Marin Country Club

Marin Country Club is a private, 18-hole par-72 course in Novato’s Ignacio Valley. The front nine moves across hillier ground; the back nine has broader corridors and more water in play. Those playing impressions come from a June 2019 firsthand round and should be read as a dated account, not a promise of today’s conditions.

History and Design

The club’s golf history credits Hughes with the 1957 design, Harbottle III with the 2007 renovation, and Nickels with completed 2017 bunker, forward-tee and practice work. A July 1957 trade report describes construction underway. Superintendent Dick Aven, who worked during construction, later dated first play to spring 1958; that is the opening year used here. The American Society of Golf Course Architects also lists Marin in Hughes’s portfolio. Design and first play are distinct milestones; a later NCGA directory carries an ambiguous 1957/1959 pair.

The course has three par 3s and three par 5s. In the 2019 player review, the front nine’s slopes and the back nine’s water create different shot choices. The club’s published 2017 bunker and tee work is part of the layout shown in the dated photographs on this page.

Playing the Course

The club’s linked scorecard is printed October 2021 and gives Black 6,652 yards at par 72, rated 71.9/134 for men. The current USGA Black men’s row instead measures 6,485 yards with the same par, rating and slope; the fact band uses that complete association row. The table displays no effective rating date, and the 167-yard difference is unresolved. Check the current shop card and tee setup before posting a score. The club lists a driving range, short-game area and putting green.

Know Before You Go

• Access is through the private club. Membership categories distinguish Full Golf privileges from Lifestyle membership’s limit of 12 golf rounds per calendar year; an invitation or club arrangement is needed for any guest play.

• There is no public tee-time checkout on the club site. For membership or guest arrangements, use the club golf page or call (415) 382-6700.

• Address: 500 Country Club Dr, Novato, CA 94949. The images here document a June 19, 2019 round; consult the club for present conditions.

Sources & Further Reading

Marin Country Club golf and practice · membership categories · scorecard · ASGCA Lawrence Hughes portfolio · June 2019 player review and image gallery.

USGA Marin CC named-tee ratings

Dick Aven’s firsthand construction and spring 1958 opening account (1981)

July 1957 Golfdom construction report