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Lake Chabot Golf Course
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28 reviews for Lake Chabot Golf Course
This is a wonderful twighlight golf course. I think a round after 4pm is ~$20 with a cart. However, it gets dry late in the season so I recommend going before the summer months. They upgraded their golf carts recently (don't walk the course!) and I hear they are planning to redesign some holes so it should get nicer. It is still a must try course because they have a signature par 6 18th hole. Some of the dry fairways are worth it to get to this last hole. It's elegantly laid out on a steep downhill slope that curves left and then all of a sudden shoots back up at a 45 degree angle to a tiny green with always an impossible pin placement. If you hit a good drive you'll make the downhill slope and that in itself is a beautiful feeling.
Practice putting green is nice.
Driving range is poor. It's sloped with old mats and poor flag markers.
You sign up for a free birthday round at this course online.
And they are leanient with the rules so I've seen lots of 5-somes make it out there. Its a fun course and you'll meet some great people.
Great place for intermediate or beginning golfers to work on their game.
After a recent comprehensive facelift & course improvements, Chabot has become a semi-secret gem. It was in bad condition for many recent years and many golfers think it is still like that. Solid work was completed on the course making it currently one of the best golf deals in the bay area in terms of price to course condition ratio. This is true for the 18 hole or 9 hole course. Yes, there are a few similarly-priced courses but they are generally in much worse condition than Chabot or are a 1+ hour drive from SF/O.
Chabot is not world class, it is simply one of the best values currently in the bay area for a decent and at times more than decent course. http://sfbaygolf.com associate editor Mike Roth writes "No. 18 is one of the best finishing holes I have ever played. A 600-yard (673) par 6. That's right, I said par 6; apparently one of the last ones around."
Sample prices: $9 for the decent 9 hole course, $10 - back 9 starting at 4 pm weekends, $25 Monday special for 18 holes including cart, etc.
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Last Saturday, we had a round here and I decided to carry. What a workout!!! (Note to self, think twice before doing that again in the near future.) Pulling would have been more preferable but, "Noooooo!!!" so up and down and up and down we went for the 18-hole. It seems we walk down one hill and up the other on every hole. Damn it, we actually did! To put it in perspective, after I carried here, carry at Summit Point is a breeze, the same goes for Cinnabar Hills and Presidio. The only exception would be the Ranch where it is impractical to carry and maintain a reasonable pace of play.
The pace of place on this particular day was slow. The course layout was interesting but not difficult. Like the Ranch, the constant up and down terrain contributes to the perception of difficulty. The challenge for this course is to know where to place you ball on the fairway. Take Hole 18, for an example, it is a par 6 with 656 yards from the white tee however, the majority of this yardage is downhill with only the final 120 yards is uphill. A good 250-yard drive to the left side of the fairway will allow your ball to roll downhill for quite a way, thus, shorten the hole. A good drive, a good 3-wood and a decent chip put you on the green in regulation (3). Do this and you will be putting for Eagle!!! =) (I, on the other hand, only managed a Par. I played the hole on the right side of the fairway with minimal free roll. I drove, 3-wood, and a 9-iron onto the green.)
The staff was very accommodating in rescheduling of our tee-time. Watch out for golfers and balls while driving in. Stop and yield to avoid broken windows!!!
3.5 stars
=)
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Gotta love the par 6 and the view!!!
I recently came here for the very first time for an event (1st Annual Women in Golf Day at Lake Chabot) and enjoyed all the amenities at this golf course. Tucked in the Oakland Hills with stunning views of the city of Oakland and the surrounding bay area, I was not surprised at the hilliness of the golf course and the potential challenges it has for golfers.
This event at Lake Chabot Golf Course was ideal in that allowed participants to try out the driving range (which stands on top of a hill) and putting green (two spacious areas) as very knowledgeable golf instructors explained different techniques to the whole group or provided instruction on a one-to-one basis. Overall, the practice facilities here are great for improving one's golf game or to loosen up before one's tee time.
Given the very reasonable tee rates, I will definitely return to Lake Chabot Golf Course not only to improve my skills at golf but also to play on the hilly golf course.
I've played the entire full length course, and here's what I've got to say about it:
PLAYABILITY - The holes (especially for the first nine) like to play either heavily sloping up or down. Be prepared to walk a crap-ton if you don't get a cart. I am not a fan of electric carts, but this is one exception. You will be huffing and puffing if you decide to walk! I walk Tilden all the time, and I can't believe there is a course so much hillier than that one.
MAINTENANCE - Fairways are pretty well manicured. Greens are decent. Both are better kept than those at Tilden Park.
