Bay View Golf Club

Overview

Bay View Golf Club is a public, 18-hole championship course set high in the Milpitas hills at the southern edge of San Francisco Bay. Perched above the South Bay, the par-72 layout is known for its dramatic elevation changes and sweeping panoramas of Silicon Valley, the Peninsula and the Bay. Following a multi-million-dollar redevelopment, the club reopened in late 2020 with the ambition of becoming a premier golf destination for the region, pairing a demanding hillside routing with a modern clubhouse, restaurant and event venue.

Quick Facts

Course History

The property has a long lineage in the Milpitas hills. It opened in 1978 as Tularecitos Golf Club and later operated for decades as Summitpointe Golf Club, a fixture of South Bay golf. Summitpointe closed in 2019, and the site was purchased and extensively renovated by a new private owner. It reopened in late 2020 as Bay View Golf Club. Golfers researching the site should note that Summitpointe is closed; Bay View Golf Club is the current operating course on the former Summitpointe land.

The Design & Architecture

Originally designed by Marvin Orgill and opened in 1978, the course makes full use of its hillside setting. The routing climbs and drops across the Milpitas foothills, producing significant elevation changes, uneven lies and holes that play very differently depending on the tee. The 2020 redevelopment brought major infrastructure upgrades, including a new smart-technology irrigation system that improved turf conditions while making the course more environmentally friendly. Greens are POA/Bent and fairways are a Bermuda/Rye mix.

Signature Holes

Every hole at Bay View carries its own name, and a few define the round. The 2nd, "Incline," is a 528-yard uphill par five whose three-tiered green is hidden from the fairway, forcing a carefully judged blind approach. The 5th, "The View," is a 183-yard downhill par three to a wide green guarded by bunkers left and front, where the elevated tee and wind typically take a full club off the shot. The 8th, "Up the Bend," is the club's designated hardest hole: a 401-yard par four that wants a draw off the tee and a long second into a green defended by two bunkers and a false front — anything short rolls back off.

The back nine saves its drama for the finish. The 16th, "Drop Zone," is a 199-yard downhill par three from an elevated tee that the club says might be the most difficult hole on the course, especially once the afternoon crosswinds pick up. The closing 18th, "Loyal Finish," plays 398 yards with a lake hugging the entire right side; the smart tee shot favors the left, leaving an approach into a green bunkered left, front and back.

Playing the Course

At a par of 72 and roughly 6,701 yards from the back tees, Bay View plays to a course rating of 72.7 and a slope of 133, making it a genuine test from the tips while remaining approachable from the forward sets of tees (four sets range from around 4,800 to 6,600+ yards). The hillside terrain rewards accurate driving and thoughtful club selection into elevated and downhill greens, and nearly every hole delivers a view of the South Bay. A practice facility with a driving range and chipping and putting areas supports warm-ups and instruction through the on-site Bay View Academy.

Know Before You Go

• Address: 1500 Country Club Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035.

• Phone: (408) 262-8813; book tee times via the official site at playbayview.com.

• Golf course and driving range are open daily from 6:30 AM to dark.

• Club rentals and lessons are available; the Bay View Academy offers instruction.

• On-site restaurant plus wedding and event venue; expect hilly terrain and cart-recommended walking.

• Formerly Summitpointe Golf Club (originally Tularecitos, 1978) - search under Bay View for current info.