Destination: Santa Monica

text size

Simmons/Getty Images

Trump National is the most expensive course ever built -- no surprise when you consider whose name it honors.

Feb. 1, 2010
By LINKS Magazine

Do you want to feel like a Hollywood A-lister during your Southern California vacation? Throw out that map of the stars' homes and check out our guide of this destination along the Pacific Ocean.

WHERE TO PLAY

Brookside Golf Club: Billy Bell Sr. designed 36 holes at this facility in the shadow of the Rose Bowl. Opt for the No. 1 (Koiner) course if you only have time for one round.

LINKS Magazine has partnered with PGATOUR.COM to provide information and features on the best golf courses in the country. For a special LINKS Magazine subscription offer for PGATOUR.COM readers, please click here.

More Destinations

Check out our archive page

Rustic Canyon Golf Course: Although it's only eight years old, this links-style design by Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford just north of Los Angeles fits the land so well that it feels like it's been there forever.

Trump National Golf Club: Located on the tip of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, each hole on the clifftop design, the most expensive course ever built, features views of the Pacific Ocean.

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Shangri-La: Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this stylish Art Deco boutique property, which dates to 1939, just underwent a $30 million renovation.

Huntley Hotel: If you want L.A. posh, then you can get any more upscale than this chic beach hotel that is a restorative retreat from the bustle of the neighboring areas.

Shutters on the Beach: A favorite with visiting celebrities and dignitaries, this comfortable Craftsman-style hotel feels like a private oceanside cottage.

WHERE TO EAT

Chez Jay: This "dive" with Christmas lights strung year round is more bar than restaurant. But it's been a Santa Monica institution for 50 years, serving up excellent steaks and seafood.

Giorgio Baldi: This cozy restaurant in Santa Monica Canyon near the beach is packed night after night because it serves the best, most authentic Italian food in town.

Ivy at the Shore: This retro Hawaiian-themed restaurant is a favorite with Hollywood dealmakers and serves up the best crab cakes and mojitos in town.