Carlton Oaks GC
A view of a hole at Carlton Oaks Golf Club.
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Rating Index Rating
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3.1
1894 Reviews (1894)
5 Stars
243
4 Stars
675
3 Stars
460
2 Stars
281
1 Stars
235
Conditions
2.6
Value
3.4
Layout
4.0
Friendliness
4.3
Pace
3.5
Amenities
3.5
62.9%
Recommend this course
1216 out of 1894 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.1
62 Reviews (62)
5 Stars
5
4 Stars
18
3 Stars
25
2 Stars
8
1 Stars
6
Conditions
2.8
Value
3.5
Layout
4.1
Pace
3.3
Amenities
3.6
StaffFriendliness
4.5
64.5%
Recommend this course
40 out of 62 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.2
139 Reviews (139)
5 Stars
17
4 Stars
46
3 Stars
40
2 Stars
19
1 Stars
17
Conditions
2.7
Value
3.5
Layout
4.1
Pace
3.5
Amenities
3.6
StaffFriendliness
4.4
66.9%
Recommend this course
93 out of 139 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Carlton Oaks features a challenging Pete Dye layout that consistently earns praise for its interesting design and playable greens. Exceptionally friendly staff and affordable pricing make this a rewarding value for San Diego golfers.

About

Holes 18
Type Resort/Public
Par 72
Length 7304 yards
Slope 142
Rating 75.1

Carlton Oaks Country Club is the only public Dye Design golf course in San Diego. The course is covered with hundreds of mature trees interspersed with sparkling blue lakes and meandering creeks. The layout offers a diverse mix of holes that all possess a unique character. They all offer different challenges in the form of either water hazards of strategically placed sand traps along the fairways. Tricky pot bunkers and interesting elevation changes were also incorporated into the design as well as Dye's signature railroad ties. There are five very different sets of tees that offer a challenging round from the back tees but also enough playability to appeal to a range of skill levels. In addition to the enjoyable layout, Carlton Oaks is one San Diego's most centrally located courses, sitting just minutes from downtown and many of the city's major attractions.

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Carlton Oaks Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1958
Golf Season Year round
Architect William W. Mast (1958) Perry Dye (1989)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - $15.00 - $25.00
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill

Lodging

Lodging Available

Available Facilities

Banquet Facilities

Available Activities

Swimming, Billiards
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Reviews

3.1
1894 Reviews (1894)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 37
Patio Dining 20
Watching the Game 20
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 54
Water Hazards 53
Undulating Greens 41
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 44
Locals 35
Walkers 24
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 38
In the 'Burbs 35
Worth the Drive 26

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 15
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/31/2022

Hello, MHogle. We appreciate the review. You rated us 3-stars which means there is room to improve on your recent experience at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. Let us know, in the comments, how and where you would like to see changes from the course. Thanks for the feedback!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser

Love this challenging course!!!

Unfortunately the course is not in great condition.

So. It might not be for just anyone.

I still recommend this course due to the course design , I would love to have seen it in I It’s prime.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/27/2022

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us, Drannliou. We are going to pass on your feedback to the team. Thanks for visiting Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club, and we hope to see you again in the future.

Played On
Reviews 35
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/26/2022

Hello u7661523,

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave an excellent rating! We really appreciate your business. Please let us know what we can do for you in the future to earn that last star!

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great discount slow play

The price through Golf Now was great. Do not play after 1230 pm we started at 1255 on Sunday. Only finished 14 holes in 4 hours it was too dark to play. Two groups in front of us quit because of group ahead of them and we still couldn’t finish.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/24/2022

Hello, nomadcali. Thank you for reviewing the course. We apologize for the delay of play during your round. This is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. With that in mind, we are working to best control pace and allow everyone to finish in a reasonable amount of time. We will continue to look for ways to improve. Thank you for playing and we hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Used cart
Conditions Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/24/2022

Hi, u000001886004. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We see you rated the course 1 star and are interested in learning what we can do to improve for your next visit. We take single-star feedback very seriously at our course. You are welcome to comment further or reach out to our team in the golf shop. We always appreciate the feedback. Thanks for choosing Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club.

Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

This course needs work.

This can be a very challenging course regardless of course conditions. However, this course is in poor condition. The only lush parts of the course are the tee boxes. The best way to describe the fairways is "mown dry prairie". The bunkers and traps are very firm, like clay with a 1/4 inch of sand (or less) on top.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/18/2022

Hello icepir8, thank you for taking the time to review us, and for the 3 stars. We're sorry to hear the course may not have been in the best shape on the day of your round. We appreciate your feedback as we work to make any necessary improvements. Thank you for choosing to golf with us, and we look forward to seeing you again soon at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club.

