The 10 Most Prestigious Country Clubs in California in 2027
By Kory White · Updated Nov 2026 · 5 min read
Direct answer
The Olympic Club in San Francisco is the most prestigious country club in California, with five U.S. Opens on its Lake Course and the 2028 PGA Championship and 2033 Ryder Cup to come. Riviera is #2 and Los Angeles Country Club is #3. This list quotes no initiation fees.
Photo: Thomas Hawk from San Francisco, USA / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictFive U.S. Opens and a Ryder Cup on the calendar.
Location: San Francisco, with its three golf courses in the southwestern corner of the city at the Daly City borderCourse opened: The Lake and Ocean courses opened in 1924U.S. Opens: Five (1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012)Upcoming: The 2028 PGA Championship and the 2033 Ryder Cup on the Lake CourseAlso hosted: The 2021 U.S. Women’s Open
The Olympic Club in San Francisco has three golf courses in the southwestern corner of the city. Its Lake Course has hosted five U.S. Opens (1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012) and the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, and is set to host the 2028 PGA Championship and the 2033 Ryder Cup.
Go ifThe deepest U.S. Open record in California
Skip ifYou want a quiet club that never hosts big events
Why #1 over #2: Its five U.S. Opens top Riviera’s three majors.
2
Riviera Country Club
Answrs VerdictThree majors, a Tour tradition and the 2028 Olympics.
Location: Pacific Palisades, on the Westside of Los AngelesCourse opened: 1926, designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. BellMajors hosted: Three: the U.S. Open in 1948 and the PGA Championship in 1983 and 1995Tour event: The primary host of the Genesis Invitational (originally the Los Angeles Open)Upcoming: Golf at the 2028 Summer Olympics and the 2031 U.S. Open
Riviera, opened in 1926 in Pacific Palisades and designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell, has hosted three majors: the 1948 U.S. Open and the 1983 and 1995 PGA Championships. It is the primary host of the Genesis Invitational, and is scheduled for golf at the 2028 Olympics and the 2031 U.S. Open.
Go ifTour golf and Olympic golf in Los Angeles
Skip ifYou want a course with no tournament traffic
Why #2 over #3: Its three majors and a regular Tour event top Los Angeles Country Club’s single U.S. Open.
3
Los Angeles Country Club
Answrs VerdictNoted for being very exclusive, and a U.S. Open host in 2023.
Location: Los Angeles, CaliforniaCourse opened: The North Course was completed in 1921, designed by W. Herbert FowlerMajor hosted: The 2023 U.S. Open on the North Course, the first major championship held at the clubOther events: The 2017 Walker Cup and the 1930 U.S. Women’s AmateurRestoration: Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford restored the North Course in 2010
Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, completed in 1921 and restored by Gil Hanse and Geoff Shackelford in 2010, hosted the 2023 U.S. Open, the first major in the club’s history. It also hosted the 2017 Walker Cup.
Go ifA restored Fowler-Thomas course with a 2023 U.S. Open
Skip ifYou want a club with a long major-championship record
Why #3 over #4: A U.S. Open and a Walker Cup edge out Mission Hills’ women’s major.
4
Mission Hills Country Club
Answrs VerdictFour decades of a women’s major.
Location: Rancho Mirage, California, southeast of Palm SpringsCourse opened: The Dinah Shore Tournament Course opened in 1971, designed by Desmond MuirheadMajor hosted: The Chevron Championship, a major in women’s golf from 1983 through 2022Size: Three championship courses (54 holes) and 27 tennis courts
Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage has three championship courses, 54 holes in all. Its Dinah Shore Tournament Course, opened in 1971, hosted the Chevron Championship, a women’s major, from 1983 through 2022.
Go ifThe home of a women’s major for four decades
Skip ifYou want a men’s major record
Why #4 over #5: A long-running major beats Cypress Point’s ranking-only case.
5
Cypress Point Club
Photo: schnaars from San Jose, CA / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe 16th over the Pacific, and an invitation-only course.
Location: Pebble Beach, California, on the Central CoastCourse opened: 1929 (August 11), designed by Alister MacKenzie with Robert HunterRanking: #3 on Golf Digest’s 2025 list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and #1 on Top100GolfCourses.com’s list of the best in the USMembership: About 250 members; non-members need a member’s invitation to play
Cypress Point in Pebble Beach opened in 1929, a design by Alister MacKenzie with Robert Hunter. It ranks #3 on Golf Digest’s 2025 list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and #1 on Top100GolfCourses.com’s list for the US, and it has about 250 members.
Go ifThe most celebrated coastal golf in the country
Skip ifYou want a club that hosts tournaments
Why #5 over #6: Its #3 Golf Digest rank tops San Francisco Golf Club’s #35 in the 2015-2016 ranking.
6
San Francisco Golf Club
Photo: Troutwiki / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictOne of the most exclusive private clubs in the US, per its Wikipedia entry.
