San Francisco Golf Club
Serene, exclusive and almost untouched, San Francisco Golf Club is A.W. Tillinghast at the height of his powers, a rolling parkland of cypress and bold bunkering that ranks among the very best classical courses in the country. A par 71 of about 6,800 yards, it guards its privacy as carefully as its architecture.
Photo: Terry Kim via Google.
The verdict
San Francisco Golf Club is the connoisseur's choice among Bay Area courses, a property where time seems to have stopped in the golden age of design. A.W. Tillinghast reworked the layout in the early 1920s into the form admired today, and the membership has protected it ever since, resisting the modernization that altered so many of its peers. The result is a pure expression of Tillinghast, with broad, tumbling fairways, dramatic sand flashed bunkers and green sites of real subtlety.
It is quiet by design. The club hosts no professional tournaments and courts no publicity, which only deepens its mystique among those who study architecture. For the traveling golfer it is firmly private and very hard to access, yet its reputation is unmistakable: a calm, walkable, beautifully maintained course that many rate inside the American top 30. A round here is a privilege, and one of the most peaceful great rounds in golf.
San Francisco Golf Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1918
- Designer
- A.W. Tillinghast
- Type
- Cypress parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 6,800 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from San Francisco Golf Club histories and leading course databases. The club dates to 1915 and its course was first staked out in 1918, then remodeled by A.W. Tillinghast in the early 1920s into its enduring form, a par 71 of about 6,800 yards. San Francisco Golf Club is a private members club with no public green fee, so any visit must be arranged through a member.
The holes worth the trip
San Francisco Golf Club is a master class in the Tillinghast style, where width invites the bold line and the bunkering does the defending. The fairways roll over gentle, natural landforms framed by mature cypress, and the greens are full of the slope and movement that reward an approach from the correct angle. There is nothing tricked up here, only the timeless strategy of a great architect left largely as he intended.
The most storied hole is the par 3 seventh, known as the Duel Hole, played across ground that marks the site of the famous 1859 Broderick and Terry duel, the last notable duel of its kind in California. It is a beautiful, demanding one shotter, and the bunkering that frames it is among the finest examples of Tillinghast work anywhere. Throughout the round the sand carries that same bold, irregular signature.
Because it is relatively short by modern standards, San Francisco Golf Club rewards precision and shot making over power. Positioning off the tee, control of trajectory into firm greens and a deft short game matter far more than raw distance. It is the kind of course that a thoughtful player can study for a lifetime, which is exactly why architects and purists hold it in such reverence.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; play is as a guest of a member, with no public tee times |
| Green fee | No published public green fee; member and guest play only (2026) |
| Booking | Arranged through a member; the club does not offer outside tee times |
| On the day | Caddies available; a traditional dress code applies; the course walks comfortably over gentle terrain |
| Getting there | In the southwest of San Francisco near Lake Merced, about 20 minutes from San Francisco International Airport |
| Best months | Playable year round; late summer and early autumn bring the clearest, warmest San Francisco weather |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; San Francisco Golf Club is private and admits guests only with a member, so always confirm directly before planning any visit.
Where to stay nearby
Visiting golfers base themselves in San Francisco, a short drive from the club, with the hotels, restaurants and sights of one of the world's great cities on the doorstep. The location near the coast and the airport makes the club easy to reach from across the Bay Area.
For a golf focused trip, a San Francisco base sets San Francisco Golf Club alongside the other revered classical layouts of the city, with the ocean courses of the Monterey Peninsula about two hours south. It anchors a Northern California itinerary built around golden age architecture.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near San Francisco Golf Club.
Build a San Francisco golf trip
Access to private clubs like San Francisco Golf Club depends on the right introductions. Tell us who is travelling and what is on your list, and one concierge will shape a Bay Area golf trip around the courses you can play, with no obligation.
San Francisco Golf Club questions
Who designed San Francisco Golf Club?
San Francisco Golf Club was remodeled by A.W. Tillinghast in the early 1920s into its enduring form, after the course was first staked out in 1918. It is considered one of the finest surviving examples of his work.
What is the par and length of San Francisco Golf Club?
San Francisco Golf Club is a par 71 of about 6,800 yards. It is relatively short by modern standards and rewards precision, shot making and a sharp short game over raw distance.
What is the Duel Hole?
The Duel Hole is the par 3 seventh at San Francisco Golf Club, played across ground that marks the site of the famous 1859 Broderick and Terry duel, the last notable duel of its kind in California. Its Tillinghast bunkering is celebrated.
Can visitors play San Francisco Golf Club?
No. San Francisco Golf Club is a private members club and one of the most exclusive in the country. Play is as a guest of a member only, with no public tee times or published green fee.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; access rules verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.