San Juan Oaks Golf Course, located about midway between San Jose and the Monterey Peninsula in Hollister, California, is a must-play layout in the tranquil foothills of the San Juan Valley. Situated just off of Highway 101, this championship course was a 1996 design collaboration between PGA Tour legend Fred Couples and award-winning course architect Gene Bates. San Juan Oaks Golf Course also earned fame for being the first course in the country to ban smoking (for fire-prevention) and for its playability for golfers of all ages and levels with its firecracker tees and Club Boom Boom junior programs. Now Bates has come back for a major renovation to further enhance the playability of the course while maintaining its challenging championship qualities. Long touted for its value, service and facilities, San Juan Oaks Golf Course features a front nine that spreads out on a valley floor amidst lakes, streams and native grasslands. The back nine climbs into the foothills with a number of dramatic uphill and downhill holes. Rising some 150 to 200 feet above the valley floor, this stretch of San Juan Oaks Golf Course showcases vistas of the pristine San Benito County countryside and the historic mission town of San Juan Bautista. The entire round treats players to a highly varied parade of gorgeous, intriguing, and challenging tests. Five regular sets of tees give everyone a manageable distance option between 4,700 yards and 7,000 yards. True to Fred Couples s preferred shot shape, the layout is laden with doglegs that bend to the right. San Juan Oaks Golf Course s signature par-4 17th hole, Eagle s Flight, begins from tees perched 150 feet above the green and overlooks the San Juan Valley and the distant mountain range. Bates s upgrade brings a new irrigation system, new bunkers, new grassing of the tees, fairways and greens, plus strategic modifications to the holes. The clubhouse pro shop and restaurant have also been refreshed as part of the renovation project. A full-length driving range highlights the extensive practice facilities at San Juan Oaks Golf Course. The adobe-style clubhouse, patterned after the architecture of the Old Mission San Juan Bautista, is a fashionable place with an award-winning pro shop, a restaurant and upscale amenities for outings. Whether you are looking for the perfect add-on when going to or coming back from the Monterey Peninsula or simply a memorable round that?delivers bang for your buck, book a tee time at San Juan Oaks Golf Course.?