Handicap HQ
brown wooden fence on green grass field during daytime
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Golf Trips / California / California

Plan Your Bakersfield Golf Trip in 60 Seconds

Cheap, year-round golf and honky-tonk nights in Buck Owens country

Bakersfield is the budget buddy-trip play in Southern California — a dozen affordable, walkable courses that stay open all year, anchored by a genuine country-music nightlife scene. Fly into a small airport, golf cheap, and end the night at the Crystal Palace. Two hours from LA with a fraction of the price tag.

4
courses
Spring, Fall
best season
BFL
15 min drive
50–200k
town size
The rota

Courses

The Links at RiverLakes RanchSolidBEST VALUE

Bakersfield's best public daily-fee — well-kept links-style layout with water in play

$40–$70
Par 72 · 6,800 yds
parkland · walkable
Kern River Golf CourseBudget

Scenic muni along the Kern River with Sierra Nevada views — cheap and walkable

$25–$45
Par 72 · 6,458 yds
parkland · walkable
Buena Vista Golf CourseBudget

Wide-open lakeside muni just outside town — forgiving fairways for the high-handicap crowd

$25–$45
Par 72 · 6,810 yds
parkland · walkable
North Kern Golf CourseBudget

1953 straightforward muni with minimal hazards — the relaxing, dirt-cheap filler round

$20–$40
Par 72 · 6,754 yds
parkland · walkable
Base camp

Where to Stay

houseSleeps 8–14

$250–$550 /night

Northwest Bakersfield and Seven Oaks — newer homes with pools near RiverLakes

poolhot tubbig kitchenpatiogame room
resort houseSleeps 10–16

$120–$250 /night

Hotel block off Hwy 99 / Rosedale near the airport and courses

poolfree breakfastfitness centercentral location
The table

Dining

Wool Growers Restaurant

$$
upscale

Iconic family-style Basque feast — endless courses served at long tables, a Bakersfield rite of passage

4.6★

Benji's French Basque Restaurant

$$
upscale

The other great Basque table in town — pickled tongue, oxtail stew, and a crew-sized spread

4.5★

Salty's BBQ & Catering

$$
bbq

Tri-tip and brisket done right — central-valley BBQ that feeds a hungry golf crew

4.5★

Mexicali

$$
mexican

Longtime Bakersfield Mexican spot with big margaritas and bigger combo plates

4.4★
After the round

Nightlife

Buck Owens' Crystal Palace

Late night
honky tonk

Bakersfield's legendary country music hall — live bands, a dance floor, and Buck's guitars on the wall

Trout's Nightclub (Oildale)

Late night
honky tonk

Gritty, historic Bakersfield Sound honky-tonk with live country and two-stepping till late

Temblor Brewing Company

brewpub

Big taproom with house beer, food, and room for a 16-man group to spread out

Off days

Activities

Kern River Whitewater Rafting

raftinghalf day$70–$150/pp

Class III-IV whitewater on the Kern (45 min east) in spring/summer — the big adrenaline day

Five Dogs Range / Shooting

shooting1-2 hours$40–$120/pp

Local ranges for pistol and rifle — an easy competitive arrival-day activity

Bakersfield Brewery Crawl

breweryhalf day$40–$80/pp

Temblor, Lengthwise, and Great Change make a tidy central-valley beer crawl

Ready when you are

Build the Bakersfield trip.

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Nearby

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