California Golf Club

South San Francisco, CA • Private

4.6

Panelists

388 Reviews

1 / 6

Courtesy of Evan Schiller

2 / 6

Courtesy of Evan Schiller

3 / 6

Courtesy of Evan Schiller

4 / 6

5 / 6

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Courtesy of Evan Schiller

6 / 6

109 - California Golf Club9a_DJI_0124 - Evan Schiller.jpg

Courtesy of Evan Schiller

Overview

For a course that featured Alister Mackenzie bunkers (added just two years after it first opened), Cal Club was never considered the equal of its near neighbors, No. 35 Olympic (Lake) or No. 33 San Francisco G.C. That’s partly because it was so claustrophobic, not just from dense trees, but from its truncated front nine reworked in the 60s by Trent Jones after road expansion took two holes. Architect Kyle Phillips resolved the problem by clearing trees and creating five new holes, including a new par-4 second in the old practice range and a new dogleg-right par-4 seventh atop a previously unused mesa in the middle of the course. Best of all, he re-introduced Mackenzie’s glamorous bunkers. Cal Club is now much closer to its top-ranked neighbors.

About

Holes 18

Length 7216

Slope 135

Facility Type Private

Year Opened 1926

Designer A. Vernon Macan, ASGCA/(R) Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design

Awards

Ranking history:

100 Greatest: Inaugural appearance on America's 100 Greatest.
2023-'24 ranking: 71st (highest).

Second 100 Greatest: Ranked since 2013.
Previous ranking: 101st.

Best in State: Ranked 15th, 2015-'16, 2019-'20. Ranked 16th, 2013-'14, 2017-'18. Ranked 25th, 2011-'12.
2023-'24 ranking: Ninth (highest).
Previous ranking: 13th.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.6

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

7.6959

Character

7.8215

Challenge

7.6078

Layout Variety

7.6821

Fun

7.707

Aesthetics

7.6195

Conditioning

7.8221

Reviews

1 / 9

Review

“* The flow of the holes are fantastic however many of them were similar in that they would bank in one direction off the tee and go in the opposite on the approach. Many of the doglegs contained only inside bunkering. Par 5's and 3's are utilized in only 2 directions. * Lovely bunkering all around adding to the character. Together with the flow and views it's a fun place to play a round. * Greens were the weakness in the design in that they are fairly flat and not so interesting likely due to green speeds. There were however many pin positions that can be tucked into fun places such as the back pin on 4 within the funnel. The approaches on the other hand were very interesting with chances to run the ball up when playing firm. On this day the fairways were relatively soft with bumpy greens but held approach shots well with firm bounces."

2022

2 / 9

Review

“A visit isn't complete without taking a look in the clubhouse at the history that has been preserved about the club, the architects, and past events. Higher handicapper always has a routing option to play each hole, and the low handicap player will not be disappointed in the test of their game."

2020

3 / 9

Review

“What an amazing place to play. Conditions are perfect with firm fairways and greens. True roll on the greens. Gorgeous views and plenty of room to play. You aren't spending time looking for balls. A fun membership in which to get a game together and the clubhouse is steeped with history."

2019

4 / 9

Review

“Nice slice of Australian Sand belt. Great variety. Stunning property with San Fran in the surrounds. Absolute joy to play."

2018

5 / 9

Review

“One of the top 3 courses in the San Francisco Bay Area. Phenomenal re-design by Kyle Phillips. Course is so much better than it was 20 years ago. The course is typically in wonderful condition and takes advantage of the rolling terrain and most holes allow and/or encourage the ground game."

2018

6 / 9