I played Saddle Creek Golf Club this weekend with a friend. The course has received numerous awards from the golf magazines as being one the top public courses in California. Golfweek has Saddle Creek as “California’s 12th Best Course You Can Play”. So, needless to say, I have been excited to play here.
Saddle Creek is located in Copperopolis, which is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Stockton is the nearest major city, about 45 minutes away in the Central Valley. The course’s setting in the foothills is one of its best characteristics. There are rolling hills with oak trees and a lot of wildlife around. This time of year the yellow tallgrass contrasts nicely against the green turf.
I played the back tees (72.9/136/6826) and while the course isn’t incredibly long – at least by modern standards, I found it plenty difficult. It seems that most holes needed one more or less club on the approach shots. The course requires good decisions off the tee and something less than driver might be the best play, depending on the hole.
I’ve played a few other courses in the foothills and there always seems to be one poorly-designed hole that results from the terrain. However, I think most of the holes at Saddle Creek have a solid design. The 4th, a par-3 that drops about two clubs, was my favorite hole. The green sits at the base of a hillside so it has a good look. The 14th is a 243 yard monster par-3 that felt a bit out of place given the modest distance of the other holes.
The conditions were nice and everything was well cared for. The greens were fast and rolled well. The rough was thick, which made it tough to get chips close when missing a green. My green fee was $65 – very reasonable considering the maintenance.
Overall I’d definitely recommend Saddle Creek to the Sacramento or Central Valley golfer. From the East Bay, where I live, I thought it was worth the drive as well. The layout is good and while the green fee is steeper than average for the area, the course is actually a bit of a bargain for one of the top public courses in the state.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):
