So this was my home course when I played on the Salesian High School golf team from 1987 to 1989. This is a review on the course I remember not the current condition of the course. The first hole always seemed to kick my backside. Not sure I ever got par on this par 5. The 2nd hole was an elevated par 3 and I always ended up on the right gully or in the trap. 3rd & 4th hole were good. Short par 4 and fairly easy par 3. Hated 6 through 9. Par 3 over a gully, 7 is a long par 3, dog leg left, green protected by a large oak. 8th probably the hardest hole on the course. Gully all the way down the right side. 9 is a long challenging par 5 with water. The back 9 I liked 10 & 11 (par 3), 12 was always tough with a narrow, difficult tee shot. 13 was a long up hill par 5 that played much longer. 14 was a short downhill par 4 dog leg right with a green protected by deep bunkers. 15 was a straight par 4 down hill. 16 was a challenging par 4 with gully down the right. 17 was a short par 3 over the same gully and a bunker in the back of the green for those who fly it long. 18 was a memorable par 5 with a blind tee shot. The tips tee box was placed back very far. Overall, I got the experience of playing golf here a lot. Not sure I'd go back after all the years. Long walk from the parking lot to the clubhouse. Stay safe on Highway 4 if you decide to go. read more

Solid course with decent difficulty. Good mix of elevation change and water. When the weather is good and not too windy this is a very getable course. Food is decent, good for a golf course and quick. Solid drink selection. read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Great weather today! - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

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Played a nice round today. Tee boxes and greens were in good condition, pro shop attendant was friendly, and the carts were nice and clean. Today's review is for the Canyon Grill. We ate there for the first time after finishing. You order at the counter. I had the Hercules cheeseburger with fries. Wife had the grilled chicken club. Cashier was nice guy. Food was delivered to our table shortly after. Burger was hot and fresh, about 1/3lb. Lettuce and onion were crisp. Fries were crunchy. Good spot for a post round lunch. Full service bar was on the other side of the room. Plenty of seating, room was clean. I'll be back! read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Chicken club - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

I had my truck broken into in the parking lot at Franklin Canyon Golf Course, and the way it was handled afterward left a lot to be desired. There was a security guard sitting at the entrance when I arrived, but by the time the break-in happened, he was no longer at his post. The course also has three cameras at the entrance, which I assumed were working. They are not, and I later learned from the police, who told me this themselves, that they haven't worked in quite a while. That's a false sense of security for anyone parking here. To their credit, one employee did try to help. He shared a photo that another customer had taken of the car as it was leaving the lot, which was the only useful lead I got. But beyond that one gesture, there was no real follow-up from management on the incident itself. If you're leaving anything in your vehicle here, don't count on the cameras or the security presence to actually be there when it matters. Disappointing experience overall, and not the kind of response I'd expect from a place charging what they do to play. read more

Peaceful, less crowded golf course. Beautiful views of the canyon. The landscape is looking better now thanks to the new groundskeeper Alex and the rest of the staff helping out. I highly recommend visiting it. read more

So glad this place is staying open! Really like the work that they're putting into it. Making a lot of improvements! The greens and Fairways are always well maintained! read more

I'm playing this P.O.S right now. They are stealing your money. T boxes hard as rocks. No grass on fairways. Greens are inconsistent. Carts have bald tires and torn seats. Save your money play elsewhere. read more

rude employee, poor maintenance of greens, water leaks on fairways, tee boxes are uneven surfaces and no grasses, many broken branches of trees on and near fairways. I would not recommend this place to my friends. read more

Course is always in awful shape for the price. Grill/snackbar has arguably the lowest quality food in existence. On top of the food quality, it seems like they desperately need new cookware. Today wasn't the first time I've had big chunks of teflon on my food. Absolute Mickey Mouse operation read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Chunks of teflon found in my food - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

