One of approximately 30 college courses in the country, Stanford Golf Course opened in 1930 and was designed by famed architects George C. Thomas and Billy Bell Jr. It underwent a renovation by John Harbottle in 2008. In 2018, all bunkers were rebuilt and several holes were modified.
Located on campus below the scenic foothills, the sprawling, championship layout is flanked by majestic oak trees and meandering San Francisquito Creek, the latter coming into play on nearly half the course. Each hole offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains, and San Francisco, about 30 miles north, can be seen from the elevated 18th tee.
Home to the nationally-ranked men’s and women’s golf programs, and the Cardinal cross country teams, Stanford Golf Course was ranked No. 88 in the world in 1993 by Golf Magazine. In a poll of college golf coaches in 2009, the course was ranked No. 3 in the nation. In 2015, Stanford was rated the No. 6 college course in the country by Golfweek.
Rich in tradition and history, World Golf Hall of Famers Tom Watson and Mickey Wright honed their games on the courses, as did future Hall of Famer, Tiger Woods. The course was also home to former USGA Presidents Sandy Tatum, Grant Spaeth and Walter Driver.
Stanford Golf Course has been the site of many important tournaments, including men’s and women’s NCAA Championships, U.S. Open Qualifying, USGA Junior Amateur Qualifying, and The Gathering, a former PGA Senior Tour event. Each year, the course hosts The Goodwin, a top men’s collegiate tournament, and two women’s events: the Stanford Intercollegiate hosted by Professor Condoleezza Rice, and the Peg Barnard Invitational.