Stanford Golf Course

October 9, 2021 Off By BBF

It’s a tenant of Big Ball First that we only review public golf courses. We figure the whole point of the blog is to ensure people who are planning a bucket list golf trip can learn the pitfalls of the big bucket list or buddies golf trips and avoid them. Well, everyone will be surprised to know that Stanford Golf Course is actually a public golf course. The trick is you have to be a Stanford student, a Stanford alumni or work or associate with Stanford University in some way. So we managed to sidestep our rule by recommending that you look at your Linkedin network and start pinging all the people you know who graduated from Stanford to get them to get you a tee time.

*The Humble Golf Shop and Cafe belie the fact that Stanford Golf Course has been the training ground of some of the greats in golf.* Both men and women.

When you step onto the property nestled in the hills just above Stanford University, you will wonder if you went through a wormhole at the golf shop that transported you to New England. This parkland course has a distinctly east coast feel to it. The illusion is only broken by the occasional coastal redwood you will run into. This fantasy is reinforced as you journey through the wooded hillside and you come to the first of many charming bridges to traverse the many valleys you will have to carry with your ball flight. Although the bridges are not covered bridges, there is a distinctly a “Bridges of Madison county” feel to this place, and the absence of houses adds to the cosy feel.

The course is not without its quirks which literally begin on the first tee box. The visual is a wooded carry, what you don’t realize is that you are actually hitting your drive over a major campus road, likely the one you drove in on. Then as you travel from the tee box to the fairway you have to go through an intersection with a stoplight to cross the road you just didn’t realize that you carried your golf ball. It’s hard to not start worrying about pace of play issues as you are waiting for the light to cross the street.

Stanford Golf Course First Tee — *The First Tee at Stanford Golf Course. If you have not played it before you may not realize e you are hitting over a busy public road. Don’t duff it!* *You could break a windshield.*

After that, things get pretty straightforward. Stanford Golf Course is a par 70 has 5 par 3’s and you will run into 2 on the front 9 back to back. Genuinely magnificent holes. When you get to the back 9 the elevation changes on the course start to really kick in. If you are walking, the back 9 will be a challenge, but the vistas make the work out very much worth it. Straightforward does not mean tnis golf course is easy, far from it. After all this is the land on which The Big Cat honed his skills while attending Stanford University. When you play it you can see how this course would have helped Tiger become the GOAT.

*The Back 9 of Stanford Golf Course offers amazing vistas and a lot of elevation change.*

The elevated tee box on number 12 will give you a good view across a very long and muscular par 4, a signature hole. Note the tree in the middle of the fairway, as you need to make a decision which side you want to be on, or you will be blocked. If you pull or push your shot, keep a keen eye out, the rough at Stanford is thick and you can’t see your golf ball until you are on top of it. This thick rough and the ornate sculpted bunkering are the teeth of the defense of this golf course. The bunkers have a very unique design to them, but my advice is to stay out of them as much as possible.

Although there is no water to speak of on this golf course, do bring plenty of balls. There are plenty of carry holes and poorly hit shots will encounter very thick vegetation in which you won’t be able to find your ball. When you get to hole 13 tee box, another longish par 4, be sure to note the “Stanford Dish” in the hills above the green in the distance….a radio antenna that is a unique feature on a golf course! Hole 14 is a spectacular par 3 over a carry with a very cool bridge running the entire length of the hole on the right side. Definitely picture worthy.

*The 14th hole par 3 at Stanford Golf Course is an amazing hole with a dramatic bridge*

The last unique thing about Stanford Golf Course is the complete lack of signage for the course. It has a similar feel to Cypress Point Golf Course in that there are no signs telling you hole numbers, with yardages etc. No directional signs either. It’s just tee box after tee box, if you are lucky you will get a trash can. It’s a bold choice for a public golf course, but you are expected to just know where to go. At Cypress you are either a member who knows the course by heart, or you are expected to have a caddie. I don’t think Stanford has the same level of expectation of the golfers playing it, so be sure to take careful note as to where you are headed next. It would be very easy to skip hole’s 10 and 11, which would result in one of the most interesting 16 hole golf course you have played.

All in all, your hunt through your linkedin network will be well rewarded with a magnificent test of golf in a setting that is an eastern oasis in the middle of the peninsula of the bay area. Stanford golf course is a sleeper, but in my opinion a must play in the area if you can figure out how to get on it during your bucket list golf trip to the bay area. If you are in town to play down at Pebble, or Pasatiempo consider adding this to the mix on your way. If you come in the October time frame, keep an eye out for the Golden Golf Challenge. This fun charity golf tournament is another way you can get into play Stanford without having to hunt down a Stanford student or teacher to play with.

Best Buddies Golf Trip Rankings

Bucket list rank (from 1to 5 buckets): 4 buckets
Caddies: NA
Location: 8
Spectacle/ visual: 8
History: 7
New/ancient: modern 1930
Playability : 7
Memorability : 7
Buddy-a-bility : 7
Service/etc: 8
Value: 8
Shopping: 7 the golf shop is small, but comprehensive. The deals are very good.
Warm up facilities/Range: 8, it’s down the road from the golf course and is public

Stanford Golf Course Driving Range — *The Driving Range at Stanford Golf Course is not at the course. This really nice facility is a short car ride away.*

CategoryFour Buckets

About The Author

BBF

BBF or “Big Ball First” comes from a golf saying for hitting a shot fat. Or hitting the “big ball first” in that you hit the ground (the big ball) before hitting the golf ball. In the BBF blog, it’s a metaphor for traveling the planet, soaking in exclusive experiences, and pointing people to the Awesome, the Great, the Good, and the not so good out there. We’re hitting the big ball running with tales from international golf courses, with fine wine, fine food, did I mention golf…well, especially the ‘buddies bucket list golf trips’. The hope is that like minded people will enjoy the stories, and hopefully use it as a reference point. If this blog helps people prioritize the experiences they want to have on our planet then we will have succeeded on our mission. We only have so many go’s at “bucket list” travel experiences. Especially the bucket list buddies golf experiences. My hope is you can refine your experience based upon my learning, and take your “big ball first” experiences to the next level.