Played San Juan Oaks yesterday afternoon on my way back home from the valley. SJO is always one of my favorite courses that I really need to play more often. Course is in excellent shape for the mo... Continue »

Played San Juan Oaks yesterday afternoon on my way back home from the valley. SJO is always one of my favorite courses that I really need to play more often. Course is in excellent shape for the most part. Greens were in great shape though in the late afternoon they were starting to show some spike marks, but nothing too bad. For the most part they rolled smooth at a medium fast pace. I’ve mentioned before that the greens at SJO are the perfect combination of challenging yet manageable. Most have two tiers splitting the front and back but the undulations aren’t ridiculous. Breaks are obvious but not horrendous.

Fairways were near perfect! In fact, I’m not sure why I only rated them a 9 and not a 10.

Tee boxes were fine on the par 4’s and 5’s but the par 3’s were chewed up. All tee boxes were level. Sand traps were the main downfall of the course. I was in three and all were just hardpack dirt. Very little to any loose sand.

Layout is fun and challenging all at the same time. Front nine is flat with a couple of water hazards tossed in then the back nine heads up the mountain for some very challenging holes 13-15 and a tough par 4 finishing hole.

Customer service is always excellent at San Juan Oaks. I decided at the last minute to take a cart and they made sure they brought out a freshly charged one for me. Carts do have GPS in them. I believe during covid they were charging a premium for single rider carts. Not sure if that’s the case or not. I played in the afternoon and the “new” higher (post) covid rates are pushing the limits but had I walked the price would have been reasonable for the quality conditions here. I just wish they were open on Mondays so I could get out and play here more often.

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.

Played a late afternoon round after flying in to San Jose, paired up with some young guns and another single. Course is in good to great shape. Only downside is pace of play, everything was good on th... Continue »

Played a late afternoon round after flying in to San Jose, paired up with some young guns and another single. Course is in good to great shape. Only downside is pace of play, everything was good on the front 9 but the back slowed to a crawl and pulled the plug after 17.

Tees were mostly good, level and easy to find a spot, some had a lot of divot damage. Fairways were good. Easy to hit from the few I found. Rough was not to bad and was playable. Sand was good but no rakes and late in the day it appeared a lot of people had been in the bunkers! Greens were good at a medium to fast pace. A little bumpy with a lot of poorly repaired ball marks.

Front nine is pretty average with some good holes, back is where the teeth come out. Probably the cause of the pace of play. If I was in the area I would definitely play again.

I played San Juan Oaks this morning with a mid-morning tee time. I haven’t played here in several months but I always enjoy the course. Conditions are always nice and today was no exception. Layou... Continue »

I played San Juan Oaks this morning with a mid-morning tee time. I haven’t played here in several months but I always enjoy the course. Conditions are always nice and today was no exception. Layout is great with the front nine being flat with a few lakes and twists and turns to navigate. The back nine goes up into the hill with some tough holes that have creeks and gully’s to navigate plus the wind.

Greens at San Juan Oaks are always a pleasure. Medium size with moderate undulations. Enough to keep you focused but not so much you feel you’re on a rollercoaster ride. Greens were rolling at a medium-fast pace and were rolling super smooth.

Fairways were nice and lush and offered both good roll out and a nice hitting surface. Tee boxes were also in good shape. Obviously having been in recovering mode for a couple months has turned this very good course into an excellent condition course.

I wasn’t in any of the bunkers but they looked a little hardpacked. POP was a bit on the slower side at 4:20 but for primetime weekend that’s to be expected. This was the first time I’ve ever walked SJO and it’s doable but there are some elevation changes to contend with so less fit golfers might want to opt for a cart.

The final round on my whirlwind California trip was at San Juan Oaks. I booked my round here about 9 hours before my tee time hoping for a bit of nostalgia. And, that is what I got! I lived in the Bay... Continue »

The final round on my whirlwind California trip was at San Juan Oaks. I booked my round here about 9 hours before my tee time hoping for a bit of nostalgia. And, that is what I got! I lived in the Bay Area for years and played SJO numerous times. I wasn't disappointed this time either and it was nice to return.

The front nine is solid, with mostly parallel holes that play in a small canyon. It is a chance to make some pars/birdies and get off to a good start. The back nine is much more dramatic/demanding and works its way into the hills starting on the 11th hole. There is a double dogleg par-4, a par-4 with a split fairway and two long closing par-4's that play downhill. So, the par-4's on the back nine are probably the highlight's of the course.

San Juan Oaks is a Fred Couples design and while a fade is the preferred shot shape here you can play whatever you like. The fog didn't burn off until about 5 holes into my round so the proshop was great and let me go back out to those 5 holes to get some pics in the sunlight after I finished my round.

For $46 the course was in solid shape. The fairways and tees were lush and the greens were quality surfaces. The fairway bunkers have been neglected (think hardpan and weeds) but the greenside bunkers were playable. I'd recommend SJO for those in the South Bay as it isn't a terrible drive.

