La Purisima - California - USA. Set within a 300-acre site to the north west of Santa Barbara, the fairways of the La Purisima golf course are routed across a wonderful sandy-soiled property that’s devoid of any commercial or residential development. This public access course was unveiled in 1986 by Kenneth Hume Hunter Jnr – a developer who also ...
All of this in a great setting in the rolling hills a few miles from the central California coast. This course has no weaknesses and I highly recommend that you play it if you are going to be in the area between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.#N#January 02, 2014
La Purisima is a second shot golf course. Good driving is needed but to score you have to dial in your irons. The second shot into hole eight is a mid to long iron. The hills in the background add to the beauty of the green complex.
Feature holes include the 158-yard 3rd, played across water to a shallow green, and the left doglegged par five 7th. On the inward half, the 609-yard 12th is a beast of a par five, with the 410-yard 18th also recognised as a difficult water and sand-protected home hole.
Wind is La Purisima's great defense and most golfers try to play in the morning before the wind kicks up. When I last played La Purisima my golf bag carried persimmon woods, steel shafts, and just one wedge with more than 50 degrees of loft.
To my thinking hole seven is the weakest hole on a very good course. The drive is too much of a down hill. Unless you can carry the trees on the left there is no real landing area. For two golfers in their 60's La Purisima is a hard walk.
La Purisima is a challenging golf course, make no mistake about it. We played in the prevailing breeze and it was plenty challenging from the blue tees. Make sure you play the proper tees. It's more important here than other courses. One can see why La P is used as a US Open qualifying site.