The luxury Park Hyatt Aviara Resort overlooks the stunning Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Reserve, and its Arnold Palmer–designed golf course, which dates to the late 1980s, is the focal point of a 200-acre residential area.

The par-72 course is set on rugged terrain surrounded by deep ravines. It stretches to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees and includes a variety of man-made water features that provide much of the strategic challenge of the layout.

On the front nine, two par fives stand out: the 543-yard dogleg 5th and the downhill 536-yard 8th, which plays to a pond-protected green. The 158-yard 6th hole, where tee shots must carry a gaping gorge to reach a two-tiered putting surface, is also an excellent short-range test. The round comes to a close next to the lagoon, with the 443-yard finishing hole bordered on the right by a shallow lake and a pair of small waterfalls near the greensite.