California’s lineup of public-access golf courses is one of the strongest in the U.S., with more than a few that even casual golf fans will have heard of. Pebble Beach Golf Links tops that list, of course, but which layouts follow?
With so many miles of staggering coast, it’s a lock that many oceanside courses will land on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts in California. But it certainly isn’t a requirement. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with the list of top public-access courses in each state among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.
Also popular are the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top private courses in each state, and that list is likewise included below.
MORE COURSES: Best Modern | Best Classic | Top 200 Resort|
Top 200 Residential | Top 100 Best You Can Play
(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960
(c): Classic course, built before 1960
Note: If there is a number in the parenthesis with the m or c, that indicates where that course ranks among Golfweek’s Best top 200 modern or classic courses.