Best Golf Trips in California 20 golf trip destinations in California — courses, lodging, nightlife, and activities for your group getaway.
The list California Destinations
Spring, Summer, Fall Monterey, CA The bucket-list capital of American golf
6 courses 3 bucket-list MRY · 10min
Spring, Summer, Fall Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA Storybook village, world-class golf, and Carmel Valley wine
5 courses 3 bucket-list MRY · 15min
Spring, Fall Palm Springs, CA Sunshine, mid-century cool, and wall-to-wall desert golf
5 courses PSP · 10min
Spring, Fall Palm Desert, CA PGA West, Stadium glory, and the valley's best public courses
5 courses 1 bucket-list PSP · 20min
Spring, Summer, Fall Napa, CA Wine country golf, big-cabernet nights, and Silverado
5 courses OAK · 60min
Spring, Summer, Fall Sonoma, CA Laid-back wine country with public golf and a real plaza scene
5 courses STS · 35min
Spring, Summer, Fall San Diego, CA Torrey Pines, perfect weather, and Gaslamp nightlife
5 courses 1 bucket-list SAN · 15min
Spring, Summer, Fall Los Angeles, CA Cliffside Trump National, sneaky-good munis, and big-city nights
5 courses LAX · 25min
Spring, Summer, Fall Ojai, CA A storied valley resort, mountain light, and a quiet luxury escape
5 courses BUR · 75min
Spring, Summer, Fall Santa Barbara, CA Oceanfront Sandpiper, Spanish-style nights, and beach-town golf
5 courses SBA · 15min
Spring, Fall Temecula, CA Wine country, casino nights, and value golf between LA and San Diego
5 courses SAN · 65min
Summer, Fall Truckee, CA High-Sierra mountain golf above Lake Tahoe
5 courses RNO · 40min
Spring, Summer, Fall Half Moon Bay, CA Two oceanfront 18s at the Ritz, 30 minutes from SFO
5 courses SFO · 30min
Spring, Fall Sacramento, CA Value golf, a real downtown, and wine country at the edges
5 courses SMF · 15min
Spring, Summer, Fall Carlsbad, CA North County beaches, resort golf, and the Omni La Costa
5 courses SAN · 40min
Spring, Fall Bakersfield, CA Cheap, year-round golf and honky-tonk nights in Buck Owens country
4 courses BFL · 15min
Summer, Fall South Lake Tahoe, CA Lakeside championship golf with casinos a short walk away
3 courses 1 bucket-list RNO · 70min
Spring, Summer, Fall San Francisco, CA Major-championship muni golf with a world-class city behind it
4 courses 1 bucket-list SFO · 25min
Spring, Summer, Fall Aptos, CA MacKenzie's finest work and beach-town golf above Monterey Bay
3 courses 1 bucket-list SJC · 45min
Spring, Fall Lompoc, CA One of California's toughest public tests in quiet wine country
3 courses SBA · 55min
The math Cheaper California Alternatives to Carmel-by-the-Sea Carmel-by-the-Sea averages $364 per round across 5 tracked courses. Same state, smaller bill — here's how the other California golf-trip cities stack up.
Monterey, CA
The bucket-list capital of American golf
San Diego, CA
Torrey Pines, perfect weather, and Gaslamp nightlife
$177 cheaper
avg green fee
Carlsbad, CA
North County beaches, resort golf, and the Omni La Costa
$197 cheaper
avg green fee
Palm Desert, CA
PGA West, Stadium glory, and the valley's best public courses
$207 cheaper
avg green fee
Truckee, CA
High-Sierra mountain golf above Lake Tahoe
$208 cheaper
avg green fee
Aptos, CA
MacKenzie's finest work and beach-town golf above Monterey Bay
$222 cheaper
avg green fee
Half Moon Bay, CA
Two oceanfront 18s at the Ritz, 30 minutes from SFO
$227 cheaper
avg green fee
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Lakeside championship golf with casinos a short walk away
$231 cheaper
avg green fee
Los Angeles, CA
Cliffside Trump National, sneaky-good munis, and big-city nights
$239 cheaper
avg green fee
Santa Barbara, CA
Oceanfront Sandpiper, Spanish-style nights, and beach-town golf
$251 cheaper
avg green fee
Napa, CA
Wine country golf, big-cabernet nights, and Silverado
$257 cheaper
avg green fee
San Francisco, CA
Major-championship muni golf with a world-class city behind it
$258 cheaper
avg green fee
Temecula, CA
Wine country, casino nights, and value golf between LA and San Diego
$268 cheaper
avg green fee
Palm Springs, CA
Sunshine, mid-century cool, and wall-to-wall desert golf
$271 cheaper
avg green fee
Sonoma, CA
Laid-back wine country with public golf and a real plaza scene
$280 cheaper
avg green fee
Ojai, CA
A storied valley resort, mountain light, and a quiet luxury escape
$283 cheaper
avg green fee
Sacramento, CA
Value golf, a real downtown, and wine country at the edges
$293 cheaper
avg green fee
Lompoc, CA
One of California's toughest public tests in quiet wine country
$307 cheaper
avg green fee
Bakersfield, CA
Cheap, year-round golf and honky-tonk nights in Buck Owens country
$325 cheaper
avg green fee