Sonoma Golf Club is a historic private club set in the heart of California's Sonoma Valley wine country. Originally crafted by architect Sam Whiting in the 1920s and sensitively restored in the modern era, the par-72 championship course winds through tree-lined fairways framed by oak-studded hills and vineyard views. From 2003 to 2009 it hosted the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on PGA Tour Champions, cementing its reputation as one of Northern California's premier classic layouts.

Quick Facts

Fact	Detail
Established	1928
Architect	Sam Whiting (restored by Robert Muir Graves, 1990)
Type	Private
Holes / Par	18 / 72
Yardage	7,082 yards
Course Rating / Slope	74.4 / 138
Grass	Ryegrass
Location	Sonoma, CA

Course History

Sam Whiting transformed the former J.K. Bigelow ranch into an 18-hole course that opened in the 1920s as part of the Sonoma Mission Inn resort. A former professor of literature at UC Berkeley who left academia to become a golf professional and clubmaker, Whiting brought a scholar's eye for balance to the property, shaping gentle mounding, carefully placed trees, and strategic bunkering across the valley floor.

In 1990, architect Robert Muir Graves modernized the layout, lengthening holes and resetting the fairway bunkers to keep pace with advances in equipment. The refreshed course went on to host the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, PGA Tour Champions' season-ending event, from 2003 through 2009, with champions including Tom Watson (2005), three-time winner Jim Thorpe, and John Cook (2009).

The Design & Architecture

Whiting's routing embraces the natural contours of the Sonoma Valley, with each hole framed by mature trees and the surrounding mountains and vineyards. Graves' early-1990s work reshaped the bunkering into distinctive cape-and-bay and amoeba-style hazards that guard fast, subtly contoured greens, rewarding accurate iron play and thoughtful positioning off the tee.

Playing the Course

Stretching to roughly 7,082 yards with a par of 72, Sonoma Golf Club plays to a course rating of 74.4 and a slope of 138 from the championship tees, making it a genuine test for low-handicap players while remaining scenic and enjoyable from the forward markers. Undulating fairways, subtle elevation changes, and strategically placed bunkers demand strategy, while the tranquil wine-country setting makes for a memorable round.

Know Before You Go

Private club: access is generally limited to members and their guests.
Located at 17700 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA 95476; call 707-939-4115 for club information.
A par-72, 18-hole championship layout measuring about 7,082 yards.
Former host of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship (2003-2009) on PGA Tour Champions.