After recommending San Juan Oaks to Long4par last week, I realized I hadn’t played it in quite some time so it was time to head out to Hollister with an 8:40 tee time. Weather was absolutely beautif... Continue »

After recommending San Juan Oaks to Long4par last week, I realized I hadn’t played it in quite some time so it was time to head out to Hollister with an 8:40 tee time. Weather was absolutely beautiful. Sunny low 60’s and little to no wind. SJO can get chilly in the morning often resulting in frost delays and the afternoons are super windy, especially in the summer. It was nice to time it perfect today.

Course conditions did not disappoint at all. Conditions ranged from real nice to excellent. Greens were in super condition rolling smooth at a medium-fast pace. Greens are spacious and offer a nice balance between challenging but manageable.

Fairways were great. In fact they were just under perfect. I was pleasantly surprised to see how green and lush the fairways were. Rough was also in very nice condition. Rough was only about 2” thick or so but plenty lush. Tee boxes were a mixed bag. All in decent shape but some had some crowning and others had a few too many divots. I was only in one greenside bunker which was a little thin in the sand department but playable for sure.

I love the layout of this track. The first 11 holes are flat yet there are four water hazards (only two really come into play) to add to the aesthetics and challenge. Holes 12 through 18 are up and down the side of the mountain to throw some elevation changes into the mix.

Another reason to like this course is that all four par 5’s are completely different from each other as are 3 of the 4 par 3’s.

I walked and saw a handful of others doing the same. It’s doable but the back nine is a bit of a kicker if you’re not in decent shape. Based on some of the other groups it looks like single rider carts. Unknown if they charge a premium for solo carts or not. Standard covid rules in place. Facemasks inside the pro-shop, flagsticks remain in with a plastic ring halfway down the cup, no rakes in the bunkers. Range and putting green open.

Customer service is very friendly making San Juan Oaks a definite recommended play.