This is how today began. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - Just me and the wind. - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I had a tee time for two people on Saturday. When I found out my grandmother passed away on Thursday I immediately jumped on a flight, as anyone would probably do. Of course my tee time was the last thing on my mind considering I was grieving a heavy loss. I was never given a call to check if I was coming in but the course had no problem charging my card $25!!! I just called and spoke with the "manager" Taylor. He was inconsiderate, unprofessional, and selfish saying there was nothing he could do. I have been a players club member here for for a year and a half. I will be canceling that immediately and never golfing here again. The course is poorly taken care of anyway and my experience with all staff, especially Taylor has been less than pleasant. read more

I've been here once before, but back when I was still somewhat of a beginner golfer. Back then I was too absorbed into my fundamentals that I was not able to appreciate what a cool place this is. Now, this place is a beautifully wooded and mountainous terrain which is equally challenging as it is breathtaking. Majestic sequoias and willow trees are the characters upon which you will be playing with. Constant elevation changes and winding fairways forces you to think and place shots. Very difficult first hole (400+ yard par 4 uphill) makes for a rough start but the elevated tee box on 10 rejuvenates the spirits as your drive soars to a descending fairway. Difficult to score low but that's okay, cuz an afternoon's round out here, beers in cart, summer sun slowly setting, buddies chillin', I mean whats not to like. If one has a bad time out here, I say look in the mirror foo and hate the player and not the game. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - opening hole, not as easy as it looks - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

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One of my favorite places to play golf in the Bay Area - beautiful natural setting surrounded by trees and hills. We even saw a deer cruising through the fairway! Unless you really like walking, the hilly terrain can make for a painful afternoon (and slow play). We typically play twilight golf which tends to be less busy so it's okay to walk and play at a slower pace. The weekend deals for twilight golf are pretty good (~$20), and it's pretty easy to get a tee time. The multi-tiered driving range is also nice - I have never had to wait for a stall. Being so far above the ground makes it seem like you're hitting the ball further than you actually are....which builds false confidence for me. They have nice practice greens and a chipping area. read more

Four stars is borderline high for this course, but I'll give them the nod for it being so scenic and public and reasonably priced (look online for specials and such). Dings against this course: * Slow play. OMG. It can be a death-march, especially on a weekend. Get out EARLY if you can. * Poor drainage. There's really no where for the water to go, so it can be sloppy. The drainage has been improved, but it's still messy when it's wet. * First two holes are sorta hokey. The first is a tweener between a par 4 and par 5, but is a par 4 on the card. A rough start, and with inexperienced players, a 430 yard uphill par 4 to start is pretty brutal. The second hole is hokey too, as there is no legit landing area for a tee shot. So, the course backs up with slow play right from the start. The good news is that it is indeed pretty (lots of wildlife around) and it's not too hard to get a tee time. I don't live in the East Bay anymore, but for those of us who rely on public courses for our golf, this is a fun course so long as you avoid the crowds. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

Not only is this unique course in the middle of an incredible park, but to get here, one of the ways anyhow, through Fish Ranch Road, is a sublime view of Berkeley to San Francisco. Tilden Park GC has great elevated tees that make a golfer's jaw drop when they get a hold of a 'good one'. To see a ball flight here, high in the air, with a lush wilderness in the background, is something that video games are made of but can be easily found at Tilden Park GC. This is an amazing course. I feel fortunate to have played it after seven weeks had pass since they aerated the fairways and punched the greens. I've never played Tilden at such optimal conditions and for that I've giving them due praise. The pro shop is pretty small but the guys that work there have always been cool. The Cypress Bar & Grill, at Tilden Park GC, serves OK food and decent cocktails, but what I like most about it is their spacious patio area that overlooks the golf course at an elevated level. On rare occasions, when its super sunny at Tilden Park GC, there's no place quite like lounging at the Cypress Bar & Grill. Oh, I forgot to mention that Tilden park also has an amazing practice area. Their putting green and chipping green is big and smooth on the dance floor. It's also great that they have deep sand bunkers to practice on. I highly recommend this course to any avid golfer. I don't recommend it for beginners though. It can play very difficult for newbies! read more

