Round 3 just down the road from The Bridges. We booked ahead online and selected their pre-paid option that saved some $$$. $45 for two players after 2:00 instead of $60. We arrived closer to 1:30 and... Continue »

Round 3 just down the road from The Bridges. We booked ahead online and selected their pre-paid option that saved some $$$. $45 for two players after 2:00 instead of $60. We arrived closer to 1:30 and the course was wide open so we were able to tee off right away. We ultimately caught up to groups on the final 5 holes, but still enjoyed a nice 2.5-hour pace. Conditions were decent, though inconsistent at times. Tee boxes were fine. Fairways were adequate for the most part with some thin sections, so some spots better than others. Rough was pretty rough. Very patchy with a lot of bare areas. The greens were good. Firm-ish and rolling well at medium-fast speeds. Bunkers not that great. Overall, okay for winter season, but definitely rough around the edges. The pro shop guy remarked before our round that Canyon Lakes was much more forgiving and fair than The Bridges. I guess it depends on your preferences and skills, because I was way more uncomfortable on a lot more tee shots here than I was at the other course. Lots of side-hill slopes and big trees in play to force some tough angles. It is not a long course, though, so it's all about hitting your targets and it's definitely more forgiving around the greens (as long as you stay below the hole). Otherwise, it's a fun layout with hilly terrain and some fun to be had riding the slopes. Not a must-play, but an interesting East Bay option to consider for sure.

I live 3 minutes from this course but have opted not to play there due to bad service at the front desk and course maintenance at best below average. With new ownership there is a marketable improvem... Continue »

I live 3 minutes from this course but have opted not to play there due to bad service at the front desk and course maintenance at best below average. With new ownership there is a marketable improvement in service (they bring a cart to your car) and actually greet you at the front desk. Other than the sand traps (many are under construction) the layout, t boxes, fairways are in decent shape but the greens are very good. The layout is quiet challenging with not one hole like the other. I play early so it is less that 4 hours but cannot speak for how long it takes during the day. And the price is even better so I would highly recommend playing here.

I've come to think of this as my quick, easy access neighborhood golf course. My buddy calls it his personal country club because he can walk up and walk on anytime. That is mostly true on weekday aft... Continue »

I've come to think of this as my quick, easy access neighborhood golf course. My buddy calls it his personal country club because he can walk up and walk on anytime. That is mostly true on weekday afternoons, like today. Course conditions are improving with better weather, but not as good as other courses around here. Conditions are average at best all around. Main thing....no brewery or even a whiff. Seems a bit deceptive, so step it up. Please!! Really.

They changed the name to include brewery, but not yet. Golf is it. Played a late afternoon for $30 and that's fair. Got in all 18 and pace of play was fine at 3hrs 45 minutes. Like many courses this o... Continue »

They changed the name to include brewery, but not yet. Golf is it. Played a late afternoon for $30 and that's fair. Got in all 18 and pace of play was fine at 3hrs 45 minutes. Like many courses this one is dry in spots but working to keep the position spots green and trim. Greens roll true and fair. There are lots of homes around this course, but set back far enough that they don't come into play. There is an oddly high amount of wildlife in and around the course in late afternoon. Even a bobcat walking down the cart path behind the 7th green. That caused me to take pause. A real first for me. Once saw a rattlesnake on a cart path at Wente, but this was just an interesting. Good course for the fee, but tight fairways. Can be trouble if you're not driving the ball well.

Canyon Lakes Golf Club is perched on the Eastern ridge of San Ramon Valley, because of this location there are only a handfull of flat fairways with most balls lying either above or below your feet. ... Continue »

Canyon Lakes Golf Club is perched on the Eastern ridge of San Ramon Valley, because of this location there are only a handfull of flat fairways with most balls lying either above or below your feet. Water comes into prominent play on the 4th and 5th holes, and is sort of a minor concern for two other holes on the front 9, after that you have a couple environmental areas to clear over but nothing major. The entire track is lined by homes and tree foliage plays prominently in creating a quazi-narrow layout on a number of fairways, the last two holes play on top of a wind swept ridge (I've played here 5-6 times and wind has always been a factor on these last two holes except today). This is the type of track that can turn into a challenge quick if tee shots go errant, there are only two parallel fairways with the rest of the fairways notched into the hillsides.

The course conditions = WET! We played at 9:30am, stepping onto the first tee box was a mushy experience that was continually repeated through most of the round. The sand traps were essentially unplayable as we were playing in raked mud with standing water identified in a couple different traps. To review on more general terms, the tee boxes, while some were soggy, all were level and decently cared for. The fairways were OK and have yet to turn summer brown but you can see it coming the coloration starting to appear in patches, the ball played fine off them though. The rough is decent, however there seems to be a pretty extreme concentration of burrowing squirrels or similar varmint which like to bur row and create holes/mounds adjacent to the rough. As earlier mentioned, the sand traps were complete garbage, we decided to pick up our balls out of the sand as it wasn't worth the effort to hit out. The greens were a bit soggy and soft, but the ball rolled decently albeit slower than most courses.

Considering it's location, there isn't a tremendous interplay of elevation change between tee box and green - there's some but not as much as one might expect. There are a couple memorable holes on this course, the design is an interesting challenge and despite it's oversaturated condition, it's a fun track to play.

Canyon Lakes Golf Club Review
San Ramon California Golf Course Reviews

WET!!! I understand the water conservation in the rough...that doesn't mean double up in the fairways.

WET!!! I understand the water conservation in the rough...that doesn't mean double up in the fairways.

Played 11-16 (Sunday) late afternoon.

Course is BEATEN UP... Recent work on the greens made things terrible. Bumpy, hard, dry and lots of really thin, nearly bare spots. I'm only going to walk f... Continue »

Played 11-16 (Sunday) late afternoon.

Course is BEATEN UP... Recent work on the greens made things terrible. Bumpy, hard, dry and lots of really thin, nearly bare spots. I'm only going to walk for a while on this course as I can feel I am doing my part to get in shape since the course conditions are so poor.

This is somewhat of an update... The course is getting killed by the drought conditions (30% manditory savings) so the rough is mostly dead now and the fairways are hard. Meaning long, long, LONG ro... Continue »

This is somewhat of an update... The course is getting killed by the drought conditions (30% manditory savings) so the rough is mostly dead now and the fairways are hard. Meaning long, long, LONG rolls and you can find your ball in the dead grass on the sides. Greens are holding up as are the tee boxes. This could be a great course if the managment took the time and $$$ to bring it back to it design potential.

So, this is sort of my home course (my home backs up to it) so I am quite familiar with this one. First, there is a TON of competition in San Ramon with several public and private courses in the very... Continue »

So, this is sort of my home course (my home backs up to it) so I am quite familiar with this one. First, there is a TON of competition in San Ramon with several public and private courses in the very close area. Canyon Lakes is not cheap, but it is a challenging course from any tees. The fairways in the spring are in excellent condition as are the greens and tee boxes. The course can be quite busy, so unless everyone pays attention to manners and ediquite, the divots and ball marks can add up. Challenging holes include the par 5s (long and generally narrow fairways) there are quite a few bunkers on this course, and they have needed re-sanding for a couple years. There isn't a driving range, but there are a couple warm-up stalls and a putting green.

When the course is in good condition, the price is OK, when it starts to deteriorate due to weather and wear, it can seem a bit overpriced, so use the twilight and/or senior rates to ease the pain.

Walking this one is a chore as the distances between some holes is a pretty good hike. The elevation changes will also knock you for a loop, so unless you are in good shape and carry a light bag - use the carts.