Spring Hills Golf Course opened in 1965 on the former Silva Estate in the foothills just north of Watsonville off Highway 1. The land was first acquired in 1911 by Mr. Silva and his wife Dolly, who built a five-bedroom ranch house on 160 acres planted with apple orchards, pear orchards, vineyards, hayfields, and pastures. That same 1911 ranch house still serves as the course's clubhouse today. Golf has actually been played on the property since 1927, when George Enos, the Silvas' grandson, dug a single hole with a post hole digger and borrowed clubs — that original hole survives as the modern No. 7.

On the course

The 18-hole layout was designed by Hank Schimpeler, who owned the property and routed the course after standing on what is now the No. 8 tee and recognizing the terrain's potential. The front nine runs through meandering streams and a tighter, more demanding layout, while the back nine climbs into the hillier portion of the property and opens up to views over Monterey County. The 18th hole finishes beneath a 40-foot waterfall tumbling down the hillside next to a clubhouse patio.

Who it suits

The course plays roughly 6,000 to 6,200 yards from the back tees with elevated tee boxes, tight fairways, and small greens — a shorter, position-oriented layout rather than a power test. It suits players who value accuracy off the tee and a quieter, country-club-style setting over length, and remains family-owned and operated.

Architect: Hank Schimpeler · Opened: 1965