Rams HIll Golf Club

Scott Kramer

Having lived in Southern California for so many years, I’ve had the opportunity to play almost every golf course from Los Angeles to the Mexico border. Recently, I realized that there was only one public course in San Diego County that I’d never experienced: the highly acclaimed Rams Hill Golf Club in Borrego Springs. And as of this week, I’ve checked off that box.

After making the two-hour zigzagging drive through the mountains from the coast, I arrived on property in time to hit a few warm-up balls on the range. I was warned up front that this desert-style course was susceptible to windy conditions. And it did not disappoint. Just on the range, gusts were well beyond 20 miles per hour. And that carried right onto the course. My friend commented somewhere along the back nine that it seemed like the wind was always in our face – playing to about three clubs in some cases. Mostly, it seemed to be swirling like in the old Candlestick Park. But there were two or three instances where it was at our back, too.

Aside from the wind, this golf course is known for several things. One: it’s always in amazing condition. And this day, it was in pretty decent shape. The lush green fairways and greens were fantastic. Sure, like any course it had a few areas where the grass had burned out. But nothing too bad. We thought the condition was right up there among the best in the area right now.

Another thing Rams Hill has a reputation for is being challenging. And I thought it was, but not overly. Not sure how it was originally back when it opened in 1983 as a 27-hole layout designed by Ted Robinson Sr. But in 2007, it was completely redesigned and transformed into an 18-hole course by Tom Fazio in 2007 before being closed, restored and reopened in 2014. Now, many the fairways and large greens are contoured back towards the middle – like on most Fazio-designed courses – and that not only makes it more playable but also creates the opportunity for faster play. And easier to score on. I also loved that we were able to finish in just under four hours, despite playing behind a couple of slow groups.

After playing here, I can see that there are other valid reasons this course was ranked No. 91 on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses (2023-2024) and 93 on Golf.com’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play for 2024-2025. For one, it’s a lot of fun. There’s a wonderful mixture of holes. Not once did I feel anything was unfair. The greens rolled true, there were no crazy bounces, and there were lots of rewards for hitting it well. Several greens had amphitheatre-style backs to them, too, bringing long shots back toward the pin. Loved that. The fairways were generously wide, especially in the landing areas. Bunkers were well placed but not too difficult. The service was friendly. And the views were panoramic. I was honestly expecting a flat course but this had some gradual elevation changes that made for amazing views.

And at the Rams Shack, a snack bar you encounter twice during your round, they hand out free freshly made chicken and pork tacos that are nothing short of outstanding. After your round, they give you a fresh apple-caramel cookie as you leave the 18th green. What’s not to like.

Next time I come up this way – and I will – I’ll likely make it part of an overnight trip. And after all these years, I feel like I actually did save one of the best for last on my list.