Pelican Hill Golf Club
Newport Beach, Orange County, California · Newport Beach / Big Canyon golf market
- Access
- mixed
- Holes
- 36
- Architect(s)
- Tom Fazio
- Gated
- No
Thinking About Living in Pelican Hill Golf Club?
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The Resort at Pelican Hill's two Tom Fazio-designed courses sit on the bluffs above Newport Coast and Crystal Cove, ranked among Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses -- a genuine national golf-destination credential distinct from every private club in this market. It anchors the identity and marketing of the surrounding ultra-high-end Newport Coast neighborhoods (several literally named 'Pelican'), even though access to the club itself runs through paid resort/golf membership and public tee times rather than automatic homeowner inclusion.
Golf & Course
Tom Fazio's Ocean North and Ocean South courses (36 holes total) sit on dramatic coastal terrain with views of Catalina Island and the Pacific. The South Course underwent a restoration that reopened in July 2026; a North Course restoration was underway as of this research, expected to complete in late fall 2026.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Access runs through several non-exclusive channels: public tee-time booking (the courses are ranked among America's 100 Greatest PUBLIC courses), resort-guest access for hotel guests, and a paid Gold/Platinum golf membership program open to anyone willing to pay, not reserved for or bundled with any specific home purchase. This is the sharpest proximity-vs-access distinction in this market: Newport Coast/Pelican-neighborhood marketing language calling the club 'an extension of home' should not be read as confirmation of included access.
Living in Pelican Hill Golf Club
The surrounding Newport Coast area includes five guard-gated neighborhoods carrying the Pelican name (Pelican Hill, Pelican Ridge, Pelican Crest, Pelican Ridge Estates, Pelican Point) plus the broader Crystal Cove community -- golf-branded neighborhood names but not confirmed bundled golf access.
Lifestyle & Amenities
The resort itself includes luxury bungalow/villa accommodations, spa, and dining alongside the golf facilities, consistent with its positioning as a five-star resort rather than a private residential club.
Location & Surrounding Area
Located in Newport Coast, within Newport Beach, on the coastal bluffs near Crystal Cove State Park.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Golf membership initiation
Historical — as of 2026$100,000
Reported for a 'Platinum' paid golf membership tier by a specialist Orange County real-estate source; the resort's own Gold Golf Membership page (pelicanhill.com) describes benefits (complimentary golf, guest access, resort discounts) but did not surface a published price in search results this session. Membership is a paid program open to purchase, not something that comes bundled with buying a home in the area.
Annual dues
Historical — as of 2026$20,000
Reported alongside a $300/month food-and-beverage minimum for the same Platinum tier; not an official published rate sheet.
Interested in Homes in Pelican Hill Golf Club?
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What Buyers Should Verify
- Current Gold/Platinum membership pricing directly with the resort -- the $100,000/$20,000 figures found trace to a real-estate blog, not the resort's own published rate sheet.
- Whether any resident-preferred access or pricing genuinely exists for Newport Coast/Crystal Cove/Pelican-neighborhood homeowners, beyond general marketing language -- not confirmed this session.
- Exact address/coordinates -- not resolved this session due to search-budget exhaustion.
Notable
- Both Ocean North and Ocean South are ranked among Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses (Ocean North No. 54, Ocean South No. 60 in the 2025-'26 ranking).
- Golf Digest describes Pelican Hill as 'a public course with the feel of a private club.'
- Five Newport Coast neighborhoods carry the Pelican name (Pelican Hill, Pelican Ridge, Pelican Crest, Pelican Ridge Estates, Pelican Point), reflecting the golf club's role in the area's identity and marketing even though access is not homeowner-bundled.
Considering a Move to Pelican Hill Golf Club?
Whether you're comparing Pelican Hill Golf Club with another Newport Beach / Big Canyon golf community or you're ready to start looking at homes, US Golf Living can connect you with a local real-estate specialist.
US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.