The Meadow Club

There’s not much better than when you get the “come on out” invite from a place you’ve been longing to visit for ages.  Well, I had that happen to me this fall when The Meadow Club in Fairfax, California gave me the OK.  For those that are not familiar, The Meadow Club is the first American design from Alister MacKenzie.  Yes, that guy!  The one responsible for Cypress Point & Augusta National… We might be on the same page now.  Anyway, The Meadow Club is a laid back northern California club that’s oozing with charm, natural beauty, and golf history.

Welcoming Dr. MacKenzie to America

Quick history lesson before we jump into pretty pictures and stories.  The Meadow Club came to life in 1926 and opened all 18 holes in 1927.  Alister MacKenzie laid out a links-style course on a gently rolling property in the hills just north of San Francisco.  Taking inspiration from St. Andrews, it was meant to be largely treeless with wide, connected fairways and challenging bunkering. 

Over time, they went through what many clubs go through – loss of original features, invasive tree and plant growth, and the disappearance of some of the original character of the course.  By the turn of the century, the membership had decided to perform an extensive restoration, and commissioned architect, Mike DeVries, to bring the course back to its original intent.

What’s a Michigan-based course builder going to know about some old place in California?  Well, there may not have been a more qualified guy anywhere.  DeVries grew up playing and working on MacKenzie’s Crystal Downs in Frankfort, Michigan, so it was a natural match.  Over the course of about six years, trees came down and playing corridors were restored.  I had a quick chat with Mike about the work, and he mentions the other priorities were to extend the greens back to original MacKenzie margins and replace long forgotten bunkers.  “Everything was basically in place.”

The restoration work has been a great success.  I’m lucky that I can travel a bit and see some excellent golf courses, and The Meadow Club is now firmly among my favorites.

Catch the First Flight to SFO

First of all, just getting to The Meadow Club is quite a great experience.  You’re most likely flying in to San Francisco (a world-class golf destination on its own) and will get a chance to have your fill of all the hustle and bustle in that incredible city.  Shortly after your drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll notice the setting changes quickly.  The skyscrapers and bright city lights start to disappear into the quiet rolling hills of Marin County.  The small town of Fairfax lies at the footsteps of Mount Tamalpais. 

“Mount Tam” is somewhat of a symbolic destination for the locals, and they can’t stop talking about it.  Like at all.  They use it for navigation, for recreation, even for mythology.  As a native Midwesterner, we don’t have prominent hills and valleys or anything like that.  The most my hometown had was an old Arby’s that had the big bucket hat sign.  The more I think about it now, it’s a striking similarity!

Upon Your Arrival…

The Meadow Club is an extremely welcoming place, with a low-key clubhouse and humble members area.  They have a lot of room, and I imagine it’s a great place to gather and hang out, even without the golf.  There’s a modest driving range and a suitable practice area.  You will have to share it with some locals though.  

The first hole is a gentle opening par five that you can attack with your second shot.  What I immediately noticed was the immense first green and its sweeping contours.  We get a close look at a few of the wide and rugged MacKenzie bunkers here too.  My first thought was trying to imagine what DeVries encountered before the renovation.  Where were the green’s perimeters?  Were these beautiful, natural bunkers some neglected circlely things?  I also really liked this hole considering I flagged it out of a greenside bunker leaving me an easy tap-in par.  

The second is another gentle (yeah, I’m going to use that word a lot here – there’s so many soft, subtle slopes on this course that you feel like you’re walking on a cloud…) mid-length par four that I imagine was a cramped and narrow corridor for a long time.  Your shot needs to be precise as we’re dealing with another large green.  Remember, MacKenzie took a lot of inspiration from St. Andrews – and he was not shy about leaving you with 80-foot putts.

Hole number three leads you up a gradual incline and lets you attack the wildly sloping, false-fronted green with a wedge.  Look backwards as you step up to the elevated fourth tee for what I’d call one of the best views on the property. 

Number four offers your first semi-blind and swooping dogleg hole.  You can be smart and play to the center of the fairway, or take the direct route like I did and leave yourself massively short-sided…

I may argue that the par threes of the Meadow Club are some of the strongest holes on the course.  Hole five will only need a mid to long iron, but being so wide open, it’s very likely you’ll have to account for some wind.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good photo of the tee shot on six.  Intimidating!  You have a creek to the right and trees lining the left.  You need to get it out there so you can loft your ball into the heavily guarded green.  One great feature of the DeVries restoration is that if you’re so vexed by this tee shot, you can weakly slice it into the 16th fairway where you can then take three more shots to get to the green and safely secure your triple bogey like I did.  Thanks, Mike!

