Santa Barbara Golf Club opened in 1958 on 108 acres along Las Positas Road, the city's only public 18-hole course, and locals have called it the Muni ever since. Lawrence Hughes designed the original layout; one founding-era regular recalled, 'There were no carts. If you didn't walk, you didn't play.' A severe 1991-92 drought forced rebuilt tees and greens, later improvements added a driving range, new clubhouse, and golf shop, and Bob Cupp and Steve Timm renovated the routing. The city still runs it as a self-supporting enterprise fund, without tax dollars.

On the course

The par-70 layout measures 6,037 yards from the back tees, rated around 69.4 with a slope of 123. Kikuyu fairways grab the clubhead and kill roll-out, so holes play longer than the card suggests, and the bentgrass and poa greens reward a careful read. The front nine sits on flatter ground; the back nine climbs hillier terrain with views of the Santa Ynez Mountains and, on clear days, the Pacific and Santa Cruz Island. Doglegs, mature trees, and strategic bunkering do the defending, and four more tee sets scale it down to 4,154 yards.

Who it suits

The practical case is a classic muni one. Green fees run well below the area's private clubs, the course is open 365 days a year, and walking stays manageable despite the back-nine hills. Reviewers consistently praise the conditioning, singling out the fairways, though weekend pace can lag. Most turf is irrigated with recycled water, the property belongs to the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, and a restored stretch of Upper Las Positas Creek runs through the site.

Facilities cover the full routine: a driving range open sunrise to sunset year-round, a practice putting green, and an award-winning pro shop with Titleist rentals for traveling players. Mulligan's Cafe & Bar handles post-round food and events for more than 200 people. It suits visiting golfers working the coast between Los Angeles and Monterey, mid-handicappers after an honest par-70 test, and walkers who like their golf the way the 1958 founders played it.

Architect: Lawrence Hughes · Opened: 1958