
Tilden Park Course
Tilden Park Golf Course
About this course
Tilden Park Golf Course sits in the hills above Berkeley, California, within Tilden Regional Park. Designed by William P. Bell and opened in 1936, the course was built as a public facility during the Depression era and remains one of the East Bay's most accessible municipal layouts. Bell, a prolific architect throughout California during the early-to-mid twentieth century, routed the course across rolling terrain with views extending west toward San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate. The layout measures just over 6,200 yards from the back tees and plays as a par 70. The routing takes advantage of the property's natural elevation changes, with several holes climbing uphill and others descending through stands of eucalyptus and oak. The terrain creates a variety of stances and approach angles, and the greens tend to be modest in size with subtle contours. Wind from the bay can be a factor, particularly on exposed holes along the ridgeline. As a municipal course within a regional park system, Tilden Park serves a broad cross-section of Bay Area golfers. The setting offers a contrast to urban Berkeley below, with trail access and park amenities nearby. The course has undergone periodic maintenance updates over the decades while retaining much of Bell's original routing and character. It remains a straightforward test of golf that rewards accuracy and course management over length.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in CA
Quick facts
- Location
- Berkeley, CA, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1938
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- William Francis Bell
- Par
- 70
- Length
- 6,294 yards
- Difficulty
- 71.3/121
- Course Vaults score
- 6.7
Getting there
Most visitors to Tilden Park Golf Course arrive through Oakland International Airport or San Francisco International, both roughly thirty to forty-five minutes away depending on Bay Area traffic patterns. The approach climbs steadily east from Berkeley's flatlands into the wooded folds of the East Bay hills, following Grizzly Peak Boulevard as it winds through eucalyptus groves and offers fleeting glimpses of the San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate Bridge far below. The course itself sits tucked into Tilden Regional Park at nearly a thousand feet of elevation, where the urban hum fades entirely and the air carries the scent of bay laurel - a municipal gem hiding in plain sight above one of America's great university towns.

FAQ
Common questions about Tilden Park
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Tilden Park has a Course Vaults score of 6.7 out of 10 based on 36 logged golfers.
Tilden Park was designed by William Francis Bell.
Yes. Tilden Park is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Tilden Park is 70.
Tilden Park plays 6,294 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Tilden Park is 121.



