Baylands Golf Links

This is a great upgrade from the dog track called Palo Alto Muni. Baylands is a very similar layout but so much more fun. Still windy in the afternoons and very busy but great golf experience for 40 bucks. The greens are in great shape. Green complexes are interesting but not over the top. The bunkers still need to settle but I was very pleased with the overall conditions of the fairways and tee boxes.

Good course conditions- it’s new. Full of hackers tho, and also nobody plays fast. The staff is SUPER pretentious, all hackers too I’ve played with some or watched. I suggest playing 7am for fast pace. It took 6 hours Saturday. And I’m a +1 HC hitting all greens and FIR. Ppl here are beginning golf every time.

I played the course about 10days ago. Right away, I want to come back and play it again. The course conditions are perfect. And the price is awesome. Great value. I love the green most it's tricky But , it rolls good. . I had so much fun. Guess I will be back

First time play Baylands. The course Wowed me. The afternoon wind definitely makes the course more challenging ( glad we played white) the conditions are like PGA tournament setting. Green are so much fun ( tricky ) at the beginning we have no idea where to go. But, after few holes we just kept going. Will definitely Come back for another round.

They need to water this course. The greens are so firm balls don’t land softly, yet roll so slow. There was construction the entire time on the back nine. I also chipped my 60 degree wedge because of the rocks in the rough. Very disappointed for $85 green fee.

Played this course for the first time since the remodel, and I was pleased with the new look. I had read a few reviews that said the grass was really fluffy, but I didn't really notice it being an issue. What was an issue was the wind, but that's to be expected with an afternoon round near the bay. Hit one drive through the green on a par 4 that said 342 on the card downwind, then hit 3 wood on a 200 yard par 3 into the wind and came up a good 25 yards short. I'd recommend playing in the morning, but it probably isn't a course layout that justifies the 110 dollar price tag. It's in great shape though an is worth trying out if you can grab a good deal.

The totally new Baylands course has wide fairways but lots of rolling and even hilly ground. The white tees are less than 5500 yards and the blue tees are 6100 or so, but include two par 3s that are over 200 yards into a prevailing wind. Some well hit shots hitting the fairway can get funneled by the rolling terrain right into the weedy waste areas. The grass is spongy so for now there's not much fairway roll. I had a good time on a moderately challenging layout, but come on!!! The pricing is unreasonable. As a senior who always plays during the week and likes to walk, the cheapest I can get on is $47, and that's only after buying a links card for $99 that's good for the next 6 months. I can walk Shoreline for $31, Sunnyvale for $27, Moffett and Poplar for $38 and even Crystal Springs with a cart Mon -Wed for only $39. I hope someone from Baylands and the city of Palo Alto are paying attention to this review. I play every week and can only see myself playing Baylands 6-8 times a year at the current "flexible" (i.e. exorbitant) prices.

The Bayland redesign is definitely an upgrade from the old Palo Alto Muni. The greens were a little slow, but pure (both of which you’d expect on new greens that they’re still trying to protect). The pace of play was brutal (over 5 hours, though the issue was exacerbated playing in a twosome sandwiched between foursomes). The front desk guy and Marshall on the first tee were super friendly (though the same Marshall didn’t show up again until the 18th hole — when he talked to my 10-year-old son about taking a Mulligan from the fairway of our last hole after we’d waited on every shot since the first tee...I get where he’s coming from, but I felt like he should be apologizing to us for not keeping things moving in front of us instead of scolding us for for holding up the group behind us for one shot). The layout is a little bland, but overall I’d say it’s one of the best options available to the public on the San Francisco Peninsula.

Very nice layout. Fair and well thought out with respect to prevailing wind patters. There are two to three greens which have "hills" within the green that simply seem to waste real estate. Those areas of the green are of no use. Overall, the course is fun to play with the new course feel. Fairways are wavy and fun. Hazards seem like they are meant to change with the weather. We paid $63 to play which is fair and welcoming. $111...wont be.

Well done and welcome back Baylands/Palo Alto Muni.

Having played Palo Alto Muni several times in the past I knew this would be a better experience but how much better was the question. I was very pleased with the practice areas, the course layout and the quality of the greens! I liken the greens to TPC Stonebrae.....many undulations and some crazy places for possible pin positions. The first time playing was a little confusing on some holes, just not quite sure how the hole was laid out and next time I’ll do some things different. But it was worth driving 1 hour mid morning and I’ll be doing it again!!

Had a great day. Staff was very friendly and nice. Course is in great shape although just open for a couple of weeks. Real nice job on the remodel, tee boxs perfect. Greens are a 10 running a little slow. Can't wait to play again.

