Silver Creek Valley Country Club

Overview

Its 18-hole championship course plays to a par of 72 and stretches from roughly 5,200 to 7,000 yards across five sets of tees, winding through the rolling terrain of Silver Creek Valley with sweeping views of the surrounding Santa Clara hills. Originally designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1992, the course was substantially reworked in 2002 by acclaimed golf architect Mike Strantz.

Course History

Silver Creek Valley Country Club opened in 1992 as the centerpiece of the master-planned, gated Silver Creek Valley community in southeast San Jose. The original 18-hole layout was created by veteran California golf architect Ted Robinson, whose portfolio of resort and country-club courses across the West is known for its generous use of water features. A decade after opening, the club commissioned a comprehensive renovation completed in 2002 by Mike Strantz — a designer celebrated for bold, dramatic courses such as Tobacco Road in North Carolina — reshaping greens, bunkering, and playing corridors while retaining the property’s signature valley setting.

The Design & Architecture

The course is designed to blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings of Silver Creek Valley, using the site’s rolling elevation changes, mature landscaping, and water hazards to frame each hole. Strantz’s reworking added definition and strategic interest to Robinson’s original routing. The most talked-about hole is the finishing 18th, which features a picturesque waterfall cascading into a lake that guards the green and can be played as either a par 4 or a shorter par 3 — a flexible, memorable close to the round.

Playing the Course

Five sets of tees let the course play anywhere from about 5,200 to 7,000 yards, so golfers of all abilities can find a comfortable challenge. From the championship Gold tees the layout rates 74.1 with a slope of 139. The par-72 routing includes four par 3s (holes 4, 7, 12, and 15) and four par 5s (holes 6, 8, 11, and 16). Practice facilities include a natural-grass driving range, a short-game area with two bunkers, and two large putting greens.

Know Before You Go

• Private club within a gated community — play is reserved for members and their accompanied guests.

• Address: 5460 Country Club Parkway, San Jose, CA 95138.

• Phone: (408) 239-5888.

• Championship layout: par 72, up to 7,000 yards, with five sets of tees for all skill levels.

• On-site practice: natural-grass driving range, short-game area, and two putting greens.

• More information at the official website, scvcc.com.