What are the best private golf courses in San Francisco, California?

An introduction to San Francisco

In this blog post we’re going to explore the best private golf courses in San Francisco.

As one of the most populous cities within the United States, it serves as both one of the financial hubs of the state, as well as one of the most visited destinations.

Sprawled across a hilly peninsula, to the east across San Francisco Bay, it overlooks the city of Oakland which sits on the mainland. To the west there are unabridged ocean views.

Of course, you can’t talk about San Francisco without mentioning the Golden Gate Bridge. It is quite possibly one of the most photographed bridges worldwide.

But moving from feats of engineering to feats of golf course design, San Francisco has some outstanding golf courses, both private and public. But in this article, we’re purely looking at the best member’s clubs in the Bay Area.

See also: What are the best golf courses in California?

The best private golf courses in San Francisco

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1. San Francisco Golf Club

Just across Lake Merced Boulevard from the iconic Olympic Club is San Francisco Golf Club. This is one of the oldest golf courses in San Francisco having opened for play in 1918. 

This sloping plot of land is characterized by numerous pine trees and it was here where three of the original members routed the first course layout, rudimentary as it was. 

It wasn’t until 1923 that A.W.Tillinghast was brought in to remodel the layout into one that we recognise today. Part of this project was to upgrade the greens and bunkers, something which San Francisco is so well known for today.

There are some pretty impressive elevation changes throughout, especially on the front nine where the course traverses a number of ravines. The 7th hole is a downhill par 3 nicknamed the ‘Duel Hole’, as it was here where the last legal duel in America took place. 

In 2001, the highly respected Tom Doak was engaged to oversee a major project, involving the redesign of all 18 greens as well as restoring a number of original features. 

It’s worth appreciating this was one of the biggest changes and investments at San Francisco Golf Club for nearly a century. But who better to entrust this work than Doak, a man who’s responsible for a good number of courses ranked in the world’s Top 100.

Needless to say, the changes were a huge success. So much so, it looks as if they’ve been there forever!

2. California Golf Club of San Francisco

One of the finest golf courses in the world, the ‘Cal Club’ as it is affectionately known is nestled in the middle of the peninsula in south San Francisco. 

The original version of the course was positioned somewhere completely different, in Ingleside, southwest San Francisco. But in 1924 the club relocated to its current location, of approximately 420 acres. 

The site is beautiful, featuring elegantly rolling hills and century old trees that create a real charm and aurora.

Willie Locke and Arthur Vernon Macan were the duo entrusted with routing this great course and in 1926 the layout we largely have today opened for play.

Over the ensuing years, some of the greatest names in golf course architecture have been involved in developing the design.

Alister MacKenzie was brought in shortly after the club opened, to tweak some of the bunkers. Whilst most recently, Kyle Phillips was commissioned to return the layout to its ‘Golden Age’ roots, work which has received praise from all quarters. 

This is a sensational golf course. But unless you know a member, merely admiring the photos is as close as you’ll get sadly. 

See also: What are the best golf resorts in California?

3. Olympic Club (Lake Course & Ocean Course)

The Olympic Club is not just a golf club, but instead a private athletics club geared towards some of the best amateur sportspeople in the area. 

Fortunately though, golf plays a significant role at the Olympic Club and that manifests itself with two splendid 18-hole golf courses, the Ocean and the Lake courses.

Way back in 1924, the Olympic Club purchased a very average golf course called Lakeside. But principal in this decision was the fact it was positioned on a wonderful plot. One which overlooked the vast Pacific OCean and was close to downtown San Francisco. 

They very quickly set about replacing the original course with the two top-class golf courses we have today. Work also included the development of a grand clubhouse.

Since that day, the club and particularly the two courses have grown in stature and repute. Over the years, multiple major tournaments have been hosted at the Olympic Club including amongst others, the U.S. Open Championship. 

What is quite remarkable is the complete lack of water on the course. And on top of that, there are just a couple of bunkers. This is the pinnacle of strategy golf which requires absolute precision play.

There is a reason the U.S. Open continues to revisit this club. 

4. Lake Merced Golf Club

Tucked away in Daly City, on the western side of the San Francisco peninsula, is the hugely underrated Lake Merced Golf Club. 

A stone’s throw from the likes of The Olympic Club and San Francisco Golf Club, it is in esteemed company. 

