Course Rankings

The Best Golf Courses in California

We rank the top venues in California (2021-'22)
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May 11, 2021
  1. (1) Cypress Point Club (pictured above), Pebble Beach •
  2. (2) Pebble Beach G. Links • ^
  3. (3) Los Angeles C.C. (North)
  4. (4) Riviera C.C., Pacific Palisades •
  5. (5) The Olympic Club (Lake), San Francisco •
  6. (6) San Francisco G.C.
  7. (7) Spyglass Hill G.C., Pebble Beach • ^
  8. (8) Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Shore), Pebble Beach •
  9. (11) The Valley C. of Montecito
  10. (10) Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Dunes), Pebble Beach •
  11. (9) The Quarry at La Quinta
  12. (14) Pasatiempo G.C., Santa Cruz • ^
  13. (15) The California G.C. of San Francisco
  14. (12) The Preserve G.C., Carmel ≈
  15. (17) The Madison Club, La Quinta ≈
  16. (13) Mayacama G.C., Santa Rosa ≈
  17. (16) Stone Eagle G.C., Palm Desert ≈
  18. (20) Bel-Air C.C., Los Angeles ≈
  19. (18) Martis Camp G.C., Truckee ≈
  20. (25) Sherwood C.C., Thousand Oaks ≈
  21. (21) Tradition G.C., La Quinta ≈
  22. (22) Bighorn G.C. (Mountains), Palm Desert
  23. (19) The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe
  24. (24) The Vintage Club (Mountain), Indian Wells ≈
  25. (26) Bighorn G.C. (Canyons), Palm Desert
  26. (23) Torrey Pines G. Cse. (South), La Jolla ^ ≈
  27. (29) Meadow Club, Fairfax
  28. (27) CordeValle G.C., San Martin ^
  29. (30) The Links at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach ^
  30. (NR) Lahontan G.C., Truckee
  31. (NR) PGA West (Stadium), La Quinta ^
  32. (28) Shady Canyon G.C., Irvine
  33. (NR) The Olympic Club (Ocean), San Francisco
  34. (NR) Lakeside G.C., Burbank
  35. (NR) The Plantation G.C., Indio
  36. (NR) Rancho Santa Fe G.C., Rancho Santa Fe
  37. (NR) Los Angeles C.C. (South)
  38. (NR) Toscana C.C. (North), Indian Wells
  39. (NR) Wilshire C.C., Los Angeles
  40. (NR) Toscana C.C. (South), Indian Wells
  41. (NR) Poppy Hills G. Cse., Pebble Beach ^
  42. (NR) Grizzly Ranch, Portola ^
  43. (NR) Rams Hill G.C., Borrego Springs ^
  44. (NR) Torrey Pines G. Cse. (North), La Jolla ^
  45. (NR) Pelican Hill G.C. (Ocean North), Newport Coast ^

Watch Golf Digest’s latest “Every Hole At” course videos below:

KEY TO SYMBOLS
(2019-'20 ranking in parentheses)
America's 100 Greatest Course
America's Second 100 Greatest
^ Public-access course
NR Not rated in 2019-’20

Some courses are ranked in Best in State but did not receive enough ballots to be considered for national lists.

America’s 100 Greatest & America’s Second 100 Greatest requires a minimum of 75 evaluations accumulated within 10 years, 100 Greatest Public 35 evaluations and Best in State 30 ballots. While a few highly ranked state courses do have a higher score than 100 Greatest, Second 100 Greatest or 100 Greatest Public courses within that state, and are listed above them, they will not appear on a national ranking until achieving the qualifying ballots.