Gridiron golf? 5 public courses near the site of this year’s Super Bowl

from golf course to the network.

Sports fans can make that transition smoothly on Sunday afternoon, when the final round of WC Phoenix Open paves the way for Super Bowl LX.

The Big Game starts at 6:30 ET at Levi’s Stadium. This is the home of the San Francisco 49ers, although the 49ers, of course, won’t be playing and the stadium isn’t in San Francisco.

It’s an hour south in Santa Clara, in Silicon Valley, a very different place with a very different golf scene.

Where San Francisco punches well above its weight in public access courses (Harding ParkLincoln Park, Presidio and Golden Gate Par-3 courses are all within seven by seven miles of the city), the South Bay’s offerings are relatively few and far between. Between San Francisco and Monterey, Hobby is the best public access course, followed by the likes of Cordovalle (a former Women’s Open host site that offers visitors time) and San Juan Oaks, a Gene Bates-Couples Fred design on rolled, bare oak ground.

But what if you’re camped closer to Levi’s Stadium, in the tailgate parking lot, or trying to get a ticket? What are your golf options? Here are 5 recommendations within striking distance of the Super Bowl site. As for the game itself, we suggest you take Seattle with points.

Cinnabar Hills

Location: San Jose

Green fees: 80-150 dollars

Distance from Levi’s Stadium: 25 miles

Long before it became Silicon Valley, the area around San Jose was known as Heart’s Delight Valley, a nod to the orchards and fruit farms that covered the region at the time. Nowadays, it’s mostly a mess. But bucolic patches still exist, and Cinnabar Hills sits in one of them, with 27 holes stitched into the foothills on the outskirts of town. All three nines were designed by John Harbottle III, and their character reflects their names: Canyon, Lake and Mountain.

Coyote Creek Golf Club

Location: Morgan Hill

Green fees: 86 – 156 dollars

Distance from Levi’s Stadium: 24 miles

Just off the 101 freeway, a straight shot south from the stadium, Coyote Creek has two 18-hole Jack Nicklaus models, the tournament course and the valley course. True to its name, the former is a two-time host of the Tour of Champions’ Siebel Classic and is the more challenging of the pair, with a course that runs around lakes and waterfalls. The Valley Course is flatter and less punishing, but ably defended by its greens.

Santa Teresa Golf Club

Location: San Jose

Green fees: $54-$79

Distance from Levi’s Stadium: 19 miles

Santa Teresa opens with a tough left-footed par-4, but there’s no excuse not to be ready as the property also has a large, well-managed range. These practical foundations help sustain the vibrant youth programs that are part of Santa Teresa’s appeal. The course itself is nice too, with tree lined fairways, mountain views and enough water to give you pause. If you’re on a tight schedule, you might want to consider the facility’s 9-hole par 3 course. With holes reaching a maximum of 130 yards, it can be played in less time than a few Super Bowl commercial breaks.

Baylands Golf Links

Location: Palo Alto

Green fees: 50-110 dollars

Distance from Levi’s Stadium: 11 miles

You can barely swing a 9-iron around Palo Alto without running into a billionaire. But Baylands remains at a premium for the rest of us. Designed in the mid-1950s by Billy Bell, it began life as the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Club and kept that name until 2016, when Forrest Richardson redesigned it. Invasive trees were removed, native trees were planted and soils were brought up to create a moving wonderland. The course is hiker friendly. If you get out early, be prepared to adhere to a pace of play policy that requires the first groups of the day to move in less than 4 hours.

Moffett Course Golf Club

Location: Unincorporated Santa Clara County

Green fees: 40-80 dollars

Distance from Levi’s Stadium: 7 miles

You’ve heard of Army Golf. This is golf at a former US Navy facility that now operates as a joint civil-military airport. Although the course, which opened in 1959, was originally named the Hill Course in honor of then-commanding officer Arthur S. Hill, the course itself is fairly flat. But the layout itself – which places on the surface NASA gives to Google – has luscious greenery and whimsical charm. The experience itself is also special. To get there, go through a military checkpoint. And then play a route that flows past barracks and hangars, with views of San Francisco Bay in the background, along with the sights and sounds of the adjacent airport.