Aetna Springs Golf Course ☆ Follow

Located in Pope Valley in northeastern Napa County, California, Aetna Springs Golf Course is reputed to be the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi, with the original nine-hole course having been meticulously rejuvenated by Tom Doak. The course measures 3,057 yards and plays to a par of 35, comprising one par five, two par threes, and six par fours, with the 228-yard 2nd and 134-yard 4th as notable holes. The 2007 redesign by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina updated an original E.F. Hutton layout.

The course features sentinel oaks, a meandering creek, and undulating fairways creating an unforced layout. Several bridges cross the course, especially on the first hole where one's ball must cross a creek three times to reach the green. The course has bent grass greens and bluegrass fairways, with challenges that are neither severe nor pushover, featuring enough movement and contouring in the greens to be interesting.

Aetna Springs was founded in 1877, and one of the first golf courses west of the Mississippi River was built on the resort's property in 1920. The course was ranked No. 4 among the country's nine-holers by Golf Digest in 2010. In 1966, former President Ronald Reagan announced that he would run for Governor of California at the resort.