Pelican Hill's Ocean South, Monarch Beach, Oak Creek and Strawberry Farms with a rental home in Newport Beach are the plan. Pelican Hill's green fee, beach-town rental prices, a 10% lodging tax and a rental car are what push the total up.
Plan my golf trip for me: budget, dates and courses →Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours. Set up your travel profile to fill these in for you.
Compare hotels near Fashion Island and Pelican Hill →Pick each course you'll play (one round per golfer) and we'll price it for your group. Prices are per golfer for 18 holes, with the season and time of day you choose. Your picks set “Green fees per golfer (whole trip)” in your budget.
4⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡3/5 Golfing Volts
20 courses around Los Angeles & Orange County that take public tee times, by city, with peak green fees. Private member clubs are left out.
The area's showpiece, with Pacific views from many holes on the back nine; carts are shared, and a forecaddie is extra.
golfpass.com firstcallgolf.comPelican Hill's second Fazio course, with canyon holes and ocean views; it has been renovated and was due to reopen in late 2026.
firstcallgolf.com pelicanhill.comA walkable Gil Hanse design in an open canyon that many rate the best value in Southern California; it is about 90 minutes from Orange County.
golfdigest.com ca.sports.yahoo.comCliff-top holes over the Pacific on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, about 50 minutes from Newport Beach; tough, with forced carries.
golfdigest.com ca.sports.yahoo.comA Los Angeles County course with ocean and Catalina views on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, near Trump National.
golfdigest.com golfnow.comA relaxed resort course with a hole along the beach, ranked No. 1 among California public courses by GolfPass golfers in 2026.
golfpass.com greenfeetracker.comHoles carved through an old limestone quarry, with the dramatic 14th set against the quarry walls; it gets hot in summer.
golfdigest.com ca.sports.yahoo.comClose to Newport Beach, with holes around a reservoir and up a quiet canyon and few homes in view.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com greenfeetracker.comA Tom Fazio parkland course in central Irvine with lakes, tiered greens and lots of bunkers, about 15 minutes from Newport Beach.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com golfpass.comA natural, links-style layout along a creek canyon with no homes on the course; Michael Block is the head pro.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com greenfeetracker.comA hilly city-owned course in north Orange County with big elevation changes and good conditions.
golfdigest.com patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.comA Nicklaus design in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains with big desert-style bunkers; it is well north of Orange County.
golfdigest.com greenfeetracker.comA Troon-run course with lakes and waterfalls in the middle of Orange County, easy to reach from Irvine and Newport Beach.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com golfpass.comA Fred Couples design in the hills above San Clemente that locals rate a good value.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com golfnow.comA cheap, walkable city course with ocean views; locals snap up tee times, so book early.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com sanclemente.govA busy, well-loved city course in West LA that once hosted the LA Open; tee times go fast.
golfdigest.com golf.lacity.govA long, classic city course in Griffith Park, a cheap round about an hour from Orange County.
golfdigest.com golf.lacity.govA city course remade with native grasses and fast, firm turf in the Conejo Valley, best paired with Rustic Canyon.
golfdigest.com golfcoursearchitecture.netA hilly course with raised views over north Orange County that won't break the budget.
patrick-koenig-r5fd.squarespace.com golfnow.comA long, hilly course at the Pacific Palms Resort with a funicular up to the 18th green; it also has a second course, the Zaharias.
golfdigest.com greenfeetracker.comThe sample is 4 travelers for 4 nights. Your plan ($11,836) covers the main costs most people budget for, the ones you enter on the left. Costs people forget ($3,090, about 26% more for this trip) are the fees, taxes, tips and extras listed in the calculator. Prices were last checked on October 17, 2026.
Share of the $14,926 real cost. Nights and travelers multiply most of these costs, so changing either one moves the total the most.
11 of this trip's numbers link to a published price or rate. The rest are our estimates, and each one says what it is based on. You can also read how we calculate every trip.
