You would need to play a game of golf every day for 8.2 years to cover the estimated 3,000 courses in California. You would spend over a year playing sunny Southern California, and a lot of your attention would be focused on the fine courses of San Diego, like Torrey Pines where the Buick Invitational has been held since 1968, and Steele Canyon, which was designed by Gary Player.
The Coachella Valley would likely be the next major stop on your California golfing marathon. The Coachella Valley is home to the cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta and over 130 legendary courses. There are a few 18-hole courses in the desert, and also some mega-courses like PGA Stadium West in La Quinta that embodies 6 distinct courses, three of which are open to the public.
As you head north you may want to stop for a few strokes at Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California, near Buena Park and Anaheim. That’s where Tiger Woods learned the game from his father Earl, and the course is now open to the public.
In the Los Angeles area, you will encounter many interesting golfing sites, from the four public courses in Griffith Park to the rarified atmosphere of the exclusive Bel Air Country Club.
The next major stop along on your adventure will be Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey County. It’s not that there are no interesting courses between Los Angeles and Monterey, but everyone admits that the Pebble Beach course, overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the holy grail of golf. It is often rated the #1 public course in America. Jack Nicklaus once said, “If I only had one more round of golf to play, I’d play it at Pebble Beach.” It costs $495 a round, but people who play there don’t complain.
There is no shortage of great golf courses in Northern California, but a few are special favorites of golf enthusiasts. In San Jose, it’s Coyote Creek Golf Club which features two 18-hole 72 par courses designed by Jack Nicklaus. In San Francisco, the Harding Park Golf Club is rated the second best municipal course in the state. Travel out toward the High Sierras, and you’ll find the Winchester Country Club in Meadow Vista. It was designed by Robert Trent Jones and his son, and has breathtaking fairways and mountain views.
Top 10 California Golf Courses