One of the most rewarding benefits of our job is when we find a special location that delivers an extraordinary amount of value and then sharing that story with you all. Rams Hill in Borrego Springs, California is the definition of that kind of experience.
Rams Hill first hit our radar in 2016 when they received the No. 1 ranking for golf course conditions on Golf Advisor’s (now under the GOLFPASS brand) inaugural “Best of” list, and we had to find out more about what this place was all about.
Located under two hours away from San Diego, the journey to Rams Hill Golf Club is an integral part of the experience as the location that resides slightly northeast of San Diego consists of traversing through the mountains of the Anza-Borrego State Park and may have you feeling like you are preparing for a hike versus a round of golf.
But when you emerge on the other side of the mountain, you’ll find yourself looking down upon a lush, green golfing oasis in the middle of the desert known as Rams Hill.
As you’ll see in our exclusive drone footage of this Tom Fazio masterpiece, this course is visually stunning, and the majestic mountainous backdrop provides a sense of place that will live in your memory banks forever.
Even with ample desert areas surrounding the course, it still plays quite playable as most of the desert just adds to the visual appeal versus being too penalizing. It’s a great mix of challenging shot and variability in the par-3s, -4s, and -5s, and Fazio does a great job of protecting par on the shorter holes with some creative undulations in the greens, placing a premium on your short-iron prowess.
But one thing we know you will be blown away by here is the price.
For such an incredible experience, the price to play this course, which happens to be one of the top ranked courses in the state, pales in comparison to what you’ll pay to tee it up at the other highly rated courses in California.
And of course, our favorite way to play here is by doing a stay-and-play package as they offer 15 luxury golf houses onsite that can accommodate groups of any size and can even come with a private pool and a golf simulator at some locations.
When we think of Rams Hill, it is the definition of what a hidden gem is in the golf travel landscape.
It’s worth a trip in and of itself with a stay and play here, or if you’re feeling adventurous you could also create a “Best of Southern California” swing and tie it in with a visit to the nearby South Course at Torrey Pines and the Stadium Course at PGA West creating a getaway where you play arguably the best three public golf courses in Southern California all in one trip.
But trust us, this destination is worth the journey, and we know you’ll feel the same we do about the value you get at Rams Hill.