PACE OF PLAY - If you walk, it will take you 3 hours just to walk the first 9. And this is walking at a decent, "I'm in shape" pace.
VALUE - LOVE the $10 rate after 4pm. At the rate the sun is going down, you can get at least 9 hole (and probably more) in before it gets too dark!
LAYOUT - Not a fan of the fact that you have to walk across the entire length of the first hole to get from the front 9 to the clubhouse. I think it's a scheme for you to be so tired by the time you get to the cafe that you HAVE to buy a snack and an extra drink. Sneaky sneaky!
Anyway, I love that this place is so close to Berkeley. And that it's cheap and an enjoyable experience. I recommend it!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/15/2009
I love playing their 9 hole executive course. It's a great walk up and down hills, and you get a… Read more »
My favorite golf course in the bay area. Interesting holes, cheap green fees, and good food. Play speed is usually about medium (4 and a half hours).
Played here for the first time monday and even though the course kicked my ass something fierce, I cant wait to go back. Beautiful course tucked in the Oakland hills with very nice manicured greens. Get a cart though! I've never seen so many hills on a course and 90% of my shots seemed to be off a decline or incline slope. Definitely a challenge for even experienced golfers (and almost impossible for hackers such as myself).
My two favorite holes were the 9th hole with the 100+ ft drop and the ever imposing part 6 18th hole. Both are very unique and kept the round exciting!
Stop by mondays for their $25 special fees and cart special. A great deal on a great course!
Very long course. The elevations are riduculous. The tee could be fifty yards higher or lower depeding on your hole. The last hole is a par 6, 600 yard-ish hole. There are lots of par 4's and par 5's. It seemed like almost every hole was a "driver" hole. At least the fairways are fairly large.
By the way, on their website, they mention picturesque view of Oakland. Well, they were right. The views come up around the 16th tee and you can see Oakland, the Bay Bridge, and even San Francisco. It was pretty cool.
One thing I didn't enjoy so much was feeling a bit rushed because there were some decent people playing behind us. We ended up letting them play ahead of us. If you go early, expect to wait a bit, as we saw plenty of golf carts waiting on the later holes as we first drove into the course.
My buddies and I went on a Saturday afternoon. It cost us $39 each for their 18 hole course and carts. I recommend joining their online mailing list for discount coupons.
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I have avoided Chabot for the past few years for all of the reasons listed by others. I went again in November and found BRAND NEW carts. Greens in FANTASTIC shape. I was shocked! The Pro Shop seems to have a new and much more friendly and professional staff.
Carlotta runs the grill on the course. It's a REAL grill, flames and all. I have seen her there on Thanksgiving Day and New Years Day too! She is always friendly, smiling and throwing down the cheeseburgers and dogs to keep you from starving! The grill is at the end of 11. Have the group in front of you order your food or just scream out CHEESEBURGER from the fairway! Carlotta will fix you up!
Some of the holes are a little silly, granted. Blasting off of tees that are 70+ feet above the fairway can lead one to think they are a Blue Tee player when they should have stuck to the whites. At least they make you think about HOW to play the shot. It is one of the better courses for views!
I am tossing in an extra star for the fact that I am so damn happy for the improvements they have made! 3 Stars Plus 1 for trying to fix the place up! Way to go!!!!
Deep in the hills of east Oakland lies one of the Bay Areas older public golf courses. There are tall, mature trees that towers over the fairways and with all the elevation changes from shot to shot, this makes for an exciting yet challenging round.
Tee shots are spectacular here as you can watch your ball fly in a backdrop of sky and mountainous wooded terrain. The greens are quite fair and surprisingly flat for a very hilly course. There are a couple of crazy holes here which fuels the stories back at the club house bar. There's a par 3, 150 yards which drops straight down. A simple wedge shot will do the job and watch it drop and hope for the best of luck. There's also the par "6" 18th which is some 600+ yards which has more ups and downs than a roller coaster. The slopes on this hole are so severe that it is quite dangerous to bring the golf cart outside the paved path and so severe that it almost makes it impossible to ever get a clean shot off. Treat it like the roller coaster that it is and it's all fun.
Extra star for having great deals in the late afternoon/twilight. Great views and exciting golf for $23 with a cart, you can't beat that with a stick.
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First off, ignore any reviews here prior to 2008 - since they've upgraded the course (and, I gather, the carts), most of the complaints are now moot. They do have a functioning bar, a decent grill and the course was well-maintained.
