When tourists think of San Diego, beaches and the zoo come to mind but golf is another economic boost to the county, injecting about $2 billion a year.
San Diego County has two of the top 100 courses in the country — the Maderas Golf Club and the Torrey Pines Golf Course.
With an estimated 15,000 golf courses around the country, being chosen among the top 100 is like receiving an Academy Award, said Bill O'Brien, who runs the Maderas Golf Club in Poway.
"I told the team it was no different than getting an Oscar for best picture," he said.
Maderas was chosen for the top-100 list, published by Golf Digest, for its service, clubhouse conditions and course.
"It's a remarkable setting and I think you see that around us, there's this harmony between the golf course and hillsides and the wildlife and habitat that I think many people find quite memorable," O'Brien said.
Outside of payroll, water is one of the most expensive costs to keeping a golf course running in drought prone California.
"We have a much smaller golf course than most," O'Brien said. "It's only about 88 irrigated acres compared to the average of 125, so we're just using less water."