I joined DeepSea14 and Eli1488 yesterday at San Juan Oaks for their GK Cup match. Course is in fantastic shape tee to green. We played mid morning and practically had the place to ourselves. No o... Continue »

I joined DeepSea14 and Eli1488 yesterday at San Juan Oaks for their GK Cup match. Course is in fantastic shape tee to green. We played mid morning and practically had the place to ourselves. No one in front of us for several holes and it wasn't until the 17th that a twosome finally started to catch up to us. I've always said the greens here are the perfect balance between size, shape and condition. Yesterday was no excepetion. Greens were a deep green color, perfectly smooth and divot free. Enough undulations to keep you honest but nothing too wild. The only thing keeping the greens from a 10 rating was the fact that they were rolling a bit slower than I prefer. I will add that my putting stroke was off all day so that didn't help. Having said that, I still managed 8 pars and a birdie which attests the great conditon of the greens. They easily held approach shots from every club. Fairways were a solid 8 rating. Very green and lush throughout. A couple of areas were a little soggy from watering and there was the occassional light brown patch mixed in but overall the fairways were top notch. Tee boxes were also top quality. Very lush thourhout and the divots that were present had been completely filled in with sand. My guess is maintenance had gone around and filled in the divots on the tee boxes. Sand traps continue to be the achilles heel of the track. They are ok but but certainly the low point of the place. Weather was perfect but I will add that the wind does kick up in the afternoon. We had a 1-2 club wind during the back nine. Customer service is great all around and the young gal in the pro shop is just absolutely fantastic. Her hussle, knowledge, friendliness and professionalism is top notch. Not sure if they have new carts or I just didn't remember from last time here, but the carts now have full GPS systems in them. The only "down side" to the entire place is that during mid week the restaurant has limited hours. They are only open from 11a-3p which we missed on both ends by 20 minutes! I highly recommend San Juan Oaks. It's a very fun track (see my previous reviews for the layout) with great conditions.

Just a quick update from my review a couple of weeks ago. Greens are back to being soft and receptive to approach shots. Well struck shots would easily stick and hold on the green. Greens were sti... Continue »

Just a quick update from my review a couple of weeks ago. Greens are back to being soft and receptive to approach shots. Well struck shots would easily stick and hold on the green. Greens were still rolling a little slower than usual. Especially the front nine. Overall course conditions are great all around right now sans the bunkers. Found myself in two greenside bunkers and they were both hardpan dirt. Bunkers were a 4 (at best) everything else is an 8+.

POP was miserably slow. Where as I caught it perfect a couple of weeks ago, today was just the opposite.

Played San Juan Oaks yesterday mid morning and time it perfect. Morning rush was already way out in front and the afternoon crowd was an hour behind. Course conditions are excellent right now. The... Continue »

Played San Juan Oaks yesterday mid morning and time it perfect. Morning rush was already way out in front and the afternoon crowd was an hour behind. Course conditions are excellent right now. They aerated their greens a few weeks ago and they are about 90% healed. All greens rolled super smooth with rarely a pitch mark to be found. Greens were a tad slower than normal but not bad at all. They were a little firmer than normal. High lofted clubs easily stuck but hybrids and such were a challenge to get to stay on especially with the back pin locations.

Fairways were very nice. Green and lush. Easily a 8-8.5 rating. In fact the entire course was a solid 8-8.5 rating. Tee boxes were fine on the longer holes but the Par 3's were still showing signs of maintenance with a lot of sand covering them. I have no complaints with some overseeding a couple of times a year to keep the course in great shape the rest of the time.

Somehow I avoided bunkers all day. Must have been because I spent the previous day practicing bunker shots in the back yard after replacing the sand in my bunker. Lol.

Course layout is always fun and challenging. Back 9 goes up into the hill with several elevation changes and some forced carries around and over the dry creeks and crevices.
Front 9 is flat but does have water on 8 & 9 to keep things interesting as well as a forced carryover the dry creek on the par 5 2nd hole.

Customer service is always great here. With the surrounding hills being very green right now from all the rain and the course being in its usual great condition, it's a great time to play San Juan Oaks. Highly recommended.

Played in the afternoon of 9/11/18, as a single on a slow afternoon. Only saw one other group, a twosome that I caught after about 7 holes and who let me play through around the turn. POP was therefor... Continue »

Played in the afternoon of 9/11/18, as a single on a slow afternoon. Only saw one other group, a twosome that I caught after about 7 holes and who let me play through around the turn. POP was therefore very good.

Course was generally in good condition. Tee boxes all were level and well covered and fairways were excellent, firm but lush. The rough was thick enough to be punishing but not long.

I didn't love the greens, which had a slightly spongy quality that I've seen at some courses and that I don't love. Quite soft and it sometimes keeps putts from seeming to roll true. Not sure what it is that causes this, perhaps afternoon growth or watering? I'm not an expert, but that would be my biggest complaint.

I was in two bunkers and also found those to be wanting, as both were severely lacking in sand.

On this day they were playing the back nine first, which is a strange way to play the course because the back is by far the more dramatic of the two nines and there's little doubt it was laid out to build toward those dramatic holes. The par 5 15th isn't a great hole but otherwise I mostly enjoyed the back. The front started well and I thought maybe this was a case of the less dramatic holes being even better than the holes on more dramatic land, but after the first four the front nine lost all interest. 5-8 are pretty forgettable and 9 is memorable simply by virtue of being a reachable par 5 with water in play.

It's a tough course overall, but a lovely, serene setting. Coming from Phoenix playing golf without houses surrounding you is a real treat. I would happily return.