Metropolitan Golf Links Oakland, CA. “Johnny Miller & Fred Bliss Design”

As you’ll discover on the other pages of this site, Metropolitan Golf Links is a top-notch golf facility with all the ‘bells and whistles.’ But the core of what makes Metropolitan Golf Links so popular is the golf course, a Johnny Miller and Fred Bliss design just south of Oakland International Airport. The original site boasted some gentle undulation; Miller and Bliss augmented the site and dramatically improved the drainage by covering the original landscape with two feet of sand then growing the latest turf hybrids. When other nearby courses are overly wet or carts are restricted to the path for weeks, Metropolitan Golf Links is playable—and always fun to play!

In the tradition of the great links courses, Metropolitan Golf Links is wide open. There’s even some heather and clusters of native grasses to add to the ambiance. But the fairways are mostly open and the greens are large and receptive so that even the high-handicapper can get around expeditiously. Golfers who play Metropolitan Golf Links frequently know to find the correct part of the green for their approach shots and learn to putt the undulating green surfaces. The maintenance team strive, especially in the summer, to keep the course fast and firm—just the way a links course should be.

Metropolitan Golf Links is not overly bunkered and there are only a few water hazards that come into play. Yet with winds coming in off the San Francisco Bay, Metropolitan Golf Links has plenty to challenge the better golfer. Miller and Bliss have designed the course so that the low-handicapper will have to think his or her way around the course to score well. With six sets of tees to chose from, Metropolitan Golf Links offers a fun and challenging course for golfers of all skill levels!