Historic La Costa ready to debut renovated Legends course
The La Costa resort outside San Diego has completed the renovation of its south course, now renamed the Legends course. Following the renovation of the resort’s Champions course two years ago, La Costa is back to 36 holes.
Like the Champions course project, the Legends renovation was led by Damian Pascuzzo of design firm Pascuzzo & Pate, along with fellow golf architect Jeff Brauer. The new-look course made its official bow in a ceremony on 10 November, and will be open for public play from 17 November.
The original routing, by architect Dick Wilson, of the former south course, remains intact, but the renovation included the complete reconstruction and redesign of all eighteen greens, as well as resurfacing tee complexes, all-new bunkering, and the planting of paspalum grass in the fairways.
“The Legends gives golfers a completely different type of golf course to play at La Costa,” said Damian Pascuzzo. “It’s fun and interesting, with different visuals and some subtle nuances, especially around the greens. Golfers will really be challenged to use their imaginations.”
The course’s greens have been redesigned and enlarged so they now average 5,000 square feet. Four greens – the first, second, fifteenth and seventeenth – have been relocated. All bunkers have been redesigned and reconstructed, as well as reduced in number. In contrast to the Champions course, the bunkers on the Legends are shallower, with lower faces and are less visible by design, although a few deeper bunkers are featured around the greens. Fairway expansion is most notable at the par four fifteenth, where the landing area on the sharp dogleg left was expanded 16 yards to the right and the cart path rerouted.