Feb. 15, 2005 – So you’ve been to San Francisco in the past and you think you’ve seen it all? Well, as a matter of fact, you probably haven’t. San Mateo County, home to the San Francisco International Airport and the area between San Francisco and San Jose, offers two sides of a gorgeous peninsula – the Coastside and the Bayside.

The county is full of undiscovered treasures and an abundance of scenic and fascinating attractions that will make your visit to the San Francisco Peninsula a memorable experience. Recreation and leisure living are a great part of the San Mateo County lifestyle. Since nature has generously provided a splendid year-round climate, a beautiful and pristine environment, and a location convenient to all Bay Area action, San Mateo County is famous for offering fun, pleasure and relaxation.

The San Francisco Peninsula offers the golfer many choices and varied locations for outstanding golfing opportunities. San Mateo County’s public courses are set in spectacular locales offering first-class golf and spectacular views.

Crystal Springs Golf Course, overlooking the scenic Crystal Springs Reservoir, lies in an area of majestic unspoiled beauty amidst 37,000 acres of protected wilderness and considered part of a State of California Fish and Game Refuge.

Of its 200 acres, 75 acres are designated as Wildlife Habitat Management Zones and treated accordingly. Crystal Springs Golf Course has recently been internationally recognized for its contributions to wildlife habitat conservation by the Wildlife Habitat Council. It was also the recipient of the 2003 Golf Digest’s Environmental Leaders in Golf Award and its parent company, CourseCo Inc., was a winner of the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.

The gorgeous facility is an 18-hole, par 72, 6683-yard championship course designed by Herbert Fowler and located in Burlingame only 10 minutes from San Francisco International Airport. The golf course’s renovation has been developed with consultation by noted international golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II. The newly remodeled driving range is night lighted for evening use. Complete instruction and club fitting services are offered by a professional staff to beginners and advanced golfers with individual lessons and group instruction available any day or evening.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links, a facility that has been compared to Monterey’s Pebble Beach Golf Course for its spectacular oceanfront vistas, is comprised of two distinct courses. The Links Course, originally designed in 1973 by Francis Duane in consultation with Arnold Palmer, and redesigned in 1999 by Arthur Hills, is a 18-hole, Par 72, 7,104-yard course which is considered one of the best public courses in the United States, and its 18th hole has been recognized as one of the best 100 golf holes in America.

The Ocean Course, created by famed architect Arthur Hills in a traditional Scottish design, is an oceanfront masterpiece offering spectacular views from every hole. This challenging 18-hole, Par 72, 6,732-yard course has been selected as one of Golf Digest’s Top 10 Best New Upscale Public Courses and was recently ranked in the Top 20 Best Courses in California.

The year 2004 has been a banner year of awards for Half Moon Bay Golf Links with a Silver Medal Winner for best resorts in the United States and the only four star recipient on both courses from Golf Digest's places to play in the San Francisco Bay Area. Half Moon Bay Golf Links offers private lessons and group clinics, and it’s an ideal locale for tournaments and group events.

Poplar Creek Golf Course, conveniently located adjacent to San Francisco Bay in San Mateo, is an 18-hole, par 70, championship course managed by the City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department. This newly-designed and refurbished course features tree-lined fairways, rolling greens, five lakes, streams, waterfalls, and four sets of tees on each hole accommodating the beginner, as well as the single-digit handicapper. The 12,000 square-foot clubhouse includes a full-service Pro Shop, Dominic’s Restaurant and Bar, and banquet facilities for events of up to 200 people.

Cypress Golf Course in the city of Colma is a beautifully redesigned 9-hole scenic golf course with a driving range, Cypress tree-lined fairways, fast and fairly flat greens, a reservoir that comes into play on two holes, and views of the Pacific Ocean on the last holes.

In addition to the courses above, San Mateo County can boast of Mariners Point Golf Links (9 holes, par 27, plus a driving range and a Golf Academy), Sharp Park Golf Course (also set by the ocean), Emerald Hills Golf Course, Burlingame Golf Center, and San Bruno Family Golf Center.

San Mateo County is extremely accessible by land and air. San Francisco International Airport is actually located in San Mateo County and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit System) connects the airport and the Peninsula to most of the Bay Area. The airport has recently added discount airlines (AirTran Airways, America West, American Trans Air, and United’s “Ted”) that offer economical fares to destinations around the U.S. Virgin America has decided to base its U.S. operations at San Francisco International Airport and plans to be operating from SFO to the East Coast by mid-2005. Additionally, the Baby Bullet train has started its service between San Francisco and San Jose and covers the distance in less than an hour at speeds up to 75 mph.

San Mateo County is an ideal destination for a leisure vacation, a romantic getaway, or a business meeting or a conference. There are over 30 convention hotels offering complimentary airport shuttle service from and to San Francisco International Airport. Public meeting facilities include the San Mateo County Expo Center, the Cow Palace, and the South San Francisco Conference Center. The area offers more than 14,000 sleeping rooms in over 130 properties that range from luxury resorts to limited-service hotels and charming inns.

For more information on the above golf venues, please contact the San Mateo County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-288-4748 or check our website at www.visitsanmateocounty.com. We are here to ensure that your golfing trip to San Mateo County is truly an enjoyable experience.

Margi Grant - Publications Manager
San Mateo County Convention and Visitors Bureau
111 Anza Blvd., Suite 410
Burlingame, CA 94010
Phone: (650) 348-7600 x 111
Fax: (650) 348-7687
e-mail: margi@smccvb.com
www.smccvb.com
www.visitsanmateocounty.com