Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection

Got to play 18 in a shocking amount of time as I didn’t have much waiting for others and able to practice more than usual as there was no pressure behind me. Great morning spent and would recommend but only if it’s a non-busy day.

I have played Carlton Oaks many times and it is clearly going down hill. The fairways are brown and dead. The pace of play is horrible and not enforced. We had to wait 20 minutes at each hole to tee off and gave up by the 12th hole and nearly 4 hours. I doubt I will waste my money or time here again.

Cart paths in place but concrete broken up and rough in places. Fairways in avarage shape but off fairways were rough. Lots of gofer holes.

A good mix of dog legs, water hazards, and holes where you need to play smart layup shots. I will say thebunkers could use some fresh sand and there were so.e bare spots in the fairways, and the greens were slow the day I played. However, this course is fun and will force to play smart golf to score well.

Overall the course was nice and fun. I’d come back for sure! The grass itself needs a lot of work.

Hold on to your stuff while driving, bring lots of balls

Oh man… this course needs so much work. The bones are solid but the devil is in the details.

Bumpy everywhere. Dirt patches w/o grass.

Tee boxes uneven. Greens were good.

What a shame.

I've never played here, yet I've always wanted to. In its heyday, I heard that this was one of the more excellent courses in San Diego County. The Pro Shop was small and run-down-looking. The carts worked, though I thought the brakes on my cart were soft. The course itself needed water - everywhere! The water features were dry, like dry lake beds. There was no sand in the bunkers, just dirt. I was sorely disappointed and left after 9 holes. I'm pretty sure I will not be back... ever.

Nice go to course when I’m in town. Easily get 9 holes in 2-3 hours. Course condition varies but so does my skill. Overall happy with value and friendly starter

Had a Sunday tee time at 1pm. As someone who lived about 1 1/2 hours from the course, I heard mixed takes on the course having a great layout and great pricing but that it needed a lot of TLC; so I had to go check for myself.

The staff was friendly and helpful and the course was far from packed that day. The driving range is essentially a dirt field with some Target set up, but the range balls they use are a mixture of good balls and typical fare. The carts are nice and drywall but lack a GPS while the course also has minimal to know indication of yardages, so range finders, GPS, golf apps, or both are a must for this course.

When it comes to the course, although it was not in great shape (More dirt and rocks than sand and bunkers, patchy fairways, and pretty solid greens despite some diseased portions), it has the bones to be a PGA level of course with it's it's scenic obstacles, rolling fairways that require accurate tee shots, and sizable yet undulating greens. As mentioned before, some TLC and investing money into improving course conditions can go a very long way for this establishment. Notable holes on this course include the 4th hole (510yd par 4 from the championship tees), and most of the back nine; especially the 18th hole which has a beautiful yet challenging second shot awaiting every player.

If you are looking for a challenging course that might not be in the best shape but is also a great deal, this is the course for you!

Staff is great. Course is challenging. Fairways are sparse in areas. Bunkers need to be sand and not dirt. Greens are very well maintained. Attention needs to be paid to the tee boxes, which desparetly need to be graded level.