Callippe Preserve Golf Course opened on November 11, 2005 as a municipal facility owned by the City of Pleasanton and managed by CourseCo. The 18-hole, par-72 layout was designed by Brian Costello of JMP Golf Design Group, with J. Michael Poellot also credited on the design team. The course takes its name from the Callippe Silverspot, a rare butterfly that inhabits the surrounding hillsides, and the property doubles as a protected habitat preserve.

On the course

Routed through rolling terrain below the Pleasanton Ridge with views toward Mount Diablo, the course plays from five sets of tees ranging from 4,788 yards up to 6,748 yards from the black tees. Costello designed the layout to reward strategic course management and shot shaping rather than raw length, with ample fairways, large multi-tiered greens, and bunkers that dictate strategy on most holes. The front nine eases players in across gentler valley slopes, while the back nine introduces more elevation change, forced carries, and live oaks framing the corridors. Happy Valley Creek is a recurring hazard, most notably on the par-4 14th, a 344-yard dogleg left where the creek guards the entire left side.

Who it suits

The par-5 18th is the course's signature hole, a 573-yard closer where Happy Valley Creek crosses the fairway three times and large oaks frame an elevated, rolling green that essentially demands three accurate shots to reach. The 11th, a 342-yard par 4, is known for one of the most severely undulating greens on the property. With its walkable routing, varied tee distances, and emphasis on placement over power, Callippe suits mid-handicap and recreational golfers looking for a strategic public-course test in the East Bay, while still offering enough teeth from the back tees to challenge low-handicap players.

Architect: Brian Costello · Opened: 2005