
Hidden Valley Lake Course
Hidden Valley Lake Golf & Country Club


About this course
Hidden Valley Lake Golf & Country Club sits in Lake County, California, roughly 90 miles north of San Francisco in the Mayacamas Mountains. Designed by William Francis Bell and opened in the mid-1960s, the course serves as the centerpiece of a private residential community that developed around the man-made Hidden Valley Lake. Bell, a prolific California architect who designed more than 100 courses across the western United States, created a layout that works with the area's rolling terrain and oak-studded hillsides. The course plays through a mix of elevation changes and natural vegetation typical of Northern California's interior valleys. Oak trees frame many holes, and the routing takes advantage of views across the lake and surrounding mountains. The design reflects Bell's practical approach to golf architecture during an era of significant residential course development in California, balancing playability for a range of skill levels with strategic interest created by the property's natural movement. As a private club within a gated community, Hidden Valley Lake serves primarily local residents and their guests. The facility includes typical country club amenities and operates year-round, benefiting from Lake County's inland climate. The course represents one of several Bell designs in Northern California from the same period, part of the broader expansion of golf in the region during the 1960s and 1970s when residential golf communities became increasingly popular throughout the state.
Quick facts
- Location
- Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1965
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- William Francis Bell
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,708 yards
- Difficulty
- 72.5/125
- Course Vaults score
- 6.5
Getting there
Most arrivals to Hidden Valley Lake Golf & Country Club begin at either San Francisco International or Sacramento International, each roughly ninety minutes away by car, though the northern approach from Sacramento offers a more direct route into Lake County wine country. Private flyers often favor the closer Lampson Field in Lakeport, a small municipal strip that cuts the final leg to under twenty minutes. The drive itself is a study in contrasts - freeway gives way to two-lane blacktop as you climb into the Mayacamas Mountains, then descend through oak-studded hills and vineyard parcels before arriving at the gates of this secluded residential enclave, tucked quietly along the southern shore of California's largest freshwater lake entirely within state borders.

FAQ
Common questions about Hidden Valley Lake
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Hidden Valley Lake has a Course Vaults score of 6.5 out of 10 based on 5 logged golfers.
Hidden Valley Lake was designed by William Francis Bell.
Yes. Hidden Valley Lake is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Hidden Valley Lake is 72.
Hidden Valley Lake plays 6,708 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Hidden Valley Lake is 125.