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This is a beautiful golf course. Pretty busy a lot of the time. The grill closes so early. Us hungry golfers want food. Some staff are pretty friendly & helpful some can give some attitude. It's a tough course also. Lots of deer & turkeys. Decent golf range, they have 3 levels. But they are remodeling it so not sure how it will be in the near future. They have a cat named Tiger, he's pretty cool! read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - From the 8th/9th hole. From the golf cart. - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

Played golf today May 27th. Tee off at 7:50. Played in 4 hours. Course was in good shape. One major problem is their snack bar was closed, it was over 80 degrees out, no water on the course and no drink cart. I tried to buy drinks from the pro shop at the turn but the line was out the door and not moving. I've been out to Canyon Lakes in San Ramon during corona virus and they had a drink cart and their snack bar was open. Tilden needs to step up read more

Played Tilden for the first time - like many public courses it's hard for them to maintain the quality that you might like given the relatively cheap cost of play however the layout and terrain is outstanding and I encourage you to go and support it read more

pretty good for a public, high-use course. the course was in good shape (November 2019), it was challenging but not ridiculous. greens were in good shape. some beautiful holes and we saw a coyote catching mice really close to us on #10 so that was fun. narrow, so if you're not in the fairway, could be trouble. would play again read more

The Tilden Driving Range provides the perfect context to unwind after the long work day and to lose yourself in tranquillity and solitude. I have never visited another driving range that is more fully immersed in nature. The views of the Berkeley Hills and the rolling Bay Fog are magnificent. Patrons are nice and considerate, and so is the staff. One star off for the end of the Twilight Rate other reviewers have mentioned. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - Beautiful day on the range - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

This golf course has gone bad.The employees are very rude.The course has been way over watered and it's not the rain.The greens are in terrible shape and the fairways are so wet they only allow cart path only.We had to have someone bring us a replacement cart ran out of battery.The second cart barely made the last five holes.The marshal drove around yelling at the players in a rude tone.Won't go back and play this course anymore! read more

Nice course. Maybe a little bit of a hidden gem in the Bay Area. The course is tight but fair. Certainly is a beautiful area.

I like this course, especially when I am hitting it straight, you gotta be pretty straight on this course. Love the country feel with all the trees and greenery. Decent price, great weather rarely to hot. My only gripe is the brakes on some of the golf carts are not real responsive at times that is when coming to a full stop. read more

The golf course is pretty but the staff isn't always friendly. The girl who works at the pro shop is rude and the lady who gives lessons is also rude at times. The range usually runs out of balls so you have to wait for the guy to pick them up and manually insert the balls into the machine. Lastly, I had to park far a month ago when I played a round and i came back to my car to find a broken passenger window. Luckily, my insurance covered it but it was an inconvenience. read more

Update went back a few months later after my two star review they are doing a great job fixing this golf course I can't wait to play again in a few more months read more

This is definitely not an easy course. It is situated in the hills and therefore there are a lot of ups and downs and uneven fairways. I would say about 90% of my shots were above or below my feet.. Which definitely makes it more difficult. Also, the women's tees really don't give you much of an advantage at all. So if you can't drive the ball very well, you might not enjoy playing here. I would like to point out that the greens and tee boxes were in good shape which is a big positive. Overall, it's a very pretty course and definitely recommended. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - 10th Tee - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

The driving range is always running out of balls. THE DRIVING RANGE IS ALWAYS RUNNING OUT OF BALLS. Want to warm up before your round? Go pay $12 only to get an empty bucket. Go to the clubhouse and they tell you to wait for the balls to be gathered and put back in the machine.. wait 20 minutes for nothing and then start your round. It's been this way for years and they refuse to do anything about it. I'll update my rating and review with other details if they ever fix this (very easily fixable) unacceptable deficiency. read more

Tilden is garbage. It was good back in the day but they never updated and it's a trash golf course November - April. Just close the fucking course. You can't maintain it, it be like serving only rare or only well done burgers. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - Roped off more than half the green - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

The greens were very slow and the tee boxes need repair. The flagsticks are terrible. My friend got a splinter on his hand from holding the flag stick and the flag on top of the flag stick is so dirty and old I would be embarrassed if I was managing the golf course. The course has so much potential but just needs more maintenance read more

