Strawberry Farms Isn’t Cream of Crop Yet

IRVINE —  Long before grass was planted at Strawberry Farms Golf Club, Doug DeCinces was on the course with a driver in his hands.

DeCinces, a former Angel infielder and the leader of the partnership that owns the course that will open to the public Friday, went from hole to hole as each one was being shaped, hitting hundreds of shots off bare dirt to determine the playability of the course.

He was pleased until he reached the finishing hole, a par-four that sits above the basin behind Sand Canyon Dam.

The initial design called for a tee shot on the hole--a slight dogleg right from 404 to 367 yards long--into a narrow fairway that was nearly obscured from the tee. Then shots would have to clear a stream to reach the green.

DeCinces decided in July that the second shot was already hard enough, so something had to be done to make the tee shot less intimidating.

Course architect Jim Lipe and DeCinces decided to shave back the hillside that shielded the fairway from view.

“It was a vertical cliff,” DeCinces said, “and I just couldn’t have that knowing that the second shot was already going to be so demanding.”

DeCinces believes such attention to detail will make the course a favorite among local golfers seeking a challenging yet fair place to play.

It is still a work in progress. Lipe, who saw the completed course for the first time Sunday, said further steps are being taken to make play less punitive.

Because of environmental regulations, players may not retrieve balls they hit into wetlands or hillsides dotted with coastal sage. Lipe says players who hit into most hillsides will lose their ball but not a stroke--they will be able to take a lateral drop without a penalty.

“I didn’t want hazards on both sides,” Lipe said. “That’s too hard for the average guy.”

A thumbnail look at Orange County’s newest golf playground:

First impression: A down-on-the-farm feel that DeCinces demanded. The clubhouse, complete with pro shop, restaurant and banquet and meeting facilities, is nearly a mile off University Drive. It is designed to look like an old farm house, right down to the windmill shipped in from Nebraska.

The carts are kept in a big red barn. “I envisioned a very rural, natural setting,” DeCinces said, “and knowing that we will never have houses [built] on the golf course was very important to me.”

Best hole: The par-five 16th. Although Lipe said the hole--481 yards from the back and 432 from the white tees--is too short, it still is dramatic looking.

The tee shot offers a player two choices. The braver ones can risk the left side that borders the reservoir. A solid drive on that side affords a chance to reach the green in two, though from there the second shot is over water much of the way.

The right side is safer but requires three shots. A middle iron to lay up short of a creek that’s 80 yards in front of the nearly level green is the best play. Lipe has plans for a tee box at least 50 yards behind the existing one but the course must acquire rights to the land.

Worst hole: The par-five 12th. The primary feature of the hole is its length, 631 yards from the back tees, making it the longest on a public course in the county. It’s a dogleg right that goes on and on. The fairway is wide for the first 350 yards but narrows just as the green comes into view.

What’s worth the money: A greens fee of $125 Friday through Sunday and $85 during the week will buy a sense of isolation. Tee times are nine minutes apart and seven of nine holes on the front side give players a feeling of solitude.

The back nine takes you above Sand Canyon Reservoir, a surprisingly large body of water that is home to many birds.

The carts are armed with computers linked to global positioning satellite receivers that give distances to the front, middle and center of the green. This helps take the sting out of not being able to take carts onto the fairways.

What needs work: About half the course isn’t mature yet. Several of the holes on the front nine seem as if they have been in place for years, but the back nine has some rough edges, especially Nos. 17 and 18, beside which the wide tracks of earthmovers are still visible.

Once the expected rains bring the water level up and other landscaping grows in, such sins will be covered. When the water rises, the three-level waterfall built in rock near the 18th green will start to flow. Plans are in the works for nine more holes to complete the 27-hole facility.

Warning for novices: Stop by a sporting goods store and pick up a dozen extra balls. The course isn’t overly narrow but there’s trouble on both sides of a majority of the holes and players are prohibited from entering the ubiquitous environmentally sensitive areas.

Tips for low handicappers: Don’t over-read breaks on the greens and do be aggressive with the putter. The subtle greens look slick but even downhill putts are surprisingly tame.

Lay up on the par-four eighth. The hole--285 from the blue and 253 from the white--has three deep sand traps laid out in a triangle pattern to protect the green. A birdie will come much easier after a well-played wedge than a booming drive.

The basics: The course is located at 11 Strawberry Farms Road in Irvine, where University and Michelson drives meet. It’s 6,712 from the tips and 5,030 from the women’s tees with three sets of tees in between.

Par is 71 (72 from the women’s tees, taking into account the 543-yard par-six 12th hole). The course’s slope rating is pending. Metal spikes are not allowed and the lighted driving range has 66 grass and plastic mat spots. Phone number is (714) 551-1811.