How to Get Tee Times in California
California holds two of the most coveted public rounds in the game, a U.S. Open muni you can simply book, and a string of private clubs that need a member to open the gate. The trick is knowing which route a course takes and exactly when its tee sheet opens. Here is how to get on in California, course by course, with the booking windows and indicative 2026 fees.
Photograph: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey, via Google
The short version
Almost every great course in California falls into one of three buckets, and each has its own way in. The resort courses on the Monterey Peninsula, above all Pebble Beach, are public but reward booking a room, because a hotel stay unlocks the advance tee sheet. The municipal and daily fee courses are pure pay to play, booked online in advance, and they include genuine bucket list golf, led by Torrey Pines and Alister MacKenzie's Pasatiempo. And the state's most exclusive private clubs, from Cypress Point to the Olympic Club, sit outside the public system entirely and need a member to host you.
Get the route right and the timing follows. Pebble rewards booking your room early; munis reward speed and the advance reservation window; private clubs reward who you know. Below is how each one works, the courses to target and what they cost in 2026.
The three routes onto a California tee
Monterey resort golf: book the room, get the course
Pebble Beach is public, but in practice the round comes with a room. Guests of the Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palmero can reserve a Pebble tee time well in advance, and to book two or more days ahead you must stay a minimum of two nights, with an indicative minimum nightly rate around 800 dollars in 2026. Non guests can only book one day in advance and subject to availability, which rarely materialises in season. The indicative Pebble green fee is around 695 dollars from April 2026, with a cart included on the first round for resort guests. Spyglass Hill, the Robert Trent Jones design through the dunes and pines, can be booked up to three months ahead by anyone, at an indicative resort guest fee of around 495 dollars, and Spanish Bay along the shore completes the set. Booking the lodging early is the whole game here.
Municipal and daily fee: book online in the advance window
This is the value end, and it holds a genuine major venue. Torrey Pines, perched on the cliffs at La Jolla, is a San Diego muni whose South Course hosted the U.S. Opens of 2008 and 2021 and the annual Farmers Insurance Open, yet anyone can play it. Non residents pay an indicative 2026 South Course fee of around 248 dollars on weekdays and 322 dollars at weekends, plus a reservation fee of around 52 dollars per player to book in the advance window, while San Diego residents who buy a card pay a fraction of that. Pasatiempo near Santa Cruz, the Alister MacKenzie masterpiece he considered his finest, is fully public, as are Half Moon Bay on the coast and a deep bench of strong municipal and daily fee courses across the state. Set an alarm, book online the moment your window opens, and the prime times are yours.
Private clubs: you need a member
California's elite clubs cannot be booked publicly. Cypress Point on the Monterey Peninsula, routinely ranked among the best courses on earth, the two Olympic Club courses in San Francisco, Los Angeles Country Club, the San Francisco Golf Club and the Riviera in Pacific Palisades all need a member to host you or a reciprocal arrangement through your own club. If your group has a connection it is worth every effort, but build the trip around the public and resort golf and treat a private round as the bonus it is.
Key courses and how to book them
| Course | Route and booking window | Indicative 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pebble Beach Golf Links | Resort; book with a room, 2 night minimum to book 2 or more days out | Around 695 dollars, cart included for resort guests |
| Spyglass Hill, Monterey | Resort; bookable by anyone up to 3 months ahead | Around 495 dollars resort guest, plus cart for non guests |
| Torrey Pines South, San Diego | Municipal; online in the advance window, reservation fee applies | Around 248 weekday, 322 weekend non resident dollars |
| Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz | Public daily fee; book online ahead | Indicative premium daily fee; confirm directly |
| Cypress Point, Pebble Beach | Private; member host required | Not publicly bookable |
Access, booking windows and indicative fees verified June 2026 from course and resort sources. Pebble Beach lists an indicative green fee of around 675 dollars to the end of March 2026 and 695 dollars from April. Torrey Pines resident rates require a verified resident card. Fees move with season and demand. We do not quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Booking windows and timing tips
For Pebble Beach the booking window is your room, so reserve lodging as far ahead as you can, ideally a year out for peak dates, because the marquee tee times are released to resort guests first and the two night minimum is strictly applied for advance play. For the municipal gems, the advance reservation window is everything, so create your account in advance, save your payment details and be logged in and ready the moment your window opens, then act fast. California plays well year round, but the Monterey Peninsula is at its most settled in late spring and early autumn, while the desert and southern coast shine from autumn through spring. A little planning is the difference between the round you want and the one that is left.
Need a base near the golf? See our recommended California hotels and resorts from Monterey to San Diego.
Plan your California golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when, and one concierge holds the Pebble Beach rooms, navigates the muni booking windows and costs the trip to the head. The Monterey lodging and the prime Torrey Pines slots go early, so the sooner we start the better. No obligation.
California tee time questions
How do you get a tee time at Pebble Beach?
Pebble Beach Golf Links is public, but the reliable way on is to book a room. Guests of the Lodge at Pebble Beach, the Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palmero can reserve a tee time well in advance, while a tee time two or more days ahead requires a minimum two night stay. Non guests can only book one day in advance and subject to availability. The indicative 2026 green fee is around 695 dollars from April, plus a cart on the first round for resort guests. Always confirm current rates and the stay requirement directly before booking.
Can the public play Torrey Pines?
Yes. Torrey Pines is a San Diego municipal facility and its South and North courses, the U.S. Open and Farmers Insurance Open venues, are fully open to the public. Non residents pay a premium, with an indicative 2026 South Course fee of around 248 dollars on weekdays and 322 dollars at weekends, plus a reservation fee of around 52 dollars per player to book in advance. Residents who buy a card pay far less. Tee times can be reserved online within the advance window, and the prime slots go quickly. Always confirm current fees and the booking window before booking.
How far in advance can you book golf in California?
It depends on the course and the route. At Pebble Beach the booking window is tied to your room, so the earlier you reserve lodging the better, and Spyglass Hill can be booked up to three months ahead. At municipal courses such as Torrey Pines, non residents book online within the advance reservation window for a fee, while residents enjoy a longer window. Private clubs cannot be booked publicly at all and need a member to host you. Always confirm the booking window for your specific course before you travel.
What is the best value good golf in California?
The municipal and public daily fee courses are the value play. Torrey Pines gives you a genuine U.S. Open course for an indicative non resident fee of around 248 dollars, and Alister MacKenzie's public gem Pasatiempo near Santa Cruz is one of the best designs in the country open to all. Half Moon Bay and other coastal publics round out a strong value lineup. Travelling midweek and in the shoulder seasons brings the cost down further. Always confirm current fees before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Access, booking windows and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.