Stevinson Ranch Golf Club

For fifty years, I have been a permanent resident of Stevinson but have not lived there for a while… earning advance education degrees. At least twice a year, my husband and I would travel to Stevinson and stay at the cottages at Stevinson Ranch Golf Course.
With the many hotels in nearby towns, we could have stayed elsewhere, however; we chose to stay at the cottages at the golf course because we saw them as home away from home. The house-​keepers were visible and addressed all of our concerns such as replacement of condiments for the room.
After traveling from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area to Stevinson, it was comforting to know that a warm personable staff was there to greet us.
I can not end this review without saying that the Kelley family created not only employment opportunities for the locals, provided the opportunity for golfers to play their game on a challenging course, but having Stevinson Ranch Golf Course embedded in the sleepy and arid grounds of the San Joaquin Valley gives everyone passing through the course the opportunity to experience the ranching/​farming community; a hard-​working community who provides a large percentage of food for this country! Also, the locals are exposed to people who are traveling from various locations in California and for some, from out-​of-​state For my husband and I, Stevinson Ranch Golf Course; The Jewel of the Valley is just that, A JEWEL!

My first visit to Stevinson Ranch was through a men’s club to which I belonged and, living in San Jose, I wondered why in the world would we arrange a tournament in the middle of nowhere. After playing the course and experiencing the terrific staff, it has become one of my two favorite courses. The quality and maintenance of the course is top-​notch as is the driving range, chipping area and putting green. With a variety of tee boxes to choose from, you can make it playable for just about any handicap. Just as almost ten years ago, the staff remains terrific. My only regret is that the course is an hour and a half from my home. If you want just about as good a golf experience as one could imagine, for an extremely reasonable cost, go play Stevinson Ranch… the drive is more than worth it.

This course is way out in Stevinson, the fairways were in great shape, the golf carts have gps on them which give you distance to front middle or back. The greens were in decent shape a lot of divots left no one was fixing there divots. The staff is very friendly, I’m giving it three stars because i feel like there are other courses to play that are on the same price level which are more fun, saddle creek in cooperpolis, great course fun holes, callippe preserve in Pleasanton nice fun course same price, even Diablo grande. There is nothing wrong with Stevinson, but when you see the rated 5 stars in golf digest your thinking wow this is going to be a fun great course with lots different holes, it’s pretty wide open.

I’ve heard about this course for years so I was anticipating a memorable round.
First, this review has nothing to do with the people working there… each and everyone we encountered were just great! Anyhow, the drive seemed endless as we kept saying, is this right, how can there be a course out here. For $ 65 on Sat it’s not worth the drive nor is the course anything memorable or interesting. Yes there is a rural livestock odor in the wind. yes there are about 10 billion flies everywhere –could be a Sci-​fy movie. yes the mosquitos bite as do the yellow jackets. oh back to golf… it was just a flat somewhat uninspired layout that compensated with trick out elements. Bottom, I didn’t enjoy the round and can’t ever imagine returning… oh don’t forget the Valley Fever issue which is important to know about if they Are plowing the fields

I played Stevinson Ranch last weekend. Really disappointed. I understand that we’re in the middle of a drought and the course won’t be as green and lush as we’re used to. I can deal. Why is it, however, that they had to close the range down twice that morning to shag balls? Really? Go buy some more balls! The greens used to be lightining fast. Nothing special now. They have done a nice job with the new clubhouse/​restaurant, so kudos for that. Feels like a bit more attention to detail would bring this course back to it’s former glory.

You won’t find a more interesting and challenging golf course in the valley than Stevinson Ranch. It has a fantastic variety of holes, from driveable par fours to, scary par threes and «Oh My God I better not miss the fairway here» par fours and fives. You won’t be bored if you play this course, even if you’ve played it twenty times before.
It’s unfortunate that the clubhouse and restaurant burned down, but you’ll still get good service and good food out of the temporary buildings they’ve set up.
I’ve been to several events that utilize the outdoor grill and large covered patio area. They always do a good job on the food and the area is large enough for a tournament with a hundred or more players. If you’re putting on a tournament this is a great place to do it.

