Dos Lagos Golf Club

Dos Lagos Golf Club is a value-oriented course located close to the 15 freeway in Corona, California. The course is named after the community adjacent to the Dos Lagos concert venue.

Dos Lagos is not the most upscale course, nor is it trying to be. The course has no driving range and is not the best clubhouse. With tempered expectations and an undeniable rate, I thought it was worth a try. This course is easily spotted off the 15, and the trail’s elevation caught my attention, driving the ultimate billboard.

The front nine requires accuracy. It is not very long, a 3039-yard par 34, and many holes do not require a driver; an iron or hybrid plays fine on several spots. The course was in decent condition for the rate, definitely playable but not the best looking with a lot of dormant Bermuda, and greens are deceivingly quick.

Dos Lagos was built by Matt Dye, nephew of famous golf architect Pete Dye, although he rebelled, and there are few notable Dye characteristics at Dos Lagos. The course stretches over 3500 yards and has three par 5s on the back. I found the back nine to be much more exciting and unique. There are stretches of holes that are wide open, narrow, risk/reward, and massive elevation changes. This course does have it all.

13-18 highlights Dos Lagos and where it starts to get interesting. 

Hole 13 is rated the 4th handicap but is played more like the most challenging hole on the course. A downhill tee shot must be straight to avoid the bunker on the left and the lake that runs up toward the green on the right. A perfect drive will still leave a fierce long iron shot that can play into a heavy breeze. The 14th hole is unique to Dos Lagos. A 614-yard dogleg left par five that plays much shorter somehow despite the green being perched up on a hill, a fun, picturesque hole.

Hole 16 is a round ruiner. A narrow tee shot with trouble everywhere means a layup is probably the best play on the 376 par 4. If you stay in space in the tee shot, you are left with a blind shot to another massive elevated two-tiered green.

The 17th hole could be considered the signature hole, a straight drop-off par three of just 152. The course finishes with a solid par five and a lake along the right side. That seems to be the formula for most golf course architects, quirky fun par four 16th hole, a short, signature, beautiful par three 17th, and then wide open par 5 with lots of water and trouble for the finishing hole. Dos Lagos executes this to perfection.

The course is a bit awkward at times on the front nine with some holes that play along a ridgeline, and what attracted me to this course was the scenic holes; they may or may not keep in better shape since they are so visible from the fairway. If true, this tactic indeed worked on me because, like others, this is how I became aware of the layout.

Overall, the rates are generally very good at Dos Lagos. While there are a few exciting holes to play, the course will not blow you away and is not something to travel for, but it is a good value, and tee times are to be found here, so it can be a viable option if you want to check out a new venue.