Finally made the trek up to Bodega Bay to play The Links at Bodega Harbour. It was a beautiful day in San Francisco but 15 out 18 holes were completely socked in with fog up in Bodega. That being said, this is a beautiful course and we will be back!
We made the drive from San Francisco and it’s quite a beautiful road through the Petaluma countryside. It quickly makes you forget about the streets of San Francisco. The $92 weekend green fee is a great value (you can book tee times 60 days out). Throughout the round, you can hear waves crashing on the shore. It really is a spectacular place.
Course was in great shape. We played in about 4.5 hours on a Saturday morning. I’m sure it would have been closer to 4 hours if we didn’t have to go searching for our ball every hole through the thick fog. For us, the signature hole was 18, a par 4 down hill down leg right. You hit your tee shot towards the ocean. On the approach, you aim straight downhill for the ocean as you can see waves crashing, it’s quite the sight.
As for the food and drink, we picked up a hot dog and beer at the turn. They had all the classic golf course beers, nothing really stood out. Interestingly, a lot of non golf playing locals (stopping off during their hike in Bodega) were in line for food at the turn and the French Dip was a hot item. Who would’ve thought.
Unfortunately, restaurants are closed right now in CA due to Covid. If they weren’t, you could really make a weekend out of this trip. The Bodega Bay Lodge and Inn at the Tides are strong options for a weekend filled with golf and amazing food. There are some amazing Airbnbs and VRBO houses for rent right on the golf course as well. Drake’s restaurant at The Lodge is fantastic, Hog Islander Oyster Company is a 30 minute drive down the coast, and Rocker Oysterfeller’s is a funky local joint down the road. It’s really a fun place to spend some time.
We will be back to Bodega bay for golf, food, and drink. Hopefully next time we get some sunshine. I can’t recommend the trip up north enough. Do yourself a favor and make it up to Bodega Bay.
