Tee off at this beautiful Temecula golf course

CALIFORNIA | GOLF

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Native American kiicha

SHEREL PURCELL

Tee Off in Temecula

Breathtaking course preserves Native American artifacts

By Sherel Purcell

ET IN CALIFORNIA’S SOUTH

STemecula foothills, about 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles , Journey at Pechanga (meaning “at the place where the water drips”) is one of the most ecologically sensitive golf courses in the country. This beautiful course winds through natural canyons, over hilltops, past streams and around massive boulders. It’s also ranked by Golfweek as one of the 30 best courses in California.

“The construction of the Journey at Pechanga golf course was controversial,” says Paul Macarro, cultural coordinator of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians . “Initially, the golf course builder wanted to clearcut our sacred trees, but we held firm.”

The Pechanga, who have a great respect for trees, managed to save their giant coastal oaks along with their “grandmother” sycamore tree.

Thankfully, all the conditions to honor sacred natural items were finally met, including ancient granite and the ancestral “kitchens,” large boulders with built-in mortars where Native American women ground the insides of acorns and other grains and seeds into meal.

The replica kiicha, the small dome houses made of twigs and vegetation , serve primarily as a barrier between the course cart paths and the remainder of the Pechanga Band’s sacred land.

The result, ironically, is the best and arguably the most natural-looking feature of the Pechanga resort complex. The course offers clear views of the surrounding, boulder-topped hills, as well as an open-air dining option bordering the course fairways appropriately called Journey’s End.

The nearby hills do more than offer a great backdrop; they also provide six holes of challenging and scenic elevation. Meanwhile, closer to sea level, the other holes — no two are alike — offer water hazards, deep sand bunkers and historical, natural artifacts that determine the

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CALIFORNIA | GOLF

“The construction of the Journey at Pechanga golf course was controversial. Initially, the golf course builder wanted to clearcut our sacred trees, but we held firm.”

— PAUL MACARRO, cultural coordinator, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

JOHN CAMERON

layout of the track.

From a sustainability standpoint, the golfable areas at Journey at Pechanga cover 40 percent less ground than typical Southern California courses, and therefore require about 40 percent less water to maintain. Precipitation naturally runs from the hills above the course and collects in the lakes on holes 5 and 15. Before anticipated rainfall, groundskeepers use the lake water to irrigate the course and deplete the lakes to the halfway point. This allows rainwater to naturally collect and refill the lakes. In addition, a high-tech irrigation system can identify — to the decimal — if an area of the course has received enough water, and if so, automatically shuts off.

Renowned course designer Arthur Hills carved this championship 18-hole funhouse ride into the foothills of Temecula, routing fairways around the giant oaks, building doglegs that snake along fast-running creeks and featuring steep climbs to cliffside tee boxes.

This is not your average resort course by a long shot; coincidentally, that’s the shot you’ll need to clear hundreds of yards of scrub, rock-guarded waterways, steep fairway and greenside bunkers.

To compensate for its toughness, Journey at Pechanga offers a welldesigned practice area. It’s divided into a separate driving range, putting green and a most-impressive short-game area. It’s complete with sizable sand bunkers and replica rough areas from which careful shots land on slanted greens to help golfers prepare for the challenges ahead.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Journey at Pechanga is currently open, and players must adhere to all Riverside County, Calif., health mandates, including wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and riding one person per golf cart. All golf carts are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each use, and staff are also required to wear protective gloves and face coverings. Golfers can reserve tee times online or via phone before arriving, and only credit or debit cards will be accepted for payment. ▶ Visit pechanga.com/indulge/ journey for more information.

2020 GOLF RATES

Monday through Thursday: $129 per player Friday through Sunday: $159 per player