There is more than enough high-end golf to play in and around San Jose. As there should be. It’s one of the most cutting-edge, newly affluent locales in the world.
But it warms my heart knowing that places like Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course exist and thrive in a community of tech geniuses and industry titans.
This executive course dates all the way back to 1965. Yes, it’s another nine-holer. Between corporate offices and houses on top of one another, there isn’t much space left for golf courses.
As I said, I’m glad this course has stood the test of time.
Even though there’s only one par four (it’s drivable) on this track, its experience is rich. For more than 50 years, the working man has called Rancho Pueblo home. Will you find this course’s stories in the Golf Digest archives? Probably not.
But having played this course a number of times (while always making time for a beer afterward), I can attest that my intentions of one beer, seemingly turn into two, sometimes three. And it’s all because of the characters I encounter here. They’re fiercely loyal to their small slice of heaven and revel in stories of past and present that are at times both unbelievable and heartwarming. They aren’t worried about the future. They simply love their golf in the present moment.
You can have the same experience for a more than modest fee.