The Ranch Golf Club

It's not that the fairways are narrow, it's that there is no playable lie if you miss the fairway! If you miss, you've most likely lost that ball. So, I suggest you bring several of your old junk balls.

The course is alway in great shape and the green are pretty fast,. Not to mention there are no flat spots on any of the greens

Enjoy!

I love golf and I love a good challenge but WOW. That's all about I can say! Every single hole there is potential to lose a ball. I read reviews about this course before I played and I heard it was tough but what an adventure. About the actual course, there is no driving range, so if you need to warm up before playing you might want to stop on the way up there. They have a few nets that you can hit into to get loose. The holes themselves are very challenging, very pretty. Great views of San Jose. Lots of elevation on the golf course, uphill/downhill. I don't know if I had a straight shot all day. Not the kind of course you should think about walking, there is a pretty good distance in between each tee box. Also, you cannot drive the golf carts onto the course, which is partly why the fairways are in great shape. Because of this, you'll be walking a lot to find your ball so makes sure you bring plenty of clubs on your adventure. Even though the course is really tough, every hole the fairway is reachable and 'fairly' open, as long as you don't hook/slice the ball. The hardest part about this course is distances. When you're 200 feet above the fairway, it's really hard to tell how far you want to hit a 200 yard shot. Normally it would be 5 iron or maybe 3 Iron Hybird but really you should be hitting 8 iron or 7 iron. There are a few greens there that seem impossible to get the ball to stop, I heard the course slope was 150+ so I knew going there the greens had to be tough.

Clubhouse/Staff: 4/5

Range/Putting Green: 1/5
**Like I mentioned, no range. Putting green is pretty nice though.

Golf Course maintenance: 4/5
**The only thing I would dock here is the sand traps. If they actually put/had sand in them the course would be 5/5 for sure.

Golf Course creativity: 5/5

While playing the course, play smart layup when needed don't try to take to much of the course until you have played a few times. Then you can go for more of the challenge on certain holes. My best rounds at the ranch after playing for more than a dozen rounds from the back tees was 72, 79, 75. Like I said play smart or bring a lot of balls. Two weeks ago first time at Pebble Beach shot 86 from the back tees.
Mark Taku

Great course! Staff is friendly. Weather was great and the course is a challenge from every tee.

Very challenging course and need to prepare a lot of balls.

The Ranch is a love it or hate it course. You have to actually think of all your shots and not just hit away. Almost every hole you have to hit a good tee shot to reach the fairway, very much like a links style course. Course has beautiful views of San Jose and is located in the hills of San Jose.

Green was excellent .
Great value.
Beautiful club house

Interesting and challenging course. Many fairways and layup areas are very narrow, and some of the greens are very very small. Gratefully, green speed and breaks are relatively benign. Almost every hole has significant elevation changes, so proper club selection is tricky. I was not a fan of the 2 par 3s that are 90-100 yards only.

The front nine is very challenging with minimal scoring opportunities. The back nine opens up more and provides definite birdie opportunities. The course is very well maintained and because of its difficulty its usually not that crowded offering a nice pace of play. This course is not for the beginner, moderate players should bring plenty of balls. I recommend getting the yardage book if its your first time at the course because there are some blindish tee shots and the right play off the tee is hybrid or 3 metal off many tee boxes.

If ever there was a golf course that should institute a "and what is your handicap sir?,,,,,,I see, OK sir, based on your skill level you will be playing the white/blue/red tees today" policy this is it. I've played here probably 100 times and it never ceases to amaze me the number of people that stare at the yardage on the scorecard and refuse to move to the white tees because real men don't play sub-6000 yard courses - and then proceed to shoot a very generous 100+ - right in front of me - all the time. They should simply remove the black tees altogether and require verification of index for anyone wanting to play the blue tees.

The scenery is very nice though and the greens are in good condition. Oh, and lower the price maybe five or ten bucks.

I like this course very much. super challenging and well maintainanced.

The course was well maintained and the greens were even better. Aeration is healing nicely on the rest of the course. Visually appealing, but short hitters will need to lay up on holes with carry over gullies/canyons/creeks. No hole maps on scorecard to help new golfers know where to hit. Pin placement maps on carts, but no GPS. Friendly staff and starter will let you go early if no one is in front of you, speeding up the round.

Toughest course in the Bay Area I know of. Super hard but great value! Country club like experience. I love it!

Not for a average or beginner. Course is for advanced players.

The front 9 is probably the toughest I've played but you can shoot a decent score on the back and come away with a reasonable round. It's cart path only on all 18 holes so there's a lot of walking. Some of the fairways were over watered and the ball would get mud on it. We saw the beverage cart 3 times which was just right. Greens and bunkers we're in excellent shape.

great staff...spectacular views.....really makes you think

Second visit to this course. Very tough layout, but with excellent views. Pace of play has been slow both times I was there. Was not able to finish our round by dark with a 1 pm start. Difficult terrain and course to marshal. Beautiful clubhouse with views from patio.

The Ranch GC was once rated the highest slope rating of any course on the West Coast until they changed the rating criteria. It is a super tough course where if you can avoid penalties for an entire round, it is a great round. It is a fun track but extremely difficult. The greens are some of the best in the Bay Area, fast and true.Excellent views of San Jose from most holes and the course is very unique. It is a must play but bring lots of balls. No practice range and only a hitting net to warm up. Clubhouse is very nice and dining facilities are very nice.

This course is similar to the Bridges in San Ramon, requires laser accuracy off the tee - some of the fairways shrink down to 15 yards wide. I hit a lot of irons off the tee, some fairway woods and no drivers. The course was still scoreable from the right set of tees. I went off on a Wednesday at 12:50 as a single and finished 36 holes by 5:15pm - this was probably a fluke.

If you really want to test your self on how good you are as a golfer, this is the reality check, you against your self and the course..... Who do you think will win? Try and you will find out!!!! Thanks for great experienced.