In the mid fifties a group of prominent California sports figures and businessmen who were golf enthusiasts decided to build a championship golf course in the hills overlooking Palo Alto and the San Francisco Peninsula. They envisioned a course where no two holes would play alike. The Club was touted to offer "exhilarating play among scenic rolling hills", with "something for everyone".
They incorporated as Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club on August 22, 1958 with just hopes and dreams and 145 acres of leased land. The course was graded and seeding and planting began in November of 1959 and by February 1960 the course was in and 875 trees had been planted. Clubhouse plans were approved in March 1960 and the Members had taken control and were now running the Club. On May 1, 1960 a 9-hole course opened with a celebration golf tournament. 1961 saw the course improved to a beautiful 18-hole course.
Ground was broken for the Clubhouse on July 9, 1960 and opened for the Members' use on September 23, 1961. In 1962 the lease was converted to a purchase on a 30-year note and Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club now proudly owned their own Club. The final payment on this note was made in May of 1990 making Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club the first club to own their own land in the Bay Area.
In the early days the golf course wasn’t always in the best condition. Inadequate irrigation and poor drainage caused your ball to either ricochet or plug, depending upon the weather. Various renovation and improvement projects gradually improved the course.
1981 saw a new state-of-the-art sprinkler system installed. Major renovations to the course and an expansion of the Clubhouse were completed in March 1996. Smaller golf course and facilities improvements were implemented over the next 10 years. On April 1, 2006, a badly needed rebuild to our 48-year old kitchen was completed along with a renovation to the Ballroom.
Change, innovation, fun and friends now rule the day, month in and month out at this multi-cultural club where diversity reigns.
