Carmel Valley Ranch Resort

I've been to Carmel Valley Ranch a couple of times but never had a chance to play the course. It did not disappoint! The course is in pristine condition and offers two very different experiences between the front and back nines. The greens we so good that I ended up having the round of my life, with no fewer than 8 one-putts, many for 15 feet or longer!

The course is perfectly maintained. It is a bit short course so we choose to play at Brown tee box but it is way more difficult due to the course design. So I recommend not to play at the back tee. Course design is very interesting and fairly challenging but first 4 holes are adjacent to the road so running cars and walking people could be in danger.

A team ahead of us played quite slow, but no marshall was present so no one controls the pace.

Club house restaurant closes quite early.

It’s a great course. The staff friendly. Nice people we were with. Pace of play was good. Had lunch and drinks that were fantastic. Will definitely go back

My only gripe was that the greens were aerated with sand sprinkled on top. I guess that's why the green fee was much lower.

First time here. Played at 1/2 normal fee just 5 days after green punching and aeration -- neither of which I knew at time of booking. Arrived 2 hours early to prep. Nice driving and practice areas and restaurant/lounge. Check-in staff neglected to inform me of some important info, such as their "roving starter" who is not stationed near the first tee (??) but rides around on a cart. I arrived at tee box #1 about 10 mins before my tee time, and was there alone as I prepared to tee off. Finally the starter arrived with my playing companions with just 2 mins to go. He was not happy with me, since I apparently (1) had not looked for him and (2) had parked my cart in the wrong place. Fortunately my playing partners were very cordial and as the day wore on I forgot about the bad start. Front 9 much easier than back 9, as elevation changes grew more severe. Even from the Orange (white) tees I really needed a good long iron and fairway wood day to score reasonably. Wind kicked up later in day making those shots even tougher. Fairways were perfect, as well as bunkers. Some greens had a layer of sand that was still 1/8" high making putting and short game a bad carnival ride. With all the other great courses in the area I will likely not return to this one soon, no matter how good the greens may be on the next visit.

A bit slow as the aeration had just started.

You owe it to yourself and a friend to play this gem.

Spectacular…

Not only is the course layout fantastic, the views and setting are superb.

We played at twilight. Finished all 18.

Le let 3-4 singles play through. Singles behind a foursome always rough.

But, even so we finished in 4 hours.

Highly recommend that you do not miss this course.

It was a a very pleasant day, pace what good

We ran into some early wind.

Greens had different speeds

A challenge to figure out?

No turkey’s were to be found.

As always I find this course tough.

some greens were found to be fast and other greens to be slow.

This course is filled with natural wonders

Birds, deers ,hawks Turkeys not found on this round?

We found several of the golfers gracious enough to let us pass through since we were only two,.

The wind made its day view the course got longer!

It turn out to be a journey on a lovely day.

Enjoyed the course and the layout. Lots of elevation changes, was in great shape and greens nice. Had a great time with my family 👏⛳️🏌️‍♂️

Always a pleasure to play here. The choice of tees make it fun for everyone

Holes 10-15 were challenging, due to mountain terrain but overall nice course, nice conditions and friendly staff, Worth the money