Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland is home to one of the only all-natural-grass driving ranges in the entire Bay Area — and that alone puts it in a class of its own. While nearly every other public range makes you hit off mats, Metro’s 36 grass stalls give you real divots and honest feedback on every strike. The range sits beside the full 18-hole links course just east of Oakland International Airport, with San Francisco skyline and Oakland-hills views (and a steady parade of planes overhead).
An all-grass range — the rare part
Real grass is the headline. Metropolitan offers 36 stalls with three basket sizes, and it’s natural turf at all times except Tuesday mornings (closed dawn until 9am for maintenance) and during heavy rain, when mats fill in. Because grass gives true contact feedback — you see your divots, you feel the strike — it’s the range serious iron-players seek out. Two practical notes: they stop selling balls 30 minutes before sunset, and the wind off the bay tends to pick up in the afternoon, so mornings are calmest for dialing in distances.
Short game and the course
Beyond the range there are two large practice greens and a dedicated short-game area for chipping, pitching, and putting. When you’re ready to play, the 18-hole, par-72 course — a Johnny Miller and Fred Bliss design that opened in 2003 — is a wide-open, links-style layout built on two feet of sand for drainage, which makes it one of the best-draining and most reliably playable courses in the East Bay when everything else is soggy.
A membership perk worth knowing
If you practice here regularly, the Metro Links Club pays for itself fast: members get 50% off range balls and free daily one-hour use of the short-game area. For anyone at the range weekly, that’s a meaningful saving — ask in the golf shop. There’s also a fully stocked pro shop with club fitting, and the Sweet Spot Café for scratch-made Southern fare after your session.
Who it’s best for
This is the range for golfers who care about ball-striking and want honest feedback off real turf — the kind of practice mats can’t replicate. It’s also a convenient all-in-one stop near the airport: warm up on grass, sharpen your short game, play 18 on a forgiving links layout, and grab lunch, all in one place.
Hours and pricing change seasonally — confirm with the facility before you go. Spot an error? Let us know.