This 36 hole facility offers two championship layouts, the Ranch Course and the Legends Course. Both are well worth the hour and a half drive from San Francisco. I recently played the Ranch Course, undeniably the tougher of the two with a 74.3 rating and 142 slope. Our group was pleasantly surprised at the condition of the course considering the substantial rain we've had in Northern California. The greens are well on the way back from some fungus problems they've had in the last couple of years. I also noted that some damage from some feral pigs on the number 10 green is almost imperceptible now. We were very pleased with the pace of the greens, pretty quick actually, and they putted true and smooth.
Fairways, tees and rough were all in very good shape, and the bunkers were the best I've played in awhile. The conditions merit exceptional praise considering the course had been closed on Monday and Tuesday because of torrential downpours; we played it on Friday. Naturally we were asked to keep the carts on the paths only, but still we saw no standing water or real muddy areas. The course drains well.
Worth noting is that Diablo Grande allows unlimited play in the winter months when you pay the daily green fee. They minimize any concern about early morning frost delays by having 10:00 A.M. shotgun starts most mornings. I think it's determined by how many reservations they get. We finished in a little over four hours, and easily got in another nine holes.
This is a beautiful layout, set back in a valley about six miles west of Interstate 5. They know they're off the beaten track and they really go out of their way to make you feel welcome and appreciate your patronage. This is why we go back there many times a year, gladly making the 100 mile journey from San Francisco.
