Cross Creek at Cross Creek Golf Club

Cross Creek Golf Club occupies rolling terrain in Temecula wine country, roughly an hour north of San Diego in Southern California's Inland Empire. Arthur Hills designed the course in the late 1990s during a period of significant residential and resort development in the region. The layout takes advantage of natural elevation changes and incorporates native chaparral vegetation, oak trees, and seasonal creek corridors that give the course its name. Hills, known for strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward precision, shaped a design that balances risk-reward opportunities with playability for a range of skill levels.

The routing moves through varied topography, with several holes playing uphill or downhill and others crossing or running alongside drainage areas. Fairways are generally generous, but approach shots demand accuracy to greens that feature subtle breaks and are protected by bunkers positioned to challenge both aggressive and conservative lines. Water comes into play on select holes, typically in natural swales rather than constructed lakes. Views extend across the surrounding hills and vineyards, particularly from elevated tee boxes on the back nine.

Cross Creek serves a local membership and daily-fee play, reflecting Temecula's growth as a golf destination complementing its wine tourism. The course hosts regional amateur events and remains a representative example of Hills's work in Southern California, where he designed several courses during the 1990s expansion of golf in the state's inland valleys.