Gilroy Golf Course
Gilroy, California – 2695 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy, CA 95020
About Gilroy Golf Course
Gilroy Golf Course opened in 1923, built by a group of local farmers and businessmen, and is recognized as the oldest public golf course in Santa Clara County. The original architect of record is not documented. The course sits on Hecker Pass Road in the Uvas Valley west of downtown Gilroy, where it has retained most of its original classic routing for more than a century.
On the course
The course's defining quirk is its 11-hole layout, which the operator markets as the "Best 11-hole golf course in the U.S." Golfers play a par-70 totaling roughly 6,000 yards by repeating seven holes from different tees and angles on the back nine, then finishing on two holes unique to the inward half. A par-3 fourth hole, part of the original 1923 design, was reinstated in a 2021 routing refresh that also added new bunkers, tees, and cart paths.
Who it suits
Terrain is rolling and tree-lined, with small undulating greens, generous fairways framed by oaks, and several holes that climb and drop around a central hill. The signature stretch comes at holes 7, 8, 16, and 17, where split tees send players around the hilltop in opposite directions: the 7th is an uphill par 5 with a double-tiered green, and the long downhill par-3 8th drops several hundred feet to a green with views toward the southern Santa Clara Valley and the Gabilan Mountains.
At around 5,200 to 6,000 yards and a slope of 112, the course suits walkers, beginners, and recreational players looking for a short, low-cost round, while the elevation changes and tight oak-guarded approaches give lower handicaps something to manage. It is a straightforward muni rather than a championship test, valued mostly for its age, scenery, and unusual routing.
Architect: Unknown · Opened: 1923
Course Details
- 18 Holes
- Par 70
- 6,002 Yards
- Course Rating 68.7
- Slope 112
- Practice Facilities: Driving range · Practice green · Pro shop
- Tee Time Prices: $19 – $50
- Address: 2695 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy, CA 95020
Notable Facts About Gilroy Golf Course
- Built by local farmers and businessmen in 1923, this unique 11-hole routing east of Santa Cruz features small greens and wide, tree-lined fairways set along the Uvas Valley, and it is the oldest public golf course in Santa Clara County.
- The course can be played as a nine hole course for a quick round or 18 holes; on the back nine, you play seven of the same holes that you played on the front nine but from different lengths and angles, plus two entirely different holes that you didn't play the first time around.
- A 2021 renovation restored par-3 #4, which was part of the original 1923 course, along with new asphalt cart paths, a new route plan and a few new bunkers and tees.
Book Tee Times at Gilroy Golf Course
Gilroy Golf Course is an 18-hole par-70 public golf course in Gilroy, California. Tee times currently range from $19 to $50. Compare live rates and book online through Golf The Bay.
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