That being said, I had a blast playing here just after New Years. Of course, I picked the only day that week that it rained, but it only dripped the first 4 or so holes. The crazy thing was the FOG. Many of the longer holes, you were shooting right into the fog layer and had to pray you saw the flight of the ball so you could know where to look. Last week was an unusual week for fog, so I wouldn't expect this on a regular basis, though. Even though that was challenging, it was pretty cool.
I'm a fairly high-handicapper, so the course was a challenge with many holes teeing off from a high elevation, shooting down to a lower elevation, then back up to a high green. Very few flat lies for your shots. That being said, I can't wait to go back here in the summer when the course is dry and I can get more distance. The views are outstanding from the later holes, and even for the casual player, you have a lot of fairway to work with. The all-electric carts (a must, as this course is HILLY) worked great - plenty of power. The 9th was awesome (the 150-yard dropoff was almost totally covered in fog!), and I nearly cleared the ridge on the 18th (if only the fairway was dry, darn it!). Course was maintained very nicely and folks were friendly. Wish the driving range was larger so I could practice with driver and woods, but c'est la vie.
Love this place. It's beautifully tucked away in the Oakland hills off 580. How much do I like it? I still play this course about 3 times a year despite living in the South Bay. Green fees are reasonable and they recently upgraded to electric carts late earlier this year. The staff is friendly and helpful as well. In terms of difficulty, this course is suited more for intermediate level players. Fairways are pretty wide but there are alot of elevation changes resulting in hitting a fair number of shots on uneven lies. Long hitters will love this course, including the infamous par 6 18th hole, not to mention holes 3/4/5 where the big stick is called for. There are many memorable holes with spectacular views and layouts - my favorites are holes 9 (drop from a cliff), 16 (tee shot over a valley), and 18. My only complaint is the driving range, which is small, limiting players to short irons only. Also, be careful playing there after several days of rain. It's nestled in the hills so drainage is poor in certain areas making play difficult.
3 star course, 4 star value, and i rounded up because i shot well.
The good:
- course is in very good shape for a muni course in the bay area, consistent greens, nice fairways
- the views, of the surrounding countryside and the city are spectacular
- fun holes, a par 6, a par three with a 200 ft drop, a few blind shots and only a few really basic holes
- the price, got a cart and 18 holes for $45 on a weekend morning, not many better deals around
- the service, awesome food at the turn and really nice pro-shop reception (i had a foursome booked but only three showed - he was great about it)
The bad:
- slow, this is my only real complaint, but i get the sense getting a round through in less than 5 hours is a rarity
- limited challenges beyond up and down slopes, no bunkers, no water, and thin rough
- not really a negative, but don't try and walk this course - just not worth it
- windy (wasn't when i was there) but i can imagine this course can play really tough with bad wind
The in between:
- very casual course, a lot of guys just out there to have a good time, can be good, can be bad
I am going to defend my home golf course, where I learned to play. A lot of people bash this place because they have unrealistic expectations.
Like the rest of the City, this course offers funk, weirdness and beauty. You better be able to handle hilly lies, side hill, down hill, up hill to score.
Some of the views on the back nine and from the 8th and 9th holes dazzle. Check out the panoramic view from the 14th hole, especially around sun set.
The greens tend to be small and slow. Fairways are usually wide and cupped, with little sand on the course. The course demands an array of shots and you better be able to chip because they have let the rough grow around the greens.
The entrance/exit road to the course cuts through about 5 holes on the course, kind of weird. If you are looking for a plush country club butt-kissing course--this ain't your place.
I walk the course, and as an Oakland resident I get a $10 twilight. The par 6, yes Par 6, 18th is the bomb!
So much promise, yet so little is delivered. Played here the first time yesterday. The views from a number of the holes on the Back 9 were fantastic. At times you can see from the Dumbarton in Palo Alto all the way to San Francisco. This is the result of winding your way gradually uphill the entire length of the course. In other words, USE A RIDING CART.
The Par 6 18th is neat given it's novelty factor. (Of course, my third shot ended up 2 inches short of the green.) Another interesting hole is the Par 3 7th which is literally a cliff. Take off 3 clubs, hit the ball into the open air and watch it fall. Silly, but kind of neat.
The course is in need of some serious repair. Lots of brown fairways and the greens are bumpier than a mid-puberty teenager's face. The worst part is the complete lack of organization. My tee time was 11:22am. I ended up teeing off at 11:58am. No one seemed to think this was odd. Further, no one announces tee groupings. You basically wander to the first tee box and start asking the other 12 to 16 people standing there what their tee time is. There are so few riding carts that you have to grab one as someone comes off the 18th hole.
The entire course is quirky as you're constantly either playing uphill or downhill. The Par 3 12th is the only hole I remember being flat. So, while the course is a relatively short 5,976 yards, I think it actually plays a little tougher than the 68.6/115 course/slope rating the NCGA gave it.
