1. Amazing views of Mt. Diablo and the hills making up the Tri-Valley area

2. Full 9 hole course, with alternate "tee box" placements for another "9 holes" (i.e., 18 holes possible)

3. Good mix of easy and more difficult holes for people starting out playing DG

1. Given its location with many hills/ridges around it, this course is often windy, even on an otherwise calm day

2. Watch where you're walking, there are A LOT of ground squirrel/rabbit holes

3. There are long periods of time when the plateau near the #9 "tee box" is filled with thistle-like weeds. Losing your disc in them can suck.

I guess I have a soft spot in my heart for this course because it's 10-15 minutes away from where I live. It's a nice neighborhood park with hills, grass, trees, and bushes, with views that can make a sucky day at work melt away. Yeah, most of the holes aren't too long, but the hills and wind take up the slack, making it more challenging than it otherwise would be down in the valley itself. Although not easy to find the first time (or two) you play it, I do like the option to play the alternate nine holes. I think the back nine layout makes good use of the existing basket positions, keeping it interesting by changing tee placements. I would have given this course a "3", but "Decent/Typical" is a fair description for this course.

Lots of difficult, fast greens. Nothing like a few death putts to keep you on your toes.
The designer(s) did a great job of fitting 9 baskets on this tiny hillside.
Lots of brush and trees and elevation-change force non-typical lines.

Some of the fairways are kind of tight, as it is a small space. A novice player on this course could pretty easily throw one or even two/three holes over on accident.
There is a walking path that crisscrosses down the hill through the course. I only saw a few pedestrians and they all were pretty friendly. The course is so small that I didn't wait too long for anyone.

For a small 9-hole, this course is a hike and a half.
I will gladly play it again if in the area.
I used the 1st DGCR course map, and was able to navigate alright.
I'm pretty sure you can park across the street on Vista Monte beyond the red zone. Otherwise you can park in the Old Ranch Park parking lot across the street and it's a bit of a walk to Hole 1.

Old Ranch Parks plays along a moderately sloping hill side and has wonderful views of Mount Diablo in the backdrop. (Best view from hole 8 basket.). The shrubs and plants within the park are also well manicured and offer some of the few obstacles that will shape your driving decisions.
- There is moderate amount of elevation to deal with as the course plays along the hill and will ultimately dictate your shot selection. If you're a one trick pony thrower, you will be severely handicapped.
- There are a couple of nice picnic tables along fairway 8. Which unfortunately probably gets unused as they're in the path of fire.
- This course would be great for 1 disc beginners, as there is really no chance to lose a disc to ruin their day.
- Most holes have adequate hole signage with directional ques to the next tee area.
- The baskets are in great shape, unfortunately a typical comment when you quickly run out of good things to say about a course.

There are numerous issues with Old Ranch Park.
- First I'll mention the hole spacing. There are several holes that cross paths with other holes. In addition, several tee areas are unprotected and are within striking distance of other baskets.
- There is a problem with blind shots that run along well traveled walking paths. My group almost nailed an unsuspecting park patron. Please be sure to double-check for walkers and joggers or use spotters.
- Navigation can be an issue as there is no course map. (The course map link on DGCR is accurate as of this review) Two tee signs are missing. Holes 7 and 9. Hole 7 has a black sharpie marking on a garbage can and crosses 6 fairway down the slope. Hole 9 tee is seemingly obvious with a sunken area surrounded by wood lumber. Although, no markings were observed on the lumber.
- Hole 10 is not marked at all, seems to be a local alternate hole. It uses 7 tee and 3 basket. For this reason, I feel that the course should really be relabeled as 9 holes, and not 10. On a side note, 10 was actually one of the most fun holes to play as it was the most aggressive downhill shot. Plus you have to head that way anyways to get to your car.
- Speaking of which, the parking is located across the street. Not a huge issue, but I generally like to finish a course by my car.
- The holes themselves lack uniqueness. There are very few trees in the park that guard pin placements. Most are just wide open with hole 9 being thee exception. There are no doglegs, no par 4s or 5s, no water elements, no driving windows to split, only one hole with a bit of length. (394). I wish the designer had made a couple of holes straight down and straight up the slope to mix it up a bit.
- alot of the holes, due to slope by pin placements, bring into play the death role. That is when your disc catches an edge and rolls way down the hole. Our group had one such occurrence on hole 6 where my friend hit the basket and then played his next shot a 100 feet away.
- the tee boxes are slightly below average. They reuse the walking path for most holes with the rest being dirt. Other than tee 1, all the holes are unshaded. None of the holes have seating at the tee box.
- During my visit, there was an overabundance of grass burrs. Not sure if this is typical for this part of California but I'm glad I wore pants.

Regardless of all the cons mentioned above, I truly did enjoy my first California disc golf experience.

Not crowded nice. Nice Elevation changes it is a open corse not a lot of obstacles to hit

Hole 3 is a supper long hole you need a big arm to get par if you don't have a big arm you won't get par. Hard to find some of the sings for some of the holes

Never crowded

No real tee pad for any of the holes
On a side of a hill
Lots of dried, overgrown weeds
Holes aren't spaced out very well; they overlap a lot.

If someone randomly dropped baskets on a side of a hill, it would be called Old Ranch Park.

Surprisingly challenging given the distances. The wind and elevation changes makes it interesting.

Clever use of the space in some cases.

Lovely view.

The only course for miles around.

Someone took the time to put the course layout in UDisc. A big help!

Good baskets in good shape.

Ugh, where to begin.

The course is not laid out or marked to be easily navigated. I was there alone so without UDisc I would have been completely lost.

There's very prickly brush all over the place that can lead to some disc searching adventures.

There was heavy grass and weed growth which while preventing roll-outs also made every throw a searching event even when one knew almost exactly where it landed.

A pedestrian path crisscrosses the course and in fact is used as a teepads. Lots of conflicts with pedestrians if they are present.

Really terrible overlap of holes, fairways and tees.

Some dirt tees.

There's a lot to dislike about this course clearly and it would be unplayable on a day with busy walkers and lots of golfers. A real hazard for disc hits.

But... I played it on a quiet afternoon in June with the only golfers being on my card and not too many walkers.

Given all that it was an enjoyable time and I really appreciate the work of whoever built this course.

I sometimes have work nearby and the next time I'm up at that location I will return for an afternoon round.

challenging. 35-40 min to play nine. Very nice and helpful locals. back nine using same targets and different tee pads. great view

wind. poor/missing tee signs. can be confusing for a first timer.

needs a little work. has potential

Interesting terrain - this is on a steepish hillside.

Very disorganized. I couldn't figure out where to start. Of the 10 holes, I only found 6 or 7. I couldn't tell where I was throwing to most of the time, as a lot of baskets are very close. Maps are by some holes, but they are very poor.

Unless you have no other options, skip it. This needs a lot of work. I get the feeling that when it was built it was nice, but it's too rundown.

Good baskets. Nice hole signs. Elevation changes. Good hole distances.

Long distance from parking to number 1. Hard to follow course. Most tees are just on the sidewalk with a faded line. (Some are just a wooden frame with mud in the middle). Extremely muddy. Boots wouldn't be a bad idea. Long grass and weeds hold moisture. Plus it makes discs hard to find. Too many baskets are on top of hills. (One roll down a hill can put a huge dent in your score).

Not a terrible course in the summer time I would guess. If you can you should play Livermore instead.

Views from atop the ridge.

Some challenging (runaway) greens.

Lots of opportunities to have your disc fade into (or beyond!) the neighbouring fairway - some crossing fairways, too.

Some tees too close to previous baskets or near/amid neighbouring fairways.

Course Zig Zags its way up a moderate slope to the Top of a ridge, where flat hole-9 offers the only window-challenge, needing to go straight through a window early, with a left late to find the basket guarded on nearly all other sides by small trees, The remainder of the holes are primarily open, with the rare bush to throw around or over, the main challenges being: a) the wind; b) controlled fade on the downslope holes, and c) adjusting for the extra "distance" of the upward-sloping holes.

With the map, course was easy enough to navigate. There was no teesign for 7/10 when I played, but it seemed obvious to play form near the bench/trash can next to the path (access to water up there, too!)

If you like your courses open with challenging slopes, give this course a try.

-It exists.
-Well maintained.
-It exists.

-Little to no shot variety. Just straight shots the whole way
-Needlessly unforgiving: between the high winds and steep hill, every shot has a chance of random errant rolls, gusts, etc.
-THE HILL: perfect shot, catch an edge, roll 50 feet. Bogey. Lame
-Stacked on itself, you're dodging other discs on nearly every hole.

It's great that the city supported a course, but with all the crazy perfect terrain in the area, this is a mind-bogglingly bad location for a course.

Good group of guys play regular rounds in the evening starting around 5:30 PM. Epic night rounds for those without a curfew.

Very windy at times and disc can roll downhill for days. Pedestrians frequent the path through the park. Most know about the disc golf course. Heads up when course is busy - flight paths cross on most holes

If you play with one of the regulars we can show you all 18 holes. Did I say 18? I mean 19 holes. We are trying to put together a weekly and monthly tournament so shout out if you want to play. When the sun goes down and wind is not blowing we play Glow Golf. Thanks Geoff for the LED disc lights. Bring some glow sticks for your discs and the baskets if you come out.

-Mach 3 baskets, bright orange and numbered
-Parking across the street near the soccer field
-In spite of being on the side of a hill, there are different shots, including two downhill shots, four slightly uphill shots, three that are essentially level, and one up the slope
-Shot distances vary, ranging from 220 ft to almost 400 ft
-There is a good balance of right and left shots and a few that are straight
-Scenic course with great views
-Not many people, either walking or playing disc golf
-Signs are at each tee except for hole 9 and 7/10
-Water fountain at the top of the path
-It takes about 30 min to play, so I went 5 times in a row (3:30 PM start) and only saw some other disc golfers at around 5 PM

-Crossing fairways, but if no one is there, not an issue
-Dirt tee pads (holes 2, 5, 7/10 [the same tee]) are somewhat uneven and not well defined. The other tees are on the cement pathway that switchbacks up the park
-On holes 3, 6, and 9 the pin is hidden from the tee
-The nearest bathroom is back at the parking lot near the soccer field

Parking: turn right off of Old Ranch Park Road at the stoplight (Vista Monte Drive) and park next to the soccer field--this is actually where the GPS location indicates. The course is across Old Ranch Park Road--you will see the orange baskets.
Hole 1: The tee is on the cement path, with a sign, and Pin 1 is upslope and in view. A drop off behind it may have tall grass, but the landing area next to the pin is barren.
Hole 2: Tee up the hill from pin #1 a few feet and has a sign. The tee is enclosed by a wooden frame, but the dirt inside was pretty soft from use. Be careful. Pin 2 is across the slope, slightly down hill and there are a few shrubs and young trees in the path of a hyzer drive by a RHBH player.
Hole 3: Tee is back on the cement path, walk back toward tee 1 and you will see the sign. Pin 3 is tucked in the corner of the hill, about 400 ft away. Fairway may have weeds, about ankle-knee high, and only some of them had been hacked down as of March 14, 2013, so a spotter would be good here.
Hole 4: The tee is a walk back from pin 3, and at a switchback in the cement path. Pin 4 is visible, a 350 ft straight, slightly uphill shot. Beware of slope behind the pin.
Hole 5: Tee is dirt next to the sign, and pin 5 is obvious. One of the shorter holes.
Hole 6: Tee is immediately downslope of pin 5 on the cement path and has a sign. This deviates from the original course map posted. I think this sign also shows the rest of the course in terms of tees and pins. Pin 6 cannot be seen from the tee, and is up the slope and on the shoulder of the hill. Cool shot if you can avoid hyzering down the slope. Has the same ground cover and foliage as hole 3, so have a spotter if the weeds are high.
Hole 7: Tee is not signed, but there is a bench and a cement trash-can holder that has faint paint on it indicating tee 7 and 10. The tee is decomposed granite and a depression in the pathway, at the foot of the bench. Pin 7 is slightly hidden whereas pin 10 (really pin 2, same basket) is clearly visible. Just a little putter shot. Clear landing area and an easy birdie.
Hole 8: Tee is cement pathway and there is a sign. Pin 8 is not visible, but is close to pin 4 and is basically a twin of that shot. Again, beware the slope behind the pin. I had one drive disappear all the way down to the cement gutter, about 100 ft past the pin (it must have rolled down the steep slope).
Hole 9: No tee sign, but at the top of the cement pathway there were remnants of apparent tees on the cement (black paint now poorly covered by white paint). I would suggest that after putting out on pin 8, turn back to the pathway, then walk to your right. The top of the hill has a huge flat area covered with wood chips. You will soon see pin 9 in a little copse of oak trees. Make your own tee and blast away.
Hole 10: This is a 'bonus' safari hole, and uses the same tee as hole 7. After finishing at pin 9, walk to the bench on the path and you'll see the trash can with faint paint indicating hole 7/10. Aim at pin 2 and drift a putter gently down the slope and carried by the strong tailwind. It's a fun shot, as long as no one is playing hole 2!

- Elevated shots. Both uphill and down hill

- Very quiet park

-Beautiful backdrop. Weather is decent

-Wind provides better challenges on holes

-Locals are friendly and helpful

-If you play in the morning when there is no wind, it's like playing on a different course.

-Quiet during the day, and everyone I've encountered is very friendly and helpful.

- Locals have volunteered their time to make various improvements to the course.

-Many tee boxes have been improved for the back 9 holes.

-Many if not most of the holes cross with one another. If there are other groups, and you like to play at a fast pace this could annoy you.

-Wind can be crazy at times.

-Being that the course is on the side of a hill, disc can sometimes roll down to the bottom.

- A lot of foot traffic at times. Most locals know about the course and are always keeping an eye out for golfers as they pass.

-Very muddy after a rain shower. Makes tee boxes cluttered with clumps of mud.

Hard to navigate through if you're new to the course.....

-As it currently stands, this course is probably the nicest that I've seen it over the last few years. Locals have gotten together with the city rec. department to keep improvements happening at this course.

- Even though many people complain about the shot variety at this course, this course reminds me of several course down in Santa Barbara and costal courses. Good place to practice throwing in the wind for sure. The addition to the back 9 holes have helped in that department.

- Playing in the morning versus playing in the evening at this course is like playing two different courses. Wind picks up in the later afternoons. 10-15 mph winds are not uncommon.

- Locals are quite helpful navigating through the back 9 holes. However on busy days with many groups, this is a bad idea as other groups get in the way and slow everyone else down. Fortunately the course is quiet enough for the most part that this doesn't happen as much as people think.

-You can look for new information and course updates on Facebook by going to "San Ramon Disc Golf".

I applaud whoever thought to place a course in the midst of suburbia; this course is "better than nothing". If the designer only had one side of a hill to work with, then i admire how tough that must have been. The baskets are nice, there appears to be low usage, and once you figure out the layout you could play this in 30 minutes during lunch or after work. Just bring mids and putters for this course. Good course to work on upshots and down shots. Nice view from the top!

4 baskets are in view from any tee, in all directions, so navigation for a first timer is confusing. The tee signs don't really help at all, and i intuitively teed off in the wrong direction a couple of times. Pedestrians and fellow DG'ers would constantly be at risk if anyone was on the course (alot of criss-crossing). Hillside was very muddy, tee-boxes not defined. If you played one hole (300-350 straight), then you've pretty much played them all. Very little shot variety.

With so much beautiful trees, hills and scenery in this area, you would think they could put together a first rate course. But, I think real estate is more valuable for homes than DG Courses, so it's just the reality of things.

Quiet setting in suburban park;
Relatively empty most of the time;
Pretty new and unused

Navigation is a chore the first few times you play;
Very few signs placed in key locations;
No tee pads;
The path leading through the park is used as tee for like 3 different holes;

Was excited to find this course in close proximity to my work location. It has a lot of potential if a local group takes it under their wing to maintain and add a few upgrades. Given the user-friendly nature of San Ramon Parks and Rec it would be easy to partner with them to add tee pads and signage. This could be a much better course than it is. It is not neglected like some courses; it just needs to be finished. Good for a quick round after work and a great project for some enterprising volunteers or Eagle scouts.

- Great views. This course is perched on the side of a hill, and once you hit the top the vistas are quite gorgeous.
- Good length for newer players - holes aren't excessively short or long (probably close to 300-350 ft/hole)
- Closest course for at least 15-20 minutes in any direction.

- This course is extremely confusing to navigate. Parallel/crossing runways + being able to see multiple baskets from most tees = great confusion.
- Parking area is slightly detached (~500 ft) from the course.
- This course is a decent local course, but is by no means a "destination" course because of the layout of the course (10 holes, switchbacking up a hill) and moderate hole length.

Old Ranch fills a needed niche as a "local" course for people who can't drive to Moraga, Berkeley, or San Jose to play on a regular basis. That said, if I had the time, I'd look instead at playing De La Raza or Golden Gate.

Old Ranch has a couple of really cool positives going for it, first is the course location which is on a nice grassy hillside overlooking the small city below. Views from up top are really beautiful! If I had to select a practice basket for putting on, hole 8 would be it - so cool to look down on the town with all of the burnt-red roofs and the hillsides further in the distance. Other than the view, the course itself utilizes what space is available quite well incorporating uphill/downhill/sidehill holes to make up for the lack of any meaningful tree coverage. The orange powercoated baskets also add to the uniqueness of the course and they really stand out against the green grass and blue skies. Experienced players won't find much here but beginners will appreciate the opportunity to play with some elevation and the wind blowing over the relatively open space of the course.

While there are nice tee signs available on most holes, the course is still difficult to navigate for the first-time player because of all of the switchbacks and also simply because so many baskets are in view at any given time. Once you figure out the layout, I'd expect the course is a breeze to play though. As other reviewers have mentioned, you have to park quite a ways away from the actual start of the course and walk back and forth up and over the hill. When we visited, we actually accidentally parked across the street near the soccer fields and walked over after seeing the awesome orange candy coated baskets.

Although I've only rated it a '1', this course is a nice change of scenery for the veteran course bagger-type who will appreciate the unique venue on top of the hill with the beautiful view of the city. Newer players also will likely enjoy getting to play on a seriously hilly course with little chance for losing discs. Veteran competitive golfers will probably want to mosey on down to some of the more traditional championship courses in the area such as Golden Gate.

If you're just learning the sport of disc golf, then this is the course for you... Beautiful view of the mountains and all baskets are within a fairly reasonable distance with no trees in the way... #9 is my favorite basket because it's set up just like a disc golf course should be set up...

Not all of the tees are marked to show where you should start off.. Most of them are along the walkway which is not a true set up of a disc golf course... This is a very hilly park so if your disc starts rolling, you better hope it stops somewhere other than near the street..

Coming from Texas and having played at many courses in the past, this is my first course to play upon moving to California.. I look forward to coming here more often since it's closer to where I live and to experience other parks...

1.This course is built in a planned community in an area that is a well landscaped garden area.
2. The baskets are brand new and easily visible from the landscape as they are orange. 3. Great if you are looking for a very quick 10, yes 10, holes.

1. Just a switchback up the side of a hill
2. Fairways cross or you are throwing at people who are throwing at you.
3. Parking is inconvenient as you must park across the soccer fields or in a residential area and trudge to the course.

The course seems like it was dropped in on top of a garden area. I felt guilty stepping through the well groomed planting areas to the next tees. It isn't very challenging as everything is straightaway.. The only things standing in the way of a par or birdie is a bit of wind or a blind shot or two.

I was in the area on business and stopped here for a break. This is not a destination course so if you are looking for something new or challenging, travel to San Jose or up to Berkeley. It was fun and quick and will be more challenging when the plants grow a little taller.

Finding Holes 7 and 10 were tricky. From the top of the hill, the trash can is labeled "7" and "10". If you face the street, look at your 9 o'clock position and you'll see both 7 (closer) and 10 (further) down the hill.