Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club: What to Know Before You Play

The redwoods stand close enough to the fairways here that a bad slice disappears into shade and redwood duff, and you stop looking. Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club has operated as a nine-hole course since the 2020 CZU fires took the back nine. In August the club broke ground on six of the holes that burned, with a target of opening them in summer 2027.

The course is open to the public at 16901 Big Basin Highway, and there's an 18-hole disc golf course, a restaurant and a bar on the property. You can book tee times online or through the Pro Shop on (831) 338-2111. Rates and course status change, so treat the club's own pages as the last word and call before you make the drive.

The nine you play now

The club has been here since 1961. It started as a nine-hole course, added a second nine in 1966 for a full 18, and was laid out by golf architect Jack Fleming. Then the CZU Lightning Complex burned through the property in August 2020, and what reopened was the front nine, restored among redwoods and small lakes.

That nine plays to a par of 31: four par 4s and five par 3s, 1,862 yards from the black tees and 1,714 from the gold. The longest hole is the 4th at 371 yards. The shortest is the 5th at 132. Those figures come from the current scorecard; the club's website posts rates and course records but not the card itself. The club has also added shorter tees for beginners.

The back nine is coming back

Work started on 11 August 2026 on six of the nine burned holes: 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18. General manager Matt Robles announced it on the club's news page: "After a lot of planning, dirt is officially moving." The club is targeting summer 2027 to open the six for play.

"We're taking an iterative approach to make sure we nail it for the vision of getting the entire 18 back. There's a somewhat natural routing that can be accomplished by having golfers finishing the 12th navigate to the 16th tee then finish on 18."

The old course map shows why those six and not another six. Ten, 11 and 12 loop around the clubhouse and the lake, and 16, 17 and 18 come back up to it, so the six of them close into a circuit a golfer can walk. The three still to come, 13, 14 and 15, are the holes that run furthest down the slope toward the creek.

The 17th tee, which the fire took, was rebuilt in summer 2026. It's a raised timber deck now, reached by a flight of redwood steps cut into the bank, and it looks straight down a corridor of trees. Turf goes down next.

If you're playing while this goes on, expect to see it. The club's phrase is "pardon our dust": equipment, stockpiles and crews are out there alongside the nine that's open.

The club has also asked people who played the old back nine to send in a memory of it, a shot, a round or a person. The club is collecting those memories at hello@bouldercreekgolf.com.

What first-timers get wrong

A short course with few bunkers looks like a scorecard waiting to happen. Matt, who grew up playing here, says that's the trap.

"I think the trap for most golfers is when they see the yardage and the relatively few bunkers, they assume that scoring will come easy. But at the end of the day, the way to score in golf is to keep your ball in play and have good touch around the greens. Boulder Creek is a great test for that."

It's also why a beginner and a low handicap can play here together and both get something out of the round, instead of one of them spending four hours losing balls on a championship-length course.

Hal Wells, a 57, and the Madden Room

The club keeps a record board that stops in 1999, because every mark on it was set on the full 18 before the fire. The best of them is a 55, shot by Hal Wells in 1977, and the club still calls it the number to beat when the back nine returns. Matt Robles remembers Wells as a mentor from his own teenage years learning the game here.

Three players share the 57 on that board: Jack Bariteau in 1970, Bud McKeever in 1979 and Bill Aragona in 1982.

The front nine record is a 25, held by Fred Hansen in 1965 and Hal Wells across 1970 to 1972, though that was the pre-fire front nine rather than the one you play today.

The clubhouse has a conference and trophy room the club calls the Madden Room. The stories that go with the name are the kind that get told around a course rather than written down: that John Madden used to bring Raiders and Niners up for summer tournaments and hold court in that room.

Matt also names the fire and the community's work to reopen the front nine among the club's defining memories.

What it costs and how to book

Green fees are posted on the club's rate card, updated in August 2026. Nine holes run $24 on a weekday and $28 at the weekend, eighteen holes $38, and juniors $12 for nine. Carts are $16 for nine and $27 for eighteen. Rates change, so confirm when you book.

Book through the Lightspeed Golf widget on the club's own golf page, or call the Pro Shop at (831) 338-2111. Walk-ups are welcome when there's space. Carts are the usual option and the club also rents scooters, $18 for nine holes and $32 for eighteen. The course runs 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every day.

Disc golf on the back of the property

If you throw discs instead of swinging clubs, the club runs an 18-hole disc golf course called The Basin, with a Creekside front nine and an option to play 27. Walk-up rates on the club's own card are $12 for The Basin's eighteen, $9 for the Creekside front nine and $18 for all 27, with a cheaper twilight tier and a $75 membership. Check in at the clubhouse before you play, and call ahead for current check-in hours.

