Monarch Beach Golf Links: The southern part of Orange County, equidistant between Los Angeles to the north and San Diego to the south, is home to several excellent golf courses. One of the flag bearers is Monarch Beach, combining top-quality presentation with a brief excursion down to the ocean's edge. Laid out in classic Scottish links style, the course is played across relatively open and nicely undulating terrain, with pairs of holes weaving their way out-and-back in two nine-hole loops. As part of the prestigious St Regis Monarch Beach Resort, the layout certainly has a more elegant and manicured feel than its rough and rugged Scottish cousins. Reinforcing the layout's top-quality resort feel, an abundance of stylish, clover-leaf bunkering combines with small lakes, which threaten at seven holes. The opening two par-4s, one straight the next dog-legging, quickly bring you to the two signature seaside holes. The short par-4 3rd completes your journey down to the beach, or as close to it as a small line of cliffs will allow. The uphill par-3 4th heads you inland once more, with the sound of the waves lapping on the shore just behind the tee boxes. Much of the rest of the layout routes you into a variety of scenic canyons, unobtrusively flanked by houses and villas. As one expects from RTJ II, each hole is beautifully crafted, combining plenty of golfing challenge with his trademark elegance and fairness. From the higher elevations on the course you will enjoy many wonderful vistas onto the Ocean and the surrounding coastal hills.