Cherry Island Golf Course

Cherry Island Golf Course sits in Elverta, a small community in Sacramento County roughly fifteen miles north of downtown Sacramento. The course was designed by Robert Muir Graves, a prolific Northern California architect whose career spanned from the 1950s through the 1990s. Graves designed or redesigned more than a hundred courses across California and the western United States, often working with modest budgets to create accessible public layouts that emphasized playability and strategic variety within relatively flat or gently rolling terrain. The course occupies land characteristic of the Sacramento Valley—broad, level expanses with mature trees that define corridors and frame holes. Graves typically routed his designs to maximize existing vegetation and create clear playing lines, and Cherry Island reflects that approach with tree-lined fairways and straightforward hole sequences. The layout serves the local golfing community and visitors seeking an unpretentious round in the greater Sacramento area. Cherry Island operates as a public facility, drawing players from surrounding suburban and rural neighborhoods. The course provides a straightforward test without severe elevation change or dramatic hazards, consistent with Graves's philosophy of designing courses that accommodate a range of skill levels. It remains a regional option for everyday golf in an area where public access and affordability are valued by the local player base.