Best Private Golf Courses in California

Los Angeles, California · George C. Thomas Jr. / Gil Hanse (1921) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,556 yards

Host of the 2023 U.S. Open, Los Angeles Country Club is one of America's most exclusive and highly ranked courses. The Gil Hanse restoration brought this George C. Thomas Jr. gem back to its original strategic brilliance, set incongruously amid Beverly Hills and Century City.

Pebble Beach, California · Alister MacKenzie (1928) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,524 yards

Alister MacKenzie's jewel on the Monterey Peninsula, Cypress Point is considered one of the most beautiful and strategically brilliant courses ever built. The iconic par-3 16th over the Pacific, the lone cypress, and the wind-swept clifftop setting create golf's most romantic and revered experience.

Los Angeles, California · George C. Thomas Jr. (1927) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,322 yards

Known as "Hogan's Alley," Riviera is one of the most celebrated courses in the world and host of the Genesis Invitational. George C. Thomas Jr.'s genius routing through Temescal Canyon features the iconic 10th hole and a par-3 6th with a bunker in the middle of the green.

San Francisco, California · A.W. Tillinghast (1915) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,726 yards

An A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece hidden in the residential hills of San Francisco, SFGC is widely considered one of the 20 best courses in America. The compact layout features dramatic cypress-framed views, wildflower-dotted roughs, and some of Tillinghast's most creative green complexes.

San Francisco, California · Sam Whiting / Willie Watson (1924) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,815 yards

Host of five U.S. Opens, The Olympic Club's Lake Course is one of America's most demanding championship layouts. Set along the Pacific coast in the Daly City fog belt, the tight, tree-lined parkland course has famously produced upset champions and is considered one of the toughest courses in the country.

San Francisco, California · A.W. Tillinghast (1915) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,799 yards

An A.W. Tillinghast masterwork in the Harding Park area of San Francisco, the San Francisco Golf Club is one of the most exclusive and least-photographed top-50 courses in America. The Golden Age layout through coastal cypress and eucalyptus features Tillinghast's boldest bunkering and most dramatic green complexes.

Los Angeles, California · George C. Thomas Jr. / Jack Neville (1926) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,619 yards

One of LA's most iconic private clubs, Bel-Air features a suspension bridge, dramatic canyon routing, and the Golden Age genius of George C. Thomas. The compact, rolling layout rewards precise shot-making and creative recovery skills over raw power.

San Francisco, California · Alister MacKenzie / Kyle Phillips (restoration) (1926) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,789 yards

A recently restored Alister MacKenzie gem in South San Francisco, Cal Club has surged in rankings after Kyle Phillips's meticulous restoration of MacKenzie's original design intent. The rolling coastal terrain and creative green complexes now shine as the master architect intended.

Palm Springs, California · Tom Fazio (1979) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,157 yards

One of the most exclusive private clubs in the desert, The Vintage Club in Indian Wells features two Tom Fazio courses in a gated community of extraordinary wealth. The Mountain Course is the more dramatic of the two, with desert washes, mountain views, and Fazio's bold shaping.

Palm Springs, California · Arthur Hills (1997) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,970 yards

Perched in the hills above Palm Desert at 1,500 feet elevation, Bighorn's Canyons Course offers sweeping Coachella Valley views and a dramatic Arthur Hills layout through boulder-strewn desert terrain. The club formerly hosted the Skins Game, attracting golf's biggest names.

Monterey, California · Jack Nicklaus (2000) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,831 yards

A Jack Nicklaus Signature design in the hills above Monterey, Pasadera offers a more inland Monterey Peninsula experience through oak woodlands and rolling terrain. The intimate private club features challenging green complexes and panoramic views of Monterey Bay.

San Jose, California · Robert Muir Graves (1912) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,708 yards

One of the oldest clubs in the South Bay, San Jose Country Club features a Robert Muir Graves redesign through mature valley oaks and manicured parkland. The private club offers a classic California golf experience with tree-lined fairways, strategic bunkering, and mountain views from elevated tees.

San Jose, California · Ted Robinson Sr. (1993) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,856 yards

A Ted Robinson Sr. design in a master-planned community in south San Jose, Silver Creek Valley features a dramatic canyon routing with waterfalls, lakes, and hillside views. The private club offers a lush, resort-style atmosphere unusual for a residential community with impeccable year-round conditioning.