Growing up in Southern California’s Inland Empire, Orange County beaches were just an hour’s drive away, and I spent the entirety of my youth making day trips to Newport Beach as often as I could on the weekends, and looking forward to our annual week-long stay as a family during the summer.

My dad and I always liked to tee it up once or twice during these vacations, but bargain golf is hard to find in Orange County. And an affordable tee time with a view of the ocean? Rarer still! That’s why my first visit to Coronado Golf Course — a muni nearly 100 miles south of Newport — was so affecting.

My family had gathered in San Diego for birthday celebration, and we were all looking forward to testing out a new area’s muni scene. The top course course on the docket: Coronado — a local treasure that opened in 1957.

For anyone who hasn’t been, visiting the island of Coronado is an experience in itself. To get there, you cross San Diego Bay via the Coronado Bridge, a gorgeous 2.1 mile journey. You can enjoy panoramic views of the water, downtown San Diego and the nearby U.S. naval base.

The island is beautiful and quaint, and the course is wonderfully unpretentious. It offers a stern test, too. Though it’s only 6,590 yards from the tips on the scorecard, the rating tells you all you need to know: 78.5/138 (!).

Water views are abundant at Coronado, particularly on holes 3, 4 and 5, and the memorable closing stretch of 16, 17 (a beastly 437-yard par-4) and 18, all of which play directly alongside the bay.

I was totally charmed Coronado’s easy walkability and the frequent plane and helicopter sightings from the nearby naval base. My entire family had a blast. There are few things sweeter than a late-afternoon tee time at a course by the water. And the best part, of course, is the price. Green fees range from $44-$83, with a $25 booking fee tacked on for visitors hoping to make a tee time up to 14 days in advance. That’s a smokin’ deal in my book. I can’t wait to go back.

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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.