The 10 Best Golf Courses in California You Can Play (2026)

The best golf courses in California you can play are Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Pasatiempo. Golf Digest ranks Pebble Beach second in the state, behind only a private club. For value, Torrey Pines South is a city-owned course that has hosted two U.S. Opens.

The list at a glance

| # | Course | Location | Access | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Pebble Beach | Resort (stay for advance times; non-guests 24 hrs ahead) | The bucket-list round | | 2 | Spyglass Hill Golf Course | Pebble Beach | Resort | A tougher Monterey test | | 3 | Pasatiempo Golf Club | Santa Cruz | Semi-private | Classic MacKenzie design | | 4 | Torrey Pines Golf Course (South) | La Jolla | Municipal | U.S. Open golf on the coast | | 5 | PGA West (Stadium Course) | La Quinta | Resort | Pete Dye drama in the desert | | 6 | Rustic Canyon Golf Course | Moorpark | Public | Modern design near Los Angeles | | 7 | Rams Hill Golf Club | Borrego Springs | Daily-fee | A remote desert escape | | 8 | TPC Harding Park | San Francisco | Municipal | A PGA Championship venue | | 9 | The Course at Wente Vineyards | Livermore | Daily-fee | Golf in wine country | | 10 | Corica Park (South Course) | Alameda | Municipal | Value in the Bay Area |

How we chose

Every course here takes public tee times or welcomes non-guests. We weighed Golf Digest's 2025-26 California ranking, GOLF Magazine's 2024-25 state list, design pedigree and the trip experience. Picks are spread across Northern, Central and Southern California. Facts were checked against course websites in October 2026; private clubs are listed separately.

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links

Location: Pebble Beach, CA · Access: Resort (hotel stay required for advance tee times; non-guests may reserve 24 hours ahead) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Jack Neville and Douglas Grant (1919) · Region: Monterey Peninsula

Golf Digest ranks Pebble Beach second in California for 2025-26, behind only the private Cypress Point. It has hosted six U.S. Opens, most recently in 2019, and a seventh is scheduled for 2027. It also hosts the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am every February.

Tee times carry a hotel stay requirement, and non-guests can only reserve 24 hours in advance.

Around the greens: The resort calls its greens the smallest on the PGA Tour, averaging about 3,500 square feet. Expect more chips, and judge your landing spot carefully on the poa annua surfaces.

2. Spyglass Hill Golf Course

Location: Pebble Beach, CA · Access: Resort (public tee times) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1966) · Region: Monterey Peninsula

Golf Digest ranks Spyglass Hill 10th in California for 2025-26. The first five holes run through sand dunes with ocean views, and the rest of the round moves inland into the Del Monte Forest. Holes take their names from *Treasure Island*, and the course has been in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rotation since 1967.

It hosted U.S. Amateur stroke play in 1999 and 2018, and the U.S. Senior Women's Open is scheduled for 2030. The resort's booking guidelines give non-guests a longer window than at Pebble Beach Golf Links, but confirm it with resort reservations.

Around the greens: The resort describes elevated, tiered and steep greens, including a severe false front on the eighth. Take enough loft to land on the putting surface rather than short of it.

3. Pasatiempo Golf Club

Location: Santa Cruz, CA · Access: Semi-private (public tee times daily) · Holes: 18 (par 70) · Designer: Alister MacKenzie (1929) · Region: Santa Cruz, Central Coast

GOLF Magazine ranks Pasatiempo ninth in California for 2024-25, and Golf Digest places it 14th for 2025-26. Marion Hollins commissioned MacKenzie, and Bobby Jones played in the opening group in 1929. A restoration led by Jim Urbina returned the greens and bunkers to MacKenzie's 1929 design.

Members hold some early weekend and holiday times, but the public can book other slots up to seven days ahead.

Around the greens: The greens are restored to their original MacKenzie contours. Use the chipping green by the first tee, and aim to leave yourself below the hole.

