Kia Classic

The Batiquitos Lagoon is a coastal wetland and estuary located between southern Carlsbad and Encinitas, in the North County region of San Diego County, California. The lagoon itself consists of 610 acres with a drainage basin of about 55,000 acres. Its primary freshwater tributaries being San Marcos Creek from the east and Encinitas Creek which flows north along Green Valley, entering the lagoon under El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue, respectively. It is one of the few remaining tidal wetlands on the southern California coast.

The Park Hyatt Resort Aviara, officially the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa, is a five-diamond luxury hotel and resort in Carlsbad, California, United States. It is located in the Aviara neighborhood of Carlsbad and is situated above the Batiquitos Lagoon. The resort opened on June 21, 2010 and features several pools, meeting rooms and ballrooms, restaurants, a spa, and a golf course. Prior to opening under the Park Hyatt name, it was part of the Toronto-based Four Seasons chain of luxury hotels and resorts.

Aviara is a resort neighborhood in the southern part of Carlsbad, located in San Diego County, California. The community is approximately 30 minutes from downtown San Diego. In 1989, the community was developed and later incorporated into the city of Carlsbad. As of 2005, it had a total population of 5,050.The community is set in the hills of southern Carlsbad, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Batiquitos Lagoon. Aviara is just north of the city of Encinitas and west of the neighborhood of La Costa, also located in Carlsbad. The community is mostly residential except for the Park Hyatt Resort and Aviara Golf and Country Club. In the annual Forbes magazine ranking of "Most Expensive Zip Codes" in the U.S., Aviara's 92011 ZIP Code ranked among some of the most expensive in the nation. Many properties have views of the ocean, Batiquitos Lagoon, and Aviara golf course. The community is noted for its lush landscaping, gated communities, and abundance of jacaranda trees that frame many of the streets. During 2008, Aviara was the only community in San Diego County not affected by the housing crisis. To preserve quality of life, the community council has numerous stringent ordinances, including laws against dead lawns, architectural styles, permanent basketball hoops and courts, satellite dishes and exterior paint colors. It is also a violation to leave trashcans on the street or in public view. With the exception of one community, Mirabella, multi-family housing is not permitted.The community received some media attention in 2004 when a resident was arrested for defrauding an estimated $191 million from elderly people across the United States. Larre Jaye Schlarmann and three others were each ordered held on $144 million bail. In 2005 Schlarmann entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to money laundering and elder abuse.Well-known residents of the area include members of the Pulitzer family.

The Santiago Formation is a geologic formation in Orange and northwestern San Diego County, California. The siltstones, mudstones and sandstones of the formation preserve fossils of Walshina esmaraldensis and Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae, dating back to the Late Eocene to Late Oligocene periods (Uintan to Duchesnean in the NALMA classification).

The 2004 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 25–29, 2004 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the sixth WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the first of four World Golf Championships events held in 2004. Tiger Woods won his eighth World Golf Championships event, and his second match play back-to-back, by defeating Davis Love III 3 and 2 in the 36 hole final.

The 2005 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 24–27, 2005 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the seventh WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the first of four World Golf Championships events held in 2005. The Championship was due to start on Wednesday February 23 but was delayed by a day because of wet conditions. The first round was played on February 24, while both the second and third rounds were played on February 25.David Toms won his first World Golf Championships event by defeating Chris DiMarco 6 and 5 in the 36 hole final.

The Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is a luxury destination resort hotel opened in 1965, located in Carlsbad, California and is owned by Omni Hotels & Resorts, based out of Dallas, Texas. The resort is located in the San Diego area hills and is known for its golf courses and hosts professional golf and tennis tournaments. Tournaments at La Costa were hosted starting in the late 1960s, including many PGA Tour events and tennis events such as the Southern California Open. Currently the resort is home to events such as World Team Tennis and the California State Amateur Championship. Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and has hosted the La Costa Film Festival.

The 2002 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 20–24, 2002 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the fourth WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the first of four World Golf Championships events held in 2002. Kevin Sutherland won his first and only World Golf Championships event by defeating Scott McCarron 1 up in the 36 hole final. It was also the only PGA Tour win for Sutherland.

The 1999 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 24–28, 1999 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the first WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship and the first of three World Golf Championships events held in 1999. Jeff Maggert won his first World Golf Championships event at the match-play, by defeating Andrew Magee on the 38th hole in the 36 hole final that went extra holes.

The 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 23–27, 2000 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the second WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship and the first of four World Golf Championships events held in 2000. Darren Clarke won his first World Golf Championships event at the match-play, by defeating Tiger Woods 4 & 3 in the 36 hole final.

The 2006 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 22–26, 2006 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the eighth WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the first of four World Golf Championships events held in 2006. It was the final time the event would be hosted at La Costa. Geoff Ogilvy, the 12th seed, won his first World Golf Championships event by defeating Davis Love III 3 and 2 in the 36 hole final. He set a record by playing a total of 129 holes during the tournament, the most by anyone in the eight-year history of the event, which included four consecutive overtime matches at the start of the week. The total prize fund for the championship was $7.5 million, of which Ogilvy's share was $1.3 million. Tiger Woods set the record for largest victory margin with a 9 and 8 win over Stephen Ames in the first round. Some interpreted Woods' performance as payback for Ames' comments earlier in the week in which he told the Associated Press, "anything can happen, especially where he's hitting it."

The 2003 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship was a golf tournament that was played from February 26 to March 2, 2003 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was the fifth WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the first of four World Golf Championships events held in 2003. Tiger Woods won his sixth World Golf Championships event, and his first ever match play victory, by defeating David Toms 2 and 1 in the 36 hole final.