Recently played here for a junior golf tournament and spent the night in one of the onsite cottages. All in all, a nice weekend of golf and stay on the ranch. The course was quite challenging, especially in the afternoon when the winds pick up. The back 9 was much more challenging than the front. Starting from hole 14 until 18. If it is windy, good luck. Easily 1 – 2 clubs up to hit he greens. The course looks much easier than it is. The cottage was clean and of good size. It could sleep up to 4 (2 adults and 2 children). Very basic amenities and small kitchenette with microwave, refrigerator, sink, and coffee pot. Also, there is a small swimming pool and hot tub on the premises (both clean during my visit) as well as a small gas grill in the pool area. One downside was the clubhouse/​food and bar area was inundated with flies and had to be shut down (not their fault). Needless to say, there is not much else to eat nearby so it was an inconvenience. The staff was nice enough to keep the kitchen open long enough to get me some food. Overall, nice staff, decent accommodations, and good golf. IMO, a hidden gem in the middle of no where.

We stayed in one of the cottages and were pleased with the accommodations. We don’t play golf, so can’t comment on that aspect. The staff was very helpful with our group (watercolor painters) and we definitely will be back next year. We enjoyed the wildlife refuges nearby.

I have been golfing this course off and on for years. I started coming out when it first opened and have did the stay and play packages a few times. I divorced my love for golf for a while and recently decided to rekindle that old love hate relationship. I came here with the wife and we had a nice afternoon tee time. The first thing that was a huge disappointment or should I say sadness to me, was he old restaurant/​clubhouse was burnt down. Obviously this is no fault of the course or management, I just wanted to wife to see how beautiful it was. The temp area was set up and was nice.
The course was exactly how I remembered it and it played true to form. Some of the easiest looking holes played the hardest. It definitely makes a golfer think. The greens were nice and they have quite a few tee for people to play from. I got a kick out of the players tee (red), I used those since my wife was playing from them, but I don’t care what they are called, they were still RED! Anywho I really enjoyed the course.
We stopped in the bar area after wards and had a few drinks, the prices were very good and the pours were well sized. Everyone that we encountered at the course made us feel special. I know this phrase gets used a lot with Stevinson Ranch, but I will use it again. They are the Gem of the Valley.
I wish they were not so far from home, but they can count on use making a few trips this summer, many of them over night stays!

Great greens… good layout. Played in light drizzle on feb 7… winds were gusting to 20 mph that day and that made it play pretty tough and long. Best greens I have maybe ever played. layout was fairly vanilla except for 18 and a few others. Pretty sparse temp pro shop and deli until they rebuild. I expected more given the reputation but should probably give more credit given the time of year and great course conditions.

This is a challenging golf course that really sneaks up on you. Despite the seemingly open fairways you need to have accuracy or a bag full of golf balls since they seem to disappear in the rough. The staff was very accommodating and helpful, and I really loved the club house special at the turn with not just hot dogs but polish dogs readily available for a juicy bite to keep the round going strong. The only complaint I had was the greens seemed a little inconsistent but that was just the transition and the weather, as I heard in the summer they play really well.
I did enjoy myself at this course but I would recommend bringing your bug spray as I walked away with some nasty mosquito bites even though we were well into the fall. I’ll visit again the next time I’m in the area.

This is one of my favorite courses. I grew up playing this course. My dad had a membership here for several years and i played when i was younger. I also was on the golf team in high school and this was the course we practiced on. Unfortunately i have to pay for my own golf now and its a pretty expensive course to play which i think is the only knock on the course. I heard the green fees may be lowering next year, but i will probably still go here a few times a year even if they do not.

Golf is always fun.

Great course. Very well maintained!

We enjoy driving to check out different. golf venues around bay area. FINALLY hit up this course. Home spun kindness great layout and fantastic. service from front desk to restaurant. Yes the drive is 90 minutes from San jose area but a great retreat. with good conversation. during ride. Long par 4s and not a boring layout. that’s YOU Cinnabar. Hills. If you half a tank full of gas and need nice people and a true test check out STEVEINSON RANCH. Gofertravel gives the thumbs up

Played out here more than a few times and I’ve come to really enjoy it because of it’s surroundings. it’s nice to come out here and play while enjoying the peace and quiet. The fairways are always in good shape and the greens, although not always in the greatest condition, are fast and challenging. Each hole is fairly straight but the hazards create plenty of difficulty. I highly recommend playing here, it really is one of the best in the valley just don’t forget your bug spray because the Mosquitos will be dining on you otherwise. Twilight greens fees are very reasonable!

