Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course

I was excited to play at this course for the first time after having frequented the range and restaurant here. I have played nearly every course in the OC, and Rancho takes the cake for worst experience of them all. I have never left a review for a golf course before this one. I arrived 30 minutes early with the intention to grab some drinks for the cart since it was an especially hot day. I walked up to the bar inside and was ignored by the long haired male bartender for a good 5 minutes before I spoke up and asked if I could order a drink. He rudely says “yes” then turns away and proceeds to ignore me, help two whole other parties that came in after me, and then disappears in the back. At this point it is time to check in so I just leave for the pro shop. We get paired up with an elderly couple that needed a few more shots than your average golfer to clear the fairway, which was fine with me and my partner as we were just there to have a good time, soak up the beautiful day, and play 18. What wasn’t fine, however, was the influx of balls landing by my feet due to the group behind us disregarding basic etiquette and hitting into our group. This is when I find out that my player partner is deaf and relies on reading lips. I watched in horror while putting as two balls nearly hit him as the group behind us is raucously driving the green from the tee box. We are all there to have fun and enjoy a round of golf, there is no need to be rude and endanger everyone on the course. My playing partner accidentally picked up a ball from the group behind us, because he is elderly and it was mixed in next to our balls, and the group behind us DROVE UP TO US SCREAMING PROFANITIES and other unsavory remarks, when they should not have hit their balls into where we were standing in the first place. We ended up letting at least three groups behind us play through, and stopped to grab food at the turn, where my friend and I were ignored once again by the long haired male bartender. On top of the rude patrons and inhospitable waitstaff, the condition of the course was diabolical for the price. On a scorching 90 degree day in the middle of summer please tell me why we were sinking in muddy puddles that seemed to be completely unavoidable and would splash onto our legs and clothes. The flooded conditions made the course smell horrible and rank, and surely was unhygienic. We have not had rain in months and are in the middle of a heat wave, so I know this was due to poor course maintenance. Also, it is common to forget a wedge or putter or headcover near the green. During our round my friend and I found 2 wedges and a headcover and successfully traced down their owner and returned it to them. After returning home, I noticed that I was missing one of my new wedges. Upon calling the pro shop a few days later, no one had turned it in. This is the first time at any course I have played where my friends and I have not been returned a lost item. I am not surprised that my wedge was stolen due to the evidently low class people that appear to frequent this course. The sweet elderly couple we played with did their best to speed up on their end, even sitting out some of the longer holes in order to keep up with pace of play. There no reason we should have been harassed by the other patrons. You double digit handicappers will never be on tour, it is literally not that serious. Avoid this course at all costs, you are better off taking $80 and setting it on fire.

First of all having golf carts on a restrictive, GPS program, makes it impossible for a senior golfer to be able to load and unload his clubs in the parking lot, which is a great convenience which did not exist at this course. The tee boxes were not in good conditions. Divots were not filled tees were not picked up, and the two boxes were not level as a few holes. The fairways were in awful condition. It looked like they hadn’t been watered in two years. The sand traps did not have enough Sand and were eroding from Weather. I did see a few gopher holes not as bad as Willowick though. The good things were the practice facility was State of the Art and the greens were in tiptop shape. They serve charge $72 to play. This course was probably only worth 25.

need some fresh sand - other than that - a wonderful round.

This track has came along way in the last couple years. Tee box’s, fairways and greens are pure. Clubhouse had a complete make over, great job.

The conditions here are still really rough. Patchy fairways and rough, inconsistent greens, bone dry in areas and soaking wet in others. Drive 15 minutes to Costa Mesa for 2 courses in much better condition for half the price.

Greens are in very good if not great shape. Nice undulations, interesting.

California can be dry so there are dry spots in the fairways but not too bad.

Pace was great on a very busy day.

Staff was notably kind and helpful. Starters both inside and out great.

Little more water on the fairways could go a long way.

The course could be awesome. Yo feel like you've a great shot off the tee and its plugged because of standing water. There are too many areas that have standing water. The sand in the bunkers or lack of sand in most cases was horrible, according to my buddies. One bunker was full of water! I wish that I had taken pictures.