SOUTHLAND FOCUS

A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.

Redhawk

Address: 45100 Redhawk Parkway, Temecula.

Green fees: $48-$75, cart included.

Tee times: Seven days in advance.

Phone: (800) 451-4295.

The facility: The course, located in the heart of Temecula’s wine country and in the foothills of Palomar Mountain, is seven years old and maturing nicely, as trees make the rolling Bermuda fairways more defined. Greens and tee boxes are bentgrass. An air-conditioned, full-service tournament pavilion will be ready by midsummer.

The good: Green fees are a bit high for weekend hackers but low compared to similar style courses in Southern California. The views from elevated tee boxes or greens make a bad round or an errant shot more bearable. The 17th hole, 195 yards from the championship tees, drops 200 feet to a two-tiered green. Golf Digest rates Redhawk as the seventh-best public course in California. No argument here.

The bad: The high-handicapper might be overmatched. The course is challenging enough with tight lies, long holes and water hazards. Undulating greens make some holes such as the fifth, a par four of 450 yards from the championship tees, almost unfair.

The score: Mark O’Meara is listed as a consulting pro for Redhawk. He might be happy playing the tournament tees, which stretch the course to 7,180 yards, but low handicappers will like the championship tees. Most players should stick to the whites, 6,310 yards. The 13th, a dogleg right, is 445 yards from the blues and there is water to clear on the second shot to a narrow, two-tiered green. Despite the difficulty, Redhawk is worth playing.

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Overall course rating: 4 balls.

* One ball: No-frills golf.

** Two balls: Worth an occasional round.

*** Three balls: Like shooting four strokes under your handicap.

**** Four balls: Where the golf gods play.

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Hole Back Tees Middle Tees Par Front Tees 1 505 465 5 430 2 375 350 4 315 3 350 320 4 300 4 130 110 3 100 5 450 415 4 375 6 390 365 4 300 7 565 550 5 450 8 150 140 3 100 9 445 425 4 350 Out 3,360 3,140 36 2,720 10 425 410 4 360 11 535 500 5 460 12 145 145 3 120 13 445 410 4 340 14 340 320 4 275 15 355 325 4 305 16 420 375 4 335 17 195 180 3 135 18 535 505 5 465 In 3,395 3,170 36 2,795 Total 6,755 6,310 72 5,515

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Rating/Slope: Black--72.7/137, Middle--69.5/125, Front--72/124.