Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection

Well I golfed here once before and had my best round ever. Which is weird because this time the course seemed 5 times more difficult this time around. Its a good layout and a great challenge if you like that. If you come when its busy and you're rushed It might not be as enjoyable. Its a difficult course that can still test a seasoned golfer with multi tiered greens and almost every t shot being over or next to a hazard.

Biggest negative was the mantainance. The fairways were just dirt and muddy in places and many of the bunkers and sand traps were just hard mud or dirt. It was nice to not have to rake in exhange for a regular bunker experience.Ambassador came around regularly to monitor pace of play. saw the cart girl 2 times at least. The elaves were a problem too .I lost 2 very findable balls just because they dont rake the leaves enough and it takes forever to find one whenn you do.

Employees were all great. Cart was provided. good drink selection. i would come back again .just maybe in the spring. when its hopefully greener.

Work on tee boxes, very shabby. Course is improving, still needs lots of work. Snack bar should be open. French fries, ok.

I like playing Carlton Oaks whenever I'm in town although this time the course was a little ragged. The greens were in great shape and for the most part, the ball rolled well. I don't know why but the tee boxes weren't cut so the grass was quite long, not a big deal. The fairways were ok but not in the best shape. The bunkers weren't the best, I was only in 3 - the first was more like dirt and my club bounced, the other 2 were ok but there wasn't a lot of sand...not a lot of raking going on out there. All the staff I interacted with were very pleasant.

Not withstanding the above, I will definitely be back.

I'm always conflicted about Carlton.... The price is better than it appears, primarily because of the superior layout....a real test of your skill. Repaired alot of divits on the greens and like your reviewer, bald fairways are a bothersome. I always enjoy this course rough as it is.

Had an enjoyable experience on the course. Yes, the tee boxes need trimming and some areas on the fairways are questionable but I enjoyed the greens nd the diversity of the holes. I will come back again

The course is decades old but still unknown throughout San Diego. I enjoy not playing with hundreds of people at a time

I didn’t like this course . It was dirt everywhere. Not a good layout

It's very possible this course was very nice many years ago! The best part of the course are the greens; they are very good. The worst part of the course is the tee box (very long grass) and the fairways (very little grass with many, many no grass areas. The greens are very nice and it appears all of the effort in maintaining this course go into this area. The course is not worth your money.

The cart girl at the course did a great job and whoever is her boss should give her a raise.

There was not a starter at the first tee, so the threesome I was supposed to be ended up as a single all day. I enjoyed that, but it made every shot a wait for the twosome ahead to clear the landing area. The fairways were decent but spotty at times. the greens were wet from being watered, and that slowed the putts. The greens looked fast, but putted slow on this particular day.It was very breezy at 1:00 when I started, but the wind died down at the turn. The course was playable in both conditions. I enjoyed the layout, but the course is definitely rough around the edges. Fortunately, there is enough shaded trees in the teeing areas to make the wait easier to take, The differing tee boxes made the course very approachable and I had no difficulty finding the tees I preferred. It's a good test of golf, and the value is certainly there if you decide not to be too picky. Would I play here again? Sure, but not tomorrow. I need a rest from the 127 slope. ;)

Great staff. Had a great time. This is a value course with a great history.

Carlton Oaks is a big course with a deceptively challenging layout from the tips, though there are plenty of tee boxes for an enjoyable round for all skill levels. Pace of play is good during the week with only the occasional weekend slowdown, and it is enjoyably walkable for its 7,304 yards.

Tee boxes are occasionally overgrown, fairways can be patchy, and greens can be slow with less break than you might expect. Despite these course conditions that fluctuate from fair to mediocre, the beautiful 18-hole layout will have you coming back for more.

There is a large practice putting green, an irons-only driving range, and a small short-game practice area with dramatic slopes that force you to practice a variety of difficult shots.

The pro shop staff and cart attendants are always friendly, creating a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere.

Decent food at the grill, highly recommend the black & bleu burger.

Overall recommended, though I wish the grounds were kept in better shape. If you need pristine conditions, stay away. If you can look past the imperfection, I guarantee you'll love the course.