DeLaveaga Golf Course sits in the forested hills above Santa Cruz, on land that financier Jose Vicente de Laveaga bequeathed to the City and County of Santa Cruz in 1894 — a 640-acre hilltop estate intended to become a public park. A 1960 master plan finally added a golf course to the property, and architect Bert Stamps was hired in 1968 to route 18 holes through the canyons and tree-lined hillsides. The course opened in 1970 with Gary Loustalot as its first head professional; his son Tim, a former PGA Tour player, now runs the concession.

On the course

Stamps' layout is short by modern standards — roughly 6,110 yards from the tips — but uses narrow landing areas, small greens, deep canyons, and tight tree-lined fairways to defend par. Originally laid out as a par 72, the course now plays as a par 70 after later work by Halsey Daray Golf, Inc. Elevation changes are constant, and a few holes open up ocean views toward Monterey Bay roughly three miles to the south. The 10th, a long par 5 bordered by lateral water left and out-of-bounds right, demands back-to-back precision shots over a ravine and has been voted one of the toughest holes in Northern California.

Who it suits

The property also houses the separate DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course, built in the 1980s by Tom Schot and host to the annual Masters Cup. For ball golfers, DeLaveaga rewards accuracy and course management over distance: bombers who spray it will spend the round hunting balls in eucalyptus and oak, while shot-makers comfortable shaping irons into small targets tend to score well. It suits mid-handicappers looking for a scenic, walkable municipal layout with real teeth, and remains a comparatively affordable alternative to the resort courses around Monterey Bay.

Architect: Bert Stamps · Opened: 1970