Tilden Park Golf Course

Built with Works Progress Administration relief labor and opened in 1937, this 18-hole championship layout winds through a forested regional park, offering rolling, tree-lined fairways, dramatic elevation changes and glimpses of the surrounding hills. Owned by the East Bay Regional Park District, it remains one of the Bay Area's most enduringly popular and accessible daily-fee courses, welcoming players of all skill levels.

Course History

Tilden Park Golf Course was built by the East Bay Regional Park District in 1936-37 with the help of Works Progress Administration relief labor during the Great Depression. WPA crews first cleared roughly 20,000 eucalyptus trees from former plantations in the Berkeley Hills before shaping the land into a golf course. The course formally opened to the public on November 11, 1937.

Of the total construction cost of about $173,000, roughly $139,000 came from WPA funds, with the balance provided by the Park District. Today the course is operated as a daily-fee facility and remains a fixture of public golf in the East Bay, cherished for its natural park setting.

The Design & Architecture

The course was designed by nationally prominent golf architect William P. Bell, assisted by Richard Walpole, who later became a manager of the East Bay Regional Park District. Routed through the hilly terrain of Tilden Regional Park, the layout features rolling, tree-lined fairways and contoured greens that make the most of the natural topography. The front nine plays across the more extreme hillside terrain, while the back nine offers a more traditional tree-lined character with more tempered elevation changes.

Playing the Course

At 6,294 yards to a par of 70, Tilden Park rewards accuracy over raw length. Fairways can be tight and narrow, and the pronounced elevation changes and eucalyptus-lined corridors demand thoughtful shot placement and club selection. With a course rating of 71.6 and a slope of 130, the layout provides an enjoyable but genuine test for a wide range of players, all wrapped in the serene setting of the regional park.

Know Before You Go

• Public daily-fee course; tee times can be booked online in advance and are recommended, especially on weekends.

• A practice driving range is available on site to warm up before your round.

• The hilly, tree-lined layout favors accuracy; a cart can be helpful given the elevation changes.

• Located in the Berkeley Hills within Tilden Regional Park, conditions can be cool and breezy, so pack a layer.