The Best Golf Courses in California

Some of the world’s best golf courses are located in sunny California. With over 1,100 premier golf courses to choose from, planning your next golf vacation in the Golden State can be an exciting and somewhat time-consuming experience. To help get you started, here’s a list of four of the best golf courses in California organized according to their location.

Some of the best golf courses in California are located in and around the Los Angeles area. Two of them include the scenic Coyote Hills Golf Course and Dove Canyon Country Club.

Coyote Hills Golf Course
This breathtaking public course, which opened in 1996, was designed by Payne Stewart and Cal Olson to capture the natural beauty of its surroundings. Its 18 holes are sprawled over 250 acres lined with rippling streams and majestic views of Southern California. Due to its variety of hazards and tee boxes, it’s a fun and challenging course for golfers of all skill levels and often ranked as a top public course in California.

Dove Canyon Country Club
Dove Canyon is not only one of the best golf courses in California; it’s also the only private Jack Nicklaus signature golf course in Orange County. The 18-hole, championship course was designed to challenge its members and guests as they play their way through its rolling fairways and broad, well-bunkered greens. After enjoying the beautiful waterfalls and lush canyons surrounding the course, golfers can also relax and take advantage of a wide range of club amenities including saunas and steam rooms.

Heading up the coast into Northern California, you’ll find many more challenging and picturesque courses to add to your list of the best golf courses in California. Two of them include the highly acclaimed San Geronimo Golf Course and Legends West.

San Geronimo Golf Course
This 18-hole course, which is within a half-hour drive of the Golden Gate Bridge, has made Golf Digest’s list of “Places to Play” for three years in a row – not to mention being named the best golf course in Marin County by the San Francisco Chronicle for the past five years. It offers its golfers a demanding game for a very reasonable price, so players of all levels can take part in this renowned golf experience.

Legends West
It’s no surprise this course, which was named one of the “Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” in the country by Golf Digest, has made our list of best golf courses in California. Legends West was designed by Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen and boasts fairways embraced by vineyards, hillsides and oak-filled canyons. Its challenging, deep bunkers and slick greens make accurate approach shots a must, but the adjacent wineries can drown the sorrows of any golfer who’s had a frustrating day on the links.

These are just a few of the fabulous greens awaiting you in the Golden State that are justifiably listed among “the best golf courses in California.” No matter which courses you decide on, it will be an experience that stays with you long after the 18th hole.