SOUTHLAND FOCUS

A weekly look at golf courses open to the public in Southern California.

SCHOLL CANYON GOLF COURSE

Address: 3800 E. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale.

Green fees: $12-$16.

Tee times: One week in advance. Phone: (818) 243-4100.

The facility: One of the best places in Southern California to watch the sun rise. High in the Verdugo hills between Glendale and Pasadena, the views toward downtown Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains--sometimes even Catalina Island--are magnificent. Set on a 40-acre hillside landfill, the executive-type layout was stretched from nine holes to 18 in 1994. The greens are smooth and true but putts still break toward Glendale. Lighted driving range.

The good: You can tee off at 6:30 a.m., play 18 holes and still be at the office before the boss. It’s also nice for your ego--if you hit the ball straight. For anyone 65 or older, it’s a great place to shoot your age--you don’t have to tell anyone it’s only a par 60.

The bad: The longest hole is 289 yards and of the 12 par threes, six are 110 yards or less. It’s a tough walk, with a 550-foot difference in elevation, but an elevator between the 11th green and the 12th tee helps.

The score: A nice place to work on your short game. Nos. 13-15 offer some daunting shots. No. 13, a 289-yard dogleg par four, curls around a deep ball-catching ravine. No. 14 is only 108 yards, but 100 of them are over a chasm. And the fairway on No. 15, a 252-yard par four, is the width of a shoe box from an elevated tee, with a severe drop-off down the right side.

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Overall course rating: 2 balls.

* One ball: Like an X on the scorecard.

** Two balls: Worth an occasional round.

*** Three balls: Like shooting four strokes under your handicap.

**** Four balls: Where the Publinx Golf Gods play.

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Hole Back Tees M/W Par Front Tees 1 259 4/4 233 2 103 3/3 83 3 324 4/4 294 4 122 3/3 84 5 167 3/3 126 6 127 3/3 101 7 83 3/3 61 8 140 3/3 107 9 262 4/4 228 Out 1,587 30/306 1,317 10 253 4/4 231 11 89 3/3 64 12 145 3/3 78 13 289 4/4 218 14 108 3/3 64 15 252 4/4 206 16 87 3/3 49 17 125 3/3 81 18 104 3/3 92 In 1,452 30/30 1,083 Total 3,039 60/60 2,400

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Rating/Slope: Back--56.6/81. Front--No rating.