Corica Park Golf Course: South Course

Alameda, CA · 1.5 mi away

The North Course is the second 18 at Corica Park, Alameda's municipal complex on the bay side of the island, a short drive from Oakland. Golf has been played on this flat piece of reclaimed land since the 1920s, and the North Course was rebuilt as part of the complex's renovation and reopened in 2021. The rebuild raised and reshaped the ground, replaced the turf with fine fescue and added sand and short grass around the greens, so the course plays firm and along the ground rather than through the air. It is dead flat and completely walkable, and the bay wind is the main defense. Bunkering is used sparingly; most of the trouble is contour, angle and the run-off areas beside the greens. It is a city-owned course with public tee times and municipal pricing, which is the point: a fescue links you can walk in the middle of the East Bay. The sister South Course, redesigned by Rees Jones and reopened in 2018, shares the same clubhouse and practice ground.

San Francisco, CA · 11 mi away

Gleneagles Golf Course at McLaren Park is a San Francisco municipal course, set in McLaren Park in the city's southeast. The nine-hole layout plays over hilly terrain with city views, a scrappy and beloved muni with a loyal local following.

San Francisco, CA · 13 mi away

Presidio Golf Course sits inside the Presidio of San Francisco, a national park a short drive from downtown, with fairways lined by mature eucalyptus and Monterey pine that were planted not long after the course was built. The land began as an Army post course in 1895 and was expanded to eighteen holes in 1910, with a 1920 redesign by the London firm of Fowler and Simpson adding length and an irrigation system. The layout climbs and falls through the Presidio's hills, giving several holes noticeable elevation change and views toward the surrounding forest and city. Fairways are tighter than many modern public courses and bunkers are placed to punish loose tee shots. The course opened to public play in 1995 after decades as a military and private club facility; a new clubhouse followed in 1999. It remains open daily to any golfer, with a practice range, restaurant, and pro shop at 300 Finley Road near the Arguello Gate.