Courtesy of the club
Stanford Golf Course
Stanford, CA•Private
Awards
Panelists Score
Stanford Golf Course
91 Links Rd
Stanford, CA 94305-8701
United States
Overview
Home to the top-ranked Cardinal men’s and women’s golf teams, the Stanford Course is a par-70 George C. Thomas and Billy Bell Jr. design that dates to the early 1930s. Alums from Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Michelle Wie to Mickey Wright and Lawson Little developed their games at this sprawling layout that was ranked on our America's 100 Greatest list in the 1970s. Grand oak trees line the fairways and elevated tee boxes provide beautiful views of the surrounding mountain scenery, especially on the 18th tee, where you can see San Francisco in the distance. There is strong layout variety at Stanford, with holes moving in each direction and a mix of wide-open tee shots and others that are quite narrow. Though it's a pleasant walk with few houses on the course, it can be strenuous given the elevation changes and distance between some holes.
About
Golf Digest 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
“A really interesting course where the holes look more open off the tee than they actually are. You can be blocked by overhanging trees if you are in the wrong part of certain fairways, The ability to turn the ball in both directions would be helpful to a good player here and that makes this an excellent course for college players to play on. Conditioning is average and the putts don't always roll true. The finishing holes are very good."
Read More2026
Review
“A really interesting course where the holes look more open off the tee than they actually are. You can be blocked by overhanging trees if you are in the wrong part of certain fairways, The ability to turn the ball in both directions would be helpful to a good player here and that makes this an excellent course for college players to play on. Conditioning is average and the putts don't always roll true. The finishing holes are very good."
Read More2026
Review
“good course, variety of doglegs left/right, up down elevation changes."
Read More2026
Review
“Excellent classic golf course with varied layout, some beautifully elevated tees, great turf, and wonderful greens. Can't go wrong here.."
Read More2026
Review
“Classic layout with plush fairways, great turf, and wonderful greens. A challenging walk particularly with the finishing holes and some very nice elevated tees. The view of San Francisco from the 18th tee is worth getting there."
Read More2026
Review
“Stanford golf course is a Scenic golf course through rolling California hills framed by mature oak trees. Beautiful bunkering, nice plush fairies, and beautiful Views."
Read More2026
Review
“Stanford golf course plays along rolling terrain through mature California Oaks. The bunkering is very beautiful, ala George Thomas’s design."
Read More2026
Review
“The Stanford University Golf Course on the edge of the Stanford campus next to Palo Alto, CA is a beautiful, tree lined layout with significant character. Designed in 1930 by George Thomas Jr. and William Bell, it has been updated a number of times by various course designers including Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Beau Welling. The course is located in the foothills between Palo Alto and Woodside and has significant elevation changes throughout the course. In addition, San Francisquito Creek runs through much of the course providing some additional hazards. The Par 70 layout stretches from 6,742 yards from the "tips", the Cardinal tees, to the shortest Blue tees at 5,363 yards, making it playable for all levels of play. It certainly plays a bit more difficult than its yardage due to the elevation changes, hazards and a fair number of bunkers protecting the greens. Interestingly, the golfer will undoubtedly see deer, wild turkey and rabbits on the course and during my play, a couple of coyotes. The plentiful brush and trees undoubtedly give the wildlife some friendly cover. The fairways are generally wide but approaches to the greens can be tricky as they are fairly well protected. Scoring well is dependent on keeping out of the rough and some of the unplayable brush areas and hitting accurate 2nd shots to the well protected greens. The greens are fairly big, true and have natural slopes from the undulating terrain. There are scenic vistas, especially on the back nine which is hillier than the front. From the 18th tee box, the golfer has a panoramic view of the Bay Area as far north as San Francisco. While the conditioning of the course was good but not ideal, the diversity of layout from hole to hole makes the course interesting to play throughout the round. The par 3s in particular are challenging and differentiated. Overall, the Stanford course is a very enjoyable layout while providing a challenge to all levels of golfers. Further, the idyllic setting amongst the foothills, creek and natural beauty of the area, help to insure that the golfer has an enjoyable round unencumbered by houses, roads or development."
Read More2025
Review
“Course works property well with exception of some long distances between holes. Good variety of distances on par 3s. Some good elevation swings coupled with wide open holes and tight holes. Good strategic fairway bunkers. One very odd hole, the claimed signature #12 has three large oaks in the middle of the fairway. Feels off and really affects great tee shots that it shouldn’t as you can’t really go around them without being in the rough."
Read More2025
Review
“Course works property well with exception of some long distances between holes. Good variety of distances on par 3s. Some good elevation swings coupled with wide open holes and tight holes. One very odd hole, the claimed signature #12 has three large oaks in the middle of the fairway. Feels off and really affects great tee shots that it shouldn’t as you can’t really go around them without being in the rough."
Read More2025
