Pala Mesa is north of San Diego off the Escondido Freeway at exit 46 on the west side.

The golf course is a narrow layout traversing oak, sycamore, and elm tree-lined, hilly fairways through a canyon and bordering a residential development. It's somewhat target-style golf negotiating the narrow fairways, doglegs, water features, and sand bunkers with modest, oval, or kidney-shaped greens as targets. The layout was designed by William Johnson in the early 1960s and from the tips is a 6,502 yards, 71.8/128, course/slope ratings with three shorter tees.