A weekly look at golf courses open...

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

RANCHO SAN JOAQUIN

Address: 1 Sandburg Way, Irvine.

Green fees: $30-$60, twilight rates available.

Tee times: seven days in advance; $3-$5 for 8-14 days in advance

Phone: (714) 786-5522

The facility: The course opened in 1968 and is currently run by American Golf Corp. Primarily wide-open layout begins and ends with par fives, and in between plays out over a gently rolling landscape, with the glass towers of Irvine as a backdrop. Lighted driving range, golf school.

The good: The dogleg right par-five fifth hole, where only the very long and brave can get home in two, demands an accurate second shot--there is water on the left, and on the right fronting the green--and is worthy of its designation as the No. 1 handicap hole. Holes 11, 12 and 13 form the course’s own version of Amen Corner, with water coming into play on the latter two.

The bad: Tee boxes on several holes are quite threadbare, and on holes with water close by it is difficult to get a good roll on a putt because of greens fouled by unconcerned coots. A little pricey.

The score: Don’t be deceived by course’s inviting look; with the ocean only a few miles away, afternoon winds can make shotmaking tricky. We suggest that golfers repair ball marks, rather than “rake” them, as scorecard requests.

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Overall course rating: **

* One ball--Like an X on the scorecard.

** Two balls--Worth an occasional round.

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

**** Four balls--Where the Publinx Golf Gods play.

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Championship Regular Ladies’ Hole Blue Tees White Tees Red Tees Par 1 523 515 498 5 2 155 140 123 3 3 342 328 313 4 4 354 338 315 4 5 516 502 421 5 6 394 384 362 4 7 364 353 328 4 8 178 168 155 3 9 434 421 365 4 Out 3,260 3,149 2,880 36 10 363 355 348 4 11 395 385 334 4 12 538 525 518 5 13 181 160 121 3 14 367 348 330 4 15 171 158 146 3 16 415 404 388 4 17 295 289 284 4 18 468 456 445 5 In 3,193 3,080 2,914 36 Total 6,453 6,229 5,794 72

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Rating/Slope: Blue--70.6/118, White--68.9/112, Red--66.7/109

-- Roderic Millie, 15 handicap