The Valley Club of Montecito

1901 East Valley Rd,

Santa Barbara, California 93108

  • Office

    +1 (805) 969 2215
  • Pro shop

    +1 (805) 969 2215
  • Fax

    +1 (805) 969 6174
  • Golf pro

    Lisa Price (Head Professional)

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Residential setting.

  • Designer:

    Original design by Dr Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter (1929); modifications by Tom Doak (2018).

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
6750
6363
5620
Par
72
72
73
SSS or slope
72.8
71.0
72.8

Location

Latitude:

34.432673

Longitude:

-119.615286

How to get there:

6 miles E of downtown Santa Barbara.

The Valley Club of Montecito

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.

Est. 1929

The Valley Club of Montecito: this private golf club is home to one of California's finest golf courses ... many would say an excellent example of Alister MacKenzie's less dramatic and understated designs. However, there's nothing undramatic about the layout's impressive mountain backdrop. And there's nothing understated about the size and quantity of the course's ever-threatening bunkering.

MacKenzie's out-and-back design occupies a charmingly peaceful environment, complemented by a stunning backdrop provided by the Santa Ynes Mountains. The design is elegant, but also deceptively testing. Your full repertoire of shots will be called on to score well. On many occasions a high-flighted approach is required to clear the greenside bunkers; only that will bring you safely onto the fast, true and subtly sloping putting surfaces.

Predominantly flanked by woodland (rather than the multi-million dollar mansions of the adjoining Birnam Wood Golf Club), The Valley Club retains a pleasantly natural feel throughout.

Limited access: this is a private course generally playable only by members and their invited guests.

List of courses: Central Coast, CA

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Private club; guests may only play if hosted by a member.

Green fees

Outside visitor fee not applicable; course exclusively for members and their guests.

Other information

Non-metal spike facility. Walking permitted at all times. Golf carts available to rent.

Practice facilities

Limited

Did you know?

Directly to the north of The Valley Club is the also private Birnam Wood Golf Club, a par-70, 6000-yard layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Many of Birnam Wood's fairways are flanked by opulently large real estate ... unlike those of The Valley Club.

Published ranking

California: 10th best course in California (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
USA: 76th best course in the USA (Golf Digest, 2023).
World: formerly ranked world's 97th best course (GOLF magazine, 2011; not in subsequent editions of this ranking).

Find a course

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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