Marbella at Marbella Country Club

Marbella Country Club occupies rolling hillside terrain in San Juan Capistrano, positioned in the coastal foothills of southern Orange County. The course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish during their collaborative period in the 1980s, when the partnership produced a number of residential golf communities throughout the western United States. The routing takes advantage of natural elevation changes and canyon features characteristic of the region's topography.

The design reflects Weiskopf and Morrish's approach to working with existing landforms rather than imposing dramatic reshaping. Fairways move through native vegetation zones and incorporate strategic bunkering that emphasizes placement over pure distance. Several holes play across or along natural ravines, requiring carries that vary significantly depending on tee selection. The green complexes feature moderate contouring with surrounding collection areas that test short game precision.

Marbella operates as a private country club serving a residential membership. The property includes views toward the Santa Ana Mountains and, from higher elevations on the course, glimpses of the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The club maintains traditional country club amenities including dining facilities and tennis courts alongside the golf course.

The layout provides a representative example of 1980s resort-style architecture adapted to southern California's coastal foothill environment, where designers worked to balance playability for a range of skill levels with strategic interest derived from natural terrain movement.