The Bay Area is one of the great public-golf regions in America. Within a two-hour radius of San Francisco you can play a PGA Tour venue, an Alister MacKenzie seaside muni, a Greg Norman vineyard course and a Robert Trent Jones Jr. links on the open Pacific — all without a member sponsor. This is our master guide to the best public golf courses in the Bay Area, with a marquee pick for each region and links to the full regional rankings.
We've broken the region into five areas. Jump to the full ranked list for each, or start with the standout public course in every corner of the Bay below.
San Francisco
The city itself offers a PGA Tour venue and a MacKenzie muni. Start with the biggest name, then see the full San Francisco ranking.
TPC Harding Park — San Francisco's city-owned PGA Tour venue — host of the PGA Championship and Presidents Cup, and playable by anyone.
The Peninsula
Private clubs dominate the Peninsula, but the coast delivers its best public round. See the full Peninsula ranking.
Half Moon Bay Golf Links (Old Course) — A clifftop Palmer–Duane design with one of the most photographed ocean-front finishing holes in California.
The South Bay
Silicon Valley's best public golf sits at the valley's southern end. See the full South Bay ranking.
Coyote Creek Golf Club (Tournament) — A Jack Nicklaus Signature layout in Morgan Hill and a former Champions Tour host — the South Bay's premier public test.
The East Bay
The deepest well of public golf in the region, from Livermore wine country to Oakland's links. See the full East Bay ranking.
Poppy Ridge Golf Course — The NCGA's 27-hole Livermore facility — the toughest-rated public course in the East Bay.
The North Bay
Vineyards, oak country and a Pacific links north of the Golden Gate. See the full North Bay ranking.
Eagle Vines Golf Club — A scenic, strategic round through Napa Valley vineyards — the highest-rated public course in the North Bay.
How We Rank Them
Our rankings weigh course and slope rating, conditioning, design pedigree, scenery and value. We focus on courses that are genuinely open to the public — municipals, daily-fee courses and resorts — rather than private clubs, which we cover separately.
Ready to travel for it? See the best two-hour golf road trips from San Francisco and our Monterey golf travel guide.