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Fremont Park Golf & Practice Center
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20 reviews for Fremont Park Golf & Practice Center
Fremont GC holds a special place in my heart. This was where I learned to play golf 15 years ago. I took a class with some of my friends and I've been hooked since. The place has changed alot over the years.
The driving range is ok. There are grass and turf mats, although you will need to bring your own practice tees for the turf mats. Prices are reasonable, specially if you book on-line.
The course is suited more for intermediate players. There's a handful of sand bunkers, quite a few water hazzards, and several wilderness preserve areas. For a 9-hole course, there a quite a few opportunities to use your driver/fairway wood (holes 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9).
If you're having a hard week at work, nothing beats making a late afternoon trip over to the Fremont Golf Course to take advantage of their twilight prices. $12 for nine holes is a price that can't be beat. You can leave your driver in the bag though. This is not an executive course, but two holes that are sub 80 yards long make for some fun wedge action.
I've had my best luck on weekday afternoons, in terms of crowds. On the weekend, especially during the twilight rate hours, you may not make your way through all nine holes. Recently, I had a 4:30 PM tee time, being the latest you would want to play before the sun sets, but I was not given the green light to tee off by the Marshall until a quarter past 5 o'clock.
The range facility has both natural grass and synthetic pads, but the illumination for night time practice is not as bright as the range in Hayward. If you are planning a weekend trip with a group to hack it up, you may want to look into Lake Chabot as an alternative starter course. Their 9 holes course is cheaper by a few dollars but the layout of the course has more character and better natural surroundings.
So far I've just used the driving range here. Open til 10pm weeknights, it's lit, its got both grass and green to swing on, and it's 5 minutes away! Balls are not that cheap, $6/50, $10/100, or $12/150, which is obviously the best deal.
Everyone I've encountered in the pro shop is super friendly, and always give change for $20s, which is cool. I'll update when I get on the course.
They have a great staff, and a fun course. Megan at the pro shop is probally one of there best workers!!!! She helped me with my tee times, I switched them about three times and she was super helpful and happy to accommodate me! Thanks again Megan!
Can't beat Twilight prices when there's light out until 7-8pm.
My friend and I went and played this 9 hole course one afternoon and had a really good time. We paid $12 for the course, one hell of a deal. Most other courses are in the $20 - $30 range for a regular 9 hole, so this was dirt cheap. I don't think I'd pay the regular price, though.
The course is fairly laid out, giving you opportunities to use many of your clubs. It's always fun when you get to take out your driver. We ended up just walking the course, carrying our bags. I don't think there is a real need to get a cart, but of course, they have those available for use.
Just make sure to bring extra balls as there are a bunch of hazards. I was told that they are next to a wildlife preserve of some sort. I ended up losing a few balls.
The driving range was decent too. Their prices are reasonable.
This, so far, has been my only experience with golf...other than miniature style golf... As a Fremont resident, it was nice to finally come here after seeing this place for so many years. The putting green is well maintained, as is the area for chipping. They have quite a few spots for the driving range and you are either under an awning or out in the open where you will either be on grass or in a sandier area. As a novice golfer, I really enjoy coming here with my husband. When our children are a bit older, we will be sure to bring them as well as there appear to be a few families that always bring their children with them to either spectate or play...some as young as 5 or 6 years old.
I have been here twice now, and my husband has been here multiple times to go on their 9-hole course. He said that this is a fairly good beginner's course but for those less-experienced, you may find yourself losing balls much too often in the shrubbery...He said that the shrubbery on the sides of the fairway are a bit much and losing a ball can be easy. Overall, a nice course/driving range with reasonable prices.
My first golf experience* was at the driving range here with a more experienced buddy. The verdict: golf is hard. Dang. "Happy Gilmore" is BS... hockey ability doesn't translate. But yes, the review.
*: besides Golfland and its diabolically designed holes. Like anybody would build a golf course around a windmill. Or three dragons.
Range balls are reasonably cheap, dispensed from a machine. $6 for 50, $10 for 100, $12 for 150. My friend and I split a big bucket of 150. $6 for almost an hour of entertainment (and frustration in my case) isn't a bad deal. (It's even cheaper if you buy a prepaid card.) If you bring your own clubs, you could actually avoid human interaction entirely. Further enhancing the value is the fact that I average at least 1.5 swings per ball. Those whiffs are free, baby! Unintentional, but free!
