
Bartley Cavanaugh Course
Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course

About this course
Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course is a public facility in Sacramento designed by Perry Dye and opened in the late 1990s. The course occupies land in the northern part of California's capital city, serving the greater Sacramento metropolitan area with an accessible daily-fee option. Perry Dye, son of renowned architect Pete Dye, brought elements of his family's design philosophy to the project while adapting to the Central Valley setting and the practical demands of a municipal-style operation. The routing works across relatively flat terrain typical of the Sacramento region, with water features and strategic bunkering providing much of the course's definition and challenge. The layout incorporates lakes and drainage corridors that come into play on multiple holes, requiring thoughtful club selection and course management. The design emphasizes playability for a wide range of skill levels while still offering enough length and hazard placement to test better players. As a public course in a major California city, Bartley Cavanaugh serves a diverse golfing population and functions as an important component of Sacramento's municipal golf infrastructure. The facility provides straightforward access and represents the kind of affordable public golf that serves everyday players throughout the year in Northern California's mild climate. The course reflects the practical realities of public golf design in the 1990s, balancing maintenance considerations with strategic interest across its eighteen holes.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in CA
Quick facts
- Location
- Sacramento, CA, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1995
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Perry Dye
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,158 yards
- Difficulty
- 68.9/122
- Course Vaults score
- 6.8
Getting there
Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course sits just east of downtown Sacramento, accessible via Sacramento International Airport (SMF), roughly twenty minutes north by car, or via the smaller Executive Airport (SAC) for those arriving by private aircraft. The drive from either hub carries you through the flat, sun-baked landscape of the Central Valley before threading into the tree-lined neighborhoods of east Sacramento, where the course emerges as a verdant oasis along the American River Parkway. This municipal gem, set against the gentle backdrop of the Sierra foothills in the distance, rewards the straightforward journey with mature oaks and cottonwoods that frame each hole in the quiet dignity of a working landscape - a course that belongs entirely to its place, unpretentious and welcoming.

FAQ
Common questions about Bartley Cavanaugh
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Bartley Cavanaugh has a Course Vaults score of 6.8 out of 10 based on 16 logged golfers.
Bartley Cavanaugh was designed by Perry Dye.
Yes. Bartley Cavanaugh is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Bartley Cavanaugh is 71.
Bartley Cavanaugh plays 6,158 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Bartley Cavanaugh is 122.




