GolfPass Icon
Rating Index Rating
Tooltip Information Icon
4.3
1057 Reviews (1057)
5 Stars
508
4 Stars
381
3 Stars
113
2 Stars
37
1 Stars
18
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.1
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
4.1
Amenities
4.2
89.5%
Recommend this course
934 out of 1057 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
18 Reviews (18)
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.4
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.3
StaffFriendliness
4.6
100.0%
Recommend this course
18 out of 18 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.2
51 Reviews (51)
5 Stars
25
4 Stars
18
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.1
Layout
4.4
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.6
88.2%
Recommend this course
45 out of 51 reviews
Read Reviews
frame.svg
AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
circle-star.svg
Course Highlights
This foothills course delivers a consistently challenging layout with fast, multi-tiered greens and dramatic elevation changes that reward every club in your bag. Friendly staff, strong value, and reliable pace of play make it a top daily-fee pick near Los Angeles.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 6756 yards
Slope 136
Rating 73.2

Nestled in the foothills of Yorba Linda, Black Gold Golf Club sits on the site of a former Shell Oil Field. Arthur Hills, the course's designer, thought the location, with its dramatic elevation changes and panoramic views overlooking Orange County and Palm Beach, was the perfect place for a round of golf. On a clear day, the views stretch as far as the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. The challenging layout is filled with narrow, rolling fairways and fast greens accented by thick patches of punishing rough. Due to the hilly terrain, a flat lie is hard to come by. The front nine requires accuracy and the back nine offers some particularly interesting risk-reward opportunities. Water hazards come into play throughout Black Gold Golf Club, most notably on the 18th. This par-5 finishing hole incorporates a cascading waterfall.

Book a Tee Time at
Black Gold Golf Club
Powered by GolfNow.com
Hot Deals at Black Gold Golf Club
View more Hot Deals on

Course Details

Year Built 2001
Golf Season Year round
Architect Arthur Hills (2001)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
GPS Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "Black Gold Golf Academy"
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted Yes
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Appropriate golf attire

Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities, Locker Rooms

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in California (2016 #25)
The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+
waivedfees
10 rounds of waived fees
golf ball.svg
$120 in tee time credits
teetime protection.svg
Tee Time Protection
redeemtrophy
Redeem GolfPass points

Reviews

4.3
1057 Reviews (1057)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 30
Patio Dining 18
19th Hole Scenic Views 15
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 42
Narrow Fairways 35
Undulating Greens 34
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 33
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 29
Locals 24
This Course's Location is:
In the 'Burbs 24
Convenient to the City 22
Worth the Drive 22

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 16
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Tough, beautiful, wish it waa cheaper

Great course, tried when they were aerating the greens. Tight fairways to. Pace was just over 4 hrs, wouldnt walk this course as it was very hilly.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 102
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

My favourite OC course

This is a great course for a wide variety of challenges - -my favourite in the OC. Beats Anaheim Hills etc hands down. A little better than Eagle Glen. But I like them all.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Incredible Experience - Fantastic Golf Course and Staff

While the course had recently completed their aerification process, I was very happy to see that they displayed an 'Aerification Alert' on GolfNow and their own website before I booked, and when I called the facility the day before my round for more information, their Golf Shop Attendant also notified me of the recent aerification, just to ensure that my entire group was aware prior to our arrival.

I also appreciated the significant discount that was offered due to the aerification - we paid $85 per player, which would've normally been $139/player on that day/time ($54/player savings). Upon check-in, their staff told me that for the two-week period immediately following aerification, they extend Twilight pricing all day, and Super Twilight pricing during their normal Twilight hour. Considering that most courses in Orange County fail to provide any notification or discounts during aerification periods, my group genuinely appreciated Black Gold Golf Club's transparency.

Furthermore, their entire staff was by far the friendliest and most accommodating that I've ever experienced in Orange County, especially for a public facility. From their Cart and Golf Shop staff, to their Bartenders and Servers, it was clear that all of them thoroughly enjoyed working there and had a genuine interest in being hospitable to everyone they encountered. Every staff member that we encountered went out of their way to ensure that we felt welcomed and comfortable, and that any of our questions or concerns were immediately addressed.

Lastly, the golf course itself was extraordinary - a challenging, yet 'get-able' layout that requires every single club in the bag. While all four Par 3's were very difficult, they were offset by four reachable Par 5's and a handful of short Par 4's that offered several birdie opportunities. Outside of the punched greens, which were more than playable, the tees, fairways, rough, and bunkers were all in excellent shape.

I highly recommend Black Gold Golf Club for anyone living near or visiting the area, as it legitimately offers the most enjoyable public golf experience in Orange County.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Good value for Orange County.

Very enjoyable round, in spite of fact that we were unaware that the greens were punched and sanded

Fairway’s excellent, traps need some work done.

Staff quite friendly. Nice grill and restaurant.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/20/2023

Clearly you missed the 'AERIFICATION ALERT' shown in red letters for all tee times on GolfNow during this period. I'd suggest double checking prior to booking any tee times moving forward, or simply contact the facility directly.

Played On
Reviews 1
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Punched Greens! Putting at the beach!

There was zero notification on Golf Now about the greens at Black Gold being punched and sanded heavily the week of play.

Very disappointed with the lack of consideration for out of town players making the trek to the course for a round. $75 is way too much money for those impossible putting conditions.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/20/2023

Clearly you missed the 'AERIFICATION ALERT' shown in red letters for all tee times on GolfNow during this period. I'd suggest double checking prior to booking any tee times moving forward, or simply contact the facility directly.

Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

If you like to play a challenging course with fast greens, Black Gold can be a good choice.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 47
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 20
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 48
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 48
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Amenities Good
Nearby Courses
Yorba Linda, California
Private
0.0
0
Placentia, California
Private
0.0
0
Brea, California
Public
3.7293933247
795
Chino Hills, California
Private
4.0
1
Fullerton, California
Public
3.8082849378
1097
Brea, California
Public
4.3550066936
590
Anaheim, California
Public
3.7289626135
760
Walnut, California
Semi-Private
3.47000428
783
Fullerton, California
Public
3.4207480986
851
Diamond Bar, California
Public/Municipal
3.527567867
409
Chino Hills, California
Public/Resort
3.8636363636
264
Chino Hills, California
Public/Resort
3.7971014493
276
Golf Packages
MB2.1.jfif

Monarch Beach Resort Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
ORANGE COUNTY, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Waldorf-Astoria Monarch Beach, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel, the Montage Laguna Beach, or the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa and golf at Monarch Beach Golf Links.

Monarch Beach Resort Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
ORANGE COUNTY, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Waldorf-Astoria Monarch Beach, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel, the Montage Laguna Beach, or the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa and golf at Monarch Beach Golf Links.

Aviara Stay & Play Package

Click Below
SAN DIEGO, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa and golf at Aviara Golf Club.
Aviara Golf Club - Hole #18

Aviara Stay & Play Packages

Click Below
SAN DIEGO, CA | Enjoy lodging accommodations at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa and golf at Aviara Golf Club.

The Palm Mountain Resort & Spa Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
PALM SPRINGS, CA | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at Palm Mountain Resort & Spa and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Indian Canyons – South Course, Indian Canyons – North Course, The Classic Club, Tahquitz Creek – Resort Course, and Tahquitz Creek – Legend Course.
Now Reading
  • Home

  • Memberships

  • Library

  • Account