Napa and Sonoma Counties in California’s North Coast wine region are notably famous for their world-class vineyards and the wines they produce. At last count, Napa boasts more than 475 wineries in the 16 sun-drenched AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) that dot its sunswept hills, while Sonoma’s volcanic hillsides, which are sometimes blanketed in fog rolling in from the Pacific, offer 425 more in its 19 AVAs. Suffice to say, you won’t have any trouble finding a suitable—and suitably scenic—19th hole after you’ve played your golf in the area. And there’s good golf to be found, not just within those famed counties themselves but also in neighboring areas.
From courses that wind through vineyards close enough to lose a ball in, to another that overlooks the mighty Pacific, to yet another tightly routed through stands of towering redwood trees, the menu of course choices you’ll have is as appetizing as the varieties of wine you can enjoy all around them. Napa is renowned for its exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons, and Sonoma for its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. But you’ll find wines made from 60 other grape varieties, too, including Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and sparkling wines. There’s no better place in America to hit bombs and pull corks.
Here’s a list of nine publicly accessible courses that I’d recommend you check out on your trip to Napa and Sonoma, along with a nearby visit-worthy winery to pair with it. Reservations for tastings are almost always required, so plan ahead. And one other recommendation: If you want to schedule a tasting at more than one winery after you play, strongly consider hiring a driver or using a ride service. Nobody wants to add a DUI arrest to their day’s scorecard.
Silverado Resort & Pine Ridge Vineyards
The Silverado Resort in Napa is the North Coast’s only bona fide golf resort, with two courses for guests to enjoy—along with a long list of other resort-style amenities ranging from spa services and swimming to racquet sports and fine dining. The resort’s Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed North Course, home to several PGA Tour events over the years, is the tougher of the two, with treelined fairways, sloping greens, and a fantastic set of par threes. The 174-yard 11th hole, which calls for an accurate tee shot over water to a potato chip green, is one of the course’s most beautiful. Silverado’s South Course, a Johnny Miller design, is 100 yards shorter but still a stern test. Hillier than its sibling, with greens that have lots of character, it’s the perfect yang to the North’s yin.
Follow the Silverado Trail north from the resort and you’ll be in the Stags Leap AVA, with many top wineries to choose from including Clos Du Val, Stag’s Leap, Chimney Rock, and others. Pine Ridge Vineyards is one of the district’s elite wineries. Its caves house over 4,000 barrels and can be toured. Initially known best for its refined and beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignons, today it’s also renowned for its crisp, vivacious Chenin Blanc and Viognier offerings. Be sure to sample them all.
Windsor Golf Club & Hanna Winery
The 6,599-yard par-72 course at Sonoma’s Windsor G.C. played host to Nike Tour events, so it’s a course that you can expect to offer myriad challenges. There’s water in play on at least six holes, and mature oaks that come into play often, as at the dogleg-left, par-four 2nd hole. A forced carry over wetlands awaits at the par-three 5th, and the second shots over water at the par-four 8th and par-five 9th are other examples of the knee-knocking shots you’ll be asked to execute at Windsor. The par-five 17th, where the fairway gets narrowed by trees pinching in on your approach shot, is another terrific hole, and evidence that Windsor calls for careful shotmaking from start to finish.
The Hanna Winery grows grapes in several locations, but it’s their Alexander Valley tasting room that’s closest to Windsor. Over the years, the operation grew from a 12-acre personal winemaking effort by present owner Christine Hanna’s father to an enterprise that now has properties in multiple areas, two tasting rooms, and creates a wide range of wines spanning five labels. The winery’s best known for its crisp Sauvignon Blanc, but its Russian River Chardonnay, Pinot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and its red and rose blends will give you all the reasons you could want to visit and taste away.
Links at Bodega Harbour & Sonoma Coast Vineyards
Venture next to the Pacific coast, where you can experience the thrills and challenges of a Scottish links-style course at The Links at Bodega Harbour. With the Pacific Ocean serving as its backdrop, this hilly, par-70 Robert Trent Jones II course features spectacular views, along with undulating fairways, mounds, and greens—and a series of thrilling finishing holes that climax with one that takes you almost to the edge of the sea. Don’t be surprised if you see gray whales breaching offshore as you wind up your round. Here, you’ll encounter heather, pot bunkers, and coastal winds like the links courses of the British Isles, but there are fairway homes in sight from some of the holes, too. The downhill, double-dogleg par-five 5th hole skirts a cow pasture and offers fantastic views, as do many others. The par-four home hole sweeps down toward the ocean, with its diminutive green offering birdie chances only for those who’ve executed accurate approach shots.
