Golf in Santa Maria

Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, located in the Santa Maria Valley in the northern portion of the county. The city sits on the valley floor at roughly 200 feet elevation, in a broad agricultural and commercial zone extending south from San Luis Obispo County. Santa Barbara County's northern agricultural areas, centered on Santa Maria, produce wine grapes, strawberries, broccoli, and other crops in substantial quantities. The city functions as the commercial hub for northern Santa Barbara County, with retail, healthcare, and industrial employment. US Highway 101 runs through the city, connecting it to San Luis Obispo to the north and to Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley to the south. The Santa Maria Valley's cool, fog-influenced climate is particularly suited to strawberry and cool-weather vegetable production. The city has grown substantially in recent decades as the largest commercial center in the county.