My first time on this historic course. So many of my East Bay friends have raved about it so I finally had a chance to play it. Paid $37 for the senior rate with a cart and played with two good friend... Continue »

My first time on this historic course. So many of my East Bay friends have raved about it so I finally had a chance to play it. Paid $37 for the senior rate with a cart and played with two good friends of mine plus a capable fourth who was added to our group. But elevation changes starting with the uphill #1 hole then down the slope of #2 and #3. After that it flattens out for some great parkland style holes. I really enjoyed the challenge the holes presented. We played from the middle (white) tees. One thing I could not adjust to was the slow pace of the greens. I think they're the slowest greens I've ever putted on. Overall, a fantastic day with friends on one of the most historic courses in the greater SF Bay Area.

Played 7-24-19 early morning as a single for $38 including cart and finishing in about two hours. Tee boxes were in good shape, mostly level with minimal divot damage on par threes. Fairways mostly in... Continue »

Played 7-24-19 early morning as a single for $38 including cart and finishing in about two hours. Tee boxes were in good shape, mostly level with minimal divot damage on par threes. Fairways mostly in good condition with some minor thin spots. Rough was in decent shape, some thick spots but mostly cut low and easy to hit from. Was not in any bunkers but they looked to be in good shape. Greens were in good shape, semi-soft, smooth and rolling at medium pace.

This was originally supposed to be our third round yesterday, but the course was super packed and we feared we wouldn't finish before dark. Today, we were able to get out there early (3:50) and there ... Continue »

This was originally supposed to be our third round yesterday, but the course was super packed and we feared we wouldn't finish before dark. Today, we were able to get out there early (3:50) and there were no worries of not finishing. We did skip one 3-hole stretch on the front that was super backed up. We played 8-18 and then came back to finish 5-7 without any hassle, which saved us a lot of time and allowed us to finish at a perfect 4-hour pace. This course seems like it is probably always crowded, so you can never expect a super fast round here. Price only $28 with cart on weekday twilight. Conditions were good overall. Tee boxes good. Fairways were nice for the most part with some weak areas here and there. Rough a little less consistent, but generally lush enough in the areas that mattered. There are a lot of native areas with long, golden grass. Looked beautiful, but not always easy to find a ball in it. I wasn't in any bunkers, but they seemed decent from what I saw. The greens were also good, rolling pretty smooth at medium/quick speeds. Plenty of natural slope to contend with. This course is a real hidden gem. "Hidden" might not be the best term, though it is quite tucked away and completely secluded in the hills of Berkeley. However, it's certainly not a secret as it obviously gets a ton of local play. Beautiful setting and fun layout with a real mountain golf feel. A few quirky holes, but never boring and each hole a little different. If you picked this course up and put it in Tahoe, it would demand a high rate. Instead, it is quite affordable and easily accessible in the East Bay. Very recommended, but just brace yourself for a fairly slow round.

Was up in the Bay Area and got to play Tilden Park on a beautiful warm clear day. Great course in the hills above Berkeley running through the redwoods. This a pretty tight course with some very narro... Continue »

Was up in the Bay Area and got to play Tilden Park on a beautiful warm clear day. Great course in the hills above Berkeley running through the redwoods. This a pretty tight course with some very narrow fairways and extremely hilly. The fairways were nice and green but very bumpy with many bad lies. The greens were the best part of the course in excellent condition. Go and enjoy this tricky layout.

Tilden had been one of my favorite places to play, very scenic and serene. However, I went this last Saturday and have never seen a course in worse shape. The fairways and rough were unplayable, the l... Continue »

Tilden had been one of my favorite places to play, very scenic and serene. However, I went this last Saturday and have never seen a course in worse shape. The fairways and rough were unplayable, the length of the grass was absurd. The worst part was that there was no advisory given and the regular rate of $65 applied. Very disappointed and will likely not return again.

This review is about a week late, as I played Tilden on Sunday, March 29th. I grabbed a 7:16 tee time on Golfnow for $55 (which I thought was decent for Sunday in the Bay Area) but when I checked in t... Continue »

This review is about a week late, as I played Tilden on Sunday, March 29th. I grabbed a 7:16 tee time on Golfnow for $55 (which I thought was decent for Sunday in the Bay Area) but when I checked in the guy at the pro shop said I should have booked through the courses website because they give the best prices AND you get a voucher for breakfast AND lunch AND two drinks (which could be beer if you wanted...and I did). I mean, that's a retail value of about $25, right? Anyway, the dude was great, gave us the deal any way, so kudos to Tilden Park for looking out for us.

