I recently had a chance to play golf in Fontana. I know, golf is not the first thing you think of when you hear the word Fontana. Most sports inclined individuals think of the Fontana Speedway, and those not sports inclined think "a city far off in Riverside County, or is it San Bernardino County...somewhere out there". On the contrary. I played at a beautiful golf course known as Sierra Lakes with a few friends of mine.
The drive itself was much shorter than I imagined. It took me about 30 minutes to drive from Anaheim to the course. Sierra Lakes is located off of the 15/215 freeways. The course is surrounded by homes built alongside the fairways with generous spacing between the two. I have played on courses previously where you feel the homes are right on top of you, but this is not the case at Sierra Lakes.
Upon arrival, my playing partners and I checked in with the front desk. The staff was very courteous and friendly. We arrived early enough to warm up on the all-grass driving range and putt on the practice greens. Both were well taken care of, and the practice green was indicative of what the course would offer.
"A 3-wood traveling about 300 yards? It was one of those shots that felt great, but ended up being "TOO good"."
We did have to battle the wind when we teed up for our round. The course played very fair, but the wind added another element that made club selection very critical. Teeing off on the first tee greeted us with a wide open fairway on a short 363 yard par 4. As a matter of fact, many of the holes are laid out in such a way that makes accuracy important but not always mandatory. I would describe it as a challenging but somewhat forgiving course. The second hole was another nice par 4 with a generous landing area for your drive.
As we made our way through the course, we realized how well it was laid out and integrated with the homes in the area. It seemed that the holes were well spread out throughout the course. Moving onto the 4 hole, a 184 yard par 3, we knew club selection would be important with the gusty winds. This was mainly due to the fact that the tee shot was required to carry over the water hazard. The wind knocked down a few of our shots, so make sure you take into account the elements (whenever present) when playing this hole to avoid a wet ball. The 6th hole (pictured above) was another challenging par 3 measuring 195 yards from the back tees. You are required to carry over a body of water on this hole as well, with a gentle cascading waterfall to the left of the green setting the tone. This was a beautiful hole with the water features and the mountains in the background.
Hole 9 was an interesting hole in the fact that it is a short par 4 measuring 316 yards. It has a elevated mound in the middle of the fairway, and a small water hazard to the front-left of the green. Wanting to lay up I hit a 3 wood which proved to be a mistake. While I did get all of it, the ball also used some of the down slope gaining additional yardage and ended up in the water. A 3-wood traveling about 300 yards? It was one of those shots that felt great, but ended up being "TOO good". If you are a long hitter and the wind is at your back, think about maybe hitting a long iron or hybrid on this hole to lay up for your second shot. Hole 10 was a fun dogleg right with a hidden green. The hole is actually called "Invisible Green". I decided to cut the dogleg over the cart path and bushes, and the ball ended up very favorably. If you have the guts and distance to go for it, you can cut down the yardage on this hole by about 50 yards or so.
The rest of the back nine was just as enjoyable as the front nine. The course was expertly maintained and the greens were firm and fast. I was very impressed with the overall condition of the course. I did not know what to expect before playing there. The photos on the Sierra Lakes website showed the course being well manicured, but photos can sometimes be deceiving...not in this case. The mountains in the background made for unique scenery against the lush fairways and greens.
Prices at Sierra Lakes are very reasonable. If you take the time to drive a short distance, you can play a course that would cost $25-$40 more a round in Southern California. Monday-Thursday green fees are $46, $39 for seniors, $34 for twilight, and $29 for super twilight. Prices are a bit higher on Fridays, and weekend prices are $74, $46 for twilight, and $34 for super twilight.
This course first opened in 2000 and has been well received by the surrounding community. With a country club feel and a 20,000 square foot banquet facility, Sierra Lakes will be serving Fontana and surrounding areas for years to come. Take the time to travel out of your Southern California comfort zone and give Sierra Lakes a try. You’ll be glad you did.
