Presidio Hills Golf Course

I played Presidio Hills for the first time when I was 7 years old and had a great time. The course was the host site of Junior World Championship's 10 & Under age division so my sister and I trained there for nearly a month. The head pro at the time also told us Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods competed there in their junior days so that added to the allure of the miniature course.

Upon completing our morning practice round on the 1,300 yard or so par 3 course, our mother walked us across the street to Bazaar del Mundo, a Spanish-style plaza with the best pizza and chocolate I've ever had in my life. After a great lunch and a quick browse inside some souvenir stores, my sister and a returned to Presidio for the afternoon session.

We had such a blast that when my sister and I had a chance to return to San Diego roughly two years ago, we looked forward to reliving our fond memories of the place.

We were giddy with excitement as we pulled into the parking lot but soon realized how much the charming little course had changed. The layout was still the same--it was still a short, fun par 3 course with twists and turns and elevation changes--but the conditions had deteriorated quite a bit. Gone were the above-average municipal greens; now brownish patches and long grass covered much of the landscape. While my sis and I had fun during our one-on-one match during our visit, we hope that conditions would improve before our return trip in the future.