No wonder then that since its inception in 1922, it constantly feels like it has been playing catch up. This ‘catch up’ has been manifested in the numerous renovations it has invested in over the years. 

After its original Willie Locke routing was established, there has been a roll call of famous architects applying their personal style on Lake Merced’s character. Alister Mackenzie, Robert Muir Graves, Rees Jones and finally Gil Hanse. 

Each has added something tangible to the ever improving course. But Hanse’s most recent renovation really feels like a confident step forward, even though coincidentally, his master plan was influenced by looking backwards. 

In short, Hanse was tasked with reestablishing the topography and character from the MacKenzie days. Amongst others, this involved rebuilding greens, restoring MacKenzie bunkering and expanding all tee complexes. 

Alongside this, a 36,000 square foot Himalaya-style putting course was built. This was no small renovation, with wider fairways, removal of cart paths, new barrancas and native areas introduced.

The updated course reopened in 2023 to huge acclaim. Having hosted a couple of USGA championships, you can’t help but feel more will be coming Lake Merced’s way. 

The redesign is phenomenal and has surely elevated Lake Merced Golf Club into the upper echelons of golf courses, not just in San Francisco, but California state. 

Finally, it feels like Lake Merced might not be playing catch up, but instead leading from the fore.

See also: What are the best golf courses in Monterey, California?

5. Meadow Club

To include Meadow Club on this list is a little bit naughty as technically it isn’t in San Francisco. Instead, it’s is a good hour’s drive north, over the Golden Gate Bridge and up into Bon Tempe Meadow on Mount Tamalpais. 

But I’ve included it because it is an absolute belter and it is the first Alister MacKenzie designed golf course in the whole of North America.

In latter years, MacKenzie went on to create masterpieces such as Cypress Point, considered the greatest golf course in the world, as well as Augusta National, the host venue to a little known golf competition called ‘The Masters’. 

In 1927 here at Meadow Club, MacKenzie and his partner in this project Robert Hunter, crafted a superb course which is hidden amongst the meandering creeks. 

The deviously sublime routing utilizes the numerous elevation changes in the terrain to create some stunning views across the landscape.

This really is a fantastic course and a million miles away from the noise and stress of modern life. 

Since 2010, the club has been in the process of renovating the course to reestablish some of the original MacKenzie features and this has been an absolute success. 

6. Menlo Country Club

Menlo Country Club opened during the same period as many other golf courses on the San Francisco peninsula, in the Golden Age of the early twentieth century.

What originally started as a nine hole golf course, was quickly expanded to become 18 holes, designed by the Scotsman Tom Nicoll. 

In the middle of the century, Robert Trent Jones Sr undertook quite a major renovation. But the course we have today is fundamentally different to these previous iterations. It’s the highly rated Kyle Phillips who we have to thank for bringing Menlo forward into the twenty-first century. 

Phillips is a man who has crafted a desirable reputation for as many outstanding renovations as new golf builds. 

Here at Menlo though, this was more ‘complete revamp’ than it was renovation, with fourteen holes being completely reconstructed and four more being upgraded. 

So where does this leave us today? We have a superb 6,800 yard layout which runs clockwise around the perimeter of the grounds on the front-nine, whilst on the back nine the holes weave and cut around the central part of the site. 

There is huge variety from one hole to another with the finishing stretch some of the finest holes in the Bay Area. 

Don’t be surprised to see Menlo Golf Club slowly but surely work its way up the rankings of best golf courses in California.

See also: What are the best public golf courses in San Francisco, California?

8. Stanford University Golf Course

Just over a half hour’s drive south from San Francisco, is where you’ll find one of the finest collegiate courses worldwide. This is the Stanford University golf course. 

Tucked away up in the hills overlooking the university campus, the course was designed by the architectural duo of George C. Thomas and Billy Bell Jr, and opened for play in 1930. 

More recently, in 2008 John Harbottle was commissioned to renovate the course with one of the primary objectives to update it for the modern game’s demands.

In 2018, there was again significant investment with all the bunkers being rebuilt and a few of the holes being modified. This work was done to ensure Stanford golf course continues to rub shoulders with some of the best golf courses in San Francisco.

The course has a yardage of just under 6,800 yards but plays far longer due to there not being much roll on tee shots. Whilst the large greens are glorious but they will really test your putting skills. 

The key to being successful is finding the subtle grain to help you read the slopes. This will avoid you hitting slow putts uphill and fast putts downhill. 

