I wish this was a perfect score but nothing is perfect during covid-19. I checked in for the night and met with my friend for a walk down memory lane. Weddings, family events and reunions. A beautiful Venue for all of that. The views of the golf course and lodge are still breathtaking. My room impeccable. What stood out through everything was our server Sarah. She gave the bar and grill a special light. So attentive and her smile made us feel she was delighted to see us. I want to move in. We'll be back. read more

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Visited Carlton Oaks during a quick business trip last month. Pro Shop & Restaurant did a great job taking care of us and providing us with a set of rental clubs for the round! Course layout is fun and challenging. Staff mentioned that they are undergoing renovations to improve the course. Excited for the changes on our next visit! read more

I was recommended to play at Carlton Oaks if I were to ever visit San Diego by my golf coach. Carlton Oaks didn't disappoint. Good food, great green conditions, big American flag, and polite staff, Carlton Oaks has it all. The views are great as well and you can spot some deers if you are lucky. One slight downside was the wifi wasn't fast enough for high qualify video conferencing, but it was good enough for youtube and netflix! read more

At $65/pp after fees and carts (which was apparently an online deal), you think they could water LITERALLY ANYTHING beyond 20 yards from the fringe and the tee box. Greens are all that is left at this course. I was embarrassed to bring friends here. If you prefer your fairways to be hard dirt and sand covered by patches of dead crabgrass, this is the course for you. If you want dried up ponds indistinguishable from bunkers, this is your paradise. Plenty of groundskeepers driving around doing nothing which was hilarious. Range was trash. I want a refund. If I had paid $25 total, maybe I would consider this course to have any value at all. One star for the greens. One star for the patio at the clubhouse. read more

This public course was fun, great way to spend a weekend. Challenging but still fun and a perfect place to work on my golf game.

Let me start off by saying the staff is super friendly and nice to be around. The golf course on the other hand was in horrible shape. I understand in the winter the grass goes dormant but it was like hitting off dirt in the middle of the fairway. The greens were not cut and pretty messed up. It took almost 5 hours to play around and not once did the cart person come around with food or drinks. This course is huge and not to have someone come around is pretty unacceptable.Overall pretty disappointed I would rather play at Willabrook. read more

Great spot. Course is in the best shape it's been in years. It's a players course. If you want beautiful fairways and easy flat greens this place isn't for you. It's a great challenge for all handicap levels. Where in San Diego can you hit driver on 14 of the 18 holes? Just awesome. GM Mike Aiken has this place firing on all cylinders. He is the main reason this place is one of the best public golf courses in San Diego. Keep up the great work Mike. read more

Have not played Carlton Oaks in over a year. Golf course was in much BETTER shape than one year ago. Tee boxes, fairways and greens were all in great shape. Surrounds areas around the course seemed to be cleaned up as well. Even the driving range was cleaned up and looked much better, mats only today. After a nice round of golf, we had a great lunch and some cold beer at the bar. Great selection of beer as well!! Wait staff was nice and friendly at the bar. The food came out quickly and served nice and hot. Perfect day of golf at Carlton Oaks!! Well done to Corey and his staff. read more

The staff was polite and the price for green fees was medium to high. Some of the specials can be gained through the SCGA, or one of the on-line tee time services, whih can make the fee lower. However, be aware...this is NOT the Carlton Oaks of the early nineties....the course is in poor condition, and is not healthy (so it won't be getting better any time soon. read more

I like the layout here fun course different shot shapes on each hole needed. the condition was in decent shape but playable. overall good time. read more

Someone suggested this place to me as a hidden gem. So after driving 40 mins from San Diego, then pulling off the main road and driving by run down homes with meth lab RVs parked outside, then pulling into a parking lot with an old hotel with who knows who living in it, then walking into a beat up pro shop with nobody at the counter, then heading off to unknown places since there are no signs to the first tee while looking at browning grass in the distance - all that can make one assume the worst. And then comes Carlton Oaks redeeming quality. The course is indeed a gem with tons of character. The front nine is a nice out and back design with some challenging holes. Nothing special, but at least my disappointment quickly went away. The 9th hole is very good. Then comes the back nine, which I think is a phenomenal routing down winding fairway playing through old oaks. There isn't a bad hole on the back nine. The greens were decent condition in June. For $30 afternoon rate with cart, it was a pleasurable experience. This course has a lot to be proud of. Too bad they probably don't have enough water to keep it at least somewhat green all year long. But if you can get by all the issues the layout truly is excellent. read more

Fairways are not there. Alot of shots arer off dirt or hard pan. The course has great potential, but for a guy who fights to break 100, this course was not good for my game. Pray for rain! read more

