May be moving to East Bay -- looking at clubs, particularly Castlewood

[Qwiklap]

I may be moving to the East Bay to take a job with a big SV company. Pleasanton is looking like the kind of place I would want to live with my wife and three kids (two boys - ages 7 and 5, and a little girl age 3). We currently enjoy a great country club in my area (Westwood CC in Vienna). I am interested in hear about some of the clubs in Pleasanton area (particularly Castlewood as it seems to be a great family club with a fun membership and is in the right location).

 

We would be active members -- I am a golf addict, my wife is keen on tennis, we use our current clubs fitness facilities daily, my boys are both excellent (but young) competitive swimmers - and they are currently active in junior tennis and golf (and I suspect my girl will be as well). So we are looking for a family club -- not some ultra exclusive no kids allowed affair.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[ASN21]

I am not a member there but I have played both 18 hole courses at Castlewood and thoroughly enjoyed both. The Hills course was definitely more challenging and scenic but the Valley course surprised me with a nice layout. From a golf only perspective I think you would really enjoy it.

[carrera]

Castlewood is a nice place and definitely fits your desire to join a "family" club. There are plenty of competitive swim (and polo) programs along the 680 corridor if your boys pursue that sport. Locally to Pleasanton there aren't a lot of other options...IIRC Crow Canyon has a good swim program but an unremarkable course. But you should check it out. Diablo, farther up 680 is an amazing setting for an old-style club and is currently remodeling its golf course and is in the early stages of a $30+ million "campus" plan. Check that one out later...when the work is done (and paid for). Danville is a nice place to live with two really good high schools. Close to Danville is Round Hill CC which you should also check out. But those are a bit farther up 680 from Pleasanton where you will be based (but not too far for a reasonable commute).

[James the Hogan Fan]

Not a member but knew some members and have played both Hill and Valley multiple times as a guest.

 

The courses are some of the best maintained in the East Bay and offer two very different tests. The valley is longer and flatter in a valley, with a couple standout holes: 3, 14, 17, and 18. The hill is on a hillside and is much shorter and tighter but has killer views. Hill is in a housing tract, valley has no houses.

 

The ranges and practice facilities are as good as any, although I haven't been invited since the valley range opened. From what of the clubhouse Ive been in, the lounge was spacious with a sort of vintage charm. My member friends went to the club multiple times a week for golf, the pool, and socialisation.

 

As far as no kids allowed, it was practically the opposite, I remember being 12 years old as a guest of my 13 year old friend and using the range completely unsupervised with no issues or looks from anyone.

 

NB: a few years back some rumors circulated that there were financial issues and one of the courses might be sold off. Might want to look into that, I've been out of the area and don't know what happened with that.

[Qwiklap]

Outstanding -- thank you all for the tips.

If I I were to go there, the baggiest concern I have is quality of life for the family. Let me ask -- places like Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton have great reputations (like my current hometown of Vienna VA), but are commutes to places like say Facebook's campus HQ reasonable from those places?

[James the Hogan Fan]

Define reasonable. The commute from the east bay to the peninsula is going to be about 90 minutes any way you slice it, unless you go very early or late. For example a friend of mine commutes from Niles in Fremont, to Varian medical in Palo Alto by Stanford. That commute took a little over an hour.

 

Pleasanton's good reputation is well deserved. Schools are good, multiple shopping centers available. County fairgrounds with many events thriuoughout the year. A really good golf shop called 'the golf mart' for scoring on used equipment. 3 of the region's best public courses are close by: Wente Vineyards, Poppy Ridge, and Callippe Preserve. A very good hiking trail system only a few minutes from Castlewood. Growing up,this was where all my rich friends lived, so I have to write with a bit of jealosy for the place.

[ryu123]

played the Club at Ruby Hill in Pleasanton about 8 years ago. The course is set in a subdivision & is decent.

 

(The only hole I really disliked was the par three 14th hole that played about 174 yds. There was a small creek to the right of the green, thick bushes to the left, & a 20 ft high leafy tree directly in front of the green in line with the tee box. Ridiculous design.)

[carrera]

> @Qwiklap said:

> Outstanding -- thank you all for the tips.

> If I I were to go there, the baggiest concern I have is quality of life for the family. Let me ask -- places like Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton have great reputations (like my current hometown of Vienna VA), but are commutes to places like say Facebook's campus HQ reasonable from those places?

 

Commuting to Menlo Park from Danville-Pleasanton would get pretty tiring - if that is the commute you are considering.

 

[duffer987]

> @Qwiklap said:

> Outstanding -- thank you all for the tips.

> If I I were to go there, the baggiest concern I have is quality of life for the family. Let me ask -- places like Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton have great reputations (like my current hometown of Vienna VA), but are commutes to places like say Facebook's campus HQ reasonable from those places?

 

Pardon my French, but s h 1 t on a stick comes to mind. Pleasanton would be unfun, you could Niles Canyon Rd part of it, but that's single lane and 680/880/84 is yuck. Danville would be worse to the point I wouldn't even consider it. I used to do an East Bay to San Mateo commute and it was leave before 7am or wait till 9:30 and on the way home it was leave before 4:30 or wait till 6:30. And that wasn't to breeze through, but to avoid soul crushing slowness that you could get. I did that single or with a GF, with a family?

 

If you've got a really flexible sched, a nanny/stay at home wife, or if you're C-level and making a mint then sure that may be the price you pay. The Bay Area is fantastic, it really is great here, but like any other geographically constrained city, driving around it is not great.

[Left Rough]

> @Qwiklap said:

> Outstanding -- thank you all for the tips.

> If I I were to go there, the baggiest concern I have is quality of life for the family. Let me ask -- places like Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton have great reputations (like my current hometown of Vienna VA), but are commutes to places like say Facebook's campus HQ reasonable from those places?

 

Yikes, that commute is rough. If you can afford it, stay on the peninsula side. San Carlos, Burlingame, hillsborough, Menlo, Los Altos, and of course Palo Alto all have great schools (though pricey private golf clubs (Sharon heights, Palo Alto hills, Los Altos, menlo) pushing $200k or more initiation) from what I hear ruby and castlewood are in the low 5 digits.

 

 

[gripz]

With that commute, I don't know when you'd golf. A weekday morning or evening round is pretty much out of the question assuming you work normal business hours.

[DandyDon]

agreed about the commute, living in the East Bay and heading West in the morning for work is MISERABLE, and it is only going to get worse....

[Marengo]

Commute to SV is going to be bad anywhere outside of a 15 mile radius. Most large companies offer shuttles depending on where you live as well. May want to look into those. Comfortable with built in wi-fi and you dont have to drive yourself so you can take a nap.

Out of the cities you are looking into, I would go with Pleasanton or Danville. Good public schools and communities.

Castlewood is good as it has 2 18 hole courses. I have heard that the membership is trending toward the younger families as the older generation of members is dying off. This could be good or bad in my opinion. Having older members (retired) can give the club a more community feeling. I am a member at Stonebrae and it is mainly younger members. There isnt much of a community there as most still work and dont really hang out at the club. The clubhouse is always empty.

[pappaf2]

When choosing a place to live there are a lot of similarities between Danville and Pleasanton. Schools, housing stock, charming downtown's with great restaurants. Dublin has a different vibe than those two cities. It's a nice place with tons of new housing stock and good schools. There is no real "down town" and it's basically chunked up into strip malls some of which are quite nice. But if you are looking for a more "charming" sort of place, Dublin isn't on the same level as the other two options.

 

As mentioned they are a trek down to the south bay. You'll have to decide how much you can stand doing that commute every day.