DarkHorse Golf Club, is a Public, 18 hole golf course located in Auburn, California.
DarkHorse Golf Club first opened for play in 2002. The par 72 layout was designed by Keith Foster. Award after award has been showered on this course located in the gorgeous Sierra Nevada foothills.
The course located about 50 miles east of Sacramento. Head up 80 and hang a left onto Highway 49. The course was laid out on what was once a 1,100-acre cattle ranch and features magnificent elevation changes. But there is much more than that for those who truly love golf. Holes were gently placed into the curving valleys on the site; the greens are subtly contoured; the bunkers are strategically placed and offer a variety of different shot making opportunities.
Black tees: par-72, 7,096 yards (75.0/139)
Copper tees: par-72, 6,653 yards (72.2/136)
Blue tees: par-72, 6,364 yards (70.9/130)
White tees: par-72, 5,903 yards (68.8/126)
Jade tees: par-72, 4,978 yards (68.3/122)
$101 (cart included), played on Saturday, October 2015 at
I played in a fundraiser but would play it any time. one of my favorite courses in the area. Staff are great
$31 (cart included), played on Tuesday, September 2013 at 8am
This course is usually one of the best in the Sacramento Valley area. This time, though, the fairways were patchy, the greens had just been cut and sanded, and the bunkers were pretty close to not playable. Plus the starter made a big deal of us bringing bottled water (not beer, not sodas, just bottled water!) onto the course. My group will be back, but we're hoping for better conditions next time.
$31 (cart included), played on Thursday, September 2012 at noon
Love this course up in the foothills, but not too hilly. Fast greens.
$36 (cart included), played on Monday, October 2009 at 10am
My favorite course.
$46 (cart included), played on Sunday, October 2012 at 10am
Great course in a beautiful setting. Challenging greens. Suffers from public golfers not taking care, e.g., bunker raking, repairing ball marks on the greens. Staff was friendly and helpful. Course is in a housing development but the houses are all set back and never in play. Some of the houses are spectacular. Probably the most space i have ever seen bewteen couse and houses on a course through a neighborhood. I would definitely play again.
$36 (cart included), played on Tuesday, May 2012 at 8am
Great layout with superb bunkering. Beautiful site.
$46 (cart included), played on Saturday, October 2011 at 10am
The course is perhaps 15 years old and I think has suffered because of our weak economy. Somehow they have kept prices down while maintaining the course very well. I recommend it.
$36 (cart included), played on Tuesday, April 2011 at 2pm
I escape once a year from the late Canadian winter for some golf, often to California. Since I found Darkhorse I have always built this course into my trip. This spring the course was suffering from weeks of heavy rains, but was still more playable than some others in the area. The greens were great. The price (with cart and GPS is spectacular), but the real strength is the course design. MANY interesting holes. Many choices to make. Difficult but not penal. Gino and his staff are friendly and reasonable. Quite unlike some courses that shun non-members like homeless people. I can hardly wait until my next round at Darkhorse!
$41 (cart included), played on Wednesday, June 2011 at 8am
Great layout. Difficult course.
$61 (cart included), played on Saturday, February 2011 at 10am
Very good layout. I always enjoy playing this course.
$26 (cart included), played on Tuesday, July 2010 at noon
I love the challenge of this course. As a lady I get some nice lady tee advantage but still a hard course at times especially # 2 wicked. I would recommend this course for any golfer. The more you play it the more you want to play it again.
$41 (cart included), played on Thursday, February 2010 at 8am
I didn't care much for this course the first time I played it a couple of years ago. I liked it much better this time. Previously, the layout was the only thing I didn't like about it. But, I think my opinion was slightly jaded because the people I played it with that first time spoke so highly of it and rated it higher than my favorite course in the area (The Ridge). My opinion was it didn't come close to The Ridge and I was disappointed with what I found at Darkhorse. This time around, I had lowered expectations of the course and liked it much better. The second hole on each side still seem rather goofy to me from a layout standpoint, but I rather enjoyed the course as a whole. The greens, in particular, were in fantastic shape - good speed, running smooth and true. I would recommend Darkhorse now, when I wouldn't before. The lone downside to it (other than holes 2 & 11) is its remoteness and the fact that I have to drive right by my preferred course in the area to get to Darkhorse.
Guest (cart not included), played on Thursday, July 2007 at 10am
$36 (cart included), played on Thursday, July 2009 at 6pm
For inland golf-people, it doesn't any better. Architecture wise, better than San Francisco GC, Olympic Club (Lake), The Preserve (Carmel Valley).. That's right. Keith Foster is the new AW Tillinghast, or Alistair MacKenzie. Take your pick. Green complexes are as classy as their is in golf, in the world. You heard me. If you don't love this track, learn some more about the game, and consult your local PGA pro's for refinement. Read a Dr. Bob Rotella book or five. Conditions are not perfect, green conditions could be better, the sand is weak, as are the rakes, but who cares. Wanna pay $250.00 plus, with perfect conditions. Do you, really? Stop whining, then. The golf is absolutely marvelous. And you know that, don't you, darling? Think your way around this gem, and don't stop till you get enough. Whew. Thank you baby Jesus, for Darkhorse. Not a paid advertisement, either. Jt
$41 (cart included), played on Tuesday, June 2006 at 8am
Greens were in excellent shape. The staff was super!
$36 (cart included), played on Sunday, June 2009 at noon
Greens are extremely difficult and I was having a bad all around day. But the course was great.
$61 (cart included), played on Sunday, January 2009 at 10am
Considering the frosty mornings the course is in great shape. Truly a top 100 course. Mostly open space around course, few homes, none come into play.
Guest (cart included), played on Wednesday, October 2008 at 10am
I enjoyed the photography and golf, but the course was in the middle of some maintenance and overseeding. The layout was magnificent and the difficulty high. Still it was a fair test of golf. Greens still were running about 10-11 on stimp.
$56 (cart included), played on Saturday, June 2007 at 2pm
Stunning course that regularly finds it's way into the Golf Digest Top 100 courses in the nation. Definitely the best in the Sacramento area and worth a drive from just about anywhere. Play this one at least once.
Latest Golf Course Reviews
$46 (cart included), played on Thursday, June 2016 at 11:15 AM
Beautiful, wooded layout. No houses or distractions (except for deer feeding near the woods). A gem.