Love this course. It not an easy one though and it can get warm out here on a summer day. Well kept greens and good customer service. My buddies and I always have a great time here. read more

My parents live in Santee and I have been playing this course for 25 years or so with my brothers, once or twice a year. So I probably have played the course 40 or 50 times. The $75 weekend green fee is steep for the current quality of the course. The course is in terrible shape, my brother and I were saddened how the course has deteriorated. The fairways are sans grass. The traps have little sand, basically raked dirt more or less. The tee boxes are in poor shape. Etc. The greens are ok, but players must not regularly repair ball marks. Unless the course can invest some money into maintenance, I don't see us playing there again, sadly breaking a multi decade family tradition. :( And it will take a lot of dough to get this course rehabilitated. The green fees for this level of maintenance should be about 1/2 what they are. I like the layout, but I think its time to play elsewhere. read more

Went to hit golf balls at Carlton Oaks guess I was in the wrong place Golf Shop supervisor Anthony came out in his cart he asked me where I got the golf balls I told him I bought them at the golf shop. I'm not sure what he's trying to accuse me of but right when I left they put a sign up that said area was closed you need some more customer service training Anthony! read more

I've been an avid golfer for over 35 years so the following critique comes with knowledge about golf and golf course expectations. I played here once before and the course was not great but was certainly in MUCH greater shape. First, they charged me and my partner $15 each for a golf cart which is old and doesn't even have gps. Then $65 for a Sunday afternoon round which is a fair price on a decent course. However it was grossly overpriced for this course because there is very little grass in the fairways, the traps were full of mud and water and very little sand (it had rained hard two days previous) and roughs that are just ridiculous hard-packed dirt. The greens were ok. We had a 12:39 tee time but didn't get to tee off until 1:00 due to slow play. Not one marshal on the course to speed things up. We got to the 14th hole and darkness was fast approaching with two foursomes still on the 15th tee box so we headed in. I don't advise anyone play here. A total waste of my Sunday and $80. read more

We had our wedding at Carlton Oaks, and I am so glad we did! Carlton Oaks Country Club is a hidden gem just outside of San Diego. It was the perfect location for our big day. First off, Yvette is great. She gets down to business and makes sure your wedding day happens exactly like you wanted. We also hired her as our day of coordinator which was one of the best decisions we could make. On my wedding day, I knew there was nothing to worry about and that Yvette was there for absolutely anything I needed. The venue is fantastic. Your ceremony, reception and hotel for the guests is all within a one minute walk. The ceremony site was beautiful. The ceremony site is beautiful. It has the perfect amount of light, shade and greenery. It was beautiful for pictures, and fit all our guests perfectly. Then all our guests had to do is take a few steps over to the patio and the Crest Room for cocktail hour. The golf course was a beautiful backdrop for all the pictures that were taken. Yvette made sure at this point, when we were headed out to take our pictures, that we had a drink and snack waiting! Last, the reception was great. The Crest Room is a beautiful and with the linens, tables and decorations all set up, it really took it to the next level. We had the best night ever!!!! One of the best things for our guests, was at the end of the wedding, they only had to walk a few steps and they were back to their rooms. All in all, I highly recommend Carlton Oaks, it is beautiful, well priced, and overall a great choice for your big day. read more

For $80 this course is just not worth it. I hate to give it 2 stars but I can't call it average. The conditions are terrible. Most areas around the green are decent and the greens are a B- The fairways are pretty rough, several sand traps were flooded from irrigation. Lots of broken irrigation. It's a shame because the course has potential if in good shape. read more

Great Golf course but I think many overlook the restaurant and patio. Fantastic menu and service. And view is awesome. Truly a hidden jewel in Santee. read more

This a golf course I play every weekend and as much as I would love to relax after 18 holes and enjoy a nice meal and a beer or two I avoid at all cost. The restaurant is horrible and the Manager Michelle I'm guessing is the reason why. This could be such a hidden gem if the service was half way decent. The food is good but definitely not worth the hassle when I can drive a few miles after my golf round and have a much better experience. Believe me when I say I've tried!!! read more

This review is for a wedding. Today my brother got married here. It was held outside. It was beautiful. They also had their reception here. It was a catered buffet. The room was beautifully decorated and the food was great. People raved about the baked penne and the prime rib was damn good. The vegetables were cooked not just lightly steamed. The garlic mashed potatoes were yummy. The staff was courteous and made sure water was refilled and plates cleared. PS The woman's bathroom - prettiest potty I have seen in a long time, read more

