Best Public Golf Courses in California
According to US Golf Course Registry's registry, California has 100 public golf courses. The complete list below is ordered by public accessibility and course history — every entry is verified against the OpenStreetMap-derived course registry.
| # | Course | City | Access | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Presidio Golf Course | San Francisco | Public | 1895 |
| 2 | Lincoln Park Golf Course | San Francisco | Public | 1902 |
| 3 | Altadena Golf Course | Altadena | Municipal | 1910 |
| 4 | Recreation Park 18 Golf Course | Long Beach | Municipal | 1910 |
| 5 | The Loma Club | San Diego | Public | 1914 |
| 6 | Tahoe City Golf Course | Tahoe City | Public | 1917 |
| 7 | Mill Valley Golf Course | Mill Valley | Public | 1919 |
| 8 | Pebble Beach Golf Linkstm | Pebble Beach | Public | 1919 |
| 9 | Bijou Municipal Golf Course | South Lake Tahoe | Public | 1920 |
| 10 | Porterville Municipal Golf Course | Porterville | Municipal | 1920 |
| 11 | Eighteen Hole At Balboa Park Municipal Golf Club | San Diego | Municipal | 1921 |
| 12 | Healdsburg Golf Club At Tayman Park | Healdsburg | Municipal | 1921 |
| 13 | Mountain Meadows Golf Course | Pomona | Public | 1921 |
| 14 | Nine Hole At Balboa Park Municipal Golf Club | San Diego | Municipal | 1921 |
| 15 | Saticoy Regional Golf Course | Ventura | Public | 1921 |
| 16 | Bidwell Park Golf Course | Chico | Municipal | 1922 |
| 17 | Meadowlark Golf Course | Huntington Beach | Public | 1922 |
| 18 | Harding At Griffith Park Golf Courses | Los Angeles | Municipal | 1923 |
| 19 | Lake Chabot Golf Course The 18 Hole Course | Oakland | Public | 1923 |
| 20 | Mccloud Golf Club | McCloud | Public | 1923 |
| 21 | Morro Bay Golf Course | Morro Bay | Public | 1923 |
| 22 | Gilroy Golf Course | Gilroy | Public | 1924 |
| 23 | Rio Hondo Golf Club | Downey | Public | 1924 |
| 24 | North At Los Serranos Golf Country Club | Chino Hills | Public | 1925 |
| 25 | Old Brockway Golf Course | Kings Beach | Public | 1926 |
| 26 | Old Brockway Golf Course | Tahoe Vista | Public | 1926 |
| 27 | Pajaro Valley Golf Club | Watsonville | Public | 1926 |
| 28 | Club Campestre De Tijuana | Tijuana | Public | 1927 |
| 29 | Corica Park The Mif Albright Par 3 Course | Alameda | Public | 1927 |
| 30 | Cresta Verde Golf Club | Corona | Public | 1927 |
| 31 | Bella Verde Golf Club Montebello 9 Course | Montebello | Municipal | 1928 |
| 32 | Bella Verde Golf Club Signature Par 3 Course | Montebello | Municipal | 1928 |
| 33 | Benbow Valley Rv Resort Golf Course | Garberville | Public | 1928 |
| 34 | Brookside Golf Club C W Koiner Course | Pasadena | Public | 1928 |
| 35 | Brookside Golf Club E O Nay Course | Pasadena | Public | 1928 |
| 36 | Lemoore Golf Course | Lemoore | Municipal | 1928 |
| 37 | Northwood Golf Club | Monte Rio | Public | 1928 |
| 38 | Recreation Park 9 Golf Course | Long Beach | Public | 1928 |
| 39 | Corica Park The Earl Fry North Course | Alameda | Public | 1929 |
| 40 | San Clemente Municipal Golf Course | San Clemente | Public | 1930 |
| 41 | Alister Mackenzie At Haggin Oaks Golf Course | Sacramento | Public | 1932 |
| 42 | Buenaventura Golf Course | Ventura | Public | 1932 |
| 43 | Pacific Grove Golf Links | Pacific Grove | Public | 1932 |
| 44 | Presidio Hills Golf Course | San Diego | Public | 1932 |
| 45 | Sharp Park Golf Course | Pacifica | Municipal | 1932 |
| 46 | Emerald Hills Golf Course | Emerald Hills | Public | 1933 |
| 47 | Lakewood Country Club | Lakewood | Public | 1933 |
| 48 | Poplar Creek Golf Course | San Mateo | Municipal | 1933 |
| 49 | Lone Tree Golf Course | Antioch | Public | 1934 |
| 50 | Santa Anita Golf Course | Arcadia | Public | 1935 |
| 51 | Fairmont Park Golf Course Country Club | Riverside | Public | 1936 |
| 52 | Tilden Park Golf Course | Berkeley | Public | 1937 |
| 53 | Green Gables Golf Course | Pacific Palisades | Public | 1939 |
| 54 | Modesto Municipal Golf Course | Modesto | Public | 1939 |
