Sunnyside Country Club ☆ Follow

Sunnyside Country Club is a historic 18-hole golf course located at 5704 East Butler Ave. in Fresno, California. Designed by renowned architect William Park Bell, the course opened in 1911 and was originally the only golf course in existence between Monterey and Los Angeles. The layout measures 6,950 yards from the championship tees and features tree-lined fairways, extensive bunkering, and challenging bentgrass greens. The course is known for its walkability, a characteristic stemming from its pre-motorized cart design, and typically requires about three and a half hours to complete. The course presents a significant test for golfers, characterized by out-of-bounds areas, fairway bunkers, and well-bunkered greens. The front nine includes demanding holes such as the third, described as one of the toughest in the central valley, and the fourth, a par 3 surrounded by bunkers and subject to swirling breezes. The back nine features the eleventh, a long par 4 that leaves players with a long iron approach, and the twelfth, a shorter par 4 with one of the smallest greens on the course. The eighteenth hole serves as a classic risk/reward finishing par 5, where players must navigate fairway bunkers to set up a birdie opportunity. Sunnyside Country Club has a rich tournament history, having hosted numerous events over its century of operation. Notable tournaments held at the course include the Fresno City Amateur, the USGA National Junior Championship, the Girls Junior America's Cup, the California State Open, and many years of NCPGA Pro Scratch competitions. The course is overseen by Agronomist Paul Cushing and Superintendent Jose Aguilar, who maintain the grounds year-round, overseeding the fairways in winter to maintain green playing conditions while surrounding areas play on dormant Bermuda.