This is a two part review. Part 1 - we had a foursome today. We redeemed a Golf Moose voucher. $62 twosome. Our tee time was 8:40am. Posted on the door into the pro shop was a cart path notice - holes 3, 13, & 14 were cart path only. My problem started at hole 1. The fairways were so tall. I couldn't find my ball even though I saw it drop. And don't hit into the rough. Even worse. Needless to say I had a terrible game. No mojo at all. Holes 13 & 14 were so mucky. So mucky it went up to my shoelaces. Fortunately I had my waterproof Ecco spiked golf shoes on. Part 2 - our friends had a time constraint so we decided to eat at the Canyon Grill located onsite at the golf course. There's beer on draft as well as canned beer. Hubby ordered a Polish dog. I ordered chicken quesadilla. And a basket of fries. He ordered a Simtra 22 oz canned beer. I got a Drake IPA. Our friends ordered a Hercules hamburger with fries and a Rueben with green salad. Everything came quickly to our table. We all express a huge Wow when the basket of fries came out. A very generous order. Hot and crispy. Lots of indoor dining. And an outdoor patio. I had leftovers. Reheated the fries at home later for dinner. Not the same. read more

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Fairways were absolutely horrific today. Grass is not good. Greens are decent. But the tee box and fairways are terrible. For 70$ take your money elsewhere. read more

Franklin canyon golf course is a great place to play for a fair price. The course was in good condition.greens rolled nice and there is some elevation change which makes it a fun course. read more

Course is fun to play. Grounds aren't top notch - some patchiness here and there. I've played here twice as a single in the last month and have met some nice people. There aren't too many water hazards. Plenty of opportunities to birdie and par. Feel free to break out the driver - several Par 4s are can be reached from the tee if you're long. Hole #9 is probably my nemesis. Go over a ditch from the tee. Pond on the left. Out of bounds on the right. Dog-leg left. It's not a difficult hole persay but it does put a little added pressure on you if you're trying to shoot bogey golf. I managed to not loose one ball up until this hole and was on the verge of scoring 45 if I scored par on this hole. Welp, that didn't happen lol! I lost two balls on this hole and took a snowman to finish the front nine with a score of 49. However, I shot 44 on the back nine and scored my lowest round this summer! Not bad - I'll be breaking 90 in no time! I hope! The driving range sits at a weird angle. So, from the tee mat it's tricky gauging where you're aiming. It's also a little odd and unsafe that the driving range butts right up against the fairway on hole #1. Be cautious in the parking lot - other reviews indicated car theft. No one has broken into my car but some clowns did stuff beer boxes in my sunroof - WTH?! Who does that?!! See picture. I'll probably play here again if I can - $40 to play on a Saturday afternoon (golf cart included) isn't bad. There is a bit of slow play (the foursome in front of us hit from the blue tees and were sharing clubs - none of them drove the ball more than 200 yards or hit it straight). The two fellas I played with were super upset and let that be known. Maybe that explains the beer boxes in my sunroof! Haha! I heard they're shutting this course down soon and turning it into an RV park. Kind of sad as I know it's been a staple in the golfing community for decades. One employee shared that the water bill alone is $435K per year. Sheesh! Alrighty then, in the words of my older brother, "tee it high and let it fly!" See you out there! read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Some clowns stuffed beer boxes in my sunroof (parking lot) - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

It's hard to have to write this post, I grew up playing here ten years ago. This course can hardly be called a golf course anymore. The fairways are dry clay, the greens all have mold and the bunkers are filled with water even on a 90 degree day in July. $60 is common for muni courses in the area, but courses that at least have some level of maintenance and golf carts that don't have knife cuts through their seats. I've heard they're selling the land to become a mobile home park, which is a shame as much as the course is. Hopefully they put some money into it when it changes hands because it's hard to see a formerly nice course fall into such disrepair. read more

