Richmond Country Club

Founded in 1924, it is one of the Bay Area's most storied golf clubs, offering a classic parkland-style layout with scenic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and Mount Tamalpais. With deep roots in professional golf history and a welcoming membership community, the club pairs a challenging course with a distinguished clubhouse and full amenities.

Course History

The club was founded in 1924 as the Carquinez Golf Club and was rebranded as the Richmond Golf Club in the 1930s under the leadership of Pat Markovich, who also served as its course architect. A clubhouse built in 1927 still stands today, and early members famously used the 9th fairway as a runway for private planes.

Richmond earned a notable place in golf history as a four-time PGA Tour host and as the first club in America to invite African American players to compete in professional tournaments. Sam Snead won the 1945 Richmond Open, and other Tour greats such as Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson competed here. The women's game also flourished at Richmond: Babe Didrikson Zaharias won the inaugural Richmond Ladies Open in 1951, and Patty Berg set a lasting women's course record in 1952. In late 2023 the club returned to the Richmond Golf Club name.

The Design & Architecture

Designed by Pat J. Markovich, a respected West Coast golfer and PGA member, the 18-hole layout plays to a par of 72 and stretches to roughly 6,549 yards. The parkland-style course rewards accuracy over sheer length, with mature trees framing many of the fairways and greens that place a premium on approach play and short-game touch. A course rating of 71.9 and a slope of 127 reflect a fair but engaging test for a broad range of players.

Playing the Course

Set along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, the course offers memorable views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and Mount Tamalpais throughout the round. At a manageable length, it is walkable and enjoyable for members and guests of varying skill levels, while its tree-lined corridors and well-positioned hazards keep scoring honest. The historic clubhouse and full club amenities round out a classic country-club experience.

Know Before You Go

• This is a private, members-only club; access for non-members is typically by invitation or as a guest of a member.

• Located at 1 Markovich Ln, Richmond, CA 94806. Call ahead at (510) 232-1080 for membership and event inquiries.

• The course is walkable and moderate in length (about 6,549 yards, par 72), suiting a range of skill levels.

• Bring a camera for the Bay-area vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and Mount Tamalpais.