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4.4
729 Reviews (729)
5 Stars
317
4 Stars
315
3 Stars
63
2 Stars
24
1 Stars
10
Conditions
4.2
Value
4.2
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.1
93.4%
Recommend this course
675 out of 729 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.3
10 Reviews (10)
5 Stars
4
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.2
Layout
4.4
Pace
3.9
Amenities
3.9
StaffFriendliness
4.1
90.0%
Recommend this course
9 out of 10 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
35 Reviews (35)
5 Stars
19
4 Stars
14
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.2
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.2
StaffFriendliness
4.4
94.3%
Recommend this course
33 out of 35 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Style Links/Parkland
Par 71
Length 6547 yards
Slope 127
Rating 71.5
Book a Tee Time at
Empire Ranch Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 2002
Fairways Rye Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Brad Bell (2002) Kevin Ramsey (2002) David Dale (2002)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

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

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No

Available Facilities

Clubhouse
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Reviews

4.4
729 Reviews (729)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Walked

Outstanding

Arrived at course Pros Shop Staff very friendly, courteous, and proffesional. Starter and Marshall helpful. Course condtion throughout very good. Turkey Sandwich at the turn "perfect". Course was very busy however 3hrs 49 minutes and 19 seconds not that I was timing the pace of play ??? Will return
Had a great day

Tom Del Torre

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

They need to break down and buy new carts. They die. Way too frequently and make you pair up with strangers because too many old carts don't work.

The driving range tee boxes are beat up but the balls price is highest in area

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 144
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 250 Contributor
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Worth Playing

Second time playing this course. Some blind shots if you don't hit it in the right spots, lots of traps, greens were fast and pin placements were in some tough spots, but it was fun. Was surprised more people weren't out playing. The course wasn't real crowded, we were a threesome but played behind a foursome that was playing fairly quick but let us go past on hole 14. The course itself was in great shape and because of the water problems the waste areas were somewhat cleared and you could hit your ball out of them. Finished in 3-1/2 hours and had a great time. This is a very nice course and well worth playing, especially the 18th finishing hole, a par three with a nice view, check it out.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Empire Ranch as always good and challenging

Good pace and well maintained green in spite of the fact that there is drought ravaging most of the golf course.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Consistently Consistent

I have been playing Empire Ranch for the last 4 years. They have done extremely well at providing a consistent golf experience time and time again. Unlike some of the other courses in the greater Sacramento area which have struggled to maintain course conditions, Empire Ranch has done well. Tee boxes and fairways are in good condition and greens roll fairly fast and true in comparison to some of the other local public courses. I would not rate them as the fastest round times in town, and often I try to avoid Empire on the weekends because they seem to do a fairly high amount of rounds and expect to play closer to 5 hour rounds. I even had a round go almost 6 hours once. Yikes! All in all it is a great track and has a good balance of accessible and challenging holes. Although the front 9 is somewhat flat, once you make the turn to the back 9 the course really starts to become interesting with elevated tee boxes, carry over hazards, and some great views of the Folsom area. If you haven’t played the course, make sure you do!

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Course was in very good shape.

Lot of chaff from the mower deck left on the greens, I assume that it blew onto the greens from the heavy winds earlier in the week. They need to have all their holes open to carts. Number 5 is never open to carts and it seriously slowed down play. The marshal was on the course but did not push the foursome ahead of us with a complete open hole ahead of them. There was a mixed foursome ahead of us. The two women insisted on hitting from the whites and couldn't reach the green on par 3s, creating a bottleneck. Normally I wouldn't care, but we tee'd off at noon and were burning daylight and finished after dark.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 23
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great course with unique holes

This course has rolling hills and is challenging but fair. I like the different challenges at each hole.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 20-24
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Course

Unfortunately the only issue we had, think that the course should pair up groups instead of having so many twosomes, we were a twosome, but asked a single to hook up on first hole then third hole had another single which we asked to join us. Played much better but did have to wait on each hole as there were 2 sets of singles ahead and a threesome ahead of them.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great conditions - pretty easy

Pace of play was decent given the fact that it was a holiday. Greens were true and fast especially considering the low temps.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Easy
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Challenging course

Short drives on #1 & #10 and you won't be able to see the green for your second shot. Stay to the right on #3 for a chance to go for the green on your second or third shot. Several nice views of Northern California's rolling hills scattered throughout the course. Although downhill from tee to green, #18 plays to its posted length, so take enough club to stay out of the water hazard and get up the hill from water to green.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 20-24
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

good course

Greens rolled really nice. challenging pin possitions. Love this course play again.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Green Grass despite long dry summer.

The courses in the area have been hit hard by the long dry summer. Many of the courses are parched.This course managed the situation well. The course is green everywhere. Great job.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

not great shape

all the carts were going dead and for price shouldn't have to push carts up hill

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Always Challenging From the Back Tees

The course was very challenging from the back tees due to the wind and most of the back pin placements. The fairways were in great shape and the greens were coming around after the aerating about 3 weeks ago. The only call out I have is that some of the bunkers were very wet which made the round considerably more difficult.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great 18 holes of golf!

This is the first time I played this course...it was challenging and a ton of fun. I enjoyed all the undulations in the fairways. The greens are so fast and so well maintained. The staff was really nice and friendly. Great course that goes into the mountains and then comes back down to the club house. Look forward to playing there again. Great deal through Golfnow.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 17
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun course, great value.

The greens were very wet despite teeing off after 1 pm. Putts rolled true and tee to green was perfect. Staff was friendly and pace of play good. Traps were difficult as very little sand on top of hard clay.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 23
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Less than 3.5 hour round

Really enjoy this golf course. Went as a single and was joined by another twosome and we played in less than three and a half hours. Greens were quicker than I thought they would be which was nice. Very smooth rolling greens. Hot days but there is lots of water on the course and the cart girl was by us four times which was also nice. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

The greens need work

The last aeration on this golf course didn't take very well. The course layout itself was fine, but I've played all over the state, and I don't think I've ever seen greens this excessively large. Not really conducive to fast play if you got a 75 foot putt on three of the first four holes. I stood in the middle of one Fairway less than 120 yards from the green, and I was positive someone had left the flagstick out of the hole. I played with a man who is a member there who advised me to keep driving the car to the right after driving it for almost 30 yards I could see the pin in the back left of what I couldn't believe was still the green!!I Kind of silly

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fun course.

Other than the greens which were recently aerated (which golf now let me know before booking) this course was in good shape. The course isnt too challenging but offers some holes that will test your ability. If the greens were in better shape this cours would get a 4-5 star rating from me.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Winter golf in August?

Normally Empire is one of the better courses to play in Sacramento. However 8/19 my foursome was shocked at the terrible conditions of the course. This summer in Sacramento has been hot and dry. Every hole on the course that day was drenched from over watering (0700 tee time) many of the greens and bunkers had pools of water. The shabby conditions of the course were bad but even more dismaying was NOBODY on the staff (not the starter, not the clubhouse attendant, not a greenskeeper) provided a word of warning. We were not informed that all of the greens had recently been punched and sanded.
When Empire is in its normal form the overall experience is generally 4-star, however based on my most recent experience I will not be returning for a long while, there are plenty of other golfing options.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
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