Practice Facilities
- Driving Range: YES (Grass)
- Practice Chipping & Sand: YES
- Practice Putting: YES
Dress Code
- Collared Shirts Required
- Jeans OK but no cuttoffs.
- Softspikes Only
Rated BEST Value "Worth The Green Fee" in Central California by Greenskeeper.org Members & Staff:
(2005 & 2007)
Rated BEST Value "Worth The Green Fee" in Central "Coast" California by Greenskeeper.org Members & Staff:
(2006)
Photos:
View Index (14 Photos)
Random Course Photo:
Hole 18 [VIEW]
Member Photos:
View Index (19 Photos)
Random Member Photo:
Hole 10 [VIEW]
Hunter Ranch, located just minutes from the 101 freeway in the sleepy (but growing) wine town of Paso Robles, is a beautifully scenic golf course with many things going for it, not the least of which are its impeccable conditions. Anyone golfer who has driven on highway 46 has probably thought to him/herself that the land looks absolutely ripe for a course. The good news here is that Hunter Ranch gives you just that: a course that stretches across rolling hills and enjoys views of the healthy countryside for miles in each direction.
As the sister property to La Purisma about an hour to the South, Hunter Ranch benefits from a strong pedigree of good management and an understated approach to a day of golf that puts even those frantic to make a tee time at ease. Hunter Ranch's clubhouse and facilities are quaint cabin-like structures perches atop a hill overlooking much of the course, and the top-notch practice facility includes a wide grass range, several putting greens, a sand/chipping area, and a bonus rarely found at ANY public facility: several short practice holes of about 75 yards in length that take you for a short loop. If you ever want to spend an afternoon practicing, Hunter Ranch is the place to be.
Of course, the whole point of practicing is so we can play the game, and Hunter Ranch's 18 holes provide a scenic challenge that most will enjoy tremendously. Interestingly, I feel that the front nine is the better of the two nines (most courses I feel as though the opposite is the case). The first 6 holes are as good as any you'll find in the area, and the ridge-running short par 4 5th is a great example of how to take a hilly site and construct a hole that plays well on it. I promise you that you will find the 7th to be one of the more difficult holes on the course, as it requires three solid shots before you can even think about making par.
The main difference from the front to the back is how the course presents its challenges. The front features more land movement playing into the strategy, whereas the back incorporates more hazards and forced strategies in its defense. The 10th dares you to drive it as close to the hazard as you can without going in, all the while staying far enough left to avoid tree trouble on your approach, 11th is fronted by a large pond, the 12th demands a long carry over a crossing hazard on your second shot (by the way, if you're confused as to which way the 12th hole doglegs when you stand on the tee, you aren't the only one…it goes left, but don't try and bite off too much), the 14th is an all-carry one-shotter, and the 15th boomerangs around the lake that you can see from the driving range. There's no shortness of excitement on the back nine, that's for sure. Sometimes, excitement is bad for scores, though.
The folks at Hunter Ranch do an excellent job with conditions. This was my second time at the golf course, and on both occasions I was impressed with how well kept everything was. The greens roll very nicely, quick enough to be fun, and the firmness makes you think twice about taking dead aim at a treacherous pin. The fairways were the star of this visit, though - lush, even, and pretty darn close to perfect. The rough was pretty thick in spots, maybe a result of the recent rains, but by no means was it an unfair challenge. In a world where too often chipping and pitching areas around the greens have too little grass, it's nice to see a course where there may be a bit too much. In the end, Hunter Ranch should be proud of the conditions they offer their players.
So what's my conclusion about Hunter Ranch? Easy - it's a nice layout with some very fun holes . The conditions are superb, and the practice area is in an elite class. Plan a day around it - play 18 holes, then hit a small bucket, play the practice holes, and then take advantage of the unbeatable $15 same-day replay rate for walkers to round out an even 36 - tough to find a better deal than that.
