Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club (North & South Course)

Nestled in the heart of Orange County, California, Coto de Caza Golf Club exemplifies RTJ II's philosophy of harmonizing strategic golf design with natural terrain. The 36-hole facility features two distinct championship courses that maximize the dramatic topography of Southern California's rolling hills while maintaining environmental sensitivity.

For Developers and Investors: Coto de Caza demonstrates our approach to creating premium golf experiences that enhance residential community value. This project showcases how thoughtful design can differentiate a development while addressing practical requirements.

Design Vision 

The challenge presented at Coto de Caza was to create two distinct golfing experiences that would:

• Integrate seamlessly with the residential community
• Preserve and enhance the natural landscape
• Provide strategic diversity between the two courses
• Utilize the dramatic elevation changes and native vegetation

Development Planning Perspective: Our design approach at Coto de Caza illustrates how master planning can create distinct recreational assets within a single development. By crafting complementary but different golf experiences, we enhanced the overall community appeal while maximizing the marketable attributes of the natural terrain.

The North Course 

The North Course demonstrates our commitment to strategic complexity through:

• Dramatic elevation changes that demand thoughtful club selection
• Wide, undulating fairways offering multiple playing angles
• Multi-tiered greens protected by artistic bunkering
• Strategic water features that enhance both challenge and aesthetics

Signature Design Elements: The par-5 1st hole exemplifies our design philosophy, featuring a sweeping dogleg left where players must navigate a narrow landing area flanked by mature trees. The elevated green complex, guarded by a series of bunkers and water hazard, creates a risk-reward scenario that engages golfers from their very first shot.

Residential Integration Approach: The North Course design incorporates strategic routing that optimizes residential lot placement and views. The generous fairway corridors allow for comfortable home setbacks while creating premium viewsheds that enhance property values throughout the development.

The South Course 

The South Course represents a different design approach, emphasizing:

• Precision over power through narrower corridors
• Natural ravines integrated as strategic hazards
• Intimate green settings requiring finesse
• Indigenous vegetation framing each hole

Design Innovation: The par-4 8th hole showcases our ability to maximize natural terrain. Playing through dramatic elevation changes, the hole requires a precise tee shot between two ridges before challenging players with an approach to an elevated green complex, protected by strategic bunkering and a natural ravine.

Terrain Utilization Strategy: Our South Course design demonstrates how challenging topography can be transformed into distinctive golf features that create memorable experiences. This approach minimizes costly earthmoving operations while creating signature moments that become marketable assets for the development.

Environmental Integration 

Both courses demonstrate RTJ II's commitment to environmental stewardship through:

• Preservation of native oak woodlands
• Integration of natural watershed patterns
• Minimal earthmoving to maintain natural contours
• Strategic use of drought-resistant vegetation

Sustainability Approach: Our environmental design philosophy focuses on respecting existing natural systems while creating distinctive playing environments. At Coto de Caza, this included preserving native vegetation and working with the natural topography.

Development Design Philosophy

Our work at courses like Coto de Caza reflects our collaborative process with developers and stakeholders. Our design philosophy includes consideration of:

• Residential planning to maximize property values and views
• Environmental considerations for sustainable development
• Community integration to ensure alignment with overall project goals

We understand the importance of phased implementation that allows for strategic capital deployment while enabling revenue generation from completed sections.