I like the course especially the front 9. Very scenic and interesting. The maintenance could improve in many areas. Sand traps are not well kept and ball washers are awful if you could find one. Take your own wet towel with you. The course is not playable when rains and the place have very poor drainage. When the course is dry, it is very pleasurable to play early in the morning when peaceful and not crowded. If you are an impatient player, avoid weekends. Tilden will get 4 stars or more if maintained better. read more

I came back after 5 years away, and it wasn't long before I remembered why I vowed never to play here again. It's a terrible course. The first two holes are garbage. The driving range is poor. I think if you're a high handicap golfer, a low handicap golfer, a first time golfer...there are so many better courses in the east bay. And the WORST part is the five and a half hour round...don't waste your time here. read more

Played June 3rd, and the round took 5.5 hours to play. We all paid for a cart, but when it was our time our tee time, there were no carts. I was told I could get a refund, but the club house closes before you finish the round. How are people supposed to get their refunds? We were not the only people this happened to. The course is in decent shape. No complaints there. read more

Course is nice but needs updating and clubhouse is pretty old. It's got some drainage problems but works in a pinch. Great deals to be had on discount golf websites for this place. read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

WARNING!! DO NOT GET THEIR MEMBERSHIP!! I have tried to get a hold of the general manager, Brian for the past week now. I have left him at least 10 messages asking him to call me back to cancel a membership. If you sign up for membership expect to pay the membership fees for life. We tried canceling via email and on the phone but they continue to charge us. They are crooks. My next step is to have my credit card company and dispute the charges. Such a huge hassle. It has been 18 days since I first posted the above warning. Brian Catalli has not once attempted to contact me. I have to spoken to affiliated people such as tournament managers and Golfzing. This guy should be fired or at the very least, retrained (of course I am assuming he was trained at some point). I do not know how old Brian Catalli is but he is checked out. I don't think he cares even a little about the goings on in his golf course. He is either lazy or incompetent (probably both). Why this course would pay this man to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is beyond me. Knowing that if a problem arose, nothing would be done, why would anyone go to this course? read more

This driving range is an ideal location for a date. Nestled high above the hills of Berkeley, the park serves as a beautiful and serene backdrop. Come before sunset, take a place on the top deck, and you might be able to enjoy a little quality time under the stars. Share a large bucket (95 balls) for $9. Spend a couple of hours thwacking the ball and scoping each other out. Appropriate questions to gauge whether the date is worthy include favorite ballpark you've ever visited. Who was your favorite Warrior? Were you there for that Cal/Arizona football game with the 4 overtimes? What's your favorite position? If you're both righties, have the girl take the tee to the left. She can check out his ass, I mean his stance, when she's attempting to make contact with the ball. And the dude can get a glimpse at her cleavage, I mean her form, when she bends over to place another ball on the tee. Note: The correct answer to favorite position is first base. read more

The best thing about this adequate golf course & driving range is the location. To get here, you go to North Berkeley, then turn toward the hills, and go up, up, up, and up some more as you note the gingerbread houses you're passing get slightly creepier, your car engine heats up. and your ears pop. Keep on pushing, until you reach higher ground. Check your head, then check the stupendous views of the entire bay. Driving range gets a few extra points because it's heated, is lit to make night practice possible, and the place can almost be slightly, er . . romantic? at times. Hell, check this scene out even if you're not into golf. read more

I like this driving range. 81 stalls - 3 levels. 30 balls - $4 70 balls - $7 120 balls - $12 read more

Good course, not worth the money though. Max price for this course should be $45 a round... And now for my rant... They charged my card twice, once for the incorrect amount of $72, then I told the guy this was wrong and he charged me for the correct amount of $51. Problem: he never voided the original amount he charged. I have called for a week straight to get this fixed! No answer! No responses! Screw the management and this course. read more

Utlitzed the driving range on Saturday it was great and $13 for 115 balls very fair. Will definitely be back for a round in the course

