Montecito Country Club

Montecito Country Club occupies a hillside site in the coastal foothills above Santa Barbara, where the Santa Ynez Mountains meet the Pacific plain. The course was originally designed by Max Behr and opened in the 1920s during the architect's brief but influential period of Southern California work. Behr, a contemporary and philosophical ally of Alister MacKenzie, favored strategic design that rewarded thoughtful play over penal architecture, and his routing at Montecito took advantage of the property's natural contours and oak-studded terrain. Jack Nicklaus later redesigned the course, reshaping much of Behr's original work while adapting the layout to modern tournament standards and membership expectations. The Nicklaus renovation altered green complexes, bunkering, and several hole corridors, though the routing continues to move through rolling terrain with elevation changes that provide views toward the ocean and mountains. The course plays through a mix of native oaks and landscaped areas typical of the Santa Barbara region. Montecito Country Club serves a private membership drawn largely from the surrounding community, one of California's established coastal enclaves. The club maintains traditional country club amenities and has hosted regional amateur competitions over the years. The course reflects both its historical origins in the golden age of California golf architecture and the practical realities of later redesign, offering members a layout shaped by two designers from different eras of the game.