A golf weekend in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a better golf base than most visitors expect. The city's own course sits on the bay ten minutes from downtown. Mountain View's public course is a few minutes farther along the shore. Stanford's practice range is open to everyone, with lights for evening sessions. Within an hour you also have two coastal courses at Half Moon Bay and one of the most famous old layouts in the state in Santa Cruz. The weather lets you play in every month, with most rain falling between November and March.

This plan covers three days and three rounds, with a range session and good dinners in between. Courses were checked on their own websites in late October and early November 2026. Rates, tee time windows and dress codes change, so we link to the courses rather than quote green fees.

Who it suits

This weekend suits a group of two to eight golfers, a business traveler adding a round to a trip or a couple where one partner plays and the other wants a quiet day. You need a car, since none of the courses is near a Caltrain station. Bring clubs if you can. If you fly in without them, ask each pro shop about rental sets before you book, since availability varies.

The courses at a glance

Our full golf guide covers the history of the local courses in more depth.

Stanford's access rules

Stanford Golf Course is the course most visitors ask about and the answer is short. The course says it is open to current Stanford students, faculty and staff, alumni, members and their guests. There is no general public daily fee play. Non-affiliates can apply for a regular membership through a formal application or play as a member's guest. The course lists Monday as closed.

The Stanford Golf Learning Center next door is different. It is open to the public seven days a week, with 50 driving stations, five target greens and lights. Winter hours took effect on November 1, 2026. In winter the last bucket is sold at 8 p.m. and the range closes at 8:30 p.m. It opens at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and at 7 a.m. on most other days. The range posts short-notice maintenance closures on its site, so check the morning you go.

Day one: Baylands and the range

Play your first round at Baylands Golf Links, the city's public course at 1875 Embarcadero Road. It opened in 1956 as the municipal course and reopened in 2018 after a redesign by Forrest Richardson. The rebuild removed hundreds of non-native trees, restored wetlands and gave the course a links feel with views across the bay. Planes from Palo Alto Airport pass overhead. Book through the course's own site or call (650) 856-0881. Take an early tee time, since the wind usually builds in the afternoon.

Afterward, walk the boardwalk at the Baylands Nature Preserve a few minutes away. In the evening, hit a bucket under the lights at the Stanford range, then drive back for dinner downtown.

For dinner, Sundance the Steakhouse on El Camino Real has served prime rib since 1974 and lists three semi-private rooms for groups of 8 to 28. Our steakhouses guide has more choices.

Day two: the coast

Drive over Highway 92 to Half Moon Bay, about 40 minutes from Palo Alto. Half Moon Bay Golf Links runs two public courses. The Old Course is an Arnold Palmer design that winds through cypress trees and finishes on an oceanfront bluff. The Ocean Course, designed by Arthur Hills, plays as a links with wide fairways and native grasses. Coastal fog is common in summer mornings, so bring a layer and allow extra driving time on weekends.

For a bigger trip, Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz is about an hour away over Highway 17. It is a semi-private club that sets aside certain tee times each day for public play. The course dates to 1929 and was designed by Alister MacKenzie. Check its booking page well ahead. Our Half Moon Bay guide and Santa Cruz guide cover lunch and the drive.

Day three: Shoreline or San Mateo

Finish at Shoreline Golf Links, a Robert Trent Jones II design built in 1983 inside Mountain View's Shoreline Regional Park. It plays as a par 72 of about 7,000 yards from the back tees. A City of Mountain View guide says the course is open to the public, gives Mountain View residents preferred rates and opens bookings seven days ahead. The same guide points to the newly renovated Michaels at Shoreline restaurant for lunch on the patio. Shoreline Park does not allow pets anywhere inside the gate, even in cars.

Poplar Creek Golf Course in San Mateo is the other bayside municipal option, about 25 minutes north. The City of San Mateo runs it. In late 2026 its site said a new operator would be announced soon and the clubhouse was partially open, so call before you go.

Where to stay

• Sheraton Palo Alto, 625 El Camino Real. A large hotel at the edge of campus, a short drive from the range, with an outdoor heated pool. Good for groups that want several rooms.
• Dinah's Garden Hotel, 4261 El Camino Real. Family owned since 1957, with free parking for all guests, which matters when everyone drives.
• The Ameswell Hotel, 800 Moffett Boulevard, Mountain View. Close to Shoreline, with a heated saltwater pool and the ROGER bar.

Compare hotels near the courses and check parking fees, since a group with clubs needs space in the car and the garage.

What to book ahead

1. Weekend morning tee times, as soon as each course's booking window opens.
2. Half Moon Bay or Pasatiempo, a week or more ahead in spring and fall.
3. A rental car with room for bags, if you fly in. You can compare rental cars before you land.
4. Dinner for a group, especially on a Stanford football Saturday.

Budget tips

• Play twilight. Many courses discount late tee times. Check each course's rate page, since we do not quote fees.
• Join a loyalty program. Baylands promotes a Links Card and Half Moon Bay a Legends Club for regular players. Terms change, so read them on each site.
• Mix rounds and practice. A range session at Stanford costs far less than a third round.
• Check resident rates. Municipal courses often charge locals less. Visitors pay the standard rate.

Frequently asked questions