| 55 | Riverside Of Fresno Golf Course | Fresno | Public | 1939 |
| 56 | Blue Rock Springs Golf Course West | Vallejo | Public | 1941 |
| 57 | Mission Hills Golf Course | Rancho Mirage | Public | 1945 |
| 58 | Heroes Golf Course | Los Angeles | Public | 1946 |
| 59 | San Ramon Golf Club | San Ramon | Public | 1946 |
| 60 | North At Alondra Park Golf Course | Lawndale | Public | 1947 |
| 61 | South Par 3 At Alondra Park Golf Course | Lawndale | Public | 1947 |
| 62 | Apple Valley Golf Course | Apple Valley | Public | 1948 |
| 63 | Rancho Park Par 3 Golf Course | Los Angeles | Municipal | 1948 |
| 64 | Golden Gate Park Golf Course | San Francisco | Public | 1951 |
| 65 | Kern River Golf Course | CA 93308 | Public | 1951 |
| 66 | Airways Golf Course | Fresno | Municipal | 1952 |
| 67 | Arcade Creek At Haggin Oaks Golf Course | Sacramento | Public | 1952 |
| 68 | Belmont Pines Golf Course | Cobb | Public | 1952 |
| 69 | Buena Vista Golf Course | Taft | Public | 1952 |
| 70 | Eighteen At Bing Maloney Golf Course | Sacramento | Municipal | 1952 |
| 71 | Goat Hill Park | Oceanside | Public | 1952 |
| 72 | Swenson Park Golf Course The Oak Course | Stockton | Municipal | 1952 |
| 73 | Chester Washington Golf Course | Los Angeles | Municipal | 1953 |
| 74 | Cottonwood Golf Club Ivanhoe Course | El Cajon | Public | 1953 |
| 75 | James C Haggerty North Kern Golf Course | Bakersfield | Public | 1953 |
| 76 | King City Golf Course | King City | Municipal | 1953 |
| 77 | Mt Meadows Golf Course | Pomona | Public | 1953 |
| 78 | Balboa At Sepulveda Golf Complex | Encino | Municipal | 1954 |
| 79 | Colina Park Golf Course | San Diego | Public | 1954 |
| 80 | South Gate Municipal Golf Course | South Gate | Public | 1954 |
| 81 | The Bayonet At Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course | Seaside | Public | 1954 |
| 82 | Arroyo Seco Golf Course | South Pasadena | Public | 1955 |
| 83 | General Old Golf Course | March Air Reserve Base | Public | 1955 |
| 84 | Mission Bay Golf Course | San Diego | Municipal | 1955 |
| 85 | Skylinks At Buchanan Fields | Concord | Public | 1955 |
| 86 | Sunken Gardens Golf Course | Sunnyvale | Municipal | 1955 |
| 87 | Alhambra Municipal Golf Course | Alhambra | Municipal | 1956 |
| 88 | Spring Valley Golf Course | Milpitas | Public | 1956 |
| 89 | Brea Creek Golf Course | Brea | Public | 1957 |
| 90 | Coronado Golf Course | Coronado | Municipal | 1957 |
| 91 | Encino At Sepulveda Golf Complex | Encino | Municipal | 1957 |
| 92 | Eureka Municipal Golf Course | Eureka | Public | 1957 |
| 93 | Knollwood Golf Course | Granada Hills | Public | 1957 |
| 94 | North At Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course | La Jolla | Municipal | 1957 |
| 95 | Par 3 At Vista Valencia Golf Course | Santa Clarita | Public | 1957 |
| 96 | Salinas Fairways Golf Course | Salinas | Public | 1957 |
| 97 | Sea Aire Park Golf Course | Torrance | Public | 1957 |
| 98 | South At Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course | La Jolla | Municipal | 1957 |
| 99 | The Haytm | Pebble Beach | Public | 1957 |
| 100 | Carlton Oaks Lodge Country Club | Santee | Public | 1958 |
By city
- Best public courses in Indio
- Best public courses in La Quinta
- Best public courses in Livermore
- Best public courses in Long Beach
- Best public courses in Los Angeles
- Best public courses in Nipomo
- Best public courses in Redding
- Best public courses in Sacramento
- Best public courses in San Diego
- Best public courses in San Jose
FAQ
How is this list ordered?
Transparently, not editorially: publicly playable courses first (public, municipal, resort, semi-private), then courses with an official website, then by founding year. We list every verified public course — this is a complete catalog, not a top-10 pick.
How many public courses does California have?
California has 100 public golf courses in the registry (list capped at 100).
Ordering formula and data source: see our methodology & statistics.