Birch Hills Golf Course

Birch Hills Golf Course sits in Brea, a city in northern Orange County where the coastal plain begins its rise toward the Puente Hills. The course was designed by Casey O'Callaghan with Harry and David Rainville, a collaboration that brought together O'Callaghan's Southern California design experience with the Rainvilles' work in course architecture and construction. The layout reflects the transitional topography of this part of Orange County, where modest elevation changes and natural drainage patterns shape the routing. The course serves the Brea community as a public facility, offering accessible golf in a region where land development has historically limited the number of municipal and daily-fee options. The design works within the constraints typical of urban Southern California courses, balancing playability for a wide range of golfers with enough strategic interest to reward thoughtful course management. Tree-lined fairways and conventional bunkering define the playing corridors, while the property's natural contours provide some variety in lies and approach angles. Birch Hills functions as a neighborhood course where local players return regularly, drawn by familiarity and convenience rather than championship pedigree. The facility reflects the practical realities of maintaining public golf in a densely developed area, where operational efficiency and steady play matter as much as design ambition. For golfers in northern Orange County, it represents a straightforward option for a round without the drive to more distant or exclusive venues.