Golfers planning a winter vacation to Southern California will surely want to put Four Seasons Resort Aviara, North San Diego on their list of “must-plays.” The Resort appears in Golf Digest’s 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America, with the Aviara Golf Club ranked #38 on the list and #1 in San Diego.

To determine the rankings, Golf Digest enlisted over 900 course-rating panellists to review hundreds of resort courses in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The complete rankings can be viewed at golfdigest.com and in the October issue of Golf Digest.

“For the big-game hunters of golf looking to knock off some of the best courses and resorts in the country, now is a good time to do it,” says Golf Digest Travel Editor Matt Ginella. “Almost every one of the 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America is offering unprecedented stay-and-play packages.”

Four Seasons Resort Aviara is now offering the Ultimate Golf Getaway, which includes two rounds of golf per room, per day.

“Four Seasons Resort Aviara is unique to other golf resorts in that it resides in the Golf Manufacturing Capital of the World,” says Aviara spokesperson Tony Pistillo. “True golf enthusiasts can combine a visit to the Resort with experiences at their favourite club manufacturer. Club-fitting sessions are open to the general public at both TaylorMade and Callaway Golf headquarters, located just five minutes from the Resort. Or, for those guests preferring to stay put, Four Seasons offers its very own club-fitting facility – the TaylorMade Performance Lab at the Aviara Golf Academy.”

Golf at Four Seasons Resort Aviara

The Aviara Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Aviara is an Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole championship course sculpted around the natural topography of three valleys and the government-protected natural wetlands of Batiquitos Lagoon, which are home to more than 130 species of shorebirds, waterfowl and a variety of natural vegetation. Because of ecological concerns, course designers and engineers took nearly a decade to develop the golf course.

The course uses recycled water for 95 per cent of its irrigation needs. Native wildflowers grow to the edge of the expansive fairways and greens, and cascading waterfalls and streams are among the water hazards positioned as visual extensions of the lagoon. The course is complemented by golf facilities that include a practice driving range, putting and pitching greens, an industry-leading GPS system on all golf carts and a 32,000-square-foot (2,970-square-metre) Spanish colonial clubhouse. The clubhouse features men’s and women’s locker facilities, the Argyle Steakhouse restaurant and lounge, and an award-winning golf shop.