The back-nine construction reaches the disc golf course too. The club is re-routing some of the Basin baskets over the coming months, and it has folded the Creekside front nine into 831 Club membership while that happens and extended current memberships through the end of March at no charge. Check what's playable before you drive up.

A few house rules to have in mind on the drive over:

• Dress code: shirts and shoes are required, and tank tops aren't allowed.
• No dogs on the course.
• Errant discs: private homes border several holes, so if a disc sails onto someone's property, get the homeowner's okay before you go looking for it.

The restaurant and bar

There's a full bar and restaurant on site, and the hours shift by day, so they're worth reading before you count on a meal.

Golf: every day, 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Bar: Monday to Thursday 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Restaurant: the kitchen is closed Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with the bar still open on those days. Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Kitchen days change, so a call to (831) 338-2111 saves a wasted drive.

Music on the Great Lawn

The club also runs an event space beside the course, which it calls Creekside and the Great Lawn, and it books ticketed shows on it. Dates land on our events calendar as the club confirms them.

Its first bluegrass show there is the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with doors at 6:00 p.m. and music at 6:30. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door, 100 of them, eight to an order at most, and registration is on the club's event page. Seating is general admission on the grass, first come first served, so come early. All ages, and 21 and over with ID to drink.

Bring a blanket no bigger than 5 by 7 feet, or a low lawn chair. Your own picnic and cooler are welcome, and there's food and a bar on site. Tarps, tents, umbrellas, high-backed chairs and pets stay home. It runs rain or shine, with indoor space if the weather turns, and there's parking in the main lot plus overflow across Big Basin Way.

Where to stay if you're making a weekend of it

There's no lodging at the club itself. The club has pointed visitors to the Brookdale Lodge, a historic redwood inn a few minutes down Highway 9 in Brookdale. If you'd rather be closer to downtown Boulder Creek, our guide to where to stay covers the local options.

Getting there

The club sits at 16901 Big Basin Highway, on the Big Basin Way side of town heading toward the state park. It's a short drive from downtown Boulder Creek, and the last stretch is classic mountain road: give yourself a few extra minutes and watch for cyclists and one-lane pinch points. If you're new to driving these roads, our mountain roads guide is worth a read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club open to the public?

Yes. It's a public course, and anyone can book a tee time online through the club's own site or by calling the Pro Shop at (831) 338-2111. The disc golf course is public too.

How many holes is the golf course now?

Nine. The property was an 18-hole course before the 2020 CZU fires, and it reopened after restoring the front nine. Work began in August 2026 on six of the burned holes, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18, with 13, 14 and 15 still to come. The separate disc golf course is 18 holes with an option to play 27.

When will the back nine reopen?

The club broke ground in August 2026 on six holes, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18, and is targeting summer 2027 to open them. Holes 13, 14 and 15 come later. Expect construction traffic on the property in the meantime.

What is the par and yardage of the nine-hole course?

Par 31, with four par 4s and five par 3s. It measures 1,862 yards from the black tees and 1,714 from the gold, from the scorecard the club provided in September 2026. Shorter tees have been added for beginners.

How much does it cost to play nine holes?

Nine holes run $24 on a weekday and $28 at the weekend, and eighteen holes $38, from the club's own rate card updated in August 2026. Juniors play nine for $12. Confirm at the Pro Shop on (831) 338-2111 when you book.

Does the golf club have a restaurant?

Yes, there's a full bar and restaurant on site, but the kitchen and bar keep different hours that have changed since the club rebuilt its website. Check the club's restaurant page or call (831) 338-2111 before you rely on a meal.

The Boulder Creek Questions

Matt's perfect day in Boulder Creek: "There's something about playing this course around dusk in the late summer or early Fall. It's a magical experience how the light comes through the redwoods. The smell of the forest and the crisper evening air are memory-makers for me."

Matt's favorite hidden gem: A birdhouse some locals set up on a tree on the front nine, which may or may not have a bottle of whiskey in it. He also names the back nine par 5s, and the 17th tee, which will be back.

Matt's advice for a new neighbor: "For beginner golfers, just get out and play!" And once you're out there: keep up the pace of play, and drive safe.

Making a day of it? Our Boulder Creek business directory covers more places to eat and shop near Big Basin Highway, and the Around Town guide rounds up other ways to spend an afternoon in the valley. Before you head out, call the Pro Shop at (831) 338-2111 to confirm the day's hours and rates.

Know a Boulder Creek business we should spotlight, or a neighbor who makes this valley what it is? Tell us. Details change over time; if something here is out of date, let us know.