4. Torrey Pines Golf Course (South)

Location: La Jolla, CA · Access: Municipal · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: William F. Bell (1957); renovated by Rees Jones · Region: San Diego coast

The City of San Diego owns Torrey Pines. The South Course hosted the U.S. Open in 2008, when Tiger Woods won a playoff, and in 2021, when Jon Rahm won. Both courses host an annual PGA Tour event. Golf Digest ranks the South 26th in California for 2025-26.

Rees Jones renovated the course in 2001 and again ahead of the 2021 Open, moving greens closer to the canyon edges. The city runs a daily waitlist for open tee times. Read more in our San Diego guide.

Around the greens: Every green was re-contoured to allow many hole locations. Check where the pin sits, and pick a landing zone for that day's position.

5. PGA West (Stadium Course)

Location: La Quinta, CA · Access: Resort (open to the public) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Pete Dye · Region: Coachella Valley

PGA West lists the Stadium among its resort courses open for all to play. It co-hosts The American Express and hosts the PGA Tour Q-School finals every other year. Golf Digest ranks it 36th in California for 2025-26.

The par-3 17th is an island green nicknamed "Alcatraz," where Lee Trevino made a hole-in-one in the 1987 Skins Game. The water-lined 18th is a demanding finish. See our Palm Springs guide for more desert options.

Around the greens: The 17th is an island green and water lines the 18th, so a chip that runs long is costly. Favor the shot that stays on the putting surface.

6. Rustic Canyon Golf Course

Location: Moorpark, CA · Access: Public · Designer: Gil Hanse (2002) · Region: Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles

GOLF Magazine ranks Rustic Canyon 23rd in California for 2024-25 and tags it as one of its Top 100 Value courses. It opened in 2002 as a Gil Hanse design; his firm later renovated the Olympic Club and is now rebuilding the Links at Spanish Bay. Golf Digest also lists it in its 2025-26 California ranking.

All tee times are booked online, and the course posts a "public welcome" message. It is a top public option for golfers based in Los Angeles; our Los Angeles guide covers more.

Around the greens: On an unfamiliar modern design, roll a few chips on the practice green first and commit to one landing-zone routine all day.

7. Rams Hill Golf Club

Location: Borrego Springs, CA · Access: Daily-fee · Designer: Tom Fazio · Region: Borrego Springs desert, San Diego County

Tom Fazio designed the course with Tim Jackson. It takes daily-fee tee times up to 30 days in advance. Golf Digest ranks it 44th in California for 2025-26, and GOLF Magazine includes it on its 2024-25 state list.

Golf is played 12 months of the year, which makes it a strong winter option.

Around the greens: In a dry desert setting, test how firm the practice area plays before choosing between a bump-and-run and a lofted pitch.

8. TPC Harding Park

Location: San Francisco, CA · Access: Municipal · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Sam Whiting and Willie Watson (1925) · Region: San Francisco

The City and County of San Francisco owns Harding Park, which hosted the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2009 Presidents Cup. GOLF Magazine ranks it 31st in California for 2024-25 and lists it among its Top 100 Courses You Can Play.

A 2002-03 renovation stretched it to nearly 7,200 yards. Our San Francisco guide covers nine more courses nearby.

Around the greens: Long approaches mean more missed greens than usual, so know your chipping landing zones before you need them.

9. The Course at Wente Vineyards

Location: Livermore, CA · Access: Daily-fee · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Greg Norman (1998) · Region: Livermore Valley, East Bay

Greg Norman's design runs to 7,181 yards on the Wente Vineyards estate. Golf Digest includes it on its 2025 list of the best courses you can play in California.

Club Wente members can reserve 45 days out, so book weekend times early.

Around the greens: Roll a few chips on the practice green before you tee off; that first read sets every landing zone you choose later.

