Pala Mesa Resort: #11
View of the 11th Pala Mesa Resort
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Rating Index Rating
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4.4
1794 Reviews (1794)
5 Stars
557
4 Stars
762
3 Stars
292
2 Stars
110
1 Stars
73
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.2
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.0
91.4%
Recommend this course
1478 out of 1794 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
50 Reviews (50)
5 Stars
33
4 Stars
14
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.4
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.7
Amenities
4.2
StaffFriendliness
4.8
96.0%
Recommend this course
48 out of 50 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.4
99 Reviews (99)
5 Stars
61
4 Stars
29
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
2
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.3
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.7
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.7
92.9%
Recommend this course
92 out of 99 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Pala Mesa's mature layout rewards accurate shot-making with well-maintained greens, fairways, and bunkers that consistently impress recent golfers. Exceptionally friendly staff and an outstanding pace of play make rounds here smooth and enjoyable.

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Par 72
Length 6703 yards
Slope 134
Rating 73.5

Pala Mesa Golf Resort is situated between Temecula wine country and the beautiful countryside of San Diego's North County. The course was carefully carved from the surrounding hillsides, providing rolling fairways and undulating greens throughout the layout. Towering oaks, sycamores, and elms blanket the course's landscape, providing the perfect complement to the stunning mountain views. The fairways are tight and lined with trees, demanding a fair amount of accuracy. The greens also play fairly quick. The golf course does provide a challenging round but it is seemingly much tougher than it actually is. Beginners should still feel comfortable taking on the course. The versatile layout in combination with the consistently good conditions have earned Pala Mesa acclaim as one of the best golf courses in San Diego County.

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Pala Mesa Resort Golf Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1961
Fairways Kikuyu Grass
Greens Kikuyu Grass
Golf Season Year round

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

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

Policies

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

Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Available Activities

Swimming, Billiards
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Reviews

4.4
1794 Reviews (1794)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 45
Patio Dining 30
Dinner 26
Course Challenges Include:
Narrow Fairways 75
Bunkers 73
Elevation Changes 65
This course/club is great for:
Locals 60
Advanced Golfers 56
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 45
This Course's Location is:
At a Resort 77
Worth the Drive 58
In the 'Burbs 25

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 34
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

CS

a bit pricey but a good challenging course

the greens were a bit slow on the day played

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 4
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

10/10

The guy at the pro shop was an incredible man. I’m from Iowa so playing this course for the first time he treated me like I had been playing there for years. Will come back for sure!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 06/09/2025:
Thank you for the awesome review! We're so glad to hear you had a great experience and look forward to having you back again.
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

The greens were a bit shaggy but the course was in great shape. We teed off right after a tournament which is why the game was a bit longer, and that is normal. :)

Started to work on a handicap which is high but will have this reduced before EOY.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 06/04/2025:
Thanks for the five-star rating. We’re thrilled you enjoyed your visit and appreciate your support. Our team looks forward to delivering the same level of excellence next time.
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 163
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Interesting mature course

Pala Mesa has a wide variety of holes, short, long, uphill, downhill and all are well framed by trees. The greens were good as were the rest of the course conditions. I played as a signle of a Friday afternoon and finished in about 3 hours (i played through 2 groups).

Staff in teh pro shop and the walkup restaurant were great.

I had heard about Pala Mesa probably 30 years ago and have wanted to play there since then - finally made it and was not disappointed. Not as nice as Journey at Pechanga, but about 1/3rd the cost

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great Day

We were fortunate to have nobody in front of us the whole day. It was great playing on green fairways for a change! Only improvement would be if the greens could be a bit better. Overall, loved it.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Always a challenge. Great condition! Worth the drive

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 05/23/2025:
Thanks for the five-star rating. We’re thrilled you enjoyed your visit and appreciate your support. Our team looks forward to delivering the same level of excellence next time.
Played On
Reviews 163
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Nice wooded course

Lots of trees, narrow fairways and small greens. I really enjoyed the course and trees, i live an New Mexico and love the trees that we don't have on our courses.

Greens are small and well kept. Rolled well if perhaps a little slower than i am used to. Fairways were tight snd excellent]t condition.

Good variety of short and long holes.

I really enjoyed playing here.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 163
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing

Small greens and tight fairways

This course was very nice. The fairways are tree lined and fairly tight and the greens are small. Course was in excellent condition. Only “complaint” was the ball almost always buried when hit into a bunker (yeah I know, don’t hit it in the bunkers - but I did 3 times and it buried into terrible lies 2 times).

Good variety of holes with uphill, downhill, short and long ones. Some local knowledge would have been helpful on a few holes, but it wasn’t critical.

Staff was great and 3 groups let me play thru (I was a single) so pace of play, for me, was excellent.

Overall I couldn’t believe how relatively empty the course was for the quality and cost.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful Course

Great narrow fairways with primary and secondary cuts. Stay on the short grass to par the hole. Greens are a bit fast and have some break.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

Not a great experience

I booked it on golf now at a discount but had a problem finalizing the booking so I called them to confirm. when I got there they charged me full pop - $115 each to play a course that I would never pay that much to play - just isn't worth the money and amenities are poor - the staff were not friendly. There was a huge gap in the tee times but were told NO! We could not go early. So then we end up playing behind a fivesome skins game that was slooooow.

They finished at least 4 holes behind, play was stacked up behind us - just a bad experience - Probably never go back

Conditions Good
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Fair
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Response from on 04/29/2025:
Thank you for the feedback. We aim to offer a quality experience and regret falling short. Your input helps us identify specific areas that need attention, and we hope to welcome you back in the future.
Played On
Reviews 18
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Love Pala Mesa!

When you can get a Great Hot Deal for about $40 Pala Mesa is a bargain!! Beautiful course, nobody in front of us, start when we wanted, perfect weather…what else is there to say!! Very accommodating to allow us to use a different open tee time than the Hot Deal. Not all courses do that, even if they have open times. Wonderful golf day with my son!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Used cart

Lots missing here but the conditions were good

First off, the course conditions are much improved since the change in ownership. Lush fairways and rough. Greens rolled well at a great speed.

Now for the the not so good. No water on the course, 6-8 in the bro group ahead on a single tee box seen multiple times and 4 carts on 18 fairway as we were finishing up. Slow all day with not a single marshall on course. Not expecting miracles on a Sat afternoon but for a "resort" course, it can't become a free for all like it was. Beverage cart showed up early in the round but never after that.

Good experience at Aqua Terra though afterwards. They've simplified their menu for now while undergoing renovations. But good food, good service.

These things are all fixable by the new management (Pala Casino) if they care to. I will probably give it one more shot before I recommend the course to others.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 04/22/2025:
Thanks for letting us know your thoughts. We understand there’s room for improvement, and our team is already looking into the concerns raised. We’d be grateful for another chance to provide a better experience.
Played On
Reviews 15
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 45
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 97
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played

Excellent Course With Nice Amenities

This course is in excellent shape from tee to green. The driving range, restaurant , and snack bar were great. The corse is very difficult with narrow fairways, very fast greens and many trees. Bring your A game here and choose your tees wisely. The staff us friendly and accommodating especially Jared.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Response from on 04/09/2025:
Thank you for the wonderful five-star review! It’s fantastic to hear you had a great experience, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for another memorable round.
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