Empire Ranch Golf Club

Excellent design golf course. Well maintained. Very good snack bar/restaurant. Popular golf location. Get a tee time ahead.

I've played Empire Ranch multiple times, and the course conditions have generally been decent. The greens were firm, the bunkers among the better ones in the area, and despite the early morning tee time at 6:40, the fairways—though wet—were well-manicured and in reasonable shape. However, the overall experience left much to be desired. From the very first hole, issues arose. As my group approached the green, a greenskeeper pulled out a hose and began excessive watering—so much so that standing puddles formed on the front half of the green. As we moved onto the putting surface, he continued watering directly behind us, making it nearly impossible to play properly. The conditions were so affected that the group behind us opted to skip the green entirely. Pace of play was another major frustration. Despite starting early to avoid peak crowds and heat, our round dragged to a five-hour ordeal—riding in carts. By the third hole, our second group had already caught up with the first. On the fifth hole, the lead group informed us that the foursome ahead of them would allow them to play through, which should have helped disperse congestion. Yet, despite having three carts, that foursome played at such a sluggish pace that we remained backed up, with multiple groups stacked at each tee box as we made the turn. Compounding the problem was the complete absence of a course marshal—no one to manage pace or intervene in the bottlenecks. Additionally, the beverage cart was nowhere to be seen until we walked off the 17th green, far too late into the round to be of much service. At $84 per round, while not exorbitant by today’s standards, I expect a much smoother experience, one that aligns with the reputation Empire Ranch has built. Unfortunately, today’s round fell far short. It will be some time before I consider returning.

Course is in good shape and for the most part, they do a good job maintaining a respectable pace of play. Good confidence building course too. Pretty wide open.