I was quite surprised when I first learned that there was a golf course like this in Riverside.

It's called Oak Quarry Golf Club. A quarry is a place where stone is extracted.

This golf course is truly built on the terrain of an old quarry, making the scenery completely different from typical Southern California golf courses.

If you enjoy golf in Riverside, this is definitely a place worth visiting.

https://www.oakquarry.com

The location is right next to Jurupa Valley, so you can expect about a 10 to 20-minute drive from downtown Riverside. Upon entering the golf course, the first thing that catches your eye is the massive rock cliffs. This is not a typical golf course with flat land and planted trees; it utilizes the existing quarry and rock formations throughout the course.

It features an 18-hole par 72 championship course, and the difficulty varies significantly depending on where you tee off. If you play from the back tees, it approaches 7,000 yards, so it's not an easy course. There are elevation changes on the fairways, and you need to be mindful of bunkers, water hazards, and rock walls. There are even holes where if you hit a bad drive, you might as well give up on finding your ball.

One particularly famous hole is the 14th hole. It's a par 3 that plays against the backdrop of the quarry cliffs and water, and it often appears in photos introducing Oak Quarry. When you actually visit, it feels much more grand than in pictures. Even if you don't hit the ball well, you'll want to take a photo here.

The green fees vary significantly depending on the date and time. Oak Quarry does not operate on a fixed price; instead, the rates change based on weekdays or weekends, morning or afternoon, and reservation availability.

Generally, when booking online, you can find tee times in the range of $50 to $70 during weekday discount hours, while popular morning times or weekends may require $80 to $100 or more. During peak times or high demand, prices can go up, so it's best to check the final price when making a reservation. You should also confirm whether the cart is included in the tee time conditions.

So, it's not a very cheap local golf course. However, considering the course's scenery and maintenance, I think it's a public course worth experiencing in Southern California. When you think about the cost of booking a similarly renowned course in LA or Orange County during good weekend times, enjoying this level of scenery in Riverside is definitely a plus.

There are other options around Riverside as well. There are public courses like Indian Hills Golf Club that are a bit more accessible, and if you expand your search to the Inland Empire, there are quite a few golf courses available. So, for golf enthusiasts, living in Riverside is surprisingly good.

But if I had to recommend just one place, I would suggest starting with Oak Quarry. It's better to go with the mindset of enjoying a fun round while taking in the scenery rather than just focusing on scoring well.

Standing on the tee box while looking at the cliffs, you might wonder, "Is this really where I'm playing golf near Riverside?"

Even if you send a ball under a rock, it will be a memorable experience. It's a great place to take a friend who loves golf when they visit Riverside.