Played On
Reviews 2
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Poor conditions.

This course just keeps getting worse. The price is too high for rotten condition. The fairways play like mud bunkers and watery rough. Just sad, used to be a great course.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/18/2022

Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve and are working diligently to improve the course. Thank you for playing and we hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
First Time Playing

Eh

Staff was very friendly. Course is in rough shape. Pace of play was extremely slow . Could have been just one of those days

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/13/2022

Hi, u314162430676! Thank you so much for leaving us with your feedback. We value our customer experience, so your review is important to us. We will make note and we hope to see you back at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club!

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

The course is a great layout, bit it is very difficult which makes it play slow. The condition at this time era not so good. To much frost damage.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/12/2022

Uh… I don’t think they get frost damage in Escondido. And, if you’ve ever seen true frost damage, you would know it never damages the ENTIRE course.

Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/11/2022

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass on your feedback to the team. Thanks for visiting Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club, and we hope to see you again in the future.

Played On
Reviews 13
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2022

Thank you for visiting us at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2022

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We see you rated the course 1 star and are interested in learning what we can do to improve for your next visit. We take single-star feedback very seriously at our course. You are welcome to comment further or reach out to our team in the golf shop. We always appreciate the feedback. Thanks for choosing Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club.

Played On
Reviews 2
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Don’t spend the money right now on this course

Don’t spend the money right now on this course. The course is in terrible shape. Very little grass on the fairways tons of ground under repair. Should be discounted given the conditions

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/11/2022

Hi, aidan2002. Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We are working to get everything up to par. We have projects ongoing to recover the fairways and greens. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We are going to escalate your feedback to our team so we can make improvements before your next game, and we will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
First Time Playing

The course layout is confusing and fairways are in absolutely terrible condition.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/11/2022

Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve and are working diligently to improve the course. Thank you for playing and we hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Previously Played

Slow and not well kept

Pace of play was 5hours plus and condition was mediocre

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/11/2022

Hello. Thank you for reviewing the course. We apologize for the delay of play during your round. This is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We work hard to accommodate everyone who visits our course and to best control pace allowing everyone to finish in a reasonable amount of time. We will continue to look for ways to improve, and we are glad to see you rated the course conditions to be great during your game. Thank you for playing Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 10
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2022

Thank you for visiting us at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 35
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

One for your “don’t play” list

This course has potential, but is the second-worst conditioned course I’ve played. It has been VERY sadly neglected. Greens are not too bad, but the rest of the course is TERRIBLE! Hardly ANY grass in the fairways or rough — hard to even tell which is which. Sand traps are terrible - like hitting off a range mat. LOTS of damage from borrowing animals, lots of leaves lying around — just generally UNKEMPT and NEGLECTED. Make note that your online booking does NOT include a cart, so add another $15 to the overpricing. In its current condition, this is a $35 course — not a $65 +.

Pace of play was SLOW.! We quit after 15 holes, because we were already over four hours and looking at a 4:45+ round — absolutely ridiculous on this course.

To leave at least one positive - staff that we had contact with were friendly and welcoming.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/12/2022

Thank you for taking the time to review and leave your feedback of your recent round with us. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience you experienced at the course with us. Your feedback is extremely important to us. It is always our utmost goal to provide our golfers with a fun and enjoyable time and apologize if we missed the mark. For further resolution in this matter, please feel free to reach out to our staff in the pro shop. We hope to hear from you soon!

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Wow

Just a shame to see a course that was in the top 5 of san diego to becime a dirt pit

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/11/2022

Hi, u000001196701. Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We are working to get everything up to par. We have projects ongoing to recover the fairways and greens. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We are going to escalate your feedback to our team so we can make improvements before your next game, and we will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 71
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Walked
Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2022

Thank you for visiting us at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Cold weather
Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2022

We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review. We would love to know how we can earn those last two stars next time! Thanks for playing Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club.

Played On
Reviews 161
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 250 Contributor
Previously Played

Pace of play

It is horrible to have to wait on every hole . It is worse when you can see two open holes in front of the group in front of you.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/10/2022

We apologize for the pace of play issue you experienced. We always try to keep a great pace when having our golfers on the course. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback as we will use your review to better the experience going forward. We hope you give us another try in the near future!

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