Great golf course. Beautiful setting in the Berkeley Hills away from everything. Not a long course, but challenging with eucalptus trees lining many fairways. Unless you're in great shape, difficult to walk with holes #1,#2, #9,#10,#13,#16 and #18 going up/down hills. Depending on the season, you may get lucky and see deer and other natural wild life on the course. On weekends, a round can easily take 5+ hours with traffic, tight fairways, meandering creeks. Typical American Association golf course....well maintained...above average fees. Coupons during 'off-hours' are a great deal. Driving Range is triple deck (ground deck overlooked). 2nd and 3rd decks are elevated, hitting onto artificial greens. Yawner (driving range is a driving range) read more

This is solely based off my experience at the driving range and mostly on the sheer fun we had, and not the facilities. For $12, you can snag drivers and 120 balls to hit on the driving range. My fiancè and I split them and whacked away for about 30 minutes. The range itself leaves a little to be desired. It was pretty patchy and scraggly. That being said, we had no problem getting the bucket of balls (through the dispenser) and nabbing two spots side by side. And two small bucks graced the range while we were there. They didn't look up once as balls landed around them and whizzed by. Touche, buck. Touche. The good: great way to spend an hour or so on a sunny Sunday. Would totally go back. The bad: the range is nothing to look at, so have low expectations. For real. read more

I love it here. Love, Love, Love. I haven't had the guts to play the 18 yet - I'm still a Lorena Ochoa in training, thank you very much - but I've visited the driving range a number of times in the past few weeks and I fall more and more in love with the scenery every time. Watching the fog roll in over the trees with the occasional deer popping in and out from the hillside is incredible. And considering I'm just a beginner and have my share of bad shots, it's hard to be angry in such a serene environment. Someday I'll brave the course and all it's hilly-gloriousness. But for now, I'll stick to the 2nd level, right-middle side of the 3 story range. See you there! read more

Tilden Park Golf Course - Honestly, you couldn't ask for a better view at a driving range! And no, I'm not talking about myself in this picture. - Golf Near Me - Berkeley, California

What can I say. Took a week of vacation and with the wife in LV for business, I decided to make this week a "golf vacation" and play golf everyday w/ the retirees! Anyway, I'm all in on this course. Beautiful narrow fairways, dark green tufted grass and challenging hilly shot placements. I started my play at 6:45 AM on a Monday, as a single. They partnered me up w/ Kumar, a 74 yr old energetic retiree, w/ an incredibly straight and reliable drive. We both had carts and it was early in the day, but we ended our round in about 3 hrs, 45 mins. As described in earlier reviews, the two tier driving range is pretty awesome. If you didn't know you were in Berkeley, you would think you were in some part of Alaska to look out over the trees and greenery surrounding the range. The drive into the course overlooks Berkeley and you have a panoramic view of the entire bay including the Golden Gate Bridge. Facilities: Snack bar was clean and food tasty. Restroom areas were very clean. They seem to have a loyal retiree following due to their incredible senior special of $105/mth for unlimited golf. While I intend to continue to explore many other East Bay golf course, I already know Tilden Park will eventually become my home course! read more

Somehow this course gets slower every time I play - and I didn't think that was possible. Today, I went for a nice walk. Having played Tilden on a weekend, I knew to expect a 6-hour round (which is ridiculous). Even though my expectations were absurdly low, Tilden still managed to disappoint: I walked off after 3 holes--an hour and a half after I had teed off. A NINE-HOUR ROUND PACE. Along the way, I witnessed many a bad shot, hungover teenagers puking in the trash cans while they pounded beers, and a staff that was utterly and completely indifferent. They didn't even offer me a raincheck (although it wouldn't matter, as I won't be back). Tilden is a waste of money and time, and it is getting worse. read more

So, I'm giving this 3 stars because on some days it's 4+, and other days, it's about 1-2. The thing that absolutely kills this course is the pace of play. It tends to get bad in the afternoons when they just crank out 4-some after 4-some with very little marshall presence. I haven't played weekends there in years, but I can't imagine the pace is much faster. But, when the pace of play is 4 hours or less, it really is an enjoyable course and while it plays short, it does present some unique challenges with uneven lies, elevated tee boxes, elevated greens, risk/reward shots for possible drivable holes and lots of trees. Btw, watch out for poison oak in the spring/summer!!! Going after your errant tee shot isn't worth the wrath of the oak. Unless you're a mountain goat, I would also highly recommend getting a cart. If Tilden can rid itself of it's slowplay reputation, it'll be the best deal in town. read more