The driving range has about 30 stalls, almost half of which are in the shade. When we came out on a Sunday afternoon, all the shaded stalls were occupied (mostly by a group lesson). It was warm in the sun, but there was a refreshing cross-breeze from right to left. (Had it been left-to-right, I could blame some of my many poor shots on the wind. Nuts.)
The mats looked pretty good to me, not too worn or anything. The rubber tee thing can be added, but you have to bring your own or buy one for like a dollar.
The area right in front of the mats is live grass, pretty well-kept. The farther area is short colored turf, kind of like Golfland fare. (Sorry, Golfland is my only point of reference.) I wonder why they don't do turf for the whole thing. Seems like that would be easier to maintain... and any reasonable successful shot** is going past the grass to the turf part anyway.
**: rare for me, maybe 10 out of 80? I wish I were kidding.
There's different colored sections of turf to simulate greens, bunkers, water hazards, etc. There's also maybe seven flags, at various distances. I imagine this must be nice for targeting, for people who can actually hit with any semblance of consistency and accuracy. A grayscale map on each stall guard shows the distance to each flag.
There's a putting area right behind the driving range... nice if you want to work on your short game or just don't want to pay for a bucket of balls.
[Update: For an extra $3, you can rent a yellow bucket and can hit balls off the grass at the back of the driving range. As if hitting off mats weren't humbling enough. There's a putting area and even a bunker here for additional practice.]
Golf: humbling.
Fremont Park Golf & Practice Center: not too bad at all.
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Just like Kevin C, this was my first foray into golf. A friend and I were bored one day and decided to hit some golf balls with the two clubs we had. A rusted 7-iron and a busted 3-wood.
Now several months later I have a full set, and have given Fremont Park Golf & Practice Center a few hundred bucks. Golf is a such a money trap but damn is it addicting.
When I first started off here, all I ever did was hit balls off the mat to practice and develop my form. Eventually it lead to me playing the actual course.
The course is pretty difficult, but it's a great way to burn through a couple of hours in the afternoon. I can't count how many times I've lost balls into the water hazards though and also how many times I tried to trudge through the reeds to fish out my balls haha.
It wasn't until mid-summer that I realized that on the opposite side of the driving range was another set of stalls that you can hit off of. This side requires a yellow bucket (3 bucks) so that you can hit off the grass. I love hitting off the grass because it's so much better than hitting off the mat. Hitting exclusively off the mat can lull you into a false sense of security because you'll be railing the balls straight down all day and when you actually have to tee up and play on a course it totally messes around with your game. Whew.....
I also like the putting facility here. It's pretty janky but it does the job. When I go to "church" on Sunday, I'm usually here putting away for an hour. This way me and my homie God can kick it over some putting. Much love man. Much love.
Tip: Run over to the other side of the driving range to pick up the yellow buckets. It saves you 3 bucks. Plus it gives you a good work out walking the length of the driving range.
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The highlight of this course, IMHO, is value.
Yup, it's pretty darn cheap 'cuz for several holes it feels like 'real' golf, as opposed to your standard Par 3 course, yet you don't pay all that much ($20 for 9, plus a $10 replay).
The downside is that it's not very challenging, but certainly great for beginners who have outgrown the pitch and putt courses. I don't consider myself a very good golfer, but I was able to shoot a 2-over on my 2nd round. I don't think I could do that on any other full 9-holes of golf.
There are a few holes that are under considerable maintenance. One hole was shortened considerably (like in half!), and there was no putting green...just a hole dug in the fairway.
There are a few hazards, but mostly this course is pretty friendly...you can stick mostly to irons, and still reach all the Par 4's in 2 (and I don't hit very long).
Overall, good value, and not very crowded, which was a definite plus.
So John B convinced me on a nice summer day to come out here and experience my first foray into golf outside of mini-golf.
Needless to say I sucked. But over the course of the summer as we got better, I started to like Fremont Golf more and more. I actually think the range here is a lot better than the Hayward Golf Range, mainly because of a) the grass area you can hit off of in the back and b) less hundreds of random bugs that attract to the course at Hayward.
The range is great, good value, lots of spots, and like John B said, the grass area in the back. Also they offer two putting greens and a spot for sand and areas you can use your wedge, which is pretty good. We've spent countless hours challenging each other to long putts, which is a good time.