Great course. Difficult at times but well worth the time and money. My wife rode along with me but didn’t play. What a great day together. I shot a 90 which is for me a personal best. I will return often even at the $ 80 price.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Stevinson Ranch. It ranks 5^th in the Readers Choice for golf courses in the NATION, which is quite the endorsement. My friend Tony got a $ 100 gift card and was kind enough to share it. We both paid $ 45 instead of $ 95 — and I grabbed his lunch.
We hit some balls at the range (free) and rolled a few putts. Our name was called and we headed to the first tee. The course was in «ok» shape. Tee boxes and fairways were in great shape, but the greens were beat to hell. (The regular that we were paired with said he’d never seen them so beat up). I assumed the place would be empty with little play, but it was PACKED. By the looks of the green, it probably gets a lot of play actually.
The course was pretty long, and wind plays a MAJOR factor. They call the last three holes, the Gauntlet, because they are already difficult — but the wind really moves your ball around. There was a lot of water, but what made things most difficult was the crapload of «Savannah» grass along every hole. You can see exactly where your ball went in, but it was nearly impossible to find anyway. This stuff ate more balls than even your most famous porn queens.
I read about the smell of the cow pasture, but didn’t have an issue with it. And it was 99 and baking pretty good out there. Wind and tall grass is the true enemy at Stevinson Ranch. Not cow dung.
Friendly staff, including getting the «I want to rip your clothes off, city boy» looks we got from the cougars working the bar. I’d definitely go back, but wouldn’t pay $ 95 and drive 90 minutes for it.
Somewhere between San Juan Oaks and Yocha De He. 4.25 stars!

Beautiful course with very friendly and obliging staff. Greens role real nice on the fast side, fairways in great shape, not many blind shots, good rates and offers.
Stevinson Ranch mean it when they say fun is a priority.
Love it, cant wait to get back there and tear it apart :)

A challenging links style golf course with fast hard greens. Golfers should play SR at least once. It’s a 2 hr drive from SJ, but you can stay overnight and enjoy being out in the country. The people are friendly and the course will provide all the excitement that you need. SR has 5 tee boxes to choose from so it’s friendly to all. We were able to play at a good pace, we finished our round in under 4 hrs.
Most of the holes had good sight lines, a couple of them had blind approach shots to the pin. There are a few water holes for variety. If your ball was off the fairway in the tall rough, it’s impossible to reach the green. Getting up and down required all of your attention. The pins were guarded by shaved banks, bunkers (some very deep) and the greens had subtle undulations. Even in wet weather, the greens were still slick — if your putting downhill, hit it softly or else you’ll be off the green.
We spent 2 days there, played 2 rounds with an overnight stay in the cottage. The cottages are small, a living room and bedroom and a tight bathroom. It’s not the Ritz, more like a Motel 6 and it’s clean. The club house has a bar and restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was fine and the service was even better.
I gave it a 4 star because the course is challenging yet rewarding, every hole requires a good shot yet it’s not overly difficult for someone who may have an 18 handicap. It’s in the middle of farming country, the nearest town is 25 mi. away so it’s perfect if you’re looking for a focused golf outing.

Just a nice course. That’s it. Nothing really makes it a fantastic experience nor a bad one either. A friend of mine was raving about the place calling it the best course in NorCal. I think said friend may be hitting the bottle a wee too much, if you know what I mean.
7100 yards and a 142 slope from the back tees makes it long and difficult. There are a lot of bunkers, hazards to carry, and a few small water features. It’s one of those courses that isn’t that difficult if you stay in the fairway. However, the moment you hit into a rough or hazard, scores begin to skyrocket. It’s definitely easy to completely lose it on a single hole ala Greg Norman or that French Bozo from the British Open years ago.
The day we were out here the greens were in downright horrible shape. They told us they had been sanded and punched over 3 weeks ago. Impossible. They looked like they had been sanded within the last 3 days.
The other thing that got me was the smell. Even while we were still miles out, we started sensing this growing overpowering smell of animal feces. Unfortunately, it wasn’t cow or horse manure. It was something much, much worse. It never went away for all 18 holes, although by the Back 9 your nostrils are burned out enough that it stops being a problem.
They do have a driving range where the range balls are included with the greens fee.
The restaurant and bar have decent food and drinks, but it is still your typical muni/​public golf course meal selection. Burgers and sandwiches. A couple friends stayed in the bungalows on-​site and said they were nice but far too expensive. I haven’t seen them myself.
This course is a solid two-​hour drive for those living in the SF or San Jose areas. I would recommend someplace closer unless you are in the CA central valley anyway. Then this place is a definite «yes.» I’d like to give this course a second try, but I can’t see myself doing it for full price + a two-​hour drive.