All in all I would say this is a pretty nice course. Lots of fun! If you by chance happen to head to men's restroom in club house there is information in regards to their watering system and how they are trying to conserve on water during this time. They say that their greens are in top form and I would have to agree. There are a few that had some aeration holes still but other than that their greens are well kept, trimmed, and smooth. I will definitely be back, not just because I have another tee time next weekend but because the course is fun. I would assume it depends on availability but everyone had their own carts today with last name and TT it was reserved under. Haven't been able to really do that during COVID-19 since the beginning. Hopefully once California stops having water issues we can see the water hazards filled back up...lots of nice courses with the water hazards all dried up. Just remember please if you can to take care of courses, replace your divots or fill them and DEFINITELY always fix your green divots. If you don't have a divot tool use a tee...but tools are cheap...pay it forward! read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Pretty patchy - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

It was an early Saturday tee time with my foursome of friends. First impressions are it is a little noisy from the traffic on Highway 4. Second impressions are the carts have the name of the person who booked the foursome so there was no need to check-in (everything was prepaid by my friend). The course is pretty non-descript and the fairways looked a little tired with lots of brown patches. The greens were not in the best shape but they rolled well enough. The course had a few interesting holes but being unfamiliar with the course it was a little daunting to determine the aim point for some shots. The fairways were a little harder and they allowed the ball to roll a little which was nice. The greens were also receptive but with roll out if your shot is a little too low. In summary not a perfect course but it is pretty fun and the price for the weekend with golf cart is quite reasonable. I will try playing it again but from the blue tees the next time. read more

$75 green fee, I' expect a green well maintained golf course. Sadly this course has sorely gone downhill. I brought a guest here and was so embarrassed. The snack bar was not ready prepared for customers. We had to wait 15 minutes if we wanted a hotdog or anything else. I give them one star. read more

This is grey area...but we booked a great deal for 11:30 am. We decided to come out early because we could see no one was coming because of the rain. We asked to get a cart but was told we couldn't get a cart and circumvent the discount price. There is no one here and I get that maybe the carts aren't ready but he said if we paid the difference of the discount rate and the full rate, we could go out for another $70 or walk. Anyway, we cancelled and left. Been years since I've been here and I've heard they may close...so I don't think I'll be back. The guy wasn't rude but not friendly either. Rules are rules but business is business and this place won't get mine. read more

What a gem! appreciate getting rewarded for choosing to walk and golf. easy online access to choose tee time and make payment. arrived before tee time, gentleman at pro shop so gracious and got me in for earlier tee time! Enjoyed the round, great course, reminded me of Pittsburg course. challenging, great views, great layout. Hoping to come back with the hubs at later date and so happy to get the chance to play with new friend. read more

Great course in the Bay Area. The tee boxes are good and the greens are well kept. Very forgiving course. We teed off at 8:30 so it was a nice day but as we got to around 1pm it started to get pretty hot. Would definitely go again for its $73.50 per person tag. read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

AMAZING course! You get what you pay for. $50 per person on a Monday with early tee times and a cart. Best deal! This place is a little far for me but I'm so glad I gave this course a try. Fairways are really big and forgiving. The only thing hard about this course is the greens. The greens were hard to read and really fast/slow depending on the small breaks and hills. Got used to the greens though by the time it was the back nine. Staff is extremely nice and friendly. He even let us hop on 15 min early because they were running early! This never happens! We were able to finish all 18 holes thanks to him. Our tee time was 12:50 but got on around 12:35 and finished at 4:45. Not bad at all and the pace of the game was perfect. They already had carts with our names on it too which is extremely convenient! There are some dirt patches but once again, it's covid and winter! You can't expect much especially if you're paying a low rate. If you hit into the middle of the fairway each hole, you'll be more than fine. The dirt patches only become an issue if your off aim (I tend to slice my shots but the fairway is big so it's not an issue). I was still able to hit pretty low score despite the wet and muddy grass from the rain couple days ago. I usually do poorly on a new course but this course was really welcoming! I will definitely be back! Worth the drive for me! read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - 12th hole. Dogleg right but you can go over the trees to the right to get a shortcut right onto the green and putt for a eagle! - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

