Courtesy of Evan Schiller
Courtesy of Evan Schiller
Courtesy of Evan Schiller
Courtesy of Evan Schiller
Courtesy of Evan Schiller
California Golf Club
South San Francisco, CA • Private
California Golf Club
844 W Orange Ave
South San Francisco, CA 94080-3125
United States
Overview
For a course that featured Alister MacKenzie bunkers (added just two years after it first opened), Cal Club was never considered the equal of its near neighbors, No. 35 Olympic Club (Lake) or No. 33 San Francisco Golf Club. That’s partly because it was so claustrophobic, not just from dense trees, but from its truncated front nine reworked in the 60s by Robert Trent Jones after road expansion took two holes. Architect Kyle Phillips resolved the problem in 2007 by clearing trees and creating five new holes, including a new par-4 second in the old practice range and a new dogleg-right par-4 seventh atop a previously unused mesa in the middle of the course. Best of all, he reintroduced MacKenzie’s glamorous bunkers. Cal Club is now much closer to its top-ranked neighbors and continues its meteoric rise up the charts, jumping to its highest position to date.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 2023-'24.
Previous ranking: 71st.
2025-'26 ranking: 57th (highest).
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked from 2013-'23.
Best in State: Ranked 15th, 2015-'16, 2019-'20. Ranked 16th, 2013-'14, 2017-'18. Ranked 25th, 2011-'12. Ranked inside top 10 since 2023.
Previous ranking: 9th.
2025-'26 ranking: 8th (highest).
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Cal Club felt like an enormous ball park. The course was long in length but didn’t play long as it was extremely fast and firm with great change in undulation given its location. The course was wide open with massive trees providing great aiming points but as well as boundaries. Not all was open as some of the course was tucked away in the woods. While I played it was extremely windy and I was told that it is quite normal for it to gust near 30mph a day making it difficult even with forgiving fairways. The routing felt natural and provided great views while you were challenged from tee to green. The variety in the lies you drew showed how great the course was routed amongst the terrain. This course was one you would enjoy again and again."
Read More2025
Review
“Beautiful vistas and exeptional land movement gives the play a need to play off sidehills, uphill, and downhill shots. Plenty of risk and reward on approaches and off tee shots. Serene site with firm and fast turf. There are plenty of thought provoking moments on nearly every tee where a golfer can pick how much risk they'd like to take as it pertains to false fronts/bunkers/ravines."
Read More2025
Review
“Incredible place with views and beautiful flowing holes. Greens are mostly small, nice undulations and add to the challenge. Great variety of hole shapes. Bunkers in wonderful shape and good strategy placement. The last renovation really opened up the course. Can hit multiple tee shot shapes on holes and several holes give options for attack into the greens."
Read More2025
Review
“Incredible place with views and beautiful flowing holes. Greens are mostly small, nice undulations and add to the challenge. Great variety of hole shapes. Bunkers in wonderful shape and good strategy placement. The last renovation really opened up the course. Can hit multiple tee shot shapes on holes and several holes give options for attack into the greens."
Read More2025
Review
“Terrific old school design that completely takes advantage of a rolling piece of land. Great conditioning with the best greens in the area and fast bouncy fairways. The course changes character on the holes added by various designers, but holds together well as a whole. There is remarkable variety in holes, terrain, and shots required. You will truly use every club in the bag."
Read More2024
Review
“One of the best courses in the US and not just NorCal. Conditioning is fantastic and allows for different shots off the tee and into greens. Each hole presents a new challenge and truly keeps the golfer engaged."
Read More2024
Review
“Golden age design that has firm and fast fairways with beautiful bunking throughout. Hilly piece of property that is actually an easy walk due to its excellent routing. Beautiful clubhouse that contains many historical items. Staff and membership were most welcoming. Definitely play here if offered the opportunity."
Read More2024
Review
“Cal Club has quietly (or not so quietly) become the darling of the San Francisco golf scene, both for its well renovated course and its laid-back club atmosphere. The course is wide and strategic. Its first two holes are the dominant memory for me, with connected fairways and a ridge that keeps the first time player slightly unsettled. Decent shot options tee through green exist here. If anything, its layout variety causes a few holes to blend together and making parts of the course less memorable. The course has just enough quirk and fun to make it one of the more enjoyable courses among the San Francisco elite courses."
Read More2024
Review
“Originally designed by Willie Locke and A. Vernon Macan in 1926. Later Alister MacKenzie redesigned the bunkering and at least 2 greens, Kyle Phillips in 2008, restored the course to its original design. Great, challenging course with excellent conditioning and a fun variety of holes along with elevation changes and some nice views of South San Francisco"
Read More2022
Review
“Some of the most artistic bunkering I've ever experienced. The architects use of the bay to frame the 6th hole is exceptional. The greens are somewhat tame compared to other MacKenzie courses I've played such as Crystal Downs or Pasatiempo, but yet very challenging and provide numerous pin location possibilities on virtually every hole. The towering trees frame the holes beautifully, yet do not hinder play excessively."
Read More2022