Onto the course...I'd be hard pressed to think there are more beautiful settings to play a round of golf. Amazing terrain, trees and views all around. You drive about 10-15 minutes from downtown Oakland and are completely isolated from anything. It's amazing. The giant redwood trees, deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, and hawks made for some great wildlife watching (or dodging in the case of angry male turkeys).

I really enjoyed the layout of this course. It's definitely a course where you lose a couple strokes playing it the first time, just because of some interesting sight lines or doglegs, but I never felt it was tricky in any way or anything like that. We played the blues and it was a stout test of golf. The first 3-4 holes are particularly difficult as well as some hearty par 3's (I hit driver, 5 wood and 3 wood on three of them).

As for the condition of the course, I'd give it a 6 right now. The tees and greens had been punched and sanded and were grown out. You could tell however that the normal condition of the greens is probably pretty good because they looked very healthy. The tees need a lot of work. I don't think they get a ton of son for a lot of the year simply because of the huge trees. But the fairways were solid, I never hit into a bunker, and the rough was just enough to be interesting.

I would definitely recommend Tilden to anyone playing in the area. Give it a few weeks to let the greens heal some but it's such an enjoyable and serene place to play, I can't imagine someone not enjoying the walk in the park here...

Tilden Park Golf Course is part of the greater Tilden Regional Park/East Bay Regional Park District system. Located straight up and over the hill from UC Berkeley, this course is laid out over some o... Continue »

Tilden Park Golf Course is part of the greater Tilden Regional Park/East Bay Regional Park District system. Located straight up and over the hill from UC Berkeley, this course is laid out over some of the hilliest terrain possible for a golf course to be situated (Apple Mountain outside of Placerville is the only course more topographically extreme that I've played before). At Tilden there are areas of dense woods, and areas of fairly open golfplay, thus it can be punishing on some holes yet forgiving on others, a nice mix. The course does not feature any standing water hazards, yet there are several creek lined fairways and other environmental hazards that can claim balls should a shot malfunction. Thanks to the hillside topography, the front nine plays more extreme than the back nine, the back nine plays as a more traditional tree lined fairway layout with a more tempered interplay with the elevation changes from tee box to green.

The overall conditions of this course is quite playable, nothing sticks out as being an issue with the maintenance of this course. The tee boxes were level, and even on the par threes the divoting wasn't too extreme. The condition of the fairways were excellent, maybe a few more divots than preferred but nothing offensive, the grass was well established and no barespots encountered. The rough was likewise in good shape, with the exception of being bare to the right side of hole #2 under the Eucalyptus trees. This aside, no issues with the rough. The sand traps were rather standard, seemed like the sand was a bit on the packed side. The greens were pretty basic too, no crazy undulations aside from a few false aprons. The conditions of the greens were fine, they played slower than most other greens which was frustrating but something that could be compensated for as long as you remember they're slow to begin.

I had the opportunity to play this facility twice during the week of 6/3/12, both times at a twilight walking rate of $22, the pace was exceptionally brisk the first time (3.5 hr round), the second round was a bit slower at 4.5 hr. Overall impressions is that this is a very mature course, it plays a bit on the short side though it does have some pretty memorable holes in holes 1, 3, 10 and 12. The practice facilities are adequate though the putting green area is a pinch too small for the amount of traffic which comes through. The pro shop is adequate though it seemed the club house restaurant/bar closed pretty early. Overall I enjoyed the experience here and would certainly play at this location again.

Tilden Park Golf Course Review
Berkely California Golf Course Reviews

I've played here off and on since I was a student at Cal 40 years ago. It is simply one of the most beautiful courses I know of. Pace was pretty good on a Wednesday afternoon, about 4.5 hours. The ... Continue »

I've played here off and on since I was a student at Cal 40 years ago. It is simply one of the most beautiful courses I know of. Pace was pretty good on a Wednesday afternoon, about 4.5 hours. The course was a little muddy in places after recent rains, especially the tee boxes. The greens were in good condition if a little slow. Fairways were in good shape. The redwood trees are beautiful, but they will catch the errant drive. Some holes like #1 demand raw power (I was short of the green after a good drive and a three wood.) Others like #12 require some thought and finesse. Hole #3, one of the prettiest on the course, was closed the day I played and they had jury-rigged a very short par three behind #2 to make up for it. It's a very good workout if you walk, and the price is great.

I play here often since it is nearby. There are many trees and hills to deal with. Spray your drives and you will pay. The greens are usally slow and so is the pace of play. I play here mostly for a g... Continue »

I play here often since it is nearby. There are many trees and hills to deal with. Spray your drives and you will pay. The greens are usally slow and so is the pace of play. I play here mostly for a good walk and nice views. Course is still pretty wet from the recent rains but in decent shape. Fair price.