Dove Canyon at Dove Canyon Golf Club

Dove Canyon Golf Club sits in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in southern Orange County, California, approximately 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Jack Nicklaus designed the course, which opened in 1991 as the centerpiece of a private residential community. The layout occupies rolling terrain with significant elevation changes, characteristic of the foothill topography where the coastal plain meets the mountains.

The routing takes advantage of natural canyon features and ridgelines, with several holes playing across or along ravines. Fairways move through native chaparral and oak-studded hillsides, and the design incorporates strategic bunkering and water features that reflect Nicklaus's emphasis on risk-reward decision-making. Elevated tees and greens are common throughout, providing views across the development and toward the surrounding mountains.

The club operates as a private equity facility serving the Dove Canyon residential community and its members. The clubhouse and amenities support a family-oriented membership, typical of Southern California country club developments from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The course has hosted regional amateur events and qualifiers over the years, though it is not widely known outside the Southern California golf community.

Dove Canyon represents one of several Nicklaus designs in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area completed during a period of significant golf course development in the region.