Best Golf Courses in California (2026 Rankings)

Best public courses you can play

1Pebble Beach Golf Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #1Pebble Beach, CA10 2Torrey Pines South Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #43La Jolla, CA9.4 3Rustic Canyon Golf Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #45Moorpark, CA9.3 4Monterey Peninsula Country Club - Dunes Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #55Del Monte Forest, CA9.2 5TPC Harding Park🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #66San Francisco, CA9 6CordeValle Golf Club🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #83San Martin, CA8.8 7Rams Hill Golf Club🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #93Borrego Springs, CA8.6 8Quail Lodge Golf ClubCA8.3 9Diablo Hills Golf CourseWalnut Creek, CA8.3 10The Quarry at La QuintaLa Quinta, CA8.2 11Antelope Valley Country ClubDesert View Highlands, CA8.2 12Shadow Hills Golf Club - South CourseIndio, CA8.1 13Coyote Moon Golf CourseTruckee, CA8.1 14Stanford University Golf CourseSTANFORD, CA8 15Trilogy Golf Club at La QuintaLa Quinta, CA8 16The Club at Crazy Horse RanchSalinas, CA8 17Yocha Dehe Golf ClubCA8 18Heritage Palms Country ClubCA7.9 19Jack Nicklaus Private Golf Course (PGA West)CA6.7 20Plumas Pines Golf CourseCA6.6 21Antelope Greens Golf CourseNorth Highlands, CA6.1 22Redhawk Golf ClubCA5.9 23Buenaventura Golf CourseEl Rio, CA5.9 24Timber Creek Golf CourseRoseville, CA5.8 25Recreation Park 9 Golf CourseLong Beach, CA5.7 26Pala Mesa Golf CourseFallbrook, CA5.7 27Steele Canyon Golf ClubJamul, CA5.7 28Sterling Hills Golf ClubCamarillo, CA5.6 29Lomas Santa Fe Country ClubCA5.6 30Olivas Park Golf CourseVentura, CA5.6 31The Navy Golf Course Seal BeachCypress, CA5.6 32Cypress Lakes Golf CourseCA5.6 33Desert Island Country ClubRancho Mirage, CA5.6 34Turkey Creek Golf ClubLincoln, CA5.4 35Harbor Park Municipal Golf CourseWilmington, CA5.4 36Sierra Star Golf CourseMammoth Lakes, CA5.3 37Desert SpringsCA5.3 38Blackberry Farm Golf CourseCupertino, CA5.3 39Los Robles Greens Golf CourseThousand Oaks, CA5.3 40Santa Barbara Golf CourseSanta Barbara, CA5.3 41Dublin Ranch Golf CourseDublin, CA5.1 42Oak Quarry Golf ClubRiverside, CA5.1 43Coyote Creek Golf Club Valley CourseMorgan Hill, CA5.1 44Oso Creek Golf CourseMission Viejo, CA5 45Bartley Cavanaugh Golf CourseSacramento, CA5 46Sierra LakesFontana, CA5 47River Oaks Golf ClubNicolaus, CA5 48Woodley Lakes Municipal Golf CourseVan Nuys, CA4.5 49Angeles National Golf ClubSunland, CA4.5 50Recreation Park 18 Golf CourseLong Beach, CA4.5 51Hidden Valley Lake Golf CourseHidden Valley Lake, CA4.4 52Bennett Valley Golf CourseSanta Rosa, CA4.4 53Diamond Oaks Golf CourseRoseville, CA4.4 54DarkHorse Golf ClubAuburn, CA4.2 55Dos Lagos Golf CourseCorona, CA4.2 56El Cariso Golf CourseSylmar, CA4.2 57Eagle Vines Golf ClubAmerican Canyon, CA4.2 58Cherry Island Golf CourseElverta, CA4.1

Top private clubs

Members-only — ranked for completeness; you can't book these.

1Cypress Point Golf Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #3Del Monte Forest, CA10 2Pasatiempo Golf Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #11Santa Cruz, CA9.8 3Los Angeles Country Club🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #16Los Angeles, CA9.8 4Riviera Country Club🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #18Pacific Palisades, CA9.7 5Spyglass Hill Golf Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #23Del Monte Forest, CA9.7 6Olympic Club Golf Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #35San Francisco, CA9.5 7San Francisco Golf Club🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #33San Francisco, CA9.5 8Arnold Palmer Golf Course (PGA West)🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #56La Quinta, CA9.2 9California Golf Club of San Francisco🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #57South San Francisco, CA9.2 10Valley Club of Montecito🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #71Santa Barbara, CA8.9 11TPC Stadium Golf Course (PGA West)🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #78Vista Santa Rosa, CA8.8 12Monterey Peninsula Country Club - Shore Course🏆 Top 50 U.S. — #77Del Monte Forest, CA8.8 13The Preserve Golf Club Santa LuciaCarmel Valley Village, CA8.2 14Shadow Hills Golf Club - North CourseBermuda Dunes, CA8.2 15Olympic Club Lake CourseSan Francisco, CA8.1 16Whitehawk Ranch Golf CourseClio, CA8 17Mt. Woodson Golf ClubRamona, CA5.6 18Callippe PreservePleasanton, CA4.8 19Hiddenbrooke Golf CourseAmerican Canyon, CA4.5 20Cypress Ridge Golf CourseCallender, CA4.4 21Dinah Shore Tournament CourseCathedral City, CA4.4 22Glen Ivy Golf ClubCorona, CA4

How we rank: ordered by the NearGolf quality score (0–10), anchored on published "best of" lists where a course appears on one and a 6-axis rubric elsewhere. Ranked within the state. See region & national rankings →