Just when I thought this course couldn't get worse...and it does. What in the hell are you guys doing to this course, your destroying it! I can't believe you still ask the prices that you ask for what looks like twenty year old dried up dog turd. The greens are in horrible condition... still!! This is a twenty dollar course at best!! I've recently played Steele Canyon and Sycuan. Both fine examples of what a golf course should look like. Photos of this place are very old stock photos, back in a time when this was a beautiful, well maintained golf course. I truly wish the owners, or management actually read these reviews and did something about it. I think the word might be... BROKE! Sell one of your 100k cars that you drive to the course, and buy some grass seed! read more

I've heard about this course for a long time, but never had gotten a chance to go out, mostly because I'd been working during the week and do go out to Santee, ever. With a mid-week day off, I headed over to Carlton Oaks to squeeze in a round. I called ahead of time to see if I as a single would be able to get on. They said show up at 11, I showed up a bit before that and they got me into the second group. The course seemed in good condition but a bit overgrown from the winter, but still, it was in very good condition. The round took about 4:30 hours, which was a bit long, considering I was in a group of 3 total and there wasn't anyone behind us. I will probably come back to play this course again, but it just couldn't crack my top courses to play at. read more

I've played there several times and absolutely enjoyed the course. Very challenging but fair. Definitely worth playing if you are a serious golfer or just want to play a course that will test your game. read more

What a great place to stay! We've heard people say "Santee is boring," I don't think so. This place is great! Clean and staff are super friendly and welcoming. We stayed here because of the large pool. The amount you pay here is sooo much better than staying down town. If you like being outside the city this is a place to stay. It's really nice place to get some R & R. I highly recommend this place. read more

This is a review for the motel portion of the property. I stayed a total of three nights while in town on business. Thankfully someone else was paying or I would have felt I was wasting my money! This property is in serious need of TLC and renovation. The "Country Club" is anything but. It is more of an old motel with a golf course attached. From the outside it looks old - a brown building with very worn carpet on the outside walkway. And as I opened my room door, I felt transported to the 1970s. The chairs and bedspreads looked very 70s. While the room was clean and somewhat comfortable, I would not stay here again. My room had two double beds. Thankfully, I was by myself because one of the two beds was crooked. It sloped horribly so that one would be constantly rolling to one side. The other bed was fine, albeit hard. The pillows were extremely thin and I was very thankful to have brought my own. The amenities were severely lacking in the room. There was no hair dryer. There was a fridge. However, the dial to regulate the temperature was broken and so my water all froze. I gave up and drank it room temp! The phone in the room lights up at night and puts off a horrible light. If you are like me and want a dark room for sleeping - good luck. I put two washcloths over the clock and still could not block out the light. There was a clock radio in the room but it got very few stations. I did not trust it so used my cell phone and asked the front desk for a wake up call. The view of the golf course was nice, but I could have done without the 5:30 AM lawn mowing! We ate in the restaurant on Sunday and had very good food. I had the Eggs Benedict which was yummy. However, the service was very slow. Sadly, the weekday service does not start until 7AM and we were out the door every morning by 6:30. read more

Came here for a wedding. It was nice. They had a small corner for the ceremony, and the typical hall for the wedding. The tables were a bit crunched together, and there were load baring poles that obstructed views of the main floor events. Also, there were about 6-7 sets of ex wives and ex girlfriends at the wedding (including one of my exes) so it was funny watching people avoid each other. THAT was the best part of the wedding. Just kidding. Maybe... Congrats Christian and Kimber. May yours be the first marriage in my group of house party friends that lasts more than 2 years. read more

I got married in November, so this review is a little late, but I had the best wedding ever! I highly recommend hiring Yvette as the day of coordinator, she makes sure everything goes perfectly! From the venue to the food... Or everything she had a hand in planning went perfectly, her recommendations on venders was phenomenal and they all worked so well together! All of my out of town guests were well taken care of and I did not have to struggle with any day of hassles! read more

Carlton Oaks - Epic Wedding!!!!! This was the the best place to get Married! - Golf Near Me - Santee, California

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This review is for karaoke only. We've been twice. The first time karaoke was supposed to start at 9 and 10:00 and still no karaoke, we decided to leave. We tried it again a few months later but decided to have dinner there first, always a major plus in my book. The bar is nice, comfortable, clean, kind of like a hotel lounge with big round leather chairs and nice clean table. There were lots of people of all ages, from 21 up through 60 to 70 plus. Most seemed to know each other, probably members of the country club. The karaoke did get a late start but only about 20 minutes or so, which is not that uncommon. Lot's of books to go around but not a very good song selection. They did have three of my favorites though. The rotation was really short, like 4 people, and the KJ never sang once. A HUGE plus. The major downer was in between rotations about a half an hour to 45 minutes of dance music was played. Obviously karaoke was not the main goal here. The sound system was decent. As a lay person, as long as it's not too too loud and the singers are clear and not muffled or overpowered by the music, I'm happy. I do have to say that after I sang, everyone was incredibly complimentary to me. I really appreciated that. We will definately not be back though. There are just too many others that offer more of what I like. read more

