The most scenic golf courses in San Francisco, California
The golf courses within about 25 miles of San Francisco, California that Course Vaults golfers rate highest for scenery, from views and setting to the look of the property. Each course needs scenery ratings from at least 5 different golfers who played it; 9 courses qualify.
Also covers Burlingame, Oakland, Half Moon Bay, South San Francisco, Alameda and 9 more nearby towns.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay Golf Links
Half Moon Bay, CA, USAScenery 4.6 out of 5 from 10 golfers
PublicArthur Hills
- 3.5Conditions
- 3.4Layout
- 3.0Value
- 4.6Scenery
- 3.6Facilities
For $260, Half Moon Bay’s Ocean Course is worth every cent. Nearly every hole opens up to the Pacific, and the generous fairways make it as fun as it is scenic.
Written by
@moodiebanks
- Views
- By water
- Restaurant
Ocean
The Olympic Club
San Francisco, CA, USAScenery 4.6 out of 5 from 5 golfers
PrivateSam Whiting & Willie Watson
- 4.7Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.6Scenery
- 4.5Facilities
Olympic Club… respectfully, this one just isn’t my favorite. I think it’s a pretty overrated golf course, and the rough always seems to be incredibly thick, which makes an already difficult course even more challenging. The setting is undeniably cool.
Written by
@jensencastle
- Driving range
- Putting area
- Challenging
Meadow Club
Fairfax, CA, USAScenery 4.4 out of 5 from 8 golfers
PrivateAlister Mackenzie & Mike DeVries
- 4.5Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 4.4Scenery
- 4.1Facilities
Played during a horrific drought so they couldn’t water the fairways just greens tees and aprons so it wasn’t t as good as it could have been but I hear it’s much improved. Great layout like all MacKenzie’s and beautiful setting. Thought the 18th hole was kinda funky.
Written by
@GRaleigh 77
- Views
- Walkable
- Driving range
California of San Francisco
California Golf Club of San Francisco
South San Francisco, CA, USAScenery 4.4 out of 5 from 16 golfers
PrivateAlister Mackenzie & Robert Hunter
- 4.9Conditions
- 4.9Layout
- 4.4Scenery
- 4.4Facilities
- Must play
- Pristine
- Challenging
Lake
The Olympic Club
San Francisco, CA, USAScenery 4.4 out of 5 from 10 golfers
PrivateWilfrid Reid & Sam Whiting
- 4.6Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 4.4Scenery
- 4.0Facilities
The Lake Course at Olympic Club is one of the best and most challenging layouts I’ve played. The course is known for its narrow, sloping fairways lined with towering cypress trees and small, fast greens that demand precision on every shot.
Written by
@Flopfather
- Challenging
- Pristine
- Must play
Presidio Golf Course
San Francisco, CA, USA
Scenery 4.2 out of 5 from 9 golfers
Lake Merced Golf Club
Daly City, CA, USA
Scenery 4.1 out of 5 from 8 golfers
TPC Harding Park
San Francisco, CA, USA
Scenery 4.1 out of 5 from 16 golfers
San Francisco Golf Club
San Francisco, CA, USA
Scenery 4.0 out of 5 from 13 golfers
How we rank
This ranking uses each golfer’s scenery rating, on a 0.5–5 scale. Scenery is the scenery score golfers give when they log a round. Every golfer counts once per course: repeat rounds are averaged first, then the course score is the average across golfers. A course needs scenery ratings from at least 5 different golfers. Ties go to the course with more golfers, then the higher Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of San Francisco, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Ocean at Half Moon Bay Golf Links is #1 on Course Vaults in and around San Francisco, California at Scenery 4.6/5 (10 golfers). 9 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses each golfer’s scenery rating, on a 0.5–5 scale. Scenery is the scenery score golfers give when they log a round. Every golfer counts once per course: repeat rounds are averaged first, then the course score is the average across golfers. A course needs scenery ratings from at least 5 different golfers. Ties go to the course with more golfers, then the higher Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of San Francisco, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
A course appears once at least 5 different golfers have rated its scenery on Course Vaults. Log your round and rate it in the app to help it qualify.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of San Francisco, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 4:00 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