I would reccomend everyone play this course once for two simple reasons. First, it was dirt cheap. $39 on a weekend for a non-resident with cart. Second, I don't think it's going to be around much longer, especially given the state of disrepair. Given that the City of Oakland could probably sell the land for $200 million or more, I have a feeling it won't be long before they start screaming "Show me the money!"
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I really don't get the problems people have here with Chabot.
Was closed, almost sold and turned into condos, then renovated and re-opened. The re-opening was the best thing for local golf.
The Good:
*remodeled clubhouse, not huge but nice, good 19th hole and ok snack shop
*On course snack hut after the turn, (no beverage cart)
*18 holes and a decent 9 hole short course
*nice putting greens (two of them)
The Bad
*Slow if crowded
*Some holes have bad fairways
*Can get windy
I go out here at least once a week. A weekday round, twilight with cart is $26. Yes. $26. Usually it's slow on a weekday and 99/100 they will let you go out alone or in a twosome. On the weekends it does clog, largely because it's very hilly and if someone in front of you is walking, forget about it. I would consider simply raising rates and making everyone ride on weekends.
Renovation has vastly improved many drainage problems, just need to get the greens up to par (couldn't resist....). Some are bumpy and a little slow as many have said but when compared to other similarly priced courses in the area, it's better then average.
VERY hilly. You've got to be able to play any kind of lie and be able to hit a variety of shots, uphill, downhill, power fades are all here. I like the variety you get from this and as a learning course, it's excellent in that it makes you learn to hit a range of shots.
The driving range has no net and they limit you to 6 iron up.
the 18th is an insanely tough par 6, where you'd better be able to carry the downhill slope or you'll face hitting from 45 degree or worse angles to try and get down to the green.
The views are spectacular from the back 9. It rivals Lincoln Park, but not quite as nice, I'd give Lincoln a 8 of 10 and Chabot a 7 of 10 on views/scenery. Chabot does have lots of nice tall trees and they do shield you from the wind a bit.
There are some really interesting holes. A cool par 3 that you hit from a 60 foot elevated tee box down to.
A nice first hole that lets you really mash your driver and can start you out on the right foot.
The fact is, that for $26 twilight on a weekday, you really can't get better then that. $1.44 riding is basically .44 cents more per hole to ride and play 18 then you pay to play a 9 hole like the one they have here or Golden Gate park.
If you compare it to Tilden it's no comparison. Tilden will run you much more, and the courses are comparable in my opinion (in all aspects, difficulty, looks, upkeep, trees).
Once they get all the greens ironed out it will be super. I give them 5stars because its a 4-4.5 star course that is really working on improving its problems not just saying they will and is still the best value in Bay Area golf.
What I would like to see is a re-design of the 9 hole course to make it more difficult and it would actually be a course I would enjoy playing for fun.
Still, Oakland needs to market this place better and they can really start to do some big things here. There is construction going on now, but it doesn't impact the course at all.
The entry road runs through the fairways of several holes and I've seen some nice and some bad "path bounces" from it :-)
I only had the option of one star.
After I played the course I wanted to ask for my money back. I hope this review will prompt some venture capitalist to shell out to whip this place into shape.
The views are some of the best in the bay.....but I didn't show up for a hike!! It's like watching a talented NFL player waste his career on booze and steroids. It's shame what could have been...
One bright spot. The last hole. Par 6?! On a dry day you might be able to reach the green in two...Albatross anyone?
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This is a great course for a medium-beginner, or somebody looking for a very well priced round with a bit of a challenge.
PROS: Cheap, well designed course, fun holes, good views, nice people. There is a ridiculous par 6 eighteenth hole which is pretty fun.
CONS: Golf cart shortage (I was given one that died on the 8th hold), lousy driving range, and the greens aren't the best.
I'd go here before Tilden anyday. So much less pretentious, and actually quite comparable.
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Great course:
* challenging course, very hilly, tiny fairways, not many bunkers.
* beautiful panoramic view on the last holes
* hole 9 & 18 are world class!
* staff is absolutely charming and green fee is an amazing deal.
I came back here for the first time since they re-opened in april?... same old quirky course I kinda learned to play on..this and corica were the normal rotation when i started... the fairways and greens have gotten alot better but still very muni-esque... there alot of elevation changes and quirky lies so it tests your game, it ain't overly long so... non-res 37 +13 per player for the cart so..50bones.. its an interesting hike as well...
anyway a couple of peeves for me were... as follows..