Sad. I've been playing here off and on for years. I generally like the layout and it can be a fun course to play. The problem has been the condition of the course and the apparent lack of maintenance. The tee boxes have always, since i've played here, terrible. You can almost never find a level spot to tee up. The bunkers are total trash, you should basically get a free drop, they are concrete. If this place had been properly maintained over the years it wouldn't be shutting down. I believe May will be the last month, from what i was told. read more

Couple things before I dive into this. I went to high school in Hercules and played at Franklin Canyon Golf Course while I was on the golf team. I also worked here part time during high school. I am very familiar with this course and seeing it in the state is in is a little sad. I get it. California is still in a drought, but I think it goes a little further than that. The up keep of the course overall is not great. From the tee boxes to the greens, everything is a little disheveled. Perhaps it is the customer base? I understand that in order to keep green fees reasonable you have to make some sacrifices. I apologize for making complaints without any solutions but then again this is yelp. Overall I still like the course and it will always be one of my go to places to play. I just wish it was a tad bit better. read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California

This course has definitely improved the conditions over the past year or two. Greens typically run pretty true and can get a little speedy by mid summer. Good variety of holes with no two alike. I typically get out here for twilight rounds during the week and can't remember a round taking longer than 4 hours which is always a plus. There are a couple moderate hills so you should keep that in mind if you decide to walk but it's still very manageable. If you've never played here or haven't done so in a while, you should come check them out! read more

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A gem of a course surrounded by nature - management has been conserving water which has been an issue here for years in keeping it open. If you're a smug and pretentious golfer - please go somewhere else read more

This course is really chewed up. Greens are just ok but the fairways are horrible. Tons of hard dirt with no grass along a good 20 feet inside the edges. On several holes you can crush a drive and be a solid hit just off center and your ball will go ricochet 44-90 degrees off to the side and then into a ravine or weeds. Tons of people were hunting as a normally solid hit turns into an unfindable ball do to landing on dirts that is like cement. Driving range is marginal at best, no tees in many Matt's but I carry my own. This course needs to be closed for six months and completely be redone with new grass. Most tee off spaces were hard dirt, little grass so you needed a jack hammer to put your tee in the ground. The really annoying part is there are so many golf balls on the edge at some holes, good like finding yours unless you watch it very closely and don't lose sight. Beautiful surroundings so it's a shame the course doesn't match. 2 stars read more

Start time was met on time , friendly reception at front desk , cold beer and the course was in good condition ( sand traps were not to my liking) , but other than that good experience. read more

Reviews complaining about the condition of the course don't take the current economics of running a golf course in California into account. Water now costs this course well over $400K a year I read. As the cost of water increases in California courses like Franklin Canyon will be closed. Play there while you still can. The City of Hercules website shows that they plan on turning this into an RV park starting this Fall. 50M gallons of water a year is not sustainable for the number of rounds played here. Video of the project to convert to an RV park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcPVZnabwVw read more

Can't say I'm surprised to hear this is being shut down to create an RV Resort. The fairways are all a disaster (especially #3 which is just dirt), bunkers are in complete disrepair with no remaining sand and the greens are rolling at about 6.0 on the Stimpmeter to try and preserve them without the water necessary for faster greens. Oddly enough, there is a broken sprinkler line on #5 causing a waterlogged mess of a giant puddle which my tee shot found. I'm sure this was a fun course back in the day when the greens crews were given the money to properly take care of it. With lush green fairways, better kept tee boxes and properly maintained greens this must have been a beautiful place. It's always a shame to see an affordable golf course close its doors forcing fixed-income retirees to scramble for a new venue. I don't know the economics, but I will be stunned if the incoming RV Resort doesn't see a similar fate within the next 10 years. read more

I booked a Tee time at 2:10 pm. and when I checked in early, they let me play right away. It took me only 3.5 hours to play on a Thursday afternoon. My only negative feedback is that the fairway has a lot of dry patches of grass. It's really hard to play on tight lies. But if you get on the grass side, then you have more chances to get it to the green. The rate is very reasonable and I can't complain even about the course conditions. If you just want to practice your game, this place is good enough. read more

