Pala Mesa, California

Pala Mesa is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California, United States. The community is at the junction of Interstate 15 and California State Route 76, 11.1 miles (17.9 km) south of Temecula.^[2] It sits adjacent to the town of Fallbrook.

Pala Mesa, California
Unincorporated community
Pala Mesa Show map of California Pala Mesa Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 33°19′56″N 117°09′49″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Diego
Elevation	108 m (354 ft)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)	760/442
GNIS feature ID	1661175[1]

History

Pala Mesa was founded in 1955 as a 686-acre (278 ha) development for ranch sites ranging from 15 to 50 acres (6.1 to 20.2 ha). It was advertised in association with nearby Fallbrook.^[3] Construction on the Pala Mesa Golf Course, which sits in the northwestern corner of the Pala Mesa area adjacent to the former U.S. Route 395 and the current Interstate 15, began construction in March 1961.^[4] The course opened in 1963.^[5]

Pala Mesa Village, a neighborhood of smaller homes near the I-15 and SR-76 interchange, was approved for construction in July 1963. The County Planning Commission attempted to block the construction of the neighborhood because some of the lots were smaller than 6,000 square feet (560 m²), the minimum size for a lot per the local ordinance. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors rejected the notion.^[6] The developers began selling homes in the community in October 1965 and the adobe brick homes were advertised as "America's first adobe community."^[7]

In July 1964, professional golfer Shirley Englehorn golfed at the Pala Mesa Golf Course and set a new record for the course with a four-under-par.^[8] The course became the home of the Palomar College men's golf team in 1965.^[9]

References

1. "Pala Mesa". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. California Department of Transportation (2005). State Highway Map 2005 (Map). Retrieved June 7, 2019 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
3. "New Ranch Tract Opened at Fallbrook". Escondido, California: Times-Advocate. May 23, 1955. p. 4. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
4. "County News Briefs". Chula Vista, California: Chula Vista Star-News. March 16, 1961. p. 3. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
5. "Larry Weir". Escondido, California: Times-Advocate. November 26, 1963. p. 4. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
6. "Supervisors Approve Tentative Map of Pala Mesa Village". Escondido, California: Times-Advocate. p. 15. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
7. "Pala Mesa Village Readies First Homes for Residents". Escondido, California: Times-Advocate. October 11, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
8. "Shirley Englehorn Sets Course Mark at Pala Mesa". Escondido, California: Times-Advocate. July 9, 1964. p. 14. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
9. Cordry, George (January 18, 1965). "Stars at Chapman". Escondido, California: Times-Advocate. p. 10. Retrieved February 22, 2022.