1) I made a 9:45 teetime... the pro told me 10:07 when I checked in??? hmmm.. no worries.. I had no where to go.. but ANNOYING..
2) NO BOOZE.. waiting on their liquor license 6-9 months?? ..meh.. probably a good thing for me, at least.. we still had brought some cans ..shhh..but whatabout the 19th HOLE?? arrrrggghh... my friend swore the tuna melt was hella good though ..so they still have some good food here...
3) They were running low on golf carts... There was 1 left as we were about to tee it up... I had to ask the pro to check??..uh -1.. :)
4) The round took us 6 hours?? but we really didn't notice cuz we were playin for $$$ and we kept up for the group ahead of us.. when i looked at my watch at the turn, I was like ...dood that was 3hours..woh!!... it does usually speed up in the back..usually..
So I don't think they have their operations fully up to par, yet... the old guys at the counter were a lot better at keeping things in check..
like other folks have said...alot of potential here but alas not fulfilled..sigh.. I think the Claremont Hotel was gonna take it over and make it like half moon bay a couple years ago ..alas..never fulfilled...
pluses... had my B+ game today, played with my buds, had a good time anyway, beautiful day... and beautiful views of O-town and the yay area.. ran into the marshal who looks like a speed fiend.. that dood knows how to tell peeps to move..luv that guy...
so in closing.. I think folks should check it out maybe twice to see if you like it or if it grows on you...if you go, try to go early or go later.. cuz it will slow down during "prime-time"
my friend\playing partner said it perfectly....
".Chabot is like the Raiders... You either love'em (it) or you hate'em (it).. did they sign jamarcus yet? " :) ..
and I hate to hate it... so I keep on playin it...maybe.. :)
I haven't written a review on a golf course in three years, but felt the need to inform my fellow yelpers of this poorly operated golf course. Last Friday, my friend and I had a tee time at 3:45PM. We figured this would be plenty of time to finish 18 (being that it doesn't get dark until 8:30PM). This was not the case. After waiting 20 minutes for a cart we finally teed off after 4PM. The course played very slow. Well actually, it was the players on the course that played painfully slow. Maybe it was just bad luck, but everyone we golfed with that day was terrible. Let me elaborate, 2-3 mulligans per hole + 5-6 practice swings per shot = painfully slow play. Where was the marshall? We didn't see anyone until the 17th hole. On the 17th one of the rude employees of Lake Chabot Golf Course drove up to us and said, "time to come in. We are closing the gates so unless you want to pick up your car tomorrow, you'd better stop playing." Classy. So, we never got to play the signature par 6. Thanks Lake Chabot Golf Course.
i played this course on saturday, and the most amusing part of it was listening to the reaction from the 2some behind us:
"whoah..."
"what the..."
"where do i hit it?"
"holy SHIT."
yeah, there's some holes at chabot where as soon as you roll up your first reaction is going to be panic. like the 150 yard par 3 9th hole...which drops off a cliff and plays closer to 100.
or the 17th where you're basically hitting at a hill - there used to be a kalidescope to the side that you could check to see if you'd kill anyone on the other side.
or the 650 yard par 6 18th - the only hole i've played that has switchbacks.
chabot is all about placement...put the ball in the right place, let the hill take it, and enjoy the extra 50-100 yards of roll.
put it in the wrong place, and pull another ball from the sleeve.
everyone there is really nice, its really cheap, and sometimes if it is quiet carts are free. I really like this course because I always play well here, and I love the 18th hole, even though last time I got a 12, oops, but it is still a fun course. in case you don't know the 18th hole is a par 6 and is 650yrds.
even the pitch and put is pretty good, I actually hit par last time on it, man was I excited.
This course is great for practice on uneven surfaces especially on weekdays after work when they only charge $10 for twilight. Greens are decent and I've seen fairways in worse conditions. Its nestled in the hills of Oakland so it takes a minute to get to it after you exit the freeway. Great views of the bay on a few of the holes.The last hole is a par 6, long and downhill. Thats right, par 6.
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Used to be cheaper than a movie when I first moved here (executive course). On second thought, it is still cheaper than a movie. The course is in rough shape but don't let that deter you from playing. Fun course, especially for beginners.
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It has great views. It's nice and challenging (not flat). It was pretty inexpensive for an 18 (went on a Sunday). It has a par 6 on the 18th hole; that was fun.
It's in Oakland so yeah, there aren't many flat shots. It was raining a little when I played here but I toughed it out because I'm pretty fucking hardcore. If you played Tilden Park then you know what to expect as far as hills go. The last hole is a par 6. Yes, par 6. It's a monster of a hole. All downhill and LONG.
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