California has nearly 800 golf courses ranging from coastal cliffs above the Pacific to desert floors below sea level. The state’s public golf is anchored by courses that appear on every national ranking - Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Spyglass Hill - but the depth extends well beyond those headliners. Municipal courses, resort layouts, and daily-fee tracks across the state offer quality that rivals private clubs at a fraction of the cost.
The GolfPass 2026 Golfers’ Choice rankings analyzed nearly 26,000 reviews of California courses to compile their annual list. Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine also rank multiple California courses in their national top 100 public lists.
The Monterey Peninsula
The stretch of coastline around Monterey and Pebble Beach contains the highest concentration of top-ranked public golf in the country.
Pebble Beach Golf Links is the course most golfers name when asked about bucket-list rounds. The 18-hole par-72 layout runs along the rocky Pacific coastline, with the par-3 7th and par-5 18th among the most photographed holes in golf. Green fees run $675–$725 for the current season according to the Pebble Beach resort website. It has hosted six U.S. Opens, most recently in 2019, and is scheduled for the 2027 event.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course plays 6,862 yards at par 72, opening with dune-lined holes offering ocean views before moving into tight, forested corridors. Many regulars on the peninsula consider it the harder test than Pebble Beach. Green fees are $460–$470 for the current season.
The Links at Spanish Bay rounds out the Pebble Beach Resorts trio. The 6,820-yard par-72 course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Watson, and Sandy Tatum to evoke a Scottish links experience, with pot bunkers, seaside dunes, and firm turf. A bagpiper plays at sunset along the course’s coastal holes.
Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones II in 2014 and is owned by the Northern California Golf Association. It plays through the Del Monte Forest and offers the most accessible green fees on the peninsula.
Pacific Grove Golf Links is the budget option on the Monterey Peninsula - a municipal course with back-nine holes running along the coast near Point Pinos Lighthouse. It routinely appears on lists of best municipal courses in the country.
San Diego
Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla is a municipal course perched on coastal bluffs above the Pacific. The South Course has hosted the Farmers Insurance Open annually and was the site of Tiger Woods’ 2008 U.S. Open victory and Jon Rahm’s 2021 U.S. Open win. The 18-hole par-72 layout plays 6,647 yards from the listed tees with San Diego residents receiving discounted rates - making it one of the best values in American championship golf.
The Central Coast
Sandpiper Golf Club in Goleta sits on a bluff above the Pacific near Santa Barbara. The ocean-view layout is one of few California courses where you can see whales from the fairway during migration season.
La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc is a Robert Graves design in the hills behind Vandenberg Space Force Base. Remote and rugged, it regularly appears on best-value lists for California.
Santa Cruz
Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz plays 6,439 yards at par 70 and is one of Alister MacKenzie’s masterworks - the same architect who designed Augusta National and Cypress Point. MacKenzie lived alongside the 6th fairway until his death in 1934. The course features dramatic bunkering, tilted greens, and canyon carries that make it one of the most architecturally significant public courses in the country. Golf Digest consistently ranks it among California’s best.
Orange County
Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast offers two Tom Fazio-designed ocean-view courses overlooking the Pacific. The 6,580-yard par-70 layout features dramatic coastal panoramas from nearly every hole. Green fees are at the elite tier.
The Desert
Indian Wells Golf Resort in the Coachella Valley offers two courses designed by Clive Clark and John Fought. The desert setting provides reliable winter weather and mountain-framed views of the surrounding San Jacinto and Santa Rosa ranges.
Rustic Canyon Golf Course in Moorpark is a Gil Hanse design that has developed a cult following among architecture enthusiasts. The minimalist layout plays firm and fast through a canyon setting at accessible pricing - making it one of the best values in Southern California.
Planning Your Trip
California golf is playable year-round, though the ideal window depends on region. The desert courses peak October through April. Coastal courses play best May through October when fog is less frequent on the Monterey Peninsula. Summer green fees at inland courses often drop significantly.
Browse all California golf courses in the FairwayDB directory, or use the interactive map to explore by region.
