By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall

CARLSBAD, CA � �I want people to leave here thinking they played exceptional golf through a botanical garden,� said Rick Ransburg, Director of Recreation at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California (part of the Four Seasons Resort).

Looking from the tee of the par three 14th hole. It drops 70 feet to the green, and much of that hillside is planted in colorful vegetation.

Fortunately for Ransburg and the rest of his staff at Aviara, the vast majority of folks will head home thinking just that.  Aviara is the San Diego area�s only Arnold Palmer Signature course (opened in July, 1991), and it�s a real gem.  Rarely will you find such a combination of good golf, natural beauty and, as Ransburg hints at above, a garden setting.

Even the name�s distinctive.  Ransburg explains:  �Aviara is a man-made word.  We did a lengthy study to try and come up with the proper name for the master-planned community that was being built � and our search came up with Aviara, which is a combination of aviary (as in birds) and the Spanish word for land, tiera.�

The aviary part stems from the golf course�s location, adjacent to the famous Batiquitos Lagoon, which has been called one of the most important wetlands in Southern California and the United States.  The land�s been restored with mitigation money from the Port of Los Angeles � to a state it would�ve been in hundreds of years ago, prior to humankind�s influences.  Batiquitos Lagoon is home to several hundred species of waterfowl, and at least two of the endangered species that inhabit it are making remarkable comebacks.

The par three 11th hole. There's a lot of trouble between you and the green, but you won't mind the view.

It�s hard to fathom, but there�s really that �environmental� feeling all throughout Aviara, even though it�s connected to an extremely luxurious hotel in the Four Seasons, and also because it�s central to a residential area.  Palmer, as always, has designed a very playable but challenging course that fits nicely into its surrounds, and those neighboring plots of land have been enhanced to the nth degree by colorful flora.

Having played much golf in the east during the spring and fall seasons, there�s a lot of color to behold, but I�ll admit I�ve never seen anything quite like Aviara when it comes down to vivid imagery.  It�s like teeing it up at a garden store with annuals, perennials and bulbs all around you � sixty acres worth.

Looking back up the hill from the 9th green, you'll see the Four Seasons Hotel up behind you.

The layout is also surprisingly undulated.  The eighteen holes wind up, over and through three natural canyons, and there�s 300 feet of elevation change on just the front nine alone.  The first few holes are relatively flat, but starting with the fifth hole, the adventure begins.  It�s not really a mountain-style course, but there are enough uphill, downhill and sidehill shots to provide more than sufficient topographical variety.

Along with the undulations are plentiful ponds and lakes � seven lakes circulate water throughout the golf course, adding attractive accenting to the greenery and landscaping.

Let�s not leave out course conditioning.  Ransburg�s background is in agronomy, and he functioned as the course�s superintendent for its first ten years of existence.  Aviara�s almost always in great shape, and he�ll make sure of it.

Bring your draw swing with you on the tee of the par four 15th hole. At 473 yards, you'll need a Palmer signature drive to set you up for the approach shot.

�Southern California is a difficult place to achieve exceptional golf course conditions, but our location here in the coastal zone has some advantages,� Ransburg said.  �We�re able to lightly overseed (with Rye on the hybrid Bermuda grass) in our off-season and still keep it very playable, and through the summer as well.�

You�ll find the manicured look tee to green, and as is the case in most coastal areas of California, Aviara�s greens have been taken over by Poa Annua.  �They were originally seeded to bentgrass, but they�ve converted to Poa � it just takes over.  But it�s a lot easier to make it a top performing grass than it was years ago.  We don�t get many complaints about bumpy greens, so we�re satisfied with it,� Ransburg said.

Aviara is bordered in spots by a residential community, but there's never a crowded feeling. Here, the green of the par four 16th hole.

A trademark of Arnold Palmer courses, those Poa covered greens are large and sloping.  Resort players will enjoy using the putter a good amount at Aviara, but just being on the green in regulation won�t guarantee a birdie try or even a par, if you�re not on the right part of these huge monsters.  The putting surfaces appear flatter than they are, and you�ll work hard to read them to make putts on the course.

