With internationally renowned public access courses like Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, PGA West,  Torrey Pines it is not hard to imagine why many consider California to be the world’s greatest golf destination. With hundreds of breathtaking public access facilities and resorts, start planning your next California golfing adventure today.

Join us for a sweeping tour of California Golf’s hidden treasures.

According to the National Golf Federation, at the end of 2005, California had 172 municipal courses, more than any other state, while more than 420 clubs allowed visiting golfers to pay a daily fee and play.  From the mountains to the beach to the desert, each region in California boasts their own unique golf experience. Below are just a few highlights of what California has to offer:

High Sierra (Lake Tahoe area)

For the ultimate in mountain golf, the Lake Tahoe area stretching north, south, east, and west all the way to Reno, provides golfers with spectacular fairways and greens. Golf season runs May through October. The High Sierra Golf Group has information on 20 courses within an hour drive of Lake Tahoe. The Northstar at Tahoe is popular with golfers, hikers, mountainbikers, and those who want to enjoy luxurious accommodations.

Gold Country (Sacramento area)

With a reputation as the best golf value in California, the Golf Country offers an abundance of golf at a reasonable price. Placer County is home to a handful of the area’s top-rated courses.

North Coast (Napa/Sonoma County)

Travellers flock to the North Coast for the wine but they stay for the golf. The prime golf season within the North Coast is spring through fall, although winter golf is very possible. Along the coast you will find Links at Bodega Harbour, a coastal layout with picturesque ocean views on nearly every hole. For the golfer wanting to enjoy wine tasting, Napa Golf, Foxtail Golf Club, and EagleVines are in the heart of the wine country.

San Francisco Bay area

Quality, Variety and Value sum up the Bay Area gold scene. Prime golf season runs March through November, but golf is played here year round. With over 100 courses within a 1 ½  hour drive of San Francisco, you are always within reach of a pristine fairway. To the south of San Francisco you will find Crystal Springs, a fun track, just twenty minutes south of the city. Head southwest a little further, you will find Half Moon Bay Golf Links, two spectacular eighteen-hole courses set against the Pacific Ocean. Continue south and you will discover The Ranch, a stout test of golf with greens that require nerves of steel. In the Livermore Valley, the Wente Golf Club and Poppy Ridge Golf Club both combine quality golf among the rolling hills and vineyards.

Central Coast

The reputation of California’s most famous golf destination was built on the backs of courses like Pebble Beach GL, but there are several other legendary courses in and around the Monterey Coast that deserve mention. South of San Jose is Eagle Ridge Golf Club, a Johnny Miller design set against the Gilroy Hills. Driving north of Monterey to Santa Cruz, a must play is Pasatiempo Golf Club. An Alister MacKenzie masterpiece, Pasatiempo is always among the top 100 courses in the U.S. Within a 15-minute drive of Pebble Beach is Bayonet/Black Horse Golf Course, a former military academy facility, that harbours two of the most demanding courses in all of Northern California. Finally within Pebble Beach, don’t miss Poppy Hills Golf Club, home of the Northern California Golf Association, and one of the host courses to the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.   

Central Valley

Famous for its agriculture and outdoor activities, the Central Valley is home to some of the more unique and reasonably priced courses in the state. This region stretches a swath through northern and southern California. Although golf can be played year round in most of the northern central valley, some of the courses are spring through autumn only. In the south, golf is played year round. Near the top of the central valley, close to the Bay Area, you will find two excellent courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazan, at Diablo Grande Country Club. In the Fresno area, explore Riverside Golf Course and Brighton Crest Golf and Country Club for a great golfing experience.

Inland Empire

Great golf, great weather, at a reasonable price, is what makes the Inland Empire the rising star in the California golf scene. Oak Quarry Golf Club one of the most visually stunning layouts anywhere is not one to miss for any golfer. The PGA of Southern California hold two magnificent courses which are carved into the canyons with a terrific routing and excellent greens make this one of the most talked about courses in Southern California.

Orange County

Where Disneyland meets the Ocean. Peak golf season is year round. Known to have the best conditioned golf courses in the state, Orange County is a popular golf destination for travellers and business people. The Orange County Golf Coast is a one-stop shop for all your golf and travel needs.

San Diego

A golfer’s paradise, with over 100 courses in the area, San Diego’s golf season is year round. The Singing Hills Country Club at Sycaun offers championship golf, PGA/LPGA instruction for all ages, special events facilities and shuttle service to San Diego’s finest game and entertainment centre. The courses and attractions are endless in San Diego and to help you sort through the possibilities check out www.sandiego.org for your next golf outing, meeting or vacation.

Desert (Palm Springs Resort area)

A heaven for golfers looking to take refuge from winter playing conditions, the Desert area contains over 100 golf courses, and over half which are open to the public. If you can stand the heat, get onto the fairways. Although winter months are the peak season, in the summer months, the desert is hot with deals on some of their most famous courses. Two of the anchors in the desert golf resort scene are the The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa and La Quinta Resort and Club. The Mission Hills Resort and Spa combines championship golf with a world-class spa, accommodations and 75,000 sq. feet of meeting space, while La Quinta Resort and Club is a legendary hideaway and meeting destination, renowned since 1926 for its charm and serenity. La Quinta Resort & Club features 90 holes of some of the country’s best golf. 

Mountain Masterpieces - Alpine Vistas, Fresh Mountain Air and Invigorating Golf

Known worldwide as winter wonderland, golfers now soak up the summer sun playing golf in the High Sierras.

    • Coyote Moon Golf Club - The fairways are generous, but miss the greens and even the low handicapper will be howling at the site of their scorecard.
    • Sierra Star Golf Course - At the highest elevation course in California (8,000 feet), you are just as likely to encounter a bear, as you are a birdie.
    • The Golf Club at Whitehawk Ranch - Streams flow through cedars, pines, and quaking aspens – such a peaceful setting for a stout test of your skills.

Ocean Views - Wild, Beautiful and Unpredictable

Golfers must remember three things when teeing it up along the rugged California coast: bring your nerves, a few extra Pro-Vs and of-course, your camera.

    • Bodega Harbour Golf Links - North of San Francisco, mogul madness on the front nine unites with a meadow masterpiece on the back. Affordable, unforgettable, and scenic.
    • Half Moon Bay Golf Links - South of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay offers two distinct courses in one spectacular setting.
    • The Links at Spanish Bay - A pure links style course with wicked ocean views, Spanish Bay is a must play on your ultimate Pebble Beach golf vacation.
    • Trump National - Los Angeles - A $250 million dollar Pete Dye coastal tour de force combined with opulence only “The Donald” can deliver.

All Points In-Between - Escaping the Ordinary

Chances are, anywhere you find yourself in California, exceptional golf courses await.

    • Pasatiempo Golf Club - In Santa Cruz, this perennial member of Golfweek’s Best Top 100 golf courses was the last home to the famed Alister Mackenzie, the course’s designer.
    • The Course at Wente Vineyards - East of San Francisco and home to the Nationwide Tour Wine Country Championship, golfers can step off the 18th green and into the tasting room.

Resort Escapes - Chill Out with Exhilarating Golf

Resorts are for relaxing but in California the resorts courses will knock your flip-flops off.

    • Four Seasons Aviara - Considered one of Arnold Palmer’s finest and San Diego’s best, Aviara is a notorious getaway for the Hollywood elite.
    • Little River Inn Golf Club - The perfect couple’s golf retreat — a little golf, a little food and an abundance of romance.
    • Ojai Valley Inn and Spa - Historic golf course meets refreshing world-class spa. A definitive cure for the golfer and/or spouse in need of a little rest and relaxation.