This article originally appeared in the October issue of NCGA Golf Magazine
Of all of California’s wine regions, Sonoma may be the easiest with which to fall in love
By Joe Passov
Perhaps it’s unfair that most of the United States thinks of the Northern California wine country as “Napa.” After all, its neighbor to the west, Sonoma County, is larger and more geographically diverse than Napa County, has nearly four times the population and is the largest producer of wine of any county in the region. And while Sonoma County doesn’t host a PGA Tour event, it does deliver Golden Age golf, history’s top architect, and a beguiling mix of seaside and inland attractions. Put it this way: If Napa County rocks, Sonoma County rolls.
PLAY
A Golden Age classic that dates to 1928, the private Sonoma Golf Club rambles over gently rolling, oak-dotted terrain and takes in vistas of mountains and vineyards. Sam Whiting, who designed Sonoma, also crafted the Olympic Club’s fabled Lake course.
Famous footsteps are the rule at Sonoma. Byron Nelson tied the course record of 67 in 1954. More recently, Sonoma hosted the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup Championship from 2003-2009. Tom Watson, who captured the title in 2005, called the 7,082-yard, par-72 course “a good test of golf, with a lot of variety to it.”
Sonoma’s signature hole—and Sam Snead’s favorite—is the 220-yard, par-3 seventh. A stand of oaks and bunkers left and right guard the putting surface, while ridge-like contours in the green add challenge.
In 2023, architect Tripp Davis completed a comprehensive bunker project that harkened back to Whiting’s simple, elegant style, but with enhanced drainage, visibility and ease of access. Davis also relocated bunkers to accommodate the modern game.
Movie buffs recognize Bodega Bay as terror central for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film, “The Birds.” The Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Links at Bodega Harbour, can be similarly menacing—at least for five holes. The longest 6,284 yards in golf opens with four consecutive uphill holes, followed by a unique, Z-shaped par-5 that calls for a layup drive and likely a blind second that avoids a working cattle ranch.
Misty, breezy summer weather, foghorn blasts and stunning ocean views define Bodega—as does quirk. At the 16th tee, you leave your cart behind, as the course enters a protected environmental area for two holes. You unhitch your bag—or else just take the clubs you think you’ll need, maybe an extra ball and negotiate 16 and 17 the old-fashioned way.
Teeing off among ancient, towering redwoods is an unforgettable experience, one that is exclusive to Northwood in Monte Rio. It’s also a rare Dr. Alister MacKenzie design that anyone can play. Environmental rules were decidedly more lax when MacKenzie laid out the nine-hole layout in 1928, so playing through these magnificent trees is something of a forbidden fruit thrill. Today’s par-36 course measures 2,893 yards, atop level terrain that makes it easily walkable. While many of MacKenzie’s strategic design features have disappeared, mostly due to frequent floods from the nearby Russian River, the aura and several traits remain.
Measuring a shade over 6,500 yards from the tips, the 56-year-old Bennett Valley layout in Santa Rosa features holes slashed by Matanzas Creek. The course delivers tremendous value and arboreal splendor, with fairways that twist through oaks, redwoods and pines. Bennett Valley dials up the challenge early at the 444-yard, par-4 second hole, which earns the No. 1 handicap designation by virtue of length combined with a slender, tree-bracketed fairway. Don’t miss a post-round beverage or bite at Iron & Vine, for tasty cuisine and stellar golf course views.
STAY
To play the private Sonoma Golf Club, you must be a Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa guest. Two years away from celebrating its 100th birthday, this venerable luxury property wows with its 40,000-square-foot Spa, which sits atop geothermal mineral hot springs. Don’t miss a cocktail or a healthy quick bite at the resort’s Water Tower Bar, nestled poolside beneath a historic Sonoma water tower.
SIP
So many award-winning wineries and so little time. Solution: Make more time. With its outstanding diversity of soils and climate, Sonoma County grows in excess of 60 grape varietals. More than 425 wineries dot the region, many open to visitors, whether walk-in or by appointment. Here are three Sonoma County wineries that will satisfy the senses.
Begin with Gundlach Bundschu — or what the locals call “GunBun” — the oldest continuously operating family-run winery in Sonoma, dating to 1858. The tour and tasting I warmed to, despite the chill, was the GB Underground Cave Tour. A guide takes guests deep into the hillside, where a curated flight of estate-grown wines are tasted. The tour ends with a pour of GB’s Vintage Reserve Cabernet. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are advised for weekends.
The visually stunning Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards will appeal even to teetotalers, but savvy wine connoisseurs thrive here as well. Located nine miles southeast of Healdsburg, Chalk Hill’s unique biospheres — the cooler Russian River Valley to the west and the warmer Alexander Valley to the northeast — yields truly distinctive wines, including superior Chardonnays. The elevated tasting room patio affords gorgeous vineyard vistas, walk-ins included, but if you’ve come this far, sign up for the Garden to Glass experience, which immerses you in the estate. That is the only way to gain access to the exclusive equestrian center and stables, among the finest equine facilities anywhere.
While seldom mentioned among the elite brands by knowledgeable oenophiles, Korbel Winery, also known as Korbel Champagne Cellars is well worth a visit. Located three miles east of Guerneville, and six miles northeast of Northwood Golf Course, Korbel effervesces with its value-priced sparkling wines and dazzles with its setting. Housed in an ivy-covered brick edifice topped by a brandy tower and framed by redwoods, Korbel offers complimentary hour-long tours, a free glass of bubbly and a deli/market, garden and patio if you wish to extend your visit. Go early, or late in the day to avoid the crowds. There are higher-ranked wines out there, but for bucolic, historic experiences, pop a cork for Korbel.
DINE
Start with the girl & the fig, located in the historic Sonoma Plaza. The name is lower case, but the food and ambience are ALL CAPS. Owner Sondra Bernstein describes the fare as “country food with a French passion.” The Fig & Arugula Salad and Wild Flounder Meuniere are among the favorites. An antique bar and outdoor garden patio pair perfectly with its “Rhone Alone” wine list of exclusively California Rhones.
Valette, just off the Healdsburg Plaza, the city’s beating heart where all paths lead to exquisite food and drink, in northern Sonoma County, celebrated its 10th anniversary this past March. Chef-Owner Dustin Valette has kept the Day Boat Scallops en Croute and house-made charcuterie on the menu since day one, to the delight of regulars and first-timers. For an eclectic sampling of what the kitchen can produce, order Chef Valette’s ‘Trust me’ Tasting Menu where the smiles and surprises are surprisingly affordable. Just north of the charming, historical town square in Healdsburg is Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar, a local favorite that blends East Coast flavors and South American flair right in the heart of Wine Country.
Mentored in classic Old World Italian methods of making pasta, pizza and house-cured meats at Santi restaurant, Dino Bugica opened his own Geyserville establishment in 2008, called Diavola. Officially known as Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria, the restaurant resides in a 1900s brick building, which houses the wood-fired oven that produces Sonoma Country’s best Neapolitan-style pizza.
Of all of California’s wine regions, Sonoma may be the easiest with which to fall in love. After all, this is the epicurean capital of the United States, and the restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms rival anything Europe has to offer.