9200 Inwood Drive, Santee, California 92071, US
(619) 448-4242
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About Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection

Carlton Oaks has a long history of tournament golf. Curtis Strange won the 1974 NCAA Championships on the course before Perry Dye redesigned the layout and stretched it to 7,400 yards in the 1980s. The Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection, offers 51 modernized, Asian-inspired rooms just steps from the clubhouse, its Oaks Bar & Grill and the outdoor pool and jacuzzi. 

Facts

Price Range$$
Property Class★★★
Acres168
Year Opened1958
Number of UnitsLess than 100

Amenities & Services

RestaurantsCasual
Room TypesRoom
Practice FacilityYes
Banquet SpaceYes

Rules

Is the resort pet friendly?No
Is resort stay required for a tee time?No

Golf courses at Carlton Oaks Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection

Reviews

3.1
1853 Reviews (1853)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great quiet place

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

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Carlos Tea

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

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Maybe, Years Ago!

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.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 124
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser

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

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

A Challenging Value

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. ;)

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Walked

Good Value

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

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/21/2022

Hello, u314159783734. Thank you for visiting us at Carlton Oaks Lodge & Country Club. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played

Fun, challenging layout; inconsistent course conditions

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.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

HK's review

The course was in decent shape, the greens rolled nicely. It can be tricky for high handicapers.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 25
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 33
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Terrible Condition

The tee boxes had not been mowed in days or perhaps weeks. At times, it was like teeing off from the rough. The greens were as inconsistent as I’ve seen in a long time. There were portions of the course that were marshy, and on the same holes, there were portions that were so dry you’re essentially hitting off dirt from the middle of the fairway.

No starter so the groupings went off at inconsistent intervals. No beer cart on the front 9. We decided to stop after 9 because the course was in such bad shape.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 160
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Gave it a try, still a mess

First time back in over a year. Thought I would give it a try based on some better recent reviews. Nothing has changed, except for lowered rates. Tee boxes not mowed, fairways bare, bunkers...what bunkers, shaggy greens. On a holiday, no beverage cart to be seen, no water on the course, group of hackers playing black tees ahead of our group backing everyone up, no marshal to be seen. Don't waste your money.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great track but needs better maintenance

Love the course. Greens are in poor shape. Every fairway lie is crispy and in many cases like hitting off hardpan. Still worth playing for the value but it would be great to see it like it used to be.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
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