San Juan Oaks Golf Club
Hollister, California
About San Juan Oaks Golf Club
San Juan Oaks Golf Club opened in 1996 in the oak-covered foothills outside Hollister, near San Juan Bautista, as Fred Couples' first signature course in California, designed with lead architect Gene Bates. In January 2022 the club closed for a comprehensive rebuild and Bates returned to oversee it: every playing surface was regrassed, the irrigation system was replaced, and the bunkering was rethought. After two and a half years the course reopened for daily-fee play in late 2024, with Troon managing golf operations.
On the course
The renovation flipped the nines, so the round now opens in the hills: the front nine climbs into canyon terrain and pays it back with exhilarating downhill tee shots at the 4th and 8th, while the flatter back nine turns to risk-and-reward water, a restored stream at the par-5 11th and a pond guarding the 18th. The par-5 6th, an uphill carry over a barranca to a diagonal fairway, remains the hardest hole on the card. Bunkers were cut from 62 to 26, the greens are new 007XL bentgrass, and the course plays past 7,000 yards at par 72.
Who it suits
The case for playing it now is conditioning. Reviewers rate the reopened course among the best-kept in California, with fresh greens, ryegrass fairways, and irrigation that ended years of overwatering. Halving the bunkers widened its appeal without flattening the challenge, though the climbs mean most golfers ride. A halfway house at the turn and a rebuilt clubhouse complete an upscale daily-fee experience that draws players from both the South Bay and the Monterey Bay.
The practice range was regrassed with drought-tolerant Bermuda, instruction is available through the golf staff, and the clubhouse offers casual post-round dining at McCann's. San Juan Oaks fits the golfer planning a destination round south of San Jose: big terrain, a Couples-and-Bates pedigree, and the rare chance to play a 30-year-old course on brand-new greens.
Architect: Fred Couples and Gene Bates · Opened: 1996
Course Details
- 18 Holes
- Par 72
- 7,071 Yards
- Course Rating 74.1
- Slope 139
- Practice Facilities: Driving range · Practice green · Pro shop
- Tee Time Prices: $85 – $175
- Phone: (831) 636-6113
Notable Facts About San Juan Oaks Golf Club
- Opened in 1996, the 18-hole golf course is Fred Couples' first signature design in California, co-designed with course architect Gene Bates.
- A renovation with input from Gene Bates reduced the course from 62 bunkers down to 26, with daily-fee play reopening in September 2024 after a two-and-a-half-year project.
- The championship layout is tucked into the foothills of the oak-studded Gabilan Mountains, combining a flatter, meadowland front nine with a more undulating back nine that skirts grass-covered hills and canyons.
Book Tee Times at San Juan Oaks Golf Club
San Juan Oaks Golf Club is an 18-hole par-72 public golf course in Hollister, California. Tee times currently range from $85 to $175. Compare live rates and book online through Golf The Bay.
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