La Purisima Golf Course opened in 1986, designed by Robert Muir Graves for developer Kenneth Hume Hunter Jr., the same operator behind Sandpiper Golf Club in Goleta and Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles. Like Hunter's other projects, La Purisima was built without surrounding housing or commercial development, leaving the routing free to follow 309 acres of rolling, oak-studded ancient sand hills roughly 30 miles north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Rita Hills wine appellation.

On the course

The layout stretches to 7,105 yards from the back tees at par 72, with a course rating of 74.9 and a slope of 143. Bent grass covers both greens and fairways. Frequent afternoon winds and significant elevation change have earned the course its local nickname, "La Piranha," and it has hosted final-stage PGA Tour Qualifying (notably the rain-shortened 1996 event) along with USGA and SCGA championship qualifiers. Notable holes include the 158-yard par-3 3rd played across water to a shallow green, the dogleg-left par-5 7th, the 609-yard par-5 12th, the elevated downhill par-3 17th, and the 410-yard par-4 18th guarded by water and sand.

Who it suits

The routing keeps tees close to preceding greens, making the course walkable despite the terrain. Coastal oaks frame many holes, and bunkering is heavy throughout. La Purisima rewards accurate driving and precise iron play more than raw distance, and the wind regularly changes club selection by a stroke or two. It is best suited to mid- and low-handicap players willing to manage a demanding layout from the correct set of tees; beginners will find the slope rating punishing, particularly on the closing stretch.

Architect: Robert Muir Graves · Opened: 1986