Sacramento Area Courses

[mark174ace]

4 hours ago, SouthBayGolfer said:

Beat the Heat — Apple Mountain, Darkhorse

Best Value - Apple Mountain, Darkhorse

Best Courses - Yocha Dehe, Darkhorse

 

Honorable mention, Mather is a good value, layout could be more difficult. Rancho Solano is a great course, especially if you are meeting up with someone from the bay area. Wildhawk if my driver isn't behaving too well since it is a pretty open course with wider fairways. 

Ancil Hoffman is very good as well to beat the heat with all those trees. There is never a tree far from your ball to park under until it is your time to hit. 

[SouthBayGolfer]

13 hours ago, mark174ace said:

Ancil Hoffman is very good as well to beat the heat with all those trees. There is never a tree far from your ball to park under until it is your time to hit. 

True, I haven't played Ancil in a while. Seems tough to get tee times, although that is most places nowadays. Also my driver was a little wonky last time I played there and I spent a lot of time in those trees! 

[pinggg]

Beat the Heat - Darkhorse, Ridge

Best Value - Davis Golf Course

Best Courses - Darkhorse, Yocha Dehe

 

My overall favorite is Whitney Oaks. 

[rbark11]

How is haggin oaks? Worth the drive up from Bay Area? 

[Phatferd]

Driving up from OC on Monday to play Yocha Dehe and The Ridge with my old man in Fresno to spend an early Father's Day treat. 

[mark174ace]

7 hours ago, rbark11 said:

How is haggin oaks? Worth the drive up from Bay Area? 

Let me take this one guys. Um no

[oldmotor]

Totally agree. IMHO, boring track.  Think very flat and open. Nothing special.

[jjr]

I wouldn't drive through all that traffic to play Haggin Oaks, but I would drive to play Ancil Hoffman.

[kingsallday]

Beat the Heat: Ancil Hoffman, William Land Golf Course(9 holes)

Can't beat an early morning round at Ancil Hoffman in the summer with its plentiful tree cover. One alternative to Ancil when it really heats up is William Land Golf Course, a nine-hole par 34 course located in the middle of Land Park. LPGC was designed by the same guy who made Ancil, and it offers plenty of shade. The tips at LPGC are almost a different course with how much harder it plays, allowing all skill levels of golfers a fun test of their game. 

Best Value: Morgan Creek(twilight only 36/41), Apple Mountain, City Play Card Courses

Surprised I haven't seen Morgan Creek in this thread yet. I really enjoy the layout of this course, and I believe it was Kyle Phillips' first solo project. One feature of golf up in Roseville are that  the courses are built into housing developments, where it almost feels like you are playing in someone's backyard on certain holes, and Morgan Creek does not have this. Apple Mountain is just a fun course on a beautiful piece of land. Would not want to play here every day but it is a nice change of pace to have to layup with irons on a lot of short tight holes.

The most affordable golf in Sacramento come with the city play card, which adds a little discount to every round played at Land Park, Haggin Oaks, Bartley Cavannaugh, and Bing Maloney. These courses may not have the best conditions, but they are cheap and good places to improve. Bing gets a bad rap due to the conditioning and how wide open it is, but after playing there for years I found its design and layout to be more enjoyable than most courses in the area.

Best Courses: Yoche Dehe

I think that Yoche is a step above the public courses in the Sacramento area. Not much else to say than that.

Honorable Mentions: Turkey Creek, Rancho Solano, The Reserve, The Ridge, Teal Bend

I guess its an unpopular opinion based on this thread but I am not a huge fan of Darkhorse, would rather make the drive to Apple Mountain or The Reserve. The main reason is that if you hit your ball left or right and have to go into the higher grass your shoes will get filled by annoying stingers/thorns. It was a little bit better the last time I played there about a month ago on account of cutting the higher stuff, but last year it was brutal. I also feel like Darkhorse suffers from having holes that "look cool" but are not that fun to play.

 

[Phatferd]

I played The Ridge on Wednesday in 90+ degrees and can confirm there is plenty of shade to avoid the sun. 

[SouthBayGolfer]

On 6/16/2022 at 3:09 PM, kingsallday said:

Beat the Heat: Ancil Hoffman, William Land Golf Course(9 holes)

Can't beat an early morning round at Ancil Hoffman in the summer with its plentiful tree cover. One alternative to Ancil when it really heats up is William Land Golf Course, a nine-hole par 34 course located in the middle of Land Park. LPGC was designed by the same guy who made Ancil, and it offers plenty of shade. The tips at LPGC are almost a different course with how much harder it plays, allowing all skill levels of golfers a fun test of their game. 