Despite having a par of 70 and being well under 7,000 yards, don’t expect to shoot too low a score. Aside from the lack of roll and tough greens, there are some supremely tough holes throughout where nothing short of absolute precision will have you in bogey-ville…or worse.

9. Green Hills Country Club

Once again, we discover an outstanding private club within a half-hour’s drive of downtown San Francisco. 

The fascinating history of Green Hills Country Club reaches right back to the early twentieth-century, 1928 to be precise.

Emboldened and inspired by the opening of other top class golf clubs in the area, including Menlo Country Club and Burlingame Country Club, a group of San Francisco businessmen decided to open their own club. This was an elite club called Union League Golf and Country Club. 

At the time, the founding members were hearing good things about an architect called Dr Alister MacKenzie. 

He’d recently completed work at projects including Cypress Point on the Monterey Peninsula, Meadow Club in Fairfax and the Valley Club of Montecito in Santa Barbara.

And what a good decision it was.

MacKenzie created another classic design which was instantly recognized as one of the finest around. Sadly however, the opening of the club was immediately followed by The Great Depression. 

This forced members to cut costs and therefore reduced the number of MacKenzie bunkers dramatically, as well as other timeless features.

Fast forward in time, and another name change later, the club was known as Millbrae Golf & Country Club.  

It wasn’t until after World War II in 1945, that the current name of Green Hills Country Club was chosen. 

Today, the course is slowly but surely renovating many of the original MacKenzie features. It is for this reason, the layout continues to be held in such high regard. 

A testament to the quality on offer, Green Hills has been chosen on numerous occasions to host U.S. Open qualifying as well as U.S.G.A mid-amateur qualifying. 

This is a stunning club, so much more than just a golf course but an experience I can only hope others get to enjoy.

See also: What are the best golf courses in Auburn, California?

10. Burlingame Country Club

In the Hillsborough neighborhood of southern San Francisco, is where you’ll find this strictly private members club. 

Burlingame Country Club was established way back in 1893 by a group of San Francisco society men. They threw themselves into a variety of different sports including amongst others tennis and polo.

But it was the rapidly growing sport of golf which intrigued them. Therefore soon after opening, a very rudimentary course was created. It was so basic, there were just three holes.

However, over time this morphed into nine holes. And belatedly, only after various other golf clubs had opened on the peninsula, did Burlingame Country Club finally unveil an 18-hole course. This was in 1912.

Despite this rather late establishment of a full 18-hole course, Burlingame is still recognised as one of the First 100 Clubs in America.

For many years, it was one of the most desirable country clubs to be a member of. And arguably that exclusivity continues to this day.

Hilly with tight tree-lined fairways, this incredibly challenging course that we play today is one created by Robert Trent Jones Sr. Fortunately though, at 6,294 yards, it’s not as long as other more modern courses.

If you do get the chance to play here, expect immaculate condition and outstanding service.

11. Peninsula Golf & Country Club

Down in the San Mateo district of San Francisco, and up the hill from Foster City, is the private members club of Peninsula Golf & Country Club.

This is the consummate member’s golf club, being immensely family orientated and diligently focused on serving the needs of the membership from an amenities and service perspective.

The original course at Peninsula G&CC was designed by Tom Bendelow and opened for play back in 1911. 

But it wasn’t until 1922 when Donald Ross was commissioned to completely redesign the layout, that we start to recognise the course that is there today. 

Donald Ross is arguably one of the greatest golf course architects of his era, with the likes of Pinehurst No. 2 and Seminole some of his greatest works. And here at Peninsula, he crafted another fantastic course, granted nowhere near the same level as the aforementioned, but still a wonderful course. 

The site gently climbs from east to west up the Western Hills. Yet despite this constant elevation change, the fairways are relatively flat. 

From the tee box, what you see is pretty much what you get and the open fairways encourage you to pull the driver out. You won’t lose a ball here but don’t expect to score well with stray shots. 

See also: What are the best golf courses in Sacramento, California?

What is the best private golf course in San Francisco?

The best private golf course around San Francisco is the wonderful San Francisco Golf Club. It is located near Lake Merced on the eastern side of the peninsula. The course was designed by the iconic A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1918.

How many golf courses are there in San Francisco?

Within 20 miles of San Francisco there are 41 golf courses. Within the city itself there are 10 golf courses.