For golf only. I understand it's winter and courses won't be in optimal shape but to charge $75 for a round with the course in this condition and for the starter to not tell us about how the green on 10 was undergoing maintenance and that we'd have to play to the pin on the fairway of dead grass ahead of the green is unacceptable. Horrible experience. read more

Review for the golf course only... Great price at $36 on golfnow.com. Very challenging from the blues or beyond! Every hole either has water, or sandtraps surrounding the fairways. Wasn't too busy on a Friday afternoon. Only gripe - sand in the sandtraps are too fluffy. Nearly impossible to get out of! They use beach sand, instead of the normal white sand. read more

A fun date at the driving range was my first experience at this golf establishment, and it was great! The young man in the store, was extremely friendly and helpful. He made us feel welcomed and answered any questions we had. The driving range was a blast! I'd recommend this establishment based solely on my experience with the young fellow in the store. We plan to come back and further check out the restaurant, bar and full golf course. To be continued.... read more

Loved our experience at the resort. Clean family friendly. Awesome golf course with clean pool area and their bar and grill was convenient. The hotel rooms were tidy and we had a golf facing room. An overall very nice 4th of July experience read more

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We went the day after Thanksgiving and there was a frost warning that pushed everyone's tee time out by about an hour. The course was not in great shape (especially the greens, which were pretty soggy and bumpy), but what do you expect for late November... The course is situated in the foothill moutains of Santee. Many of the holes are set up alongside water (mostly man mad, but with some natural creeks and a pond or two). Good views of the surrounding mountains. The clubhouse is a bit out dated, but they do have a full service bar and flat screen TV for the 19th hole. The people in the pro shop were friendly and professional. read more

Love playing this spot. Super fun layout and Blaize in the pro shop was super friendly and helpful.

We recently stayed at the resort for 2 nights while our house was being fumigated. We chose the resort partially because it is near Santee Lakes where we like to walk. The room was very clean and comfortable. Admittedly some of the furniture and cabinetry is old but it did not adversely affect our stay. The pool is very nice and grounds are very well maintained. read more

Recently had our company Christmas party in the Crest Room and was thoroughly impressed by the staff, decorations and overall experience. The Buffet dinner from the salad, potatoes to the salmon and tri tip was consistently delicious - not over cooked and flavorful. Truly one of the best buffet dinners I've had. Great job Carlton Oaks! read more

We reserved tables here for a baby shower and originally were working with Tiffany. After responding my emails she quit responding with me. Then I received a phone call from Michelle(manager of bar and grill) asking me about my event And basically telling me we could on have 5 tables because they were very busy on Sunday around lunch. She was not very warming and helpful at all. We met with her and she seemed responsive by giving us ideas of other options of food we could serve. 2 weeks before the event I went back to see her and 2 of the items she had mentioned we could serve she immediately said we couldn't serve those because they were over $200 each. She was impossible to work with because she kept changing everything she had originally told me. She was rude and not helpful at all. Our saving grace was when on the day of the shower GWEN came to our rescue by taking care of us the entire time. She made the shower wonderful and I felt as if we should be working with her the entire time. She took our orders and was absolutely wonderful. THE BEST !!! One more thing,.. the week of the event Michelle called to tell me it was $20 per person ... news to me.... Rude and impossible read more

Been a member of the players club for about 10 years. Cory Gladstone is a top notch pro and really helped me with my game. He's really patient and is able to provide great instruction, i highly recommend anyone wanting lessons to reach out to him. The course is very challenging but fair at the same time. Each hole is unique and interesting. some are definitely harder than others but there are no "easy" holes here. the layout is terrific. I will say the sand traps need work. some are not in the best condition. Pace of play is good. i've never had a really round here and i'm usually done in 4 hours. maybe 4:30 at the most. i like that i can tee off at 8 and be done around noon, pretty much every time. the marshalls are out there but don't get on you if you fall a little behind. they know when to push a group and when to let things be. The staff in the pro shop and restaurant are great, and the food is very very good. can't go wrong by having lunch there. the french dip is my favorite. read more

Golf course struggles to maintain good shape and the staff always seem to have an excuse. Don't know if it lacks in grounds keeper management or they really are having all these one off problems. The bar area is very nice and you almost feel like your at a golf course again. Tee times are pretty expensive figuring I play Torrey for $37 on twilight this place is $40+. read more