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Green fees per golfer (whole trip) | $1,294 per traveler | Four peak weekend rounds with cart: Pelican Hill Ocean South $695 (First Call Golf, Oct 2026, summer rate; Pelican Hill posts no rates), Monarch Beach $299 (Green Fee Tracker weekend, checked Apr 2026), Oak Creek $170 (GolfPass reviewers about $135 to $200; no rate card) and Strawberry Farms $130 (Green Fee Tracker $80–$120, Greenskeeper $100–$150 weekend). Total $1,294. Judgment call. Our estimate |
| Rental home per night (whole group) | $750 a night | Newport Beach short-term rentals average $667 a night overall and $726 for 3 bedrooms (Rabbu, April 2026); no 4-bedroom figure was published. $750 for a 3- to 4-bedroom home for four golfers is our estimate. Judgment call. Source |
| Airfare per person | $485 per traveler | US DOT (BTS) average domestic itinerary fare for John Wayne/Orange County (SNA), Q2 2026: $485.14 (Q1 2026 $449.11). LAX Q2 2026: $499.60; Long Beach (LGB): $391.88. Source |
| Food per person, per day | $86 per traveler, per day | GSA FY2027 meals and incidentals (M&IE) rate for Los Angeles / Orange / Ventura counties: $86 a day. Source |
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Checked bag fees | $90 per traveler | Major US airlines charge about $35 to $50 for a first checked bag each way, so about $90 round trip. Source |
| Golf bag fees | $110 per traveler | American, Delta, United and Southwest treat a golf bag as a standard checked bag; a second bag is $55 each way. Source |
| Shipping your clubs Off by default | $108 per traveler | Ground shipping for a golf bag starts around $54 each way. Source |
| Lodging taxes | 10% of the rental home (whole group) | City of Newport Beach: short-term rentals collect a 10% transient occupancy tax. California has no state sales tax on lodging. Hotels may also add a tourism district assessment (not checked). Other cities (Irvine, Dana Point, Laguna Beach) set their own rates. Source |
| Rental car | $80 a day | KAYAK at SNA (Nov 2026): SUVs about $76 a day on average (cheapest in November at $70), large cars about $65; vans average $161 but a Chrysler Pacifica was listed at $45. $80 a day for a minivan or large SUV. Judgment call. Source |
| Pelican Hill forecaddie and tip Off by default | $120 per traveler | Pelican Hill: forecaddie $140 for 1–2 players, $210 for 3, $280 for 4; recommended gratuity $50 per player. $70 + $50 = $120 per player for one round. Source |
| Drinks on the course | $80 per traveler | Our estimate of about $20 a round for beverage-cart drinks and snacks. Judgment call. Our estimate |
| Golf balls | $55 per traveler | A dozen Titleist Pro V1 balls lists at $55. Source |
| Tips for bag drop and cart staff | $20 per traveler | A few dollars at bag drop and the turn; we use $5 a round. Judgment call. Source |
| Side bets and prizes | $50 per traveler | Our estimate for skins, team bets and a small trophy. Our estimate |
| Lessons and extras you picked Off by default | $0 for the trip | Set by the extras you pick in the tee-time planner. Our estimate |
| Travel insurance | 6% of your plan | Squaremouth says a comprehensive plan averages about 6% of the trip cost, usually 4% to 10%. Source |
| Pre-trip shopping | $60 for the trip | Our estimate for travel-size toiletries, sunscreen and small things bought before a trip. Our estimate |
| Pet boarding or sitter | $50 a day, if you check Pets | Dogster puts regular kennel boarding at about $35 to $85 a night. Overnight sitters at home cost more. Source |
For 4 golfers spending 4 nights in winter and spring season, with four rounds each, a rental home, flights and food, plan on about $11,840. Once you add golf bag fees, lodging taxes, rental car, drinks on the course, balls, tips and side bets, it's closer to $14,930, or about $3,730 each. Use the tee-time planner above to price the courses you want.
Yes. Both courses are open to the public, who can book 14 days ahead; resort guests can book tee times when they reserve their stay. Carts are included, and a forecaddie is $280 for a foursome plus a suggested $50 tip per player. Source
John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana is about 15 minutes from Newport Beach and Pelican Hill. Its average fare is about $485, a little under LAX at about $500. Long Beach (LGB) averages about $392 and is about 30 minutes away. You'll want a car either way. Source
Play late in the day and pick city courses. Black Gold in Yorba Linda drops from $182 to $110 on weekend afternoons, with super twilight at $80. San Clemente's city course is $64 on weekdays and $75 on weekends to walk, plus $20 for a cart. Source
Any month works. Highs run from about 63°F in February to 74°F in September. February is the wettest month, and September is the clearest and often the nicest. Winter and spring are the busiest season, so book early. Source