From The Links at Bodega Bay, it’s just a long par five to the Sonoma Coast Vineyards tasting room, where you can enjoy its one-of-a-kind wines on a patio overlooking the Pacific. The Sonoma Coast and Russian River valley winegrowing regions near Bodega Bay produce unique wines that emerge from grapes exposed to the cool winds and foggy atmosphere this area is known for. Sonoma Coast produces wines known for their ripe fruitiness and high-acid profiles, courtesy of the rocky, sandy soil. It’s ideal for the delicious Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Sauvignon Blancs you can sample at the Sonoma Coast tasting room.
Northwood Golf Club & Iron Horse Vineyards
It’s not often that you’ll go out of your way to play a 9-hole course, but Northwood is one that’s worth traveling to. Located in and amongst towering redwood trees in the Russian River Valley, Northwood is an Alister MacKenzie design that’s retained every bit of its original charm—even as the redwoods around it have grown taller and more imposing in the almost 100 years since it opened. Though it plays just 2,893 yards from the back tees, only the straightest of hitters will challenge par (36) here thanks to those majestic redwoods, which squeeze the course’s tumultuous fairways and generally small but broad-shouldered greens. It’s a course that you don’t even want to bring driver to—but you will want to bring a camera. Several of Northwood’s holes are short, sharp doglegs that require you to work the ball off the tee with a long- or mid-iron, which is unusual for modern-day golf but also a lot of fun. But even the straight holes, like the par-five finishing hole, is claustrophobically narrow. And the greens are often domed, sometimes undulating, and always sloping—like most MacKenzie greens. Playing Northwood is a world-class experience of a very unique kind. Don’t pass up the opportunity to do so if you’re in the area, even if it’s the only course you play.
Pairing with Northwood is Iron Horse Vineyards in nearby Sebastopol, an enchanting, family-owned winery set on a hill that yields broad vistas of grape vines at work that stretch all the way to Mount Saint Helena. There you’ll find a relaxing picnic area, gazebo, outdoor patio, and a tasting experience that includes several varieties of the sparkling wines that Iron Horse is famous for—so famous that they’ve been served in the White House for seven consecutive Presidential administrations. Enjoy their Blanc de Blancs, Brut Rose, Winter’s Cuvee—or their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. The choice is yours, and you can’t make a bad one.
Hiddenbrooke Golf Club & Bouchaine
Hiddenbrooke G.C. lies to the southeast of American Canyon, itself just southeast of Napa. But it’s one of the region’s better golf courses. You often hear about “golden, rolling hills” in this part of California—well, Hiddenbrooke’s golden hills are beyond rolling and certainly not hidden. Despite the presence of homes, it’s one of the region’s more natural courses, with tree-lined hills that verge on mountains framing many of its Arnold Palmer-designed fairways. The course has lots of elevation changes, wetlands, and few flat lies. The par-three 13th is particularly memorable, calling for a short-iron shot to a sloping green beautifully benched into a hillside. Hole 16 is a beautiful, downhill par-five that’s reachable at 488 yards, but beware the penalty area and bushes surrounding the green. The closing hole is another par five with wetlands left and a wide and deep green guarded by a lone pot bunker front and center. Finishing with a par there is a reason to smile.
From Hiddenbrooke, trek northwest back to Carneros District for another reason to smile: the elegant wines offered at Bouchaine. From this winery’s comfy terrace, you’ll enjoy 270-degree views of Bouchaine’s vineyards while you sample offerings from their extensive menu. Choose from Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Merlots, Pinot Blancs, and Syrahs. If you’re lucky, you may even get to sample their Gewurztraminer or the latest vintage of their Brut Rose sparkling wine.
Chardonnay Golf Club & Etude
Southeast of Napa in Jameson Canyon, Chardonnay G.C. is a semi-private course that sits at the gateway to wine country—and you’ll know it from the vineyards that surround the holes you’ll play. Set on 150 acres that meander through fields of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot grapes, this 1991 course features six par threes, six par fours, and six par fives that can be played from any of five tee boxes. Along with the vines, there are lakes and streams to contend with, fast greens, and a nice variety of natural holes, including the fun, risk/reward finishing hole, a 473-yard par five that serves up one last birdie opportunity if your last few strikes are suitably accurate.
