TEMECULA, Calif. – The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians chose an evocative name for its new world class golf course: Journey at Pechanga.
The name is multi-layered and resonant. The journey is not to Pechanga, but at Pechanga, reflecting the tribe’s ancient aboriginal roots in the area and its steadfast connection to the land, narratives retold in the golf course’s theme: “A world class golf course. … 10,000 years in the making.”
“This is our homeland, the place where our ancestors thrived. We wanted to pay tribute to that in every element of Journey’s construction,” said Amy Minniear, president of Pechanga Development Corporation.
Journey at Pechanga had its grand opening last November to rave reviews, both in the local press and from top trade publications, including Golf Magazine and Southland Golf Magazine.
The 7,218-yard, 18-hole public golf course is set on the side of a mountain in the foothills of the Pechanga Indian Reservation in Temecula, Calif. The course wends its way over a rolling landscape with spectacular vistas and natural elements, such as waterways, rocks, canyons, ravines and magnificent old oak trees. The course rises 300 feet over the span of its 18 holes.
The award-winning and appropriately named golf course architects Arthur Hills and Steve Forrest designed the course with environmental sensitivity and the goal of honoring the tribe’s historic lands and cultural traditions.
The tribe’s name, Pechanga, (pe-CHONG-ah) literally means “place where the water drips.” The course’s name comes from the Luiseño word pomniv, meaning “the path that was once traveled.” Each hole bears a Luiseño name, and the course grounds host cultural exhibits that chronicle the history of the Pechanga people.
“I don’t know if we’ve ever designed a course that has a name more fitting than Journey at Pechanga,” Hills said in a video clip at the course’s Web site, www.journeyatpechanga.com.
The site is packed with information, images and sounds, including a virtual tour of the course with detailed descriptions of each hole and tips on how to play it.
“The Beginning Place” Chuxí´vonga (Cho-HEE-von-ga), is a 520-yard opening hole; the Web site offers this information about it:
“With the normally dry Pechanga Creek paralleling the hole’s right side, players will want to favor the left portion of the fairway with their drives. A successful second shot avoids a solitary oak on the right and flirts with a pair of strategically-placed bunkers on the left. From the bunker zone, only a wedge is required to carry the arroyo that guards the front and right sides of the moderately contoured green. A birdie is a realistic possibility, but don’t become overly confident. The journey has just begun!”
Hole 2 – the Bobcat Túukut (TWO-koot), “is a beast of a par-4 at 483 yards, although the hole is essentially straight, there are decisions to be made along the way.”
Just like life itself, and the decisions that were made by or imposed on the Pechanga people.
“Throughout our rich history, our ancestors endured floods, fires, droughts, economic scarcity, disease and invasions, struggling to survive to ensure a better life for future generations,” Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro said. “And now a new day has dawned. We give thanks for the return of an economic foundation upon which we can build and plan a better life for our people drawing on our traditions of self sufficiency and lasting progress.”
The Journey at Pechanga is the tribe’s latest economic development project. The golf course has a number of unique aspects.
Corey Pavin, U.S. Open Champion, three-time Ryder Cup team member and UCLA Bruin, is Journey at Pechanga’s “ambassador,” representing the course to the world. Journey is so appealing, Pavin said, because its design accommodates a range of players’ abilities.
“It’s a beautiful golf course with multiple teeing grounds on each hole to create a stringent challenge for the best golfers or a relaxed atmosphere for the average player. On my first visit, I felt that the flow of the golf course and the variety of holes would make for a very enjoyable round of golf.”
The course has a foolproof method for not getting lost: Each cart is equipped with state-of-the-art GPS. Wi-fi based, two-way communication allows golfers to order food from the cart. The GPS displays yardages and hole layout along with audio recordings featuring cultural points of interest on the course and golf tips by Pavin. There is even the ability to have real-time scoring for tournaments.
Journey’s Pro Shop is a 2,800-square-foot area with the latest equipment, technology and accessories from Taylormade, Titleist, Callaway, Cleveland and other equipment companies, as well as the latest styles in men’s and women’s golf wear. Pro Shop visitors are encouraged to hang out; the shop has overstuffed chairs, six plasma screen TVs, and a dazzling view of the golf course.
And then there is the clubhouse – a dramatic 62,000-square-foot building that rises three levels and includes a cascading 30-foot waterfall inside the oversized lobby doors, views of the course from every angle, a large deck and the signature restaurant Journey’s End. The clubhouse is available for weddings, banquets and special events.
Journey to Pechanga is the latest addition to the tribe’s Pechanga Resort & Casino. The $262 million complex opened in June 2002 and is the largest gaming resort in the state with more than 4,000 slots and video machines, more than 200 table games and a High Limit Salon. The facility has a 1,200-seat bingo hall, a 515,000-square-foot, 14-story, 522-room hotel, a 38,800-square-foot convention center, 1,200-seat showroom, 200-seat cabaret lounge and seven restaurants.
The tribe’s resort casino and other economic development efforts employ more than 5,000 people. The casino contributes more than $30 million a year to the state.
