California Golf Club of San Francisco

I played this course this past Thursday, January 9, 2020. It was a fairly chilly and slightly windy day. From the moment my taxi driver pulled into the club’s grounds I knew I was somewhere very special. From the palatial white clubhouse exterior to the enormous , impressive, old but charming interior this club was beyond impressive. The course layout was solid, the green complexes, bunkering and green designs were extremely impressive. The whole course was in tournament like shape including very punishing rough. The professional staff were friendly helpful and very welcoming. I had a very knowledgeable and helpful caddy. All in all a five-star experience with the exception of a high golf score.

The weather is perfect for the Bay Area. Grounds very well manicured; a nice walk.

I've been angling to play Cal Club for quite some time. When I first moved to the Bay Area, I lived close to the golf course, drove by it every day, and hoped that I'd be able to play it one of these days. That day finally came this summer, and it definitely did not disappoint.

This is one of the few courses in the Bay Area that plays hard & fast year round (from what I've been told) and it was certainly that - which makes it very challenging. Most of the elite courses in SF that I've played (Olympic, Lake Merced, Harding Park) are a little damp, and you don't get much roll out on your drives and approach shots, but Cal Club is the exception. It's very green, but has a brown patina that championship golf is known for - so you know you're in for a test.

The bunkers and undulating greens are the primary defenses of the course for sure. The greens were hard and rolling out when I played, so even getting a wedge to stop quickly was a challenge that took some getting used to. And with greens running that fast, you never want to be above the hole. That being said, I love this kind of golf, and played pretty well, despite the challenges. The fairways are relatively forgiving, but there's definitely a fair amount of tee shots where you need to be strategic, so it's not just bombs away every hole. Luckily I played with members that had played the course many times, so that was very helpful. Great variety of holes, very memorable, very challenging but enjoyable. The perfect combination. Lots of standout holes, but The Par 5 1st, Par 4 7th, and Par 3 16th are probably my favorites - that may change the more I play it, who knows.

This course has quickly moved into my all-time favorites - right up there with Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, LACC, Pinehurst #2, etc. Golf Digest doesn't even have it in their top 100 courses (not even in the top 10 in CA (no way), which is insane to me. I'd put it in my top 10 for sure, no question. Can't wait to go back!

Absolutely tremendous experience. Great staff, awesome firm and fast conditions, and great caddies. The design challenges but you can play safe lines for easy bogeys or take tighter angles and try to go low. Love everything about this place.

Some of the friendliest members I've ever been around. We played as unaccompanied guest and the members treated us like kings. The course is fatantastic, quite the challenge from the Venturri tees, an absolute fantastic challenge. But just hanging with the members in the Men's Locker room made the day. Drinks, Stories, so much fun!