The course itself ranges from medium to hard difficulty (for a novice/beginner). The first hole and the last hole are my favorites - #1 is less than 100 yds, straight shot to the hole you can just 7,8, or 9. Relatively easy and confidence building. The last hole is a 200 yd + straight shot, so its a lot like a driving range (except the wind usually takes my ball into the trees to the right).
The harder holes are in the middle, especially where the marshes and the curves start mixing in with 150-200 yd holes. It can get pretty frustrating for a beginner, just don't use nice balls because you'll lose about 4 or 5 everytime you hit the course.
Oh yeah, some of the staff is pretty abrasive, just come here when its off peak if you are a beginner so they dont get pissed.
I've been golfing for about 8 years now, and I've played a few courses all over Northern California and Fremont park is my favorite par 3 course.
The course isnt too difficult, so it makes it a great place for beginner and intermediate golfers to come and practice. Personally I like to practice bending my shots from the left and right side of the flag( fades, draws) because the course is pretty straight with slight doglegs. Cant really do it anywhere else because doglegs might be too severe, or too many trouble areas.
There are 3 holes where water comes into play, and 4 par 3's. The rest are all par 4's. Wish they had room to make a par 5. =)
The Driving range is great with mats in the front and a grass hitting area in the back. 2 Pitching areas to help with the short game = excellent. Putting area is ok, because it can get crowded on there really quick.
Staff is always friendly, teaching pros seem to know what theyre talking about. (I've never taken lessons here myself, but have listened in some of their sessions.) LOL
The course is nicely maintained. Wish the course was longer. I wonder if theyre going to expand the course on the vacant land behind the 4th hole. =)
The only gripe I have are the newbies that dont fix divots, ball marks, and dont yell fore! when a ball is heading in others directions... but these are gripes I have everywhere else.
Please fix your divots
fix your ball marks on the greens.
and be courteous to others on the field.
Good golfers always do....
Check out their kids camp
and their discount range and play cards if youre there at least 1 time a week.
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The 9-hole course here is one of the harder ones I've played in the bay area. There are marshes that suck your ball in like a magnet. It is a slight trek from one hole to the next, so if you're lazy like me, you might want to get a cart. More par4 holes than your usual par3 here.
Fremont residents get a $2 discount. Regular rate is $18, I want to say. Not a great course for beginners, as it does have some hazards.
This is a practice facility (a decent one at that) with a 9-hole course that winds around Fremont's Central Park wetlands. A relatively new course, so it seems like a work in progress, and it does seem to be progressing.
This review is based more on the course b/c this is where i prefer to do my practicing. I can't stand hitting one ball after another on a mat that resembles nothing you would ever encounter in real playing. Plus I have a short attention span, so repetitive practicing is very duuuuulllllll to me. I'd much rather play the course, and if the pace allows it (and it usually does b/c this place does not get a lot of traffic) don't keep score and try out different shots to get a feel for your game.
Here's the deal here. Weekdays after 4 pm it is $10 for Fremont residents (though i've never seen them card anybody, sssshhhh). Split a small bucket with your playing partner to get warmed up. Stash a few range balls into your bag for the course, cuz the holes are a little narrow and it will eat your balls (hehe, funny writing that). With the balls you can potentially loose here, you're $10 round could easily rise to a $20 round. So once again, ssssshhhhh, and tee up that range ball and try to go for that 220 yard par 4 on one, over grassy marsh lands. Now that's what I call a practice session.
ps. why is Fremont the Bay Area's 4th largest city, and it only provides it's citizens with only a 9 hole course? Damn shame and pretty lame in my book.
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I love the driving range here. The prices aren't too bad and usually there are spots open. The big canopy is great for the summer days when the shades makes things more comfortable...
The staff are nice here. The mats you hit off are kinda hard; it would be nice if they were a higher quality.
Only tried the driving range and loved the obstacles on the range. Unfortunately, there are only 12 covered stalls and with the frequent rainy condition, it sucks to play in the rain.
Other than that, I really like to practice here. BTW, I only tried this on the daytime and haven't had the opportunity to play at night.
I'm still learning the golf game and haven't try the 9 holes yet, but was told it was not a difficult course.
nice driving range....well a driving range is a driving range...and they usually have a lot of open spots so i guess it is a good place to practice. The course is in general, well maintained. Mainly smaller holes but the last hole is a 300 yarder, so this is a good place to practice your irons and you better hit it straight because its narrow. Prices are also very reasonable, i paid 10 bucks the other day for a niner.
