Best in Class

How does a destination win the soubriquet “Best Golf Resort in the World”? Charles McLaughlin travelled to the award-winning The Resort at Pelican Hill near Los Angeles to see for himself

The scenic 17th hole on the Ocean North Course

When Condé Nast Traveller announced in April 2012 that The Resort at Pelican Hill had been voted “World’s Top-Rated Golf Resort” in its Readers Choice Awards, it sparked discussions on a global basis, with aficionados arguing the case for a raft of spectacular destinations. The debate proved two things: firstly as one might expect, there was no overwhelming agreement on the choice but also that there was no clear definition of what exactly constitutes a golf resort.

There was no doubt however that the spectacular Pelican Hill setting, only 45 minutes from Los Angeles International Airport, had ticked any number of boxes with the people who had actually stayed there and we at HK Golfer decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

It’s appropriate that people come to Pelican Hill seeking a better life as the property sits in what was the Irvine Ranch, a huge 100,000 acre estate named after the rags-to-riches Irish immigrant James Irvine, escapee from the potato famine in the mid 1800s.

The resort boasts the largest circular pool in the world

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