Best Public Golf Courses in San Francisco, California
You don't need a membership to play great golf in San Francisco. From resort courses to municipal gems, here are the best public and semi-private courses in the area — ranked by design quality, conditioning, and value.
San Francisco, California · Willie Watson / Tom Doak (renovation) (1925) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,169 yards
Host of the 2020 PGA Championship and Presidents Cup, Harding Park is one of America's finest municipal courses. Set along Lake Merced with eucalyptus and Monterey pine corridors, the renovated layout punches well above its municipal weight class.
San Francisco, California · Alister MacKenzie (1929) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 6,476 yards
Alister MacKenzie's personal favorite among his designs (he built a home on the 6th fairway), Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz is a bucket-list course for architecture aficionados. The rolling layout features MacKenzie's trademark contoured greens, strategic bunkering, and a dramatic barranca crossing.
San Francisco, California · Robert Johnstone (1895) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,477 yards
Set within the Presidio National Park with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, this historic course is one of the most scenically located public courses in America. The eucalyptus and cypress-lined fairways offer a peaceful retreat from the city.
San Francisco, California · Robert Trent Jones Jr. / Dye Designs (renovation) (1986) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,002 yards
Located on the Monterey Peninsula alongside Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, Poppy Hills is the NCGA's home course and part of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rotation. The 2014 renovation by Dye Designs dramatically improved playability and aesthetics through the Del Monte Forest.
Pacifica, California · Alister MacKenzie (1932) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,275 yards
The only Alister MacKenzie-designed municipal course on the West Coast, Sharp Park in Pacifica sits between the Pacific Ocean and a coastal lagoon along the dramatic San Mateo County coast. The affordable layout offers classic MacKenzie strategic bunkering and green complexes in an unforgettable oceanside setting.
San Francisco, California · Robert Johnstone (1895) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,477 yards
Nestled in the Presidio national park lands in San Francisco, this historic municipal course offers golf among towering eucalyptus and Monterey cypress with Golden Gate Bridge views. The Arnold Palmer Management-operated facility provides a unique urban golf experience within a national park at the gateway to one of the world's most beautiful cities.
San Francisco, California · Arthur Hills (1997) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,732 yards
Perched on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, this Arthur Hills design offers some of the most dramatic ocean views in California golf. The closing holes along the cliff edge rival Pebble Beach for sheer visual drama.
Best Time to Play
August through November offers the warmest, clearest weather in San Francisco. "May Gray" and "June Gloom" bring coastal fog. The Monterey Peninsula (Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo) is best from May through October.
Booking Tips
For the best rates, book tee times midweek or during shoulder seasons. Many courses offer twilight rates for afternoon rounds. Resort courses often bundle with hotel stays for significant savings.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is centrally located. Olympic Club and SFGC are within the city. Pasatiempo is 75 minutes south in Santa Cruz. Half Moon Bay is 30 minutes south along Highway 1. Pebble Beach is 2 hours south along one of America's most scenic drives.
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