The transformation of Corica Park into one of America’s most compelling municipal golf experiences reached a major milestone on March 28, 2025, as the North Course officially opened to the public. With music playing, food and drink flowing, and 120 lucky golfers on hand, the celebratory atmosphere was matched only by the quality of golf awaiting them.

The day began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by longtime course superintendent Vinny Paul and heartfelt remarks from legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., who brought his signature creativity and reverence for the game to the North Course’s design.

“We wanted you to play on the ground, under the wind,” said Jones, contrasting the North’s playing style with the bolder, greenside bunker-protected South Course that reopened in 2018. “It’s a course where you dance with the landscape — every round will reveal something new.”

The North Course at Corica Park is the result of years of planning and partnership between Greenway Golf, the City of Alameda, and the broader Bay Area golf community. Where the South Course offers bold bunkering and Sandbelt flair, the North is shaped by movement in the fairways and greens, subtle slopes, and a minimalist bunker strategy — emphasizing strategy over brute force.

A Gospel of Golf

Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

For AmateurGolf.com, the North Course represents more than just a great track — it’s home. Based out of Corica Park, we’ve watched firsthand as this once-sleepy municipal course has become a model for what public golf can achieve when vision and purpose align.

Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s remarks reminded all in attendance that golf is more than a game — it’s a spiritual experience for many, made possible by those who maintain and nurture the land.

“Our game is like a religion,” he said. “And this is the gospel of golf. We owe it to the people who take care of the church — the superintendents and their teams who show up at 5 a.m. every day because they love what they do.”

The North Course is a modern version of classic links golf, playable by all skill levels but offering a true test for shotmakers. It promotes affordable access, walkability, and an eco-friendly footprint, core to Greenway Golf’s philosophy of sustainable public golf. Like the South Course, the North was built with reclaimed materials, drought-tolerant grasses, and an infrastructure designed to serve the Alameda community for decades.

A New Chapter for AmateurGolf.com

Opening day was not just a celebration of a course — it was a celebration of community, resilience, and the pure joy of the game.

As Jones said with a smile, “Every dance with this lady will be different. So play it often, and play it well.”