Tee to green looks pretty good. It's not spring conditions but its pretty impressive for August in SoCal. The fairways were great and the rough was on the light side. The greens were great. A little slow for me but rolled true.

Not sure if its worth the full price of admission right now but its pretty close. However, if you are looking to get your best bang for your buck, play this place in May/June when the conditions and greens are the best SoCal golf has to offer. You will not be disappointed!

Great staff and service. One minor problem I have...the golf carts are below average. Not something you expect when paying $$$

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

First Class Course

Really enjoyed this course. It can be fair from White tees and challenging from Blue tees. Greens roll very true. It played firm and fast but very fair. Staff are very nice and the food is pretty good, but I am a picky eater.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful

Very fun course. Great condition and fast greens. Used Golf Now and saved some cash.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1000
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1 Contributor
California Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Aviara

Rode the Blues (6591/72.5/135) in 4H, 15M, matched up with 3 nice guys twilight. The weather was overcast, breezy and in the 70's.

A rare Palmer design near the coast. This layout contains many of the things I like about courses. Some forced carries but nothing outrageous. Challenging w/o being ridiculous. Constantly up/down rolling hills, HUGE green complexes, numerous well placed, beautiful plants/water features and many strategically placed large bunkers. The entire course is still in excellent playing condition after recently hosting the LPGA Kia Classic.

The tees were mostly lush with few unfixed divots.

The fairways were mostly lush and well maintained.

The rough was lush and just tall enough that the ball usually say down.

The sand traps were excellent. Nicely maintained with good quality sand.

The huge Poa greens were smooth and putted medium speed. They were firm, even nice high shots released.

The customer service was top notch all around, they obviously place a priority on providing customer service here. Nice GPS and complementary bottled water provided on the carts. Ample water stations on the course. Definitely recommended.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Save your money

For the money they charge, I would expect a course in better shape, ESPECIALLY on the last day of May. Tee boxes aren’t level, and several with missing grass. Fairways were punched, no notification of that... and they also wanted $170 for a mid week afternoon time. $33 got you 3 domestic beers, and an over priced, microwaved potatoe/egg breakfast burrito that was supposed to come with chorizo. Must’ve been an off day? I won’t be returning to find out. To put in a different perspective; Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach, CA charges $130 ($102 to NCGA members) for the same time, AND that course warrants the price tag.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

The total ocean.

A course worth playing, although expense. The Kia LPGA tournament is there next week so conditions were excellent. Staff is friendly, starter's joke not very funny though. Better course than Torrey Pines, but you cannot see the ocean

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Decent but over hyped

Not worth what they charge. The course is in pretty poor condition for the amount of hype. It took us 5 hours and 20 minutes to play 18. The workers are all very kind and friendly. I play here about every six weeks simply because it’s close to my home. The greens are decent in Feb, March, and April only. It’s realky too bad. This could be a great place.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 156
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
San Francisco Advisor
Previously Played

Beautiful And Challanginging

Came back for a couple of pre Christmas rounds at one of my favorite courses. Customer service is still over the top excellent. Course is in great shape for the most part . Fairways were in excellent shape. Very green and lush throughout. Greens were rolling smooth but have a LOT more undulations than I remember. Basically the greens kicked my tail! Some Sand traps were a bit hard packed and a couple of tee boxes on the par 3's were full of divots.

Overall the course is still in really nice shape. The elevation changes mixed in with all the water features makes this track a winner in my book.

Aviara is a challenging course that eases the pain with its beauty.

Some miscellaneous info. Driving range (balls are included with green fees) is mat only so getting a correct tee height for your driver is challanging. Carts have GPS with numbers to the pins. Rounds are generally 4 1/2 hrs long. Beverage cart comes around on a regular basis.

The LPGA play here in March so can see how you measure up against the "girls" on one of their regular tour courses

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Awesome Course.

The customer service Is great. The course itself is a top 3 in all of Southern California, conditions were fantastic. I would only play if you get the afternoon rates due to the cost of playing an Arnold Palmer design. But the signature 18th will be playing into the Sun in the afternoon so I may choose a cloudy day next time.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun Round at Aviara

The course and conditions were excellent. I really enjoyed the consistency of the greens.

Concerning price, this course is out of my budget. However, if I can find a way to play less than $130 of my own money, I’ll consider it. To bring the price down I suggest you do what I do and save up credits as a GolfNow frequent player and then apply the earned promo codes for discounted golf. I was able to get my $190 Hot Deal price down to $140 with $50 in promo codes. Furthermore, ask friends and family for GolfNow gift certificates for your birthday. Then redeem it for a round at Aviara.

I enjoyed the round. I’ll play at Aviara again next year.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Is this Heavenly

Yes I mean Heavenly as in the Ski Resort. Sorry Arnold but moguls are for ski hills not fairways.

The water features are fairly spectacular-I guess they should thank Northern Cal for all the water.

It's a pass for me but the LPGA can have it!

BTW My wife is a 15 HDCP and I love playing golf with her. She hated it.

Conditions Good
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Aviara

Nice course but overpriced. The price should be around $100 based on courses played in the Scottsdale area.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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Golf Packages

Aviara Stay & Play Package

Click Below
SAN DIEGO, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa and golf at Aviara Golf Club.
Aviara Golf Club - Hole #18

Aviara Stay & Play Packages

Click Below
SAN DIEGO, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa and golf at Aviara Golf Club.

The Lodge At Torrey Pines Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
LA JOLLA, CA | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at The Lodge at Torrey Pines and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Torrey Pines – South Course and Torrey Pines – North Course.

The OMNI La Costa Resort & Spa Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
CARLSBAD, CA | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at The OMNI La Costa Resort & Spa and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Aviara Golf Course, OMNI La Costa – South Course, and OMNI La Costa – North Course.
MB2.1.jfif

Monarch Beach Resort Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
ORANGE COUNTY, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Waldorf-Astoria Monarch Beach, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel, the Montage Laguna Beach, or the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa and golf at Monarch Beach Golf Links.
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