A short drive up Route 12 will take you to Etude and its Grace Benoist Ranch in the Los Carneros AVA, whose rich, wonderfully structured, site-specific Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernet Sauvignons express the unique nature of its location wonderfully. Etude’s Heirloom Pinot Noir is considered one of the area’s best, and the winery’s beautiful property—with wellness garden and outdoor plaza—is a great place to stroll or relax in the California sun.
Eagle Vines Golf Club & Domaine Carneros
Like its Chardonnay neighbor, Eagle Vines rambles through wide swaths of grape vines, with stands of oaks, willows, and even cherry trees present on many holes. Those holes, designed in part by Johnny Miller, stretch in total to over 7,000 yards, and whichever of the five sets of tees you choose, you’ll need to be on your game. Water comes into play frequently—as will the vineyards if your shots stray too far—and the course’s yellow hills have enough elevation change to make club selection a challenge. The course’s signature 14th hole is one of its most memorable: both the back tee and the island green at this downhill par three are surrounded by water, and the course views from the tee boxes are sweeping and grand. Before you leave, pick up a bottle of Eagle Vines Estate Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon to remember your round by.
From Eagle Vines, head northwest to the Carneros District again to visit Domaine Carneros, a landmark California estate winery and chateau whose acclaimed sparkling wines and Pinot Noirs can be enjoyed on a sun-splashed terrace, accompanied by charcuterie, caviar, oysters, and in food-and-wine pairings. Founded by the family behind Champagne Taittinger, its méthode traditionelle sparkling wines reflect a longstanding commitment to the creation of stellar bubbly, as evidenced deliciously in its 2017 La Rêve Blanc de Blancs. Don’t miss the chance to experience it.
Vintner’s Golf Club & Tres Sabores
Though it offers just nine holes that include just one par five, Vintner’s G.C. merits consideration if only for its location in Yountville, home not just to numerous world-class wineries but to acclaimed culinary destinations like the famed French Laundry. The Vintner’s course is mostly flat and very walkable, with wide fairways and scenic views of the surrounding mountains. Its par threes are its best holes, with the 198-yard 4th hole being the toughest. But what it may lack in challenge from tee to green is often made up for on the challenging greens themselves. Go early for breakfast, play nine, and then head to one of the Yountville-area’s many excellent wineries.
One smaller winery that has shown an unflagging dedication to craftsmanship and the artistry of winemaking is Tres Sabores in nearby St. Helena. A certified organic grower of Cabernet, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, and Petit Verdot grapes, Tres Sabores (Three Flavors) was created and is owned by renowned winemaker Julie Johnson, previously co-creator of Frog’s Leap. The Tres Sabores ranch has the feel of old Napa. There’s no fancy tasting room, but instead the opportunity to sample selections from their wide selection of exquisite estate collection and limited-release wines in an unspoiled and relaxed setting. Tres Sabores’s Rutherford Perspective Cabernet Sauvignons are simply not to be missed.
Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park & Favia
Napa Golf Course is a Napa City-owned and operated 18-hole parkland course located in Kennedy Park. As a muni, conditions can vary, but many greens have subtle and confounding breaks, and the course features some challenging holes, particularly at the 420-plus-yard par-four 3rd and 15th holes. After a straightforward front nine, where the par-five 8th with water on the left is the most interesting hole, the back nine ramps up the drama with more pines and mature oaks to contend with. The aforementioned 15th features water on the left right to the edge of the green, making it a fearsome two-shotter. The par-five home hole, with water pinching the fairway in the layup zone, makes for a formidable finish.
Napa’s most recently created AVA is Coombsville, and that’s where you’ll find Favia, owned by respected winemakers Annie Favia and Andy Erickson. The winery is centered around an 1886 stone building, and their commitment to sustainability and biodiversity on the Favia estate are reflected in many aspects of its natural environment. The estate produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and red blends that often feature Cabernet Franc, a varietal that Favia was introduced to by John Kongsgaard at Newton Vineyards and one that she says she continues to love to this day.
