Golf in Santa Nella

Santa Nella is a small community in Merced County at the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley, near the Interstate 5 and State Route 152 interchange. The community functions primarily as a highway services stop for travelers on the I-5 corridor between the Bay Area and Southern California, with fuel, food, and lodging for through-traffic. Santa Nella is positioned at the edge of the valley floor where the terrain begins to rise toward the Diablo Range to the west. The O'Neill Forebay, part of the California Aqueduct system, is nearby and serves as a transfer point between Northern and Southern California water deliveries. The surrounding land is sparse and semi-arid at this western end of the San Joaquin Valley. Santa Nella has a small permanent resident population, with commercial activity tied almost entirely to the interstate interchange and the state water infrastructure in the immediate area.