Country Club, San Jose, CA

Almaden Country Club is one of San Jose’s classic “golf-course communities,” a spread of custom estates that ring the private Almaden Golf & Country Club fairways. Homes date from the 1960s through early 2000s, each on generous half- to one-acre parcels, so façades range from California contemporary glass walls to Tuscan-inspired stone and stucco. Rolling topography lets many backyards look over greens or to the oak-dotted hills, and most streets have no sidewalks, adding to the park-like, low-traffic feel. Leisure revolves around the club itself: tee times, tennis clinics, summer pool days, and Friday-night socials that draw families in golf carts. Even if you never join, you still gain quick trail access at Webb Canyon and the Quicksilver parkhead just south, plus convenient errands at the Safeway-anchored Almaden Plaza and branch library five minutes away on Almaden Expressway. School-aged kids feed to Castillero Middle and Leland High, both prized for academics and athletics. Life here is quiet and almost rural at night, but that tranquility comes with trade-offs. Expect lengthy drives for nightlife, limited street lighting, and sizable upkeep costs for large lots. Country-club dues can also be steep if you want full access to amenities. Still, many residents see those costs as the price of living in an enclave where starry skies, gated drives, and weekend rounds are the norm.