Rooster Run Golf Club opened in 1998 on the eastern edge of Petaluma, designed by Frederick C. Bliss, ASGCA. The site was a flat stretch of Sonoma County farmland adjacent to the Petaluma Municipal Airport, and construction reportedly involved moving more than 370,000 cubic yards of soil to introduce contour, mounding, and water features to the property. The result is an 18-hole, par-72 layout that stretches to 7,001 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 73.9 and a slope of 128.

On the course

The routing has a links-style feel shaped by its open, treeless setting and the persistent wind that funnels through the Petaluma Gap from the Pacific. Multiple lakes and ponds come into play across the round, and the signature moment is the par-3 15th, played to an island green. The course carries 39 bunkers and Bliss used the manufactured topography to create rolling fairways and elevated greens on what was originally pancake-flat ground. Aggressive drainage was engineered into the build, which is one reason Rooster Run holds up better than most North Bay courses during wet winter months.

Who it suits

The property sits about 35 minutes north of San Francisco and 20 minutes south of Santa Rosa, at the southern gateway to Sonoma wine country. Practice facilities include an all-grass driving range, two putting greens, and a short-game area with a bunker. Rooster Run suits mid- and higher-handicap golfers looking for an affordable, walkable daily-fee round, while the back tees and steady wind give better players enough length and exposure to keep the scorecard honest. The clubhouse includes a café and a banquet center used heavily for weddings and tournaments.

Architect: Frederick C. Bliss · Opened: 1998