Healdsburg Golf Club at Tayman Park

Overview

Opened in 1921, it is widely recognized as the oldest golf course in Sonoma County. The rolling, oak-dotted layout offers sweeping views of Fitch Mountain and the Dry Creek Valley and plays to a par of 35 over roughly 2,600 yards from the back tees. Owned by the City of Healdsburg and operated by the Tayman Park Golf Group, the course is friendly to beginners while its famously undulating greens keep it interesting for accomplished players. It can be enjoyed as a quick nine or looped twice for a full 18-hole round.

Course History

The course opened around 1921–22 as a private club, making it the oldest golf course in Sonoma County. After the club fell on hard times, the City of Healdsburg acquired the land in 1935 and renamed the course for Colonel Charles Tayman, the club's first president — the origin of the Tayman Park name.

Today the municipal course occupies roughly 60 acres owned by the City of Healdsburg and managed by the Tayman Park Golf Group. In recent years the operators have refurbished the holes, rerouted the entry road, renovated the clubhouse and added a distinctive three-tiered, all-weather covered driving range built into the hillside.

Design & Architecture

Local lore holds that renowned golf architect Alister MacKenzie — designer of Cypress Point and co-designer of Augusta National — had a hand in the original layout. The attribution is repeated by many listings but remains unconfirmed and is debated among course historians, so it should be treated as reputed rather than documented. What is certain is the course's classic hillside character: small, undulating greens, mature oaks framing the fairways, and dramatic elevation changes that reward accurate, thoughtful ball-striking.

Playing the Course

At par 35 and about 2,622 yards from the Blue tees, Tayman Park is a walkable, quick round that still demands precision. Several holes play sharply downhill — notably the par-3 3rd and the par-4 7th — and the vistas from the 6th green and 9th tee are among the finest in the county. The rolling terrain and famously undulating greens are the course's signature defense. Played twice, the layout stretches to a par-70 round of roughly 5,244 yards, and its accessible design suits beginners while challenging low-handicap players.

Know Before You Go

• Public nine-hole course — play a quick nine or loop it twice for 18 holes.

• Open daily, roughly 7:00 a.m. to dusk.

• Walking is welcome; pull carts and riding carts are available for rent.

• Facilities include a three-tiered covered driving range, putting green, teaching pro and clubhouse.

• Book tee times online at healdsburg.teesnap.net or call (707) 433-4275.

• Located at 927 S. Fitch Mountain Road, about one mile from the Healdsburg Plaza.