10. Corica Park (South Course)

Location: Alameda, CA · Access: Municipal · Holes: 18 · Designer: Rees Jones · Region: East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area

Rees Jones rebuilt the South Course in the style of Australia's Sandbelt courses. GOLF Magazine named it the 12th best municipal course in America in 2021.

The complex adds a North Course, reimagined by Robert Trent Jones II Architects and reopened in March 2025.

Around the greens: Sandbelt-style designs typically set bunkers tight to the greens. When you chip over sand, land the ball just past the lip rather than flying it to the hole.

Private clubs worth knowing

• Cypress Point Club (Pebble Beach): ranked first in California by Golf Digest for 2025-26. Member invitation required.
• Los Angeles Country Club, North Course (Los Angeles): ranked third in California by Golf Digest for 2025-26. Member invitation required.
• Riviera Country Club (Pacific Palisades): ranked fourth in California by Golf Digest for 2025-26. Member invitation required.
• San Francisco Golf Club (San Francisco): an A.W. Tillinghast design, ranked fifth in the state by Golf Digest for 2025-26. Member invitation required.
• The Olympic Club (San Francisco): the Lake Course has hosted five U.S. Opens and is set to host the 2028 PGA Championship. Member invitation required.

Tips for playing golf in California

• Check renovation news before you book. The Links at Spanish Bay closed in March 2026 for a Gil Hanse renovation. It is scheduled to reopen on April 17, 2027.
• Plan Pebble Beach around a hotel stay. Non-guests can only reserve Pebble Beach Golf Links 24 hours ahead; resort guests can book much earlier.
• Expect regional differences on the greens. Coastal courses such as Pebble Beach have poa annua greens, while desert courses play under very different conditions. Our guide to uphill, downhill, wet and firm chipping covers the adjustments.
• Use the desert in winter. Courses such as Rams Hill play year-round, which makes the desert a strong option in the cooler months.
• Warm up with a plan. On any new course, a short pre-round routine helps you read green pace before the first hole.
• Go regional. Our city guides cover San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best public golf course in California?

Pebble Beach Golf Links is the best course in California that the public can play. Golf Digest ranks it second in the state for 2025-26, behind private Cypress Point. In 2001 it became the first public course Golf Digest ranked No. 1 in America. It has hosted six U.S. Opens.

What is the best value golf course in California?

For value, look at municipal courses with pedigree. Torrey Pines South in San Diego and TPC Harding Park in San Francisco are city-owned tournament venues. Corica Park's South Course in Alameda was GOLF Magazine's 12th best municipal course in America in 2021. Rustic Canyon carries a GOLF Top 100 Value tag.

Can the public play Pebble Beach?

Yes, with limits. Pebble Beach Golf Links has a hotel stay requirement for advance tee times, and non-guests can only reserve 24 hours ahead. Resort guests can book much earlier with a qualifying stay. Spyglass Hill, next door, gives non-guests a longer booking window under the resort's guidelines.

When is golf season in California?

California golf runs year-round, but the best months depend on the region. Desert courses such as PGA West and Rams Hill are the usual choice in the cooler months. Coastal courses can be foggy and windy in summer, and Northern California gets most of its rain in winter.

How do I handle unfamiliar green speeds on a new course?

Ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, ideally as a Stimpmeter reading. Then roll a few chips on the practice green to confirm the pace. Our green speed guide explains how speed changes where each chip should land.

Find your landing zone on every green

From small poa annua greens at Pebble Beach to desert courses in La Quinta, the courses on this list roll at very different speeds. Green speed changes where every chip should land, and it changes from course to course. ELZS (Essential Landing Zone Systems) turns three inputs, your distance to the hole, your club and the green speed, into the number of paces to land the ball so it rolls out to the hole. It was built by former teaching pro Chaz H. Smith and comes as an app for iOS and Android and as a waterproof pocket chartbook. Before your next round, ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, then look up your landing zone and chip with a plan.

Download ELZS for iPhone · Get ELZS on Android · Learn how landing zones work