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Rating Index Rating
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3.6
253 Reviews (253)
5 Stars
52
4 Stars
93
3 Stars
56
2 Stars
25
1 Stars
27
Conditions
3.3
Value
4.2
Layout
3.6
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
3.8
Amenities
3.7
82.9%
Recommend this course
194 out of 253 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.3
4 Reviews (4)
5 Stars
2
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.8
Value
5.0
Layout
4.3
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.3
100.0%
Recommend this course
4 out of 4 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.9
9 Reviews (9)
5 Stars
3
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.4
Value
4.4
Layout
4.0
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.3
88.9%
Recommend this course
8 out of 9 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This walkable executive par-3 course delivers outstanding value with a fun layout perfect for sharpening your short game. Exceptionally friendly staff, a food truck, and dedicated children's golf areas make it a welcoming destination for all ages.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 54
Length 1983 yards
Slope 73
Rating 50.4

Rancho Carlsbad Golf Course is an executive layout that is one of the area's best values. It's not a terribly formidable course but it's great for getting in some short game practice. The course is gentle enough for beginners and juniors, making it a good place for families. Opened in 1959, Rancho Carlsbad has a classic layout that is shorter and tighter than most modern golf courses. You won't come across too much trouble on this layout. There are hardly any bunkers but their absence is accommodated for with convex greens that allow the ball to run down to the other edge if you're not careful. You will also have to tee off over a stream on a few holes. Accuracy is generously rewarded but the layout isn't too punishing if you're slightly errant.

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Rancho Carlsbad Golf Course
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Course Details

Year Built 1959
Golf Season Year round
Architect Art Saprico

Rentals/Services

Carts No
Pull-carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

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

Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Available Sports

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Reviews

3.6
253 Reviews (253)

What Golfers Are Saying

This course/club is great for:
Beginners 12
Walkers 12
Locals 8
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 7

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This course is in rough shape.....

Not very good value for the money....even at a discount

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 02/25/2020

Thank you for taking the time to review the course. We take single star feedback very serious at our course. You are welcome to comment further or reach out to our team in the golf shop. We always appreciate the feedback. Thank you for playing Rancho Carlsbad Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 31
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Challenging short course

Even though it is a par three course, it has some pretty challenging holes. The green are in good shape. They are domed, which adds to the challenge. In the past the sand traps were not sand, but more like dirt. That has finally been rectified with nice sand in the traps. The staff is super friendly. There are both grass and mat ranges, as well as a practice putting green. Definitely a walking course, even for seniors.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Not bad~

Practice short game is good..

Driving range and putting green is better than the other courses.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/07/2020

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry to see that your overall experience was anything short of 5 stars, but we hope you'll give Rancho Carlsbad Golf Club another try in the near future.

Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Rancho Carlsbad Golf Club

I am a Carlsbad High-school women's varsity golf player, and I can say, the course itself is very fun, I enjoy playing it whenever I can casually. Love the people who work there, the environment always makes me feel at home. This place deserves more recognition for the level of quality it is. I call it my diamond in the rough. The people who offer lessons are very credible, my family and I have taken lessons under Don Emerick for as long as I can remember. He is the best coach I could dream of having. Their manager, Gina Dells, is one of the most awesome people I have met. She really cares for the course and over the past few years that she has been here, she has improved the course so much. One of their pro-shop workers, Tony, is a funny and laid-back guy that will take care of any of your concerns covering the course. I love this course through and through, and am so proud to have grown up on it.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0

The Gem of Carlsbad

The perfect course to have fun at. Great for working on your short game. Great place to bring your kids. No pressure golf. Never had a bad experience. Friendly staff.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Great short course

Normally a great place to sharpen your short game. All par three holes, but can be challenging. Sand traps need sand. This particular day, they were at the end of greens aeration and tee box restoration, so course was not in great shape. It would have been nice if they had a note on their website ,as to the course condition that day. Also, grass driving range was closed and only mats were available. Again, would have been nice to know that before getting there. No reason they can't provide daily course conditions and restrictions on the website.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Previously Played

Range

I buy full range key and it is a disgrace that there are never tees! Spending loads of cash upgrading the food court is of no value to a golfers practice. How about pitting in decent mats like Crossings & ENCINITAS Ranch that accepts wooden tees. Thanks Mike

PS you asked for feed back to improve the course

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/18/2019

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!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing

No grass golf course

I should have looked more closely before booking our tee time on this par three course. The weeds easily out numbered the grass and the greens were the smallest I have ever played. Friendly staff that loaded my wife’s rental club bag with three nine irons of various brands. Pull cart for $5 seemed excessive when the round was $15.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/31/2019

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass on your feedback to the teams in charge so they can work to make changes by removing the weeds. Thanks for visiting Rancho Carlsbad Golf Club. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Great short course

I play this course every month, sometimes more, for the past 5 years and the course condition continues to improve. The practice areas are well maintained with grass and mats and putting green. It is challenging for its modest length and I like that I can play it in 2-3 hours, depending on the traffic. It reminds me of the course I learned to play on in MI and I often see groups of kids learning to play as I did long ago. I enjoy the facility and the people that work there, they're great.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/17/2019

Hello gman692. Thanks for the review. 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 serious at our course. Please reach out to our team in the golf shop. We always appreciate the feedback. Thank you for playing Rancho Carlsbad Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Mikey Liked it

My girlfriend is just learning the game and she is doing better in this beginner friendly course. Thank you

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Best value golf in SD North county!

The most underrated track in San Diego in my opinion

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Best value golf in SD North county!

Ranch Carlsbad Golf Club may be the most underrated track in San Diego! Where else can you play for $1 a hole? I always prep my short game here before I play a championship golf course. This is true target golf... crowned greens make it challenging to hit greens pin high. They have nice, friendly staff and a PGA teaching professional on-site with very reasonable rates. 5 stars all around for what I was looking for in a golf round near the beach

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0

Great course!

Great course to play weekly to improve your game! Greens are challenging and conditions are nice.

Gena, Instructor and Manager, is who you should get to improve your game. Staff os so nice and professional!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Great course to tune up your short game.

Recent work on greens has made them near perfect. Finally put sand in traps which are no longer dirt hard pan. Easy to walk course, but don't be fooled by short holes. It is a challenging course with several domed greens, which make ball placement critical. Very fun course to play. Driving range has both grass and mats. Staff is very accommodating and friendly.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great place to tune up your game

This course is a great place to practice. Both grass and mats on the driving range, a nice par 3 with some challenging holes. T times are easy to schedule and it's rarely crowded. Avoid lunch time because a lot of the manufacturers employees come over to try out their own equipment. They offer a lot of specials, including food and practice range combinations.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
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