Location: San Francisco, CaliforniaFounded: 1895, at the Presidio; at its present location since 1915Designer: A. W. TillinghastRanking: #35 in Golf Digest’s 2015-2016 ranking of America’s best golf courses
San Francisco Golf Club was founded in 1895 at the Presidio and has been at its present site since 1915. A. W. Tillinghast designed the course, which Golf Digest ranked #35 in America in 2015-2016.
Go ifA Tillinghast course at one of the most private clubs
Skip ifYou want a club with a tournament history
Why #6 over #7: Its national ranking gives it a documented standing Sherwood does not have.
7
Sherwood Country Club
Answrs VerdictHome of the World Challenge in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Location: Lake Sherwood, California, just south of Thousand OaksCourse opened: October 30, 1989, a Jack Nicklaus signature courseEvents: The Shark Shootout (1989 to 1999), the World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods (2000 to 2013) and the 2020 Zozo ChampionshipMembership: About 375 golf members, by invitation or member referral
Sherwood Country Club, near Thousand Oaks, opened a Jack Nicklaus signature course on October 30, 1989. It hosted the Shark Shootout from 1989 to 1999, Tiger Woods’s World Challenge from 2000 to 2013 and the 2020 Zozo Championship.
Go ifA Nicklaus course that hosted Tiger Woods’s December event
Skip ifYou want a historic pre-war course
Why #7 over #8: Its three named events outweigh Thunderbird’s single named event.
8
Thunderbird Country Club
Answrs VerdictThe Valley’s first 18-hole course.
Location: Rancho Mirage, in California’s Coachella ValleyCourse opened: 1951, the Coachella Valley’s first 18-hole golf courseDesigner: Lawrence HughesEvent: Has hosted the Palm Springs Golf Classic (now known as the American Express)
Thunderbird in Rancho Mirage opened in 1951 as the Coachella Valley’s first 18-hole course, designed by Lawrence Hughes. It has hosted the Palm Springs Golf Classic, now known as the American Express.
Go ifDesert golf with a long Coachella Valley history
Skip ifYou want a coastal course
Why #8 over #9: Its Tour event history tops Palos Verdes’ one LPGA event.
9
Palos Verdes Golf Club
Photo: Jettur / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictA 1924 parkland course with ocean views.
Location: Palos Verdes Estates, California, southwest of Los AngelesCourse opened: 1924, designed by the Olmsted Brothers with George C. Thomas and William P. BellCourse: Par 71 and 6,433 yards from the black teesEvent: Hosted the inaugural LPGA Tour Palos Verdes Championship in 2022
Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates opened in 1924, designed by the Olmsted Brothers with George C. Thomas and William P. Bell. The par-71 course plays 6,433 yards from the black tees, and the club hosted the inaugural LPGA Tour Palos Verdes Championship in 2022.
Go ifA Thomas and Bell course above the Pacific
Skip ifYou do not live near Palos Verdes Estates
Why #9 over #10: Its 2022 LPGA event gives it a modern tournament record Sequoyah lacks.
10
Sequoyah Country Club
Answrs VerdictThe Oakland Open’s home in the 1930s and 1940s.
Location: Oakland, CaliforniaFounded: 1913Course: An 18-hole course of about 6,100 yards on a 180-acre parcelHistory: Hosted the Oakland Open from 1938 to 1944, which featured in the early careers of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson
Sequoyah in Oakland was founded in 1913. Its roughly 6,100-yard course hosted the Oakland Open from 1938 to 1944, an event that featured in the early careers of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson.
Go ifEast Bay golf with Oakland Open history
Skip ifYou want a long modern course
How we ranked these
We ranked each club on its championship history (U.S. Opens, PGA Championships, women’s majors and other major events), then on national course rankings where a source states one (Golf Digest, Top100GolfCourses.com), using the clubs’ own sites and Wikipedia. Prestige is a judgment call. The chart compares one measure, the year each course opened, for the eight clubs where a source gives it. No club here publishes an initiation fee in our sources, so none is quoted. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
What is the most prestigious country club in California?
On championship history, the Olympic Club in San Francisco: its Lake Course has hosted five U.S. Opens (1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012) and will host the 2028 PGA Championship and the 2033 Ryder Cup.
Which California country clubs have hosted a U.S. Open?
The Olympic Club (five times), Riviera Country Club (1948) and Los Angeles Country Club (2023).
Which California club has the best-ranked golf course?
Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach is #3 on Golf Digest’s 2025 list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and #1 on Top100GolfCourses.com’s list of the best in the US.
How much does it cost to join these clubs?
No figure is given here: private clubs rarely publish initiation fees, and the sources used for this list do not state one.
Year the course opened at a glance
Los Angeles Country Club1,921 year
Olympic Club Lake Course1,924 year
Palos Verdes Golf Club1,924 year
Riviera Country Club1,926 year
Cypress Point Club1,929 year
Thunderbird Country Club1,951 year
Mission Hills Country Club1,971 year
Sherwood Country Club1,989 year
Year the course opened, as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