One unique feature of the routing at The Meadow is the “oasis” that you will pass at least three times during your round.  They have ice cold Gatorade in a can that I LOVED.  This is a cool little area to hang out and socialize along the way.  Grab your snacks then head to the sweeping dogleg left seventh hole.  Here, you’ll need to navigate the creek again, and smartly shape your shot to get a short iron into yet another massive, contoured green.  This one could be my favorite hole on the front.

Number eight is a short par three with prominent bunkering and you guessed it – it’s widely exposed to the wind. 

The ninth returns you to the clubhouse with one of the tighter landing areas on the course.  You’re safe playing short of the fairway bunkers as the green is set into a wide amphitheater-like setting.  Just don’t try to run the ball up and get caught in the deceptive front bunkers.

Let’s Play the Back

The back stretch of The Meadow Club begins with three solid holes.  Ten is a straightaway par four and the eleventh is the shortest par three.  This hole easily could be transplanted onto the sloped land of northern Michigan at Crystal Downs.  Twelve is the flattest fairway on the property.  It’s tree lined and tight, and you need to flight a fairway wood or long iron into position.  The back-to-front tilted green has a sneaky bunker about 30 yards in front that will mess with your depth perception.  Short, but tricky.

Thirteen just screams “Golden Age of Golf” to me!  It will ask you to swing as hard as you can and avoid the wide scattering of bunkers that this hole shares with the fifteenth.  A good par five like this makes you play a bold but smart tee ball to be able to attack the green in two.  Trees tighten up the prime approach area to toughen up your shot into a difficult green.

Like I said before, the par threes might steal the show here.  The fourteenth is the last one you’ll see, and it gives you the first truly challenging water hazard.  It’s a no-surprises, mid-length one shotter with a bailout on the right side.  Of course, should you need to play it safe, the green will run away from you and cause all sorts of trouble.

OK, so fifteen might be my favorite hole now…  It’s a bombs away par five that needs to be worked from right to left.  If you send it out there far enough, you’ll get a chance to get home in two, and the spectator deer will surely appreciate your drive.

Now we’ve gotten through a scoreable stretch, it’s time to hold on to your hat and try to get home without any damage.  We pass by the oasis for the last time here, so grab another Gatorade.  Sixteen will let the youngsters give it a rip, as this is a short par four.  While it’s easy to position yourself in the fairway with an iron, the aggressive line will bring a number of shot-stealing bunkers into play.  This green features only a small amount of surface area, but plenty of slope.  It’s totally camera-worthy too!

Seventeen is a long, straight-down-the-gut par four.  It has a really cool open front to the green, but if you don’t get your distance right, it will send your ball right back to your feet.  When your match is tight or you’re playing for a score, you’ll be pleased to pass this test.

While the eighteenth will offer up one more test, I couldn’t hold back the sadness that my day was about to end.  A solid fairway wood or an aggressive cut driver will put a mid iron in hand.  You’ll be up against the driving range again, so say hi to the locals and play a good shot for your pals that are watching you finish up.

Final Thoughts – The Meadow Club

I’ve had The Meadow Club on my must-visit list for ages, and it did nothing but exceed expectations.  The laid back and welcoming Cali vibe mixed with nearly 100 years of golf history made The Meadow Club well worth the wait.  This place made my interest in MacKenzie grow off the charts.  There’s certainly not too much of his work in my part of the country, making it truly a special occasion to get that invite!

After the Round…

I totally hitchhiked back to the house I was staying at.  In 2019.  Yes.  I’m an hour away from Silicon Valley, yet there’s not a bit of phone reception in these hills.  (THANKS, FAIRFAX!)  I tried to call a ride share, but no drivers nor luck, so I decided to walk three miles back into town.  Not a big deal really!

So I get a mile or so into it, bikers are passing me looking at me like I’m nuts, then some guy in a sweet Audi pulls up and actually asks me if I’m nuts.  Well, I am, but I don’t tell him that, and hop in.  I could have died – instead I made a buddy.  Dude was a former member that sold his business.  Told me he was moving from California to Asia, and had never seen anyone try to walk back.  Asked me if I like the course (uh, yes…)  Anyway, I made it back and grabbed an ice cream cone before heading to the house.  Not murdered.  Pretty.  Good.  Day.