I just read they're planning on turning this golf course into an RV park. I feel sorry for golf course owners during this horrific drought, so I hope the new plan pans out. I'd never played here until today. It's kind of a fun layout although not in good condition but understandable now that I've read about their plans. Much luck with your new endeavor. read more

Terrible experience management is terrible do not deal with Adam if you come here very rude and unprofessional there was tee times available and he claimed that there was no time to go out. Very unprofessional and will not be playing here again read more

Not a good experience, the manager Adam was very rude. Time slot was open on the website and he would not let us go out. won't be coming back here read more

I love coming here, always clean and sanitized . It looks like the staff makes the effort to maintain the equipment. I never had any issues and the staff are friendly and helpful- especially Brett he had some really good tips. read more

If you enjoy hitting around, have time to kill and/or working on your game, then this is the course for you. Layout is pretty good but conditions are awful. For such a dry and warm area, why are there soaked water patches on the course? Greens are bumpy and slow on a few, medium on others and of course fast on a few. therefore theyre in consistent. Tee boxes can be alot better but there are so many dry patches, its a shame. Dont bother playing out of the bunkers. A few them are soaked, not raked or looks like beach sand. This facility is not COVID19 compliant. Yes you have to wear a mask but I KNOW for CERTAIN, the cart guys do not disinfect the cards after previous users. We watched multiple times of cards being placed back in play without thorough COVID19 cleaning. A few carts had garbage from previous users. read more

Amazing course sad to see it going. Hard course with lots of risk/reward shots. Shot my best round aswell here and definitely think it's a unique course with a great character! read more

First, they've raised the prices to take advantage of the virus. Other courses have their pre-virus pricing - not Franklin Canyon... no senior rates, twilight rates, etc. Other issues: 1. The grass is dead and/or dying through lack of watering. Greens have brown spots and fairways are brown and hard. Can't they spend a bit of their exorbitant green fees on watering the course? 2. Zero communications with members. I am a Canyon club member and there has been zero information emailed to members. 3. We paid for range balls in advance and that has been withdrawn. Almost $100 taken away! 4. Tee boxes are not maintained with hundreds of used tees littering everywhere. I've enjoyed this course for 15 years and it has been run onto the ground. Don't waste your money, there are plenty of other courses in much better shape. read more

My dad is a lifelong golfer. Since being diagnosed with dementia, it gets harder each time to take him out to swing his clubs. The staff at Franklin Canyon has treated him with great dignity and the golfers have shown incredible patience and understanding. We now mainly use just the driving range and putting greens- but their willingness to let me know less busy times and ways to keep him enjoying what he loves as long as possible is turning me into a (bad) golfer too :) read more

Ouch! Played a few years ago and had memories of a decent course. Nowadays, this course is in pretty bad shape. Fairways, greens, bunkers. You name it, theyre all in bad shape. $70 on a eeekend was hardly worth it. The setting is beautful in this corner of the bay, but the course sadly doesnt represent it. Giving 2 stars for friendly staff. read more

Last time for me on this course. Thought I'd give it one more chance today - my mistake. Course itself is in so-so shape. The tee boxes are terrible. On couple tee boxes, we literally had to hammer the tee into the ground. Very little grass. Some fairways are in decent shape, others not so much - dried out and hard. The greens are bumpy. The worst part of the round is the pace of play. Just under 5 hours on a Wednesday morning. Teed off a little before 8:30 - walked off 18 just before 1:30. Why have marshalls/ambassadors on the course if they don't monitor pace of play? Pointed out a foursome several groups ahead of us who were 2+ holes behind. Marshall/ambassador said he didn't notice that - although to me, all he had to do was look up! Sad because the course is so close to home and was one of my favorite years ago. read more

Franklin Canyon Golf Course - Hole 17 tee box. - Golf Near Me - Hercules, California