Myself and a few friends went to Tilden to play on a sunny afternoon. We have enjoyed the course in the past but this weekend was not the same. Not only did we tee off 20 minutes late but our front nine holes took 3 hours!!!!! I would not have come a played golf if I knew I would be playing a 3 hour front 9 holes. We asked for our round to be comped and they said no. Jim at the front desk was incredibly unprofessional and rude. The staff at this course is absolutely incompetent except for the starter. He is 87 years old and told me himself that the course is not worth $65. He was the only thing good about this establishment. DO NOT GO PLAY THIS COURSE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER PLACES TO PLAY IN THE BAY AREA. read more

Last weekend I played Tilden for the first time in about 5 years. I never really cared much for the course and after playing it again, I still don't. In fact, I'm not going to ever play it again unless it's free. So you can put Tilden Park on the do not play list and here are some reasons why. First, its way, way overpriced. Their usual prime time rate on GolfNow is $72. I'm no pro here but I do play enough to say it isn't worth more than $55 prime time. Heck, if you're going to pay that much just go down to Pleasanton and play Callippe Preserve, it's 10 times better. Second, it's seriously dangerous out there. Every time you're standing on a tee you notice that its right next to the green you just got off. So any slightly off target shot is coming for your head. Many of the fairways are parallel and too close to each other. The worst case being the 13th and 18th holes where the only thing separating the two greens is a cart path. Some joker on 18 hit it onto the 13th green while we were there... actually it's not that hard to do, but I also don't want to be the guy who got killed from a golf ball to the head. Here is the http://www.coursecam.com/courses/tilden_park_golf_course.cfm. Check out the 13/18th holes for what I mentioned above. Finally, the greens suck. They sure looked nice but every ball that was putted in our group bumped and jumped all the way to the hole. They seemed spongy and apparently people don't bother to fix their ball marks much. People please fix your mark and one other... Please... The funny thing here is that my review wouldn't have been so harsh if the rates were $20 less. Sorry TP, but you've been putting lipstick on a pig for too long. Sure your location is good and redwood trees are nice but if you're going to charge $72 you need some serious improvements. I'd suggest starting with the greens and perhaps making people wear helmets. read more

First, the good parts. Tilden Park golf course is in an attractive setting. Fairways lined with redwood trees, and no houses in sight. And now, the bad parts. The course is hard to get to, perched atop Grizzly Peak road. Only an expert golfer can enjoy playing here, as it's a hilly course where the only flat lies you get are on the tee, some of the fairways are narrow, and the redwoods cut short the flight of an errant ball, and then sometimes block a recovery shot. The course slaps you in the face on the 1st hole --- the architect must have hated golfers --- since it's 400 yards straight uphill. Nobody but a pro could reach this green in two. And then, the 2nd hole kicks you in the behind, as many balls are lost in the forest on this sharp dogleg left. After the dogleg, the fairway slopes sharply to the right, so a ball hit to the center of the fairway will roll, roll, and roll right into a ravine. Gee, what a fun way to start a round of golf. The final knock on Tilden: it's a cart course. It's too hilly to walk, though some do. And if you despise those little American clown cars as much as I do, take a pass on Tilden. I just got back from a golf trip to Scotland. Golfers there walk the course, and only the physically handicapped can get carts. It should be that way here, but some capitalist figured out he could make more $$$ from a golf course if he added a clown car concession to it. read more

It's not bad for a local public course. It's up in the mountains, so naturally sometimes sun is an issue and the course suffers. Drainage is better in some places than others. The first hole is one of the tougher first holes in the area. Some water in play. Tee boxes can be sketchy, greens can vary. But it's a fun, challenging course at least for my level. Driving range is 3 tiered, and is decent. Although I rolled up late in the day on Sunday and the machines were out of balls - and no one could apparently drive the ball collection cart...so they literally said sorry here's a refund. Which was tough because there were 15,000,000 (rough estimate) balls in plain sight sitting out there. But then he said, if u want to go play a free round - I won't stop you - which was great! Managed 10 holes before it got dark. Bring a jacket though, it can get foggy in the hills and it can get COLD super quick up there. read more