Paradise Valley Golf Course opened in 1993 on the eastern edge of Fairfield, designed by Robert Muir Graves, ASGCA, a prolific Northern California architect known for routings that work with natural terrain. Owned by the City of Fairfield and currently operated by Touchstone Golf, it functions as a municipal companion to the city's older Rancho Solano course a few minutes away.

On the course

The routing follows a meandering creek that produces a series of doglegs and brings water into play on nine of the eighteen holes. Mature oaks line most of the fairways, and the property's modest elevation changes and blind shots reward club selection and ball placement over raw distance. From the back tees the course stretches to roughly 7,065 yards at a par of 72, with a course rating of 74.1 and slope of 133, making it a legitimate test for low handicaps while remaining walkable and playable from the forward tees.

Who it suits

The signature hole is the par-5 10th, a three-shot hole where the tee shot must be placed short of a lake, the second has to navigate a ravine and a large oak, and the approach finds a green guarded by sand and grass bunkers. The 5th, a 450-yard par-4, is the number-one handicap hole, and the closing 18th plays past two small lakes to a two-tiered green in front of the clubhouse.

Paradise Valley suits golfers looking for an affordable, traditional parkland layout with enough teeth from the back tees to challenge better players, while the multiple tee sets and walkable terrain make it approachable for recreational and senior golfers. The facility includes a driving range, short-game area, and a clubhouse with banquet space used for tournaments and events.

Architect: Robert Muir Graves · Opened: 1993