I am traveling to Napa Ca. Where should I play?

Question

I am traveling to Napa Ca. Where should I play?

Answer 1

There's quite a few good courses out there; personally Chardonnay Golf Club (they have two courses) is very scenic and will definitely give you the "I'm in the Napa Valley" sense.  There's also the course they used to play the Senior Tour event on; apologies but I can't recall the name.

Golf Magazine has a course finder tool on their website (golf.com); I also seem to recall Travel & Leisure Golf having done a piece about golf in the California wine country.

It's a bit of a drive, but if you do venture into San Francisco, the course at the Presidio, and Harding Park (site of the 2009 President's Cup Matches) are very worthy; Harding Park is a muni (think Torrey Pines, Bethpage) that was restored several years ago.  The Presidio used to be a private military course.  Unless you've got a way to get on Olympic, Harding Park is the next best option.

Good luck; if you at all enjoy a tipple the wineries are very much worth your time (did a golf/wine trip a few years ago and it was truly enjoyable).

Answer 2

Just played Chardonnay.  I must agree with the first two; it's the best choice in Napa.

Answer 3

As the previous responder mentioned, the Chardonnay club is near Napa, by Jameson Canyon and, I believe, outside the city limits.

I think the best place to play in Napa is Silverado Country Club. You'll need to know a member, or stay at the resort, to play there. There are two courses, the South and the North; both good, but I think the South is better.

There is also Napa Valley Country Club. Also private, no resort, so you'd have to know someone. Not as good a course as those at Silverado.

Public access golf has become limited in Napa, as courses have been sold off for vineyards, or gone private. The municipal course in town, Kennedy, is actually a very good layout, challenging and interesting. The wind can blow pretty good there, which adds to the difficulty. It's very affordable, too.

If you're going upvalley, there are a couple of options. You asked about Napa, though, so I'll leave it at that.

I'm a native Napan, but I moved away many years ago and haven't played golf there in a while.