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How deep is the roster of California public golf courses worth playing?
If you believe in Golfers' Choice - like I do - that number is somewhere around 80. In the first decade of Golfers' Choice from 2014-2024, 84 different courses ranked among the top 25 in California. That's an incredible amount of places to play, even if a few of them have closed - R.I.P. Stevenson Ranch, Borrego Springs and the Ranch course at Diablo Grande - or gone private (i.e. Winchester Country Club).
I love the range of price points represented by those 80 courses - from Pine Mountain Hills to Pebble Beach and Pelican Hill. Whatever you're willing to pay, there's a course for you.
With such a depth of talent, the battle was ferocious to rank among the top 10 California golf courses and resorts dominating a decade of Golfers' Choice. We analyzed how many times a club/resort had a course rank among the top 25 in our annual lists and then weighed that number against where each course finished in the rankings over time. A course that finished among the top 10 three or four times wasn't able to compare with a course that finished among the top 25 (with some high finishes) 7 or 8 times, showing a range of consistency that's important to golfers.
Here's the list of California's best golf courses and resorts over the past decade, according to our community of reviewers:
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Yocha Dehe at Cache Creek Resort Casino
Top 25 selections: (2023 #23) (2022 #7) (2021 #5) (2020 #1) (2019 #1) (2018 #1) (2017 #3) (2016 #2) (2015 #1) (2014 #13).
Comment: A four-time state champion and two-time national champion, Yocha Dehe has no peer. The Capay Valley is a wonderful, natural escape from city life in San Francisco. The course winds peacefully through a vineyard around multiple water hazards with the surrounding hillsides blocking out the noise of the rest of the world. -
Indian Wells Golf Resort
Indian Wells, CaliforniaResortIndian Wells, CaliforniaResortTop 25 selections: Celebrity: (2023 #15) (2022 #6) (2021 #3) (2020 #13) (2019 #6) (2018 #3) (2017 #9) (2016 #17) (2015 #7) (2014 #1). Players: (2022 #22) (2021 #13) (2020 #3) (2019 #5) (2018 #24) (2017 #6) (2016 #7) (2015 #11) (2014 #1).
Comment: As 36-hole facilities go, there aren't many better than Indian Wells. The two dynamite courses - run by Troon Golf - share a magnificent clubhouse, home to a nice restaurant. The 'Shots in the Night' add an after-dark entertainment experience to keep the golf party going after sundown. -
Rams Hill
Top 25 selections: (2021 #21) (2020 #5) (2019 #2) (2018 #2) (2017 #1) (2016 #1) (2015 #2).
Comment: The meteoric rise of Rams Hills from a shuttered course to the nation's No. 1 course in Golfers' Choice is something out of a Hollywood script. After reopening in 2014 following a Tom Fazio redesign, Rams Hill ranked first or second in California five straight years prior to the pandemic. -
Desert Willow Golf Resort
Palm Desert, CaliforniaResortPalm Desert, CaliforniaResortTop 25 selections: Firecliff: (2023 #19) (2022 #17) (2021 #2) (2020 #25) (2019 #28) (2017 #7). Mountain View: (2023 #22) (2022 #8) (2021 #22) (2018 #13) (2016 #16) (2014 #12).
Comment: Nobody really knows which is the best course at the 36-hole Desert Willow because Firecliff and Mountain View are both so good. I challenge you to play both and leave an opinion in a future review. -
Pebble Beach Resorts
![Pebble Beach GL at Pebble Beach Resorts]()
Top 25 selections: Pebble Beach Golf Links: (2022 #11) (2021 #6) (2020 #7) (2019 #4) (2018 #5) (2017 #2). Spyglass Hill Golf Course: (2021 #7) (2020 #16) (2018 #6) (2017 #12).
Comment: What more can we write about Pebble Beach? It's the ultimate dream destination for almost every golfer. Pebble Beach Golf Links will probably never rank No. 1 - in California or nationally - simply because its hefty price tag rubs some golfers the wrong way. Even so, the resort - including the beautiful and challenging Spyglass Hill - deserves a spot in our ranking.Golf courses worth watching
Consistent contenders: The Ridge Creek Dinuba (2023 #20) (2020 #14) (2019 #16) (2018 #9) (2017 #14) (2016 #10) and Cinnabar Hills (2023 #7) (2022 #23) (2021 #18) (2020 #23) (2018 #17) (2017 #13) (2015 #14) have all consistently pump out top-20 finishes at least six times and just missed the cut.
Who's trending?: Both the Journey at Pechanga (2023 #1) (2022 #3) (2021 #23) (2020 #21) (2019 #29) and Quail Lodge Club & Lodge (2023 #2) (2022 #18) (2021 #1) (2020 #2) (2019 #25) have been surging lately with some high finishes and a consistent five-year run of entering the rankings. -
Maderas Golf Club
Top 25 selections: (2023 #8) (2022 #15) (2021 #12) (2020 #4) (2019 #20) (2018 #4) (2017 #10) (2016 #18) (2015 #3) (2014 #8).
Comment: Torrey Pines might be more famous, but for most, Maderas is the superior golf experience in greater San Diego. The Troon Golf-managed course is super fun to play with some wild elevation changes. Plus, it's kept in immaculate shape most of the time. -
The Classic Club
Top 25 selections: (2023 #4) (2022 #13) (2021 #16) (2020 #18) (2019 #26) (2018 #20) (2017 #5) (2016 #4) (2015 #12) (2014 #11).
Comment: The Classic Club, which hosted the PGA Tour's Bob Hope Classic from 2006-08, stands out for its uniqueness in the desert. The layout is littered with dramatic water holes, a feature that sets it apart from its local competition. -
Pasatiempo
Top 25 selections: (2021 #14) (2020 #6) (2019 #8) (2018 #14) (2017 #4) (2016 #20).
Comment: Pasatiempo's semi-private Dr. Alister MacKenzie course is the first 'big name' represented. A high green fee can be a detriment for some golfers who leave reviews, but its historical connections to golf's greatest architect and his legendary green complexes leaves most visitors star struck. The rolling land, dotted with barrancas, serves up some epic golf holes - notably the first, third, 10th, 11th, 16th and 18th. -
Bayonet/Blackhorse
Seaside, CaliforniaPublicTop 25 selections: Bayonet: (2017 #8) (2016 #3) (2015 #6) (2014 #7). Black Horse: (2018 #18) (2017 #20) (2016 #12) (2015 #18) (2014 #14).
Comment: Widely regarded as the best 'bargain' on the Monterey Peninsula, Bayonet/Black Horse made our list on the strength of the rankings of its two courses from 2014-2018. Black Horse's renovation project wrapping up this year to reduce turf and add waste bunkers - giving the layout a more dunesy look - could spur a return to the rankings soon.Seaside, CaliforniaPublic -
Heritage Palms
Top 25 selections: (2023 #14) (2022 #5) (2021 #11) (2020 #12) (2019 #17) (2018 #10) (2016 #9) (2015 #10).
Comment: Heritage Palms, designed by Arthur Hills, is the first of four clubs/resorts located in the Coachella Valley to make our list. It's the least heralded, but that's why golfers love it. It's priced right in a destination that can get expensive during peak season.
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