Sandpiper Golf Club
By The Unknown Golfer
If you are looking for a terrific winter golf outing in Santa Barbara County, look no further than the Sandpiper Golf Course. Sandpiper is situated right off Highway 101 for easy access and let me tell you, this course will not disappoint. Any avid golfer must play this course, which literally sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
If you are looking for a terrific winter golf outing in Santa Barbara County, look no further than the Sandpiper Golf Course. Sandpiper is situated right off Highway 101 for easy access and let me tell you, this course will not disappoint. Any avid golfer must play this course, which literally sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
In late November, three golfing buddies and I made a 12:30 pm tee time. There was some back-and-forth about whether or not we would be able to finish the round before sunset, which we managed to do, and we had a blast on this challenging track.
When you first arrive at Sandpiper, the staff is there to greet you and direct you to a cart and then the clubhouse. The Sandpiper crew takes their customer service to another level, and they were super helpful getting us checked in. They answered all our golf-related questions. Once we were paid and checked in, we took our bag of range balls, which were included in the green fee, to the range to begin warming up. Even at the range, you get a sense of the sheer beauty of this course. The views of the Pacific Ocean make it hard to focus on getting in some quality swings before your round.
Adjacent to the driving range is a large practice green — which, in all honesty, is where I should have spent the majority of my time ahead of walking to the first tee. The practice green was lightning fast and that translated to the rest of the course, as I would soon learn the hard way.
Sandpiper starts with a wide-open par-five, and I was able to find the fairway and then hit a solid second shot, leaving an easy chip to hit the green in regulation. I was left with a 10-foot putt for birdie, but the ball slid past the hole and I was left with a tap-in par.
The next three holes went about the same and I stepped to the fifth tee with a score of even-par. Hole No. 5 is a manageable par-five, but my tee shot connected with an overhanging branch so I was left scrambling to save my score. After a lucky 25-foot putt fell, I managed to scramble for par, but that’s where my round started to head south.
The sixth hole at Sandpiper is a beautiful par-three that hugs the cliffs and runs parallel to the ocean. It is the first hole that really makes you realize just how special this track is. My tee shot narrowly caught the left-hand edge of the green, but the pin was on the far right and a dreaded four putt gave me my first double-bogey of the day.
At the turn, I was still having a solid round but my struggles on the greens would continue the rest of the afternoon. Even the short ones left me wondering how far my ball would continue if I didn’t hit the back of the cup.
My putting woes were quickly forgotten as we started the back nine. If you have never been to the Sandpiper Golf Course, the 10th and 11th holes are a sight to see. Hole 10 is a tricky par-four with the green overlooking the ocean. I managed to play the hole perfectly and carded a birdie.
The 11th tee box is the best place on the course for a group photo, and we took advantage of the opportunity. Number 11 is an elevated par-three with the green literally sitting on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. With massive bunkers on the left, water on the right, and the ocean if you go long, you want to be accurate off the tee otherwise you can easily post a big number on this hole.
The next three holes run along the coastline as well, making for some of the best scenery in Santa Barbara County. Once we hit the 15th hole, we headed inland and shortly thereafter wrapped up our round on the challenging 18th hole, a tough par-three over a pond with a slippery green that can make a talented putter look silly.
As we walked off the 18th green, all I could think about was when I would be back to take another crack at this epic track. One of my playing partners, Rod, summed up his round by saying, “This was one of my favorite rounds in a long time. The course is in great shape and you can’t beat the scenery. Something about this course makes you feel like you are in a different country.”
If you are a walker, bring your pushcart because Sandpiper is a great walking course. There are a few hills on the back nine, but certainly nothing that should discourage walking. The pace of play was terrific, and the customer service was some of the best I’ve experienced in a long time.
For more information or to make a reservation, call (805) 968-1541 or visit sandpipergolf.com. Sandpiper is located at 7925 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara.