Granite Bay is an 18-hole private golf course near Sacramento designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Kyle Phillips. Mature oaks, granite outcroppings, elevation changes and water on 12 holes create a strategic modern-classic experience, while firm Santa Ana Hybrid Bermuda fairways and Dominator Bentgrass greens support excellent year-round play.
Holes: 18 Yards: 7,004 Par: 71 Rating: 74.2 Slope: 134
Par 4 · 336
This short par 4 presents a somewhat daunting introductory test, as players must hit their tee shots over the club's Audubon sanctuary, which hugs the entire left side of the fairway. The more water you take on and the closer you position your drive to the left side of the fairway, the shorter your approach shot to this slightly smaller-than-average green. Once in the fairway, this hole plays easier than most on the course. Just remember, the longer the club used for the approach shot, the more difficult it will be to hold this shallow putting surface.
Club: 315
Cobble: 290
Granite: 336
Nugget: 220
Pebble: 220
Par 4 · 396
Two fairway bunkers on the left-hand side are the primary obstacle on this uphill par 4, and they both come into play, which means accuracy off the tee is paramount. A good drive might leave only 150 yards into the green, but a tee shot that finds those bunkers will considerably lengthen a player's second shot. The approach is no less intimidating, as the fairway slopes from left to right, meaning players are likely to encounter downhill, hanging lies and will be hitting up to an elevated green that's well-guarded by bunkers.
Club: 372
Cobble: 351
Granite: 396
Nugget: 309
Pebble: 309
Par 3 · 162
There's no avoiding the hazard on this short par 3, as the pond must be carried, no matter which tee box is played. The green complex features a redan near the front of the putting surface on the right side, which can feed balls down the slope and toward the middle of the green. Hit it too far on that line, however, and you'll likely end up in a penal backside bunker. The safe play is to the middle of the green, where players are almost guaranteed putts no longer than 20 feet, even when hole locations are cut near the far left and right of the putting surface.
Club: 147
Cobble: 136
Granite: 162
Nugget: 74
Pebble: 74
Par 5 · 541
Fairway bunkers on this gradual downhill par 5 won't come into play off the tee, but players will be forced to contend with them on their layups, especially if their drives find the left side of the fairway, as they'll be blocked out by a large blue oak. Appropriately, this hole's green complex sports design features that are characteristic with Mackenzie's work, not the least of which is a rounded knob on the left side of the putting surface that can feed balls forward and to the right depending on where and how shots interact with it. The feature is easier to avoid from 100 yards out, but players who are going for this green in two will be at the mercy of the bounces.
Club: 506
Cobble: 478
Granite: 541
Nugget: 453
Pebble: 453
Par 4 · 429
Granite Bay's number one handicap hole has plenty of length, but the sweeping dogleg left, which plays entirely uphill, is also teeming with character. The front of the green is unobstructed, which means players can try to run shots up onto the putting surface, while a significantly contoured greenside bunker on the left defends part of the green. Fortunately, a redan-like design to this green complex allows plays to attack the green from the right, but even big hitters are likely to have a long iron in their hand for that approach shot.
Club: 409
Cobble: 369
Granite: 429
Nugget: 331
Pebble: 331
Par 4 · 319
The sixth hole plays significantly longer than the number on the scorecard, as it moves uphill almost 100 feet from tee to green. With an accurate tee shot, birdie opportunities are in play, as the green's contours have been softened; but aggressive players who want to shorten the hole will have an even greater advantage so long as they can hit their tee shots on line. That said, the closer you get to the green, the more likely you'll be left with a pitch shot over a front greenside bunker that must be hit from a stance with a ball below your feet.
Club: 299
Cobble: 270
Granite: 319
Nugget: 258
Pebble: 258
Par 3 · 163
Make sure you assess the direction of the wind while you're still standing on the 6th green, as the tee boxes on number seven are shielded enough from the breeze that it can be tough to determine the wind's location once you're there. When you do get to these tee boxes, don't let visions of the snowcapped Sierra Mountains distract you in the Spring. The hole typically plays the full yardage, even though it's a drop shot, but from those elevated tee boxes, all aspects of the hole are visible as you plan your shot.
Club: 143
Cobble: 136
Granite: 163
Nugget: 122
Pebble: 122
Par 4 · 429
This slight dogleg right par 4 is one of the few on the course without a fairway bunker, but don't think it's a hole where you can just swing away off the tee. More specifically, it's a fool's errand to attempt to cut the corner down the right side, as it requires an approach hit over a cluster of trees about 80 yards short of the putting surface. George Thomas would approve, as this green is generally receptive to run-up shots, but once on the green, players might find their putts break more than they appear to, thanks to a prominent left-to-right slope across the entire putting surface.
