Golf in Petaluma

Dave Johnson has been coaching golfers for over 20 years and through more than 40,000 lessons. His style is intuitive and all about connecting with the students. Enjoy the benefit of his deft professionalism during your two-hour golf lesson. Three different clinics are available for all skill levels, from high-level hobbyists to recent mini-golf graduates, and classes are capped at eight students to ensure personalized attention. Pick up multiple Groupons to attend multiple clinics.

Golfland debuted its first putt-putt green in 1953 and has since expanded to seven locations across California and Arizona. Each location features one to three 18-hole courses, replete with colorful castles, windmills, and fountains. After navigating the obstacle-filled fairways, guests can try their hands at an array of arcade games, whether felling foes in fighting games, stocking up on tickets to win prizes, or following the spellbinding plotline of a pinball game. At the San Jose location, visitors can cool off in the warmer months with a trip down parallel outdoor waterslides.

With a trophy case filled with several awards, such as the Merit Award for Public Facilities from Golf Digest and the GCSAA, Deep Cliff Golf Course earns praise for its bucolic scenery and petite layout that rewards short-game skill. The 2012 season marks 50 years since course architect Clark Glasson unveiled the par 60 course in the Cupertino foothills. With a total length of 3,358 yards, players can easily walk the executive course's six par 4s and 12 par 3s, giving beginners a manageable spot to learn the game of golf and experienced players a relaxing place to sharpen their skills. During their round, players may spot such local wildlife as rabbit, deer, feral caddies, and quail frolicking in the forests or practicing cannonballs into Stevens Creek.

The practice center at Deep Cliff Golf Course presents players with ample space to practice putts on an 8,000-square-foot green and smash golf balls into the net at the 11-station hitting area. Here, players can warm up before a round, work the kinks out of a rusty swing, and figure out which of their clubs are in the middle of an afternoon nap.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 60 course
• Total length of 3,358 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 59.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 99 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Designed by Clark Glasson

Within the verdant expanse of Burlingame Golf Center’s practice facilities, instructor Dave Atchison, who attained his PGA Class A status in 1981, imparts score-shaving tips to pupils of all ages and abilities. After demonstrating his passion for golf each morning by shaving with a sharpened divot tool, Dave heads to the golf center to showcase club-swinging skills that have fueled his 33-year teaching career, which has included six seasons of coaching at UCLA and another seven at UC Santa Barbara. With a full-length driving range, practice areas for chipping and pitching, and a sandtrap for bunker shots and makeshift hourglass construction, Burlingame Golf Center helps Dave and his clients foster improvements in all facets of the game.

Carefully crafted by renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr., The Links at Bodega Harbor’s 6,290-yard course brings the coastal majesty of Scotland’s famous links to the seaside hills of Northern California. Stunning elevation changes test golfers’ ability to adjust their yardages for up- and down-hill targets, while hillcrests offer picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean and dolphins using echolocation to chip in golf balls from tough lies in the ocean. Knee-high native grasses and cavernous pot bunkers threaten to ensnare errant shots, and fast, multi-tiered, bent-grass greens make golfers earn every two-putt. The 461-yard par-four 18th is rated the second-hardest hole on the course, ending the round with a dramatic flourish as golfers must launch their approach shot over a brambly ravine to reach a heavily-bunkered green stationed just steps from the sandy beachfront.

Those looking to enjoy bayside views without having to keep track of autonomous golf balls can retreat to The Bluewater Bistro & Bar. Glasses of Sonoma County wine let guests toast to the career of a sandwedge that decided to retire in the ocean as they lounge on couches next to a stone fireplace. The elegant diner serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus anchored by fresh fish and locally-sourced ingredients.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

• Length of 6,290 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.5 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 129 from the farthest tees

• Four tee options

• Scorecard

Emerald Hills Golf Course strings together nine par 3 holes that test short-game proficiency as players use shorter irons to propel their golf balls through course's frequent elevation changes. The sixth hole presents opportunities for holes-in-one with a downhill tee shot of just 120 yards into a bowl-shaped green, easily replicated from a backyard deck into an inflatable swimming pool.

Golfers hoping to shave strokes off their scores can work under the tutelage of the course's certified teaching professional, Chris Raddie. Players can then practice Chris's corrective advice after a lesson or before a round on the two practice greens or midsize practice cage, which can double as a penalty box for prevaricating scorekeepers.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 27 course
• Total length of 1,156 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 54.2 from the back tees
• Course slope of 88 from the back tees
• Two sets of tees per hole