Blue Rock Springs Golf Course

The East Course at Blue Rock Springs Golf Course in Vallejo, California, was designed by Robert Muir Graves, a prolific Northern California architect whose career spanned much of the mid-to-late twentieth century. Graves designed or redesigned hundreds of courses throughout the western United States, typically creating accessible, strategic layouts suited to their local terrain. Blue Rock Springs operates as a municipal facility serving the Vallejo area, offering public golf in the North Bay region between San Francisco and Napa Valley. The East Course occupies rolling terrain characteristic of the coastal hills east of San Pablo Bay. Graves routed the course to work with the natural contours, incorporating elevation changes and native vegetation into the design. The layout features tree-lined fairways and greens that require thoughtful approach play, reflecting Graves's tendency toward strategic variety rather than penal difficulty. As a municipal course, Blue Rock Springs provides an affordable option for local golfers and visitors exploring the broader Bay Area. The facility includes both the East and West nines, allowing the course to accommodate high play volumes typical of public golf in densely populated Northern California. The East routing offers a representative example of Graves's straightforward design philosophy, emphasizing playability while maintaining enough challenge to engage experienced players. The course serves as a community resource in Vallejo, a city with deep maritime and military history anchored by the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard.