Baylands Golf Links

Reborn in 2018 from the former Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, the layout weaves rolling, wrinkled fairways, dune-like landforms and sod-faced pot bunkers through 55 acres of restored native wetlands and grasses. Ever-present wind off the Bay and bold, contoured greens give this par-72 a genuinely coastal, old-world feel in the heart of Silicon Valley. It stands as one of the region's most environmentally conscious public golf experiences.

Course History

Golf first came to this stretch of the Palo Alto Baylands in 1956, when the City of Palo Alto opened a municipal course designed by William F. Bell on the flat, bayside grounds of what was then the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. For decades it served as a well-used civic amenity, but by the 2010s the City sought to marry its golf with a broader environmental vision for the adjacent Baylands Nature Preserve.

Beginning around 2011, the City engaged golf course architect Forrest Richardson to reimagine the property. Construction started in mid-2016 and the fully redesigned, links-style course reopened in 2018 as Baylands Golf Links. The project reduced managed turf and potable water use, restored dozens of acres of native wetlands, and reconfigured land along San Francisquito Creek to improve regional flood protection.

The Design & Architecture

Richardson transformed the once-flat site into a true links, sculpting dune-like landforms and rolling, wrinkled fairways framed by native grasses and even sod-faced pot bunkers. The layout is full of character, including a large shared double green and a distinctive hole that plays to two separate greens depending on the day, as well as a blind par 3 on the back nine evoking the spirit of the Dell hole at Lahinch. Bold, heavily contoured greens make putting an adventure, while restored wetlands and reintroduced indigenous trees keep the course in harmony with the surrounding Baylands Preserve.

Signature Holes

Forrest Richardson filled the routing with old-world features rarely seen on an American municipal course, and the club's own hole-by-hole guide highlights several standouts:

• No. 4 (par 3) — a traditional Redan, where the opening to the green is purposefully narrow; the smart play lands short and uses the slope to bounce the ball left toward the flag.

• No. 12 (par 3) — an island-style green surrounded by showcase environmental habitat with a bunker guarding the front — a short hole that demands finesse over power.

• No. 14 (par 4) — the dual-green hole: pick your target from the tee, either the small green perched along the wetlands to the left or the more forgiving punchbowl green to the right.

• No. 17 (par 3) — a blind one-shotter played over mounding, similar in nature to the famed Dell hole at Lahinch in Ireland; guesswork mixes with local knowledge as the mounds funnel balls toward the center of the green.

• No. 18 (par 5) — the “Home Hole,” a short, reachable, usually downwind par 5 that threads a narrow slot between pine trees to a large green full of movement and cross breaks.

Playing the Course

At 6,680 yards with a par of 72, a course rating of 69.6 and a slope of 119, Baylands plays as an approachable but engaging test that rewards thoughtful shotmaking over raw length. With five par 3s and five par 5s balancing the round, the real challenge comes from the elements and the ground game: near-constant wind off San Francisco Bay, firm links turf, and bold green contours demand creativity and precise distance control. Multiple tee options let players of all abilities find a fair and enjoyable challenge.

Know Before You Go

• Access: A public, City of Palo Alto municipal course open to all; book tee times online at baylandsgolflinks.com or by phone.

• Location: 1875 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303, just off Highway 101 within the Baylands Nature Preserve.

• Amenities: Practice driving range on site; reach the pro shop at (650) 856-0881.

• Tip: Come prepared for wind and embrace the ground game, keeping shots low and using the firm fairways to run the ball toward the greens.