Sonoma Golf Club
California’ s wine country offers perfect blend of golf and vineyard variety
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COURSES
GOLF HAS FOUND ITS OWN PLACE IN California wine country— and just like any fine vintage, a great course that has matured over time offers an experience worth savoring. In Napa and Sonoma, the rolling terrain, vineyard views and après-golf settings combine to create a pairing as memorable as the wine itself.
Located on opposite sides of the Mayacamas Mountains, Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are only about 14 miles apart but serve up distinctly different vibes. Napa leans upscale, with high-end wineries and tasting rooms; Sonoma is more laid back, with a broader mix of family-owned operations and larger vineyard estates.
Harvest season runs from August to October, so if you’ re visiting in the fall, you might even get a behindthe-scenes look at winemaking. Wineries like Groth, Bouchaine and Benessere offer harvest tours that include tastings, lunch and in some cases, a chance to stomp grapes yourself.
Just don’ t forget to bring a sense of humor— and maybe an extra pair of socks— as you explore wine country’ s best blend of golf and glorious vintages, grown just a pitching wedge from the fairways.
S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2025 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 31