Best Value: Morgan Creek(twilight only 36/41), Apple Mountain, City Play Card Courses

Surprised I haven't seen Morgan Creek in this thread yet. I really enjoy the layout of this course, and I believe it was Kyle Phillips' first solo project. One feature of golf up in Roseville are that  the courses are built into housing developments, where it almost feels like you are playing in someone's backyard on certain holes, and Morgan Creek does not have this. Apple Mountain is just a fun course on a beautiful piece of land. Would not want to play here every day but it is a nice change of pace to have to layup with irons on a lot of short tight holes.

The most affordable golf in Sacramento come with the city play card, which adds a little discount to every round played at Land Park, Haggin Oaks, Bartley Cavannaugh, and Bing Maloney. These courses may not have the best conditions, but they are cheap and good places to improve. Bing gets a bad rap due to the conditioning and how wide open it is, but after playing there for years I found its design and layout to be more enjoyable than most courses in the area.

Best Courses: Yoche Dehe

I think that Yoche is a step above the public courses in the Sacramento area. Not much else to say than that.

Honorable Mentions: Turkey Creek, Rancho Solano, The Reserve, The Ridge, Teal Bend

I guess its an unpopular opinion based on this thread but I am not a huge fan of Darkhorse, would rather make the drive to Apple Mountain or The Reserve. The main reason is that if you hit your ball left or right and have to go into the higher grass your shoes will get filled by annoying stingers/thorns. It was a little bit better the last time I played there about a month ago on account of cutting the higher stuff, but last year it was brutal. I also feel like Darkhorse suffers from having holes that "look cool" but are not that fun to play.

 

Curious for you to elaborate on Darkhorse holes that "look cool but are not that fun to play."

[Jay Bailey]

Played a little golf back in my Sac State days(not collegiate golf) and my favorite tracks were Ancil Hoffman, Haggin Oaks the McKenzie Course(because it's a McKenzie Course) and Dry Creek down in Galt.  If you don't mind a litte drive head up to Truckee and check out Coyote Moon, Old Green Wood and Grey's Crossing.  All good tracks!

[SteelieD]

42 minutes ago, Jay Bailey said:

Played a little golf back in my Sac State days(not collegiate golf) and my favorite tracks were Ancil Hoffman, Haggin Oaks the McKenzie Course(because it's a McKenzie Course) and Dry Creek down in Galt.  If you don't mind a litte drive head up to Truckee and check out Coyote Moon, Old Green Wood and Grey's Crossing.  All good tracks!

Played Dry Creek a little while and it was in horrific condition and the staff was even worse.  Too bad because I used to play it years ago and it wasn’t bad at all. 
 

Surprised not to see more mention of Turkey Creek. I really enjoy that place. 

[Jay Bailey]

1 hour ago, SteelieD said:

Played Dry Creek a little while and it was in horrific condition and the staff was even worse.  Too bad because I used to play it years ago and it wasn’t bad at all. 
 

Surprised not to see more mention of Turkey Creek. I really enjoy that place. 

I haven't played it in almost 25 years now, sad to hear.  It used to be a fun Old School Track.  It does brings back good memories every time I drive by it on the way to Truckee.  I also payed at Mather AFB a bunch back then but Ancil was my favorite!

[doc52]

3 hours ago, SteelieD said:

Played Dry Creek a little while and it was in horrific condition and the staff was even worse.  Too bad because I used to play it years ago and it wasn’t bad at all. 
 

Surprised not to see more mention of Turkey Creek. I really enjoy that place. 

When it's mosquito season Turkey Creek is a nightmare.

[SteelieD]

2 hours ago, doc52 said:

When it's mosquito season Turkey Creek is a nightmare.

Ahhh. Don’t think I’ve encountered that but good to know!

[So_Cal]

Isn’t it true that the MacKenzie course is altered from what he built?  Played it once and it seemed nothing like the other Macks that I’ve seen. 

[SteelieD]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:40 PM, Jay Bailey said:

I haven't played it in almost 25 years now, sad to hear.  It used to be a fun Old School Track.  It does brings back good memories every time I drive by it on the way to Truckee.  I also payed at Mather AFB a bunch back then but Ancil was my favorite!

 

[BDubya]

Drive to the Rocklin/Roseville area and check out Whitney Oaks.  It's a beautiful layout. Bring plenty of golf balls.  It has a tendency to swallow a few. You won't be disappointed in the course.

[JamesNorcal]

I am member at El Macero near South Davis. Pretty decent course and usually quickish rounds. Always happy to host if anybody wants to come play. Just DM. 

[SouthBayGolfer]

On 4/10/2023 at 4:53 PM, JamesNorcal said:

I am member at El Macero near South Davis. Pretty decent course and usually quickish rounds. Always happy to host if anybody wants to come play. Just DM. 

Pmed!