Club: 411
Cobble: 371
Granite: 429
Nugget: 365
Pebble: 365
Par 4 · 400
A heroic carry is what's now required from the back tees on number 9, as that championship tee box has been angled to bring more of the water in play off the tee. Those not playing from the back tees will still want to think heroically, as players who bail out right with their drives will be left with approach shots that are long and difficult. Golfers who like to hit running shots onto the green can do so here, but be warned, greenside bunkers along the back can make for perilous recovery shots when the hole is cut in the back-right section of the green.
Club: 375
Cobble: 365
Granite: 400
Nugget: 345
Pebble: 345
Par 4 · 367
A big blue oak stands resolutely in the center of the fairway and provides plenty of character on this hole. Golfers must not only avoid it with their tee shots but position their drives so they have a clear approach to the slightly elevated green. In particular, players who aim to the left of the tree will have more fairway to work with. On the green, a ridge bisects the green from left to right and will funnel balls toward the front or the back of the putting surface, depending on where and how those approach shots land.
Club: 350
Cobble: 345
Granite: 367
Nugget: 224
Pebble: 224
Par 3 · 186
Club: 165
Cobble: 144
Granite: 186
Nugget: 114
Pebble: 114
Par 5 · 565
An uphill par 5 that plays more than 600 yards from the championship tees, number 12 is a true three-shot hole. What you see is what you get off the tee, but the real challenge comes on the second and third shots, which golfers will play from uphill lies. On layups, clearing the bunker that juts out into the middle of the fairway from the right side requires a well-struck shot. Similarly, hitting the green in regulation requires an aerial attack, as the putting surface is guarded by a bunker in the front. The hole gets easier once players reach the deep green, which slopes from back to front, but getting there is the challenge. According to one of the club's golf professionals, number 12 could almost be a signature hole if it wasn't so damn hard!
Club: 515
Cobble: 470
Granite: 565
Nugget: 434
Pebble: 434
Par 4 · 373
After a colossal par 5, this short, dogleg left par 4 offers a bit of a reprieve. Take less than driver off the tee, as a 230-yard drive from the back tees leaves only 140 yards or so in. The second shot plays slightly downhill but into a prevailing wind and, most often, from a downhill lie. Therein lies the challenge on the back nine at Granite Bay players will be lucky to find a level lie in the fairway. The green on number 13 is fairly wide, though it's a very subtle turtleback shape, which means shots hit near the edges are likely to funnel away from the middle of the green.
Club: 351
Cobble: 323
Granite: 373
Nugget: 286
Pebble: 286
Par 3 · 199
Playing over a ravine with a waterway below, the signature hole at Granite Bay requires a solid tee shot, especially considering that this long par 3 most often plays into a prevailing wind that blows in from the left. Hit your tee shot short and you'll be left with a pitch shot onto the green from an uphill lie, but hit it long and you could find yourself in the back greenside bunker a difficult place to be given how much the terrain slopes away from you. A bailout area to the left provides plenty of room to miss, but getting up and down from that area is no easy task.
Club: 166
Cobble: 154
Granite: 199
Nugget: 95
Pebble: 150
Par 5 · 502
Club: 487
Cobble: 461
Granite: 502
Nugget: 351
Pebble: 437
Par 4 · 399
This picturesque holes play downhill, which means players can get a lot of runout on their drives. That may shorten the subsequent approach shot, but the farther down the hill players hit their drives, the more likely it is that they'll be faced with an uneven and downhill lie for their next shot. The flattest lie in the fairway will leave about 180 yards to a green that slopes from left to right with aggressively angled contours shaping the front portion of the putting surface. As Colt suggests, players would be wise to consider their approaches before committing to a tee shot.
Club: 380
Cobble: 361
Granite: 399
Nugget: 278
Pebble: 278
Par 4 · 365
On the scorecard, number 17 looks imminently gettable, but all is not as it seems. The hole plays much longer than the yardage due to the fact that a player's second shot plays steeply uphill. From the fairway looking up, players are likely to only see bunkers the entire putting surface is concealed which might make them wonder if there's even a green waiting for them up the hill. Potentially drivable for the longer hitters, number 17 is one of those par 4s that can produce a wide range of outcomes.
Club: 296
Cobble: 292
Granite: 365
Nugget: 272
Pebble: 272
Par 4 · 452
Make sure you enjoy the sights from the tee box on number 18, as the vantage point provides one of the best panoramic views of any course in the Sacramento area. The wide landing area allows players to pull drivers from their bags with confidence; however, thanks to a fairway that slopes from right to left, when golfers prepare to hit their approach shots, they'll be taking aim at a large, well-bunkered green with the ball positioned above their feet. From an elevated vantage point, players will see a lot of sand as they hit their second shots, and while the front bunker is the easiest to recover from, the difficulty from the remaining greenside bunkers fluctuates based on each day's hole location.
Club: 404
Cobble: 383
Granite: 452
Nugget: 349
Pebble: 349
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