Half Moon Bay - Old Course
Half Moon Bay, California – 2 Miramontes Point Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
About Half Moon Bay - Old Course
The Old Course at Half Moon Bay Golf Links opened in 1973, designed by Arnold Palmer with architect Francis Duane in the earliest years of Palmer's design career. It is an American parkland classic on the San Mateo County coast, about half an hour down Highway 1 from San Francisco: cypress-lined corridors, doglegs, and water hazards routed through a coastal neighborhood, with the shoreline held back for a finale that became the property's signature.
On the course
At 7,001 yards and par 72 with a 134 slope, the Old rewards shot-shaping over raw distance. The inland holes ask for placement off the tee to open angles into the greens, and the round builds toward Palmer Corner, the famous turn at 17 and 18. The par-3 17th plays toward the Pacific, and the 405-yard par-4 18th runs along the clifftop with the ocean on the right and the Ritz-Carlton framing the green; it has repeatedly been ranked among the best finishing holes in golf. Five sets of tees scale it for every level.
Who it suits
The Old has hosted numerous U.S. Open qualifiers, and the case for playing it is the arc of the round: sixteen holes of sheltered, strategic parkland golf, then the coast. Reviewers note the tree cover blunts the wind until the closing stretch, which makes it the calmer, and often the sterner, test compared with its links sibling. It fits players who prefer defined targets and traditional framing to open links ground.
Practice facilities are shared across the resort: two putting greens, a 50-yard chipping area, and a practice bunker, but no full driving range, so arrive warmed up or stop at the independent range in town. TaylorMade club and shoe rentals serve traveling golfers, and forecaddies can be arranged. Choose the Old Course for the Palmer pedigree and that 18th hole; there are few better ways to end a round anywhere in Northern California.
Architect: Arnold Palmer / Francis Duane · Opened: 1973
Course Details
- 18 Holes
- Par 72
- 7,001 Yards
- Course Rating 73.8
- Slope 134
- Practice Facilities: Driving range · Practice green · Pro shop
- Tee Time Prices: $65 – $220
- Phone: (650) 726-1800
- Address: 2 Miramontes Point Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Notable Facts About Half Moon Bay - Old Course
- Opened in 1973, designed by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane as a classic American parkland-style layout that weaves around meadows and Monterey cypress trees.
- Often billed as Arnold Palmer's first design, an old-school parkland course with tree-lined fairways, doglegs, and multiple water hazards.
- The signature par-3 17th features an ocean-view green, followed by the cliff-top par-4 18th that plays downhill across a creek to an elevated green beside the Ritz-Carlton terrace.
Ratings
Rated 8.1/10 based on 1876 reviews.
Book Tee Times at Half Moon Bay - Old Course
Half Moon Bay - Old Course is an 18-hole par-72 public golf course in Half Moon Bay, California. Tee times currently range from $65 to $220. Compare live rates and book online through Golf The Bay.
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