The drive itself was much shorter than I imagined. It took me about 30 minutes to drive from Anaheim to the course. Sierra Lakes is located off of the 15/215 freeways. The course is surrounded by homes built alongside the fairways with generous spacing between the two. I have played on courses previously where you feel the homes are right on top of you, but this is not the case at Sierra Lakes.
Upon arrival, my playing partners and I checked in with the front desk. The staff was very courteous and friendly. We arrived early enough to warm up on the all-grass driving range and putt on the practice greens. Both were well taken care of, and the practice green was indicative of what the course would offer.
"A 3-wood traveling about 300 yards? It was one of those shots that felt great, but ended up being "TOO good"."
We did have to battle the wind when we teed up for our round. The course played very fair, but the wind added another element that made club selection very critical. Teeing off on the first tee greeted us with a wide open fairway on a short 363 yard par 4. As a matter of fact, many of the holes are laid out in such a way that makes accuracy important but not always mandatory. I would describe it as a challenging but somewhat forgiving course. The second hole was another nice par 4 with a generous landing area for your drive.
As we made our way through the course, we realized how well it was laid out and integrated with the homes in the area. It seemed that the holes were well spread out throughout the course. Moving onto the 4 hole, a 184 yard par 3, we knew club selection would be important with the gusty winds. This was mainly due to the fact that the tee shot was required to carry over the water hazard. The wind knocked down a few of our shots, so make sure you take into account the elements (whenever present) when playing this hole to avoid a wet ball. The 6th hole (pictured above) was another challenging par 3 measuring 195 yards from the back tees. You are required to carry over a body of water on this hole as well, with a gentle cascading waterfall to the left of the green setting the tone. This was a beautiful hole with the water features and the mountains in the background.
Hole 9 was an interesting hole in the fact that it is a short par 4 measuring 316 yards. It has a elevated mound in the middle of the fairway, and a small water hazard to the front-left of the green. Wanting to lay up I hit a 3 wood which proved to be a mistake. While I did get all of it, the ball also used some of the down slope gaining additional yardage and ended up in the water. A 3-wood traveling about 300 yards? It was one of those shots that felt great, but ended up being "TOO good". If you are a long hitter and the wind is at your back, think about maybe hitting a long iron or hybrid on this hole to lay up for your second shot. Hole 10 was a fun dogleg right with a hidden green. The hole is actually called "Invisible Green". I decided to cut the dogleg over the cart path and bushes, and the ball ended up very favorably. If you have the guts and distance to go for it, you can cut down the yardage on this hole by about 50 yards or so.
The rest of the back nine was just as enjoyable as the front nine. The course was expertly maintained and the greens were firm and fast. I was very impressed with the overall condition of the course. I did not know what to expect before playing there. The photos on the Sierra Lakes website showed the course being well manicured, but photos can sometimes be deceiving...not in this case. The mountains in the background made for unique scenery against the lush fairways and greens.
Prices at Sierra Lakes are very reasonable. If you take the time to drive a short distance, you can play a course that would cost $25-$40 more a round in Southern California. Monday-Thursday green fees are $46, $39 for seniors, $34 for twilight, and $29 for super twilight. Prices are a bit higher on Fridays, and weekend prices are $74, $46 for twilight, and $34 for super twilight.
This course first opened in 2000 and has been well received by the surrounding community. With a country club feel and a 20,000 square foot banquet facility, Sierra Lakes will be serving Fontana and surrounding areas for years to come. Take the time to travel out of your Southern California comfort zone and give Sierra Lakes a try. You’ll be glad you did.
FREE GOLF SPECIAL:
Visit www.SierraLakes.com and register for a chance to win FREE golf.
Visit www.SierraLakes.com and register for a chance to win FREE golf.
Corey Bogardus received his B.A. degree in Graphic Design and Fine Arts from Azusa Pacific University. He is the Editor-In-Chief of the IPU. He also heads up a company known as Trinitas Creative (www.TrinitasCreative.com), a design firm which produces print and web graphics for companies such as the IPU. His love for sports includes college and professional football, golf, basketball, hockey...and the list goes on. He is an avid golfer, and understands the finer points of the game.
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