Rolling hills, ancient oaks, stunning red-top grasses—the Golf Club of California holds so much that's characteristic of the Golden State that they put its name front and center. Although the course used to be private, today players of all stripes can tackle its 18-hole championship layout. There, while battling fierce elevation changes and weaving around bunkers and creeks, guests can soak up sweeping vistas of the backcountry and photo-worthy vegetation. Wildflowers, for instance, pepper the course, as do towering eucalyptus trees and sycamores. The combined effect is as beautiful as it is challenging, but fortunately the Golf Club of California has a double-ended driving range, as well as a chipping area and putting green, so players can iron the kinks out of the game before they begin.