Rancho Bernardo Inn made an investment three years ago that put it in the company of the nation’s top-ranked public golf course – Pebble Beach Golf Links.
The investment was a $1.7 million irrigation system used by elite courses across the country, including Pebble. The system has been in use since 2013, but instillation of the nearly 25 miles of pipe and 3,395 sprinkler heads wasn’t complete until last year.
That means 2015 is the first full season of golfers seeing the fruits of that investment.
“It’s done wonders for the golf course in terms of consistency from tee to green,” said Ranch Bernardo Inn director of golf Bryon Penfield. “Our course coverage and color has never been better. And it saves water as well.”
The savings come from the ability to target irrigate the course rather than saturate areas in need. The irrigation project is the culmination of six years of work at RBI, which also has had its greens rebuilt and bunkers renovated, necessary facelifts for a course that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012. (The resort and its two restaurants went through renovations as well.)
The course has been restored to a state worthy of its storied past when it was the original host of the PGA Tour’s San Diego Open (now Farmers Insurance) as well as other professional events, including the LPGA. While no longer in the professional spotlight, RBI remains an accessible resort course for players in north and south San Diego County because of its location and proximity to I-15.
The first glimpse most players get of the course is the green at No. 18, one of the best finishing holes in San Diego. The par-5 finishes with a three-tiered green surrounded by two ponds with fountains and a creek that fronts the green. Penfield says the hole is talked about as much for its strategy as its beauty.
The hole begins with a decision off the tee. A culvert that runs through the course crosses the fairway at 200-220 yards. The maximum carry is 260 yards to clear and sometimes players choose the ego play over strategy. The second shot, on either side of the culvert, presents an uphill shot to get your third positioned for a comfortable approach to a narrow green guarded by water.
Though the hole is well known, its origin remains a mystery.
“I saw some early photos and 18 didn’t have the creek and water features when it opened. It was just all grass,” Penfield said. “(Designer William Bell) added the water features later. So the course has continued to evolve ever since it opened. But that’s the hole people talk about most. You’ve definitely got to strategize there.”
The finishing hole epitomizes the playing experience at Rancho Bernardo Inn, which has several holes that require local knowledge. The short par-4 ninth is another hole that makes everything from 6-iron to driver an option off the tee.
“It’s a resort course … so it’s fairly open, but there’s plenty of challenge out there,” Penfield said.
And that’s part of what keeps players coming back.
“People not only enjoy the condition of the course but also the layout and just the overall experience,” Penfield said. “We give people a golf course that makes them think a little bit, but that’s part of the fun.”