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As i grow older an gradually advance in my professional career, picking up the game of golf would be a wise choice. i cant look a noob on the green as i'm cutting multi million dollar deals. the drivign range is decently priced...50 balls for 6 bucks, 100 for 10..and so on. you can rent clubs for a dollar a piece. it was a nice relaxing time, trying to smash golfballs are hard as you can trying to hit certain spots in the yonder. i probably stood out like a sore thumb as my form was probably butt ugly. i saw little ass kids hitting farther than me, poor kids...getting pushed by their parents to be the next tiger woods. in addition to the driving range, there was a putting green, and a short game priactice area..and supposedly 9 holes...on a nice beautiful day, the golf course would be a great place to hit up with the homies, crack some beers, drive the car around, paly a couple holes.
Since I live in Fremont, I figured Fremont Golf would be the first golf center I write a review about. To me, Fremont Golf is more of a practice facility than it is a golf course. If I was writing a review about Fremont Golf based on its 9-hole executive course, my rating would only be 2 stars but because I'm basing my review on the practice facility-side of Fremont Golf, I'm giving it 4-stars.
At Fremont Golf's practice facility, you'll be able to work on EVERY part of your game -- driving, fairway woods, irons/hybrids, wedges, pitching, lobbing, chipping, sand shots, and putting. The practice facility is well maintained and does not look run down. Let me dive into the different practice areas of Fremont Golf.
The Driving Range
No golf practice facility can really be considered a practice facility without it's main attraction: the driving range. The driving range at Fremont Golf is as good as they come. It consists of both covered and open spaces and you can hit off of their high quality heavy-duty thick mats or off of real grass. To hit off of real grass, however, you have to pay an extra $3.00 to get a special yellow-colored basket, which allows you to walk about 350-375 yards to get to the other end of the driving range (the fact you have to pay an extra $3.00 to hit off real grass is my reason for deducting 1/2 star off my rating). Basically, their setup works like this... the spaces that are closest to the pro shop are all matted -- half of which are covered. From these spaces, you'll be hitting balls towards golfers practicing on the other end of the driving range. People on the other end of the driving range are hitting off real grass and are hitting the ball towards the people driving from the mats. The distance is over 350 yards so you really don't have to worry about getting hit by power-hitters. In the middle of the driving range, you'll find different surfaces that were made to look like greens, sand bunkers, and water (not real sand bunkers or water, but as you practice, it helps you visualize your target and what you need to try to avoid).
Short Game Practice
Not everyone who goes to Fremont Golf to practice knows this, but for $2.00, you can rent a tube of 24 balls and walk away from the driving range to a really nice short game practice area. Here, you'll find a nice big green with a nice big green-side sand bunker next to it. The sand bunker is well designed where you can practice your sand shots with either a big tall sand wall or just a small lip. There is grass of varying length around this short-game practice green so you can practice chipping and pitching from either fairway-length grass or THICK rough grass. There are also small hilly-mounds around the green so you can practice your chipping and short-range pitching from different sloping lies. And the nice part is... there is no time-limit on that $2.00 rental tube. Literally, you could go there when they open (around 7:00 am, I think) until they close (10:00pm -- at least during the summer).
Putting
Separate from the short-game practice area which requires rental tube is a practice putting green -- which you can use freely. This putting green is big and has both flat and sloping sections so you can work on distance control as well as reading breaks in the green. The cups are regulation size so holing it will sound like it does when you're playing on the course.
Conclusion
If you're in the Tri-City area (Fremont, Union City, Newark), you owe it to yourself to utilize the Fremont Golf practice facility to work on improving every aspect of your game. In reality, I'd give the practice facility portion of Fremont Golf 4.5 stars but since Yelp only allows us to rate whole stars, I'm going to opt for 4 stars as opposed to 5 stars just because the 9-hole executive golf course there is far less than stellar.
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One of my favorite executive courses. Fun layout with some narrow fairways. Built on preserved land so lots of bad shots end up out of bounds.
Fremont Park has a small 9 hole course, but don't underestimate the short par fours. Lots of OB and narrow fairways makes this a challenging little course, but if you want to break out the big dogs this is not the place to play. Decent driving range, but I prefer to hit off grass vs. mats. All-in-all, you can't beat $10 for 9 holes after work during the week. (oh yeah, don't count on a very quick round b/c there are plenty of hackers out there)
