Mountain Springs at Mountain Springs Golf & Country Club

Mountain Springs Golf & Country Club sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Sonora, California, at an elevation that provides a distinct mountain character. Designed by Robert Muir Graves and opened in the 1960s, the course reflects the architect's Northern California sensibility for working with natural terrain rather than imposing heavily manufactured features on the landscape.

The routing moves through rolling, pine-studded terrain typical of the Gold Country region, where elevation changes and mature trees shape both strategy and scenery. Graves, who designed numerous courses throughout California during his long career, typically favored playable layouts that accommodated a range of skill levels while preserving the essential character of the site. At Mountain Springs, the design incorporates the natural contours and vegetation of the foothills, with fairways that bend around trees and greens that sit on natural plateaus or gentle slopes.

The course serves as the centerpiece of a residential community, functioning as both a daily-fee facility and a gathering place for local golfers in Tuolumne County. The setting offers a contrast to the flatter, hotter courses of the Central Valley below, with cooler temperatures and a forested environment that changes noticeably with the seasons. While not a tournament venue or nationally ranked design, Mountain Springs represents the kind of regional golf that Graves produced throughout his career—courses built to suit their specific geography and serve their local communities.