Another Palmer signature is wide playing areas, which are also in abundance at Aviara.  Despite the copious landscaping, you�ll be able to easily find your ball once you�ve hit it, unless you�re wet.  Palmer likes landing areas to be at least fifty yards wide, with the philosophy that golf should be fun � and the concept works well in Carlsbad.

At just over 7,000 yards from the back tees, Aviara�s length will provide enough challenge for low handicappers, while its large playing areas and big greens will make the occasional player leave satisfied as well.

Despite its abundant presence, the landscaping doesn't really get in the way. Aviara's still very playable, as you'd expect from an Arnold Palmer designed golf course.

Apparently we weren�t the only ones to think so, as Golf Magazine awarded Aviara and the Four Seasons a Gold Medal in 2004 � the only resort with just one golf course to earn such a designation.  It�s a testament to the level of conditioning, playability and beauty you�ll find there.

It�s also a function of service.  �I think we�ve been recognized, not only because we have a great golf course, but also because of our levels of service and attention to detail.  It�s a terrific piece of property and a great test of golf, and it�s a lovely physical structure, the resort itself � a fine hotel in every respect,� Ransburg theorized.

Water, landscaping and golf at the short par three 3rd hole.

�But there are quite a few places with outstanding golf courses in attractive settings � though very few can combine it with our levels of service.  We�re very fortunate, we have hundreds of very dedicated, hard working employees who feel like service at a high level is a notable profession, and it�s what we aim to do � anticipate the needs of our guests and have that for them,� Ransburg added.

It starts at the bag drop, but what was particularly noteworthy was the starter � who calls you when it�s time, explains the nuances of the golf course and chats with you on the first tee.  It�s a nice touch at a place that sees a lot of guests.

Along with the Four Seasons name and this type of golf course comes a fairly substantial price tag, as you�re probably guessing.  You�ll spend some green on this course and at this resort, but if you take advantage of the proper time of year and absorb its amenities and services, you�ll find value for the outlay.  This type of experience doesn�t come along very often, and it�s worth it to give it a shot.

Looking back up the hill from the green of the par three 14th hole. Looks a bit different from this direction, but still just as picturesque.

Highlight holes at Aviara include the third hole, the first of three par threes on the course with water and the beautiful landscaping.  The shortest of the one-shotters at 149-yards, it�s a near-island green � that�s very large.  Though you�ll only need a short-iron to reach it, this is a great example of Aviara�s challenge � because of the undulating green, it�s a tough two-putt if you�re not close to the flag.

The par five eighth hole will also leave an impression.  It plays downhill off the tee, so it�s the epitome of a risk-reward hole, reachable in two under certain conditions � with a very difficult second shot.  Should you choose to lay-up, it�s a fun wedge shot into a green that spills off in different directions.  There�s a stream that comes off of a hillside on the left and goes into several levels of water � bring your camera for this one.

No water on the par three 6th hole, but at 195-yards and uphill, it's still quite a challenge.

On the back nine, the fourteenth hole is a downhill par three that drops almost seventy feet in elevation from tee to green.  It�s the hole you�ll probably remember most from playing Aviara � and at 200 yards from the back tee, it�s also quite a challenge.  Because of its exposed position, the wind is always a factor, and the green is fronted by water at the front and right.  When you finish on fourteen and head to the fifteenth tee, glance back at the hillside on fourteen � and you�ll see how and why Aviara gets its �garden� reputation.

Eighteen is a classic Palmer finishing hole.  Ransburg describes it:  �Eighteen sorts out a lot of games at the end of the round � it�s a hole that three or eight is a distinct possibility, because it�s a very difficult hole.  You�ll have to challenge the water off the tee to leave a manageable second shot � and it�s one of the few areas on the golf course where there isn�t much bailout room.  If you need to leave it short, there�s only a very narrow neck.  It�s a fun hole.�

Indeed it is.  Aviara�s the type of experience that all levels of players will enjoy.  If you play from the correct set of tees, it certainly won�t beat you up, and friendly scores will only enhance the fond memories you�ll take from its beautiful surroundings.  Like Ransburg says, it�s exceptional golf through a botanical garden.

Arnold Palmer won't cheat you on Aviara's 443-yard, par four 18th hole. The number two handicap hole, you'll need your best swings for last to conquer it.

Note:  Check the links below for more stories on golf in Southern California.