Sports fans can make that transition smoothly on Sunday afternoon when the final round of the WM Phoenix Open goes into Super Bowl LX.
The Big Game will begin at 6:30 ET at Levi’s Stadium. That’s the home of the San Francisco 49ers, although the 49ers, of course, won’t be playing and the stadium isn’t in San Francisco.
It’s an hour south, in Santa Clara, Silicon Valley, a very different place with a very different golf course.
Where San Francisco punches above its weight in public access courses (Harding Park, Lincoln Park, the Presidio and the Golden Gate Par-3 Course are all within seven and seven miles of the city), the South Bay’s offerings are small and spread out. Between San Francisco and Monterey, Pasatiempo is the best public access course, followed by the likes of Cordevalle (the former US Women’s Open host site that offers tee times to resort guests) and San Juan Oaks, a Gene Bates-Fred Couples design on a rolling, scrubby oak course.
But what if you’re camping near Levi’s Stadium, following a trail in a parking lot, or trying to score a ticket? What are your golf options? Here are 5 recommendations within striking distance of a Super Bowl location. As for the game itself, we suggest you take Seattle on points.
Places to stay in Cinnabar Hills
Location: San Jose
Green fees: $80-$150
Seating areas at Levi’s Stadium: 25 miles
Long before it became Silicon Valley, the area around San Jose was known as the Valley of the Hearts Delight, a nod to the orchards and farms that covered the region at the time. Today, it’s hectic. But bucolic patches still exist and Cinnabar Hills sits on one of them, with 27 holes sewn into the foothills on the edge of town. These three were designed by John Harbottle III, and their character reflects their names: Canyon, Lake and Mountain.
Cinnabar Hills feels quietly removed from the hustle and bustle of the South Bay.
Adam Rubatt
Coyote Creek Golf Club
Location: Morgan Hill
Green fees: $86 – $156
Seating areas at Levi’s Stadium: 24 miles
Just off Highway 101, a straight shot south of the course, Coyote Creek features two 18-hole Jack Nicklaus designs, the Tournament Course and the Valley Course. True to its name, the former hosts two seasons of the Siebel Classic of the Champions Tour, and it’s a great challenge for the pair, with a course that runs alongside lakes and waterfalls. The Valley Course is soft and not too penal but defends itself expertly with its greens.
Santa Teresa Golf Club
Location: San Jose
Green fees: $54-$79
Seating areas at Levi’s Stadium: 19 miles
Santa Teresa opens with a tight dogleg left at 4, but there is no reason not to be ready as the course is also very wide and well run. Those reasons to exercise help support the small programs that are part of Santa Teresa’s appeal. The course itself is fun, too, with tree-lined fairways, mountain views and enough water to give you a break. If you’re on a tight schedule, you might consider the 9-hole par 3 center course. With holes measuring 130 yards, it can be played in less time than other Super Bowl commercial breaks.
Baylands Golf Links
Location: Palo Alto
Green fees: $50-$110
Seating areas at Levi’s Stadium: 11 miles
You can’t swing a 9 iron around Palo Alto without bumping into a millionaire. But Baylands still has value for all of us. Designed in the mid-1950s by Billy Bell, it began life as the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Club and kept that name until 2016, when Forrest Richardson redesigned it. Invasive trees were removed, native trees were planted and soil was brought in to create a wonderful landscape of movement. The course is going well. If you are leaving early, be prepared to comply with the speed of play policy which requires the first teams of the day to leave in less than 4 hours.
The Golf Club at Moffett Field
Moffett Field sits next to a military airfield.
Moffett Field
Location: Unincorporated Santa Clara County
Green fees: $40-$80
Seating areas at Levi’s Stadium: 7 miles
You’ve heard of military golf. This golf course is on a former US Navy base that now serves as a joint military airport. Although the course, which opened in 1959, was originally named the Hill Course, in honor of its then manager, Arthur S. Hill, the course itself is flat. But the building itself – which is on acreage that NASA leases to Google – has a nice green and quirky charm. The experience itself is unique, too. To get there, you pass through a military checkpoint. Then play a course that spills out of military barracks and hangars, with views of San Francisco Bay in the background, accompanied by the sights and sounds of the nearby airfield.
;)