A few of the holes, like 1,7, and 9, follow the same route as the old Muni, but other than that, it is completely different. It has a links feel with very few trees. The greens are very challenging, with most having several distinct sections separated by 3-4 foot drops. Very difficult to read putts. Two of the par 3's are over 230 yards, and the last one played INTO a 30 mph wind. The fairways are pretty wide open overall, but there is hidden trouble on a few holes, so checkout the flyovers on the website.

Range is the same astro turf as before, but there is a really nice practice area on the right of the range, where the old #10 used to be.

This is always a windy area but on certain days when there's a big temp change the wind will whip up to 30 or 3 club ups. So best to play in the morning or early afternoon. The new layout is tougher than it was as p.a. Muni and once the fairways firm up it will play like a real links course...

Baylands is a good muni track. Nothing that will wow you but good for the price. It is definitely better than the old course (aka Palo Alto Muni). Condition of the course is very good. Fairways are Paspalum (I think) and greens are bent grass. Greens are little on the slower side but they they are quite undulating so understandable.

Overall design is decent. However, there are a few goofily designed holes that I am not fond of ( #9 and #17). #9 plays downwind (most of the time) and drives down the middle of fairway will collect in the waste area making it difficult to find ball. I hit my best drive of day down the middle to lose my ball. #17 is too long of par 3 (230yards) that plays into the prevailing wind. So, into a stiff wind (20-30mph) can play up to 260-270yards which is ridiculous for a par 3.

The new practice facilities are very good. They have large undulating practice putting green, chipping green, driving range (mats), and short game area. The clubhouse is remodeled and looks better.

Be ready for the wind if you play here. It blows at least 10-15mph most of the time. Afternoons will get 15-20mph winds.

Like everybody else, I cringed when Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss warned golfers about the toughness of Baylands Golf Links at the course's media grand opening. It's tough, but not in the 'I don't want to play this ever again' way. I'd call it sneaky tough, despite a player-friendly 5 par 5/5 par 3 routing.

You shouldn't lose balls from the 6,110-yard blue tees, but you probably will, especially on the short par 4s like No. 5 and 7. The long par-5 third, the best hole strategically, will eat balls at will until players learn how to survive the wetland on that hole.

Baylands showcases a mix of intriguing features - reachable par 5s to start and end the round, gaping sodwall bunkers in front of the greens at No. 12 (a par 3) and No. 13 (a par 5), alternate greens on the par-4 14th hole and semi-blind approaches to mounded greens at no. 16 (a par 4) and no. 17 (a par 3).

Several greens might be overdone with undulations (no. 6 and no. 18 come to mind). However, not even a couple of three jacks can undermine the fine job done by architect Forrest Richardson in reviving this featureless muni. It's a gift generations of golfers can enjoy.

Baylands is an almost completely redone version of what was previously Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. I played a twilight round on opening day, and let me tell you, the greens were absolutely perfect. I've played some excellent courses and I don't think the ball has rolled this true anywhere.

The layout is interesting, and seems to follow a trend among newer courses - no rough, just running undulating fairways that lead into penal areas. The lack of a rough reminds me of Poppy Hills, although that's the only similarity. Poppy provides a much more complete golf experience. The 2nd hole is located awkwardly, you cross paths through the 5th hole to get from 1 to 2. And on the first day of the course, the sign fell down, so it was unclear where to go.

Old PA golf course had an awkward 10th hole that wrapped around the driving range. I'm very happy with the change that was made in this area. The awkward hole is now a fantastic short game area. The 10th now goes in a different direction. Really well done.

The bunkering is interesting. There's some pot bunkers that clearly have a European influence. The fairways rarely give you a flat lie, and the greens had multiple tiers. While the fairways are wavy, the course is relatively flat. By that, I mean, that there are very few elevation changes from tee to green, and the fairways almost have mogul-like undulations.

The course is still a muni, but it's now pricing itself like a mid-premium golf course. It's nice, but if the rack rate is going to be around $100, that's too expensive. When checking in, two senior citizens learned that there wouldn't be a 9 role rate until after 3pm (which is probably the right call if you're running a course), and that their 18 hole rate would be $90, which for a muni has to be among the most expensive in the country.

I believe they removed quite a few trees, and while that's nice on some holes, it leaves beautiful views of power lines on others. The electrical wires aren't particularly close to the course, but they're very much in view. Also, there's an occasional plane taking off and landing at the Palo Alto airport.

Store and restaurant were redone as well. Some new wood flooring, new logo, etc. No real clubhouse or locker room to speak of.

On the whole, I did like the course. Staff was very friendly. It would be a much better experience at 30% lower prices. For around the $100 range, there's many better options in NorCal.