Published October 6, 2025
The expansion north marked the next major chapter of Volk-McLain's San Ramon Village. After establishing the original community in what is now Dublin, the developer crossed the county line into what is now San Ramon, extending the master plan into a new landscape of golf courses, neighborhoods, recreation, shopping, and employment.
This northern expansion became the heart of San Ramon Village—and Volk-McLain marketed it as the Country Club section, centered on the new San Ramon Country Club and golf course. During the early 1960s, the combination of homes, open space, recreation, commercial centers, and planned employment sites gave the growing community a more complete suburban identity, one that would shape San Ramon for decades to come.
Mapping the heart of San Ramon Village
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| Annotated aerial map of the Country Club section in San Ramon, California. Base imagery from Apple Maps. Numbers indicate area tracts. ① Walnut Hills ② Country Club Park ③ Fairway Hills (including Country Club Estates) ④ Casa Mañana ⑤ Crestview ⑥ Sunny Glen |
From ranchland to community center
Once part of the historic Dougherty Ranch, the Country Club section was envisioned in the early 1960s as a complete suburban district centered on recreational amenities. Developers Volk-McLain, who also spearheaded the San Ramon Village Master Plan, proposed a community with an 18-hole golf course, stables, a racquet club, swimming facilities, schools, a regional shopping center, and nearby employment uses—all set within a picturesque suburban landscape.
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| Pictured in a June 1987 Oakland Tribune article, Alcosta Mall was the commercial center planned for the Country Club section of San Ramon Village. Envisioned as a regional shopping destination, the open-air center struggled to attract the department stores and major retailers that drove traffic at successful malls. It was demolished in the late 1980s and replaced with multi-family housing. |
The planned shopping center reflected the same philosophy as the surrounding neighborhoods: residents would have everyday services close to home rather than relying entirely on established commercial districts elsewhere in the Tri-Valley.
A key aspect of the original plan was its community-first ethos: while earlier housing tracts in Dublin had catered to entry-level buyers, this new section aimed to attract move-up families and active adults by offering lifestyle amenities, commercial services, and nearby employment opportunities that could support a more cohesive and self-sufficient neighborhood identity.
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| An artist’s rendering from the Contra Costa Times shows the Eastman Kodak distribution center planned for a 32-acre site on Village Parkway, opened in 1969. The facility became one of the area’s most visible employment centers, with its distinctive pool and fountain feature doubling as part of the building’s cooling system and a visual attraction for residents. It was also demolished in the late 1980s and replaced by a shopping center and new housing. |
The country club as the center of the plan
At the center of the residential community stood the San Ramon Country Club. Rather than treating recreation as an amenity added after development, Volk-McLain organized the surrounding subdivisions around the golf course, clubhouse, swimming facilities, and recreational amenities.
The San Ramon Country Club (now known as "San Ramon Golf Club") was designed by noted golf course architect Clark Glasson. The course officially opened on May 28, 1962, spanning 140 acres with a classic par 72 layout (36-36). The back nine—tucked into the nearby foothills—was completed later that year. Semi-private in nature, the course welcomed public play at affordable rates: a bucket of balls cost $1.50 on weekdays, rising to $2.50 on holidays, while yearly memberships were priced at $95, plus $7.50 in monthly dues.
While the golf course and clubhouse were open to the public, other amenities like the swimming pool and racquet courts were restricted to members. A second, private course was proposed for the nearby hills, but it was never built. The completed clubhouse, a modernist structure costing roughly $400,000, was hailed as a major recreational addition to the region, which, at the time, had limited golf and leisure infrastructure.
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| Grainy newspaper photo of the original artist’s rendering for the San Ramon Country Club, showcasing the golf course, clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis courts, and surrounding recreational amenities. This early vision from the 1960s positioned the club as the social and recreational heart of the planned community. |
The changing shape of San Ramon Village
Surrounding the golf course were housing tracts that together formed the Country Club section. Early buyers were often offered a one-year club membership as part of their home purchase, reinforcing the connection between the residential tracts and the recreational center at the heart of the community.
Country Club Park – Built by Volk-McLain, these homes fronted directly onto the golf course and featured the builder’s most luxurious designs.
Country Club Estates – Also by Volk-McLain, this short-lived series was marked by large, custom-style homes that aimed to define suburban opulence.
Sunny Glen – A retirement-focused community adjacent to the country club and equestrian stables, reflecting the diversity of target buyers.
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| A 1961 advertisement for the Country Club Park housing tract, using golf imagery to market leisure living. The tagline "Tee for Two" paired with a couple dancing on a giant golf tee reflects the lifestyle marketing used to promote golf course living during the early years of San Ramon Village. |
Starting in 1962, Volk-McLain started selling tracts to other homebuilders to increase housing diversity in the overall planned community. New tracts appeared around the golf course, although the unified identity of Country Club gradually gave way to individual tract branding. This included developments like Fairway Hills, Crestview, Casa Mañana, and Walnut Hills.
Although the Country Club name survives primarily through the golf course itself, the area still reflects the original San Ramon Village vision. Curving streets, mature landscaping, golf course lots, and varied architectural styles reveal an era when suburban planning focused on creating a complete community rather than simply a collection of housing tracts.
Today, residents may identify more strongly with South San Ramon as a whole, but the area remains the clearest surviving expression of Volk-McLain's original vision for San Ramon Village.
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