The Course at Wente Vineyards opened in July 1998 on the Livermore Valley estate of Wente Vineyards, America's longest continuously operated family-owned winery. It was designed by Greg Norman and his team and is frequently cited as Norman's first design in the United States. A multi-phase bunker renovation by Greg Norman Golf Course Design began 26 years after the original build, with Jason McCoy and Rogelio Abarca leading the work to preserve the original design intent.

On the course

The 18-hole, par-72 layout stretches to 7,181 yards and moves through three distinct landscapes on the property: native woodlands, mature vineyards, and rolling hills of natural grasslands. More than 200 feet of elevation change separates the highest and lowest points on the routing, producing uneven lies, blind shots, and a dramatic switchback cart path that climbs from the 9th green to the 10th tee. Mackenzie-style bunkering is a recurring theme, framing fairways and surrounding the sloping greens.

Who it suits

The drivable par-4 2nd, flanked by sycamores and oaks, is often identified as the signature hole and is Norman's stated favorite. The downhill par-3 7th plays roughly 228 yards to a green guarded by four bunkers, and the closing stretch winds through a valley of vineyards with creeks, wetlands, and a lake in play. From 2006 to 2008 the course hosted the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship on the Nationwide Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour), where it produced the tour's highest scoring average in two of those three seasons.

The course suits players who enjoy elevation, strategic bunkering, and a scenic wine-country setting, and who are comfortable using a cart — the terrain effectively requires one. Practice facilities include a putting green at the clubhouse and a separate driving range and short-game area on a ridge above the course.

Architect: Greg Norman · Opened: 1998