If I could give zero stars I would. The course is a bit expensive for what it is - e.g. Pruneridge is much nicer. That said, the issue is not really the course, it’s the customer-facing staff, one of them actually. I’ve been playing golf on and off for 40 years and Sunken Gardens has been my worst experience by a long way. The reason is the little nerdy guy on the front desk. I don’t want to go into the details but let’s just say, a little bit of power goes to some folk’s heads. The same view is shared by my party as well as other reviewers. I cannot recommend this place unless they got rid of this guy. Never again.

My friend and I, both mothers who enjoy golfing and introducing our children to outdoor activities, had an extremely disappointing experience at Sunken Gardens Golf Course. We had a 10:30 a.m. tee time and arrived with our 6-month-old sons in strollers. We have played at many golf courses throughout the San Jose area and have never once been turned away because we had our children with us. We understand the risks involved and have always complied with any course requirements. Upon arrival, the woman working at the front desk immediately informed us that children in strollers were not allowed on the course. Her attitude was dismissive from the start and made us feel completely unwelcome. When I asked where this policy was stated in the course rules, she admitted that it was not actually written anywhere. Instead, she explained that it was up to the discretion of the person working at the desk to decide who would be allowed to play. Rather than trying to help us or offer any reasonable solution, she was rude and made irrelevant comments such as, “This isn’t baseball.” We never suggested it was, and we made it clear that we fully understood the risks associated with bringing our children onto a golf course. Despite this, she refused to assist us in any way. I later spoke with the manager, Hay, regarding the situation. Unfortunately, he supported the employee’s decision and attitude. He stated that children are not allowed on the course because of the risk of injury due to the course’s “narrow” fairways. I explained that we have played a wide variety of courses, including many with short and narrow fairways, and have never been denied access. At other courses, we simply sign a waiver acknowledging the risks. He informed me that Sunken Gardens does not offer that option. What made this experience especially frustrating was not just the policy itself, but the way it was handled. We were treated as though we were unreasonable for wanting to enjoy a round of golf while introducing our children to the sport and spending time outdoors as a family. The entire interaction felt unwelcoming, dismissive, and unprofessional. As a result of this experience, I will not be booking any future tee times at Sunken Gardens Golf Course. I will also be sharing my experience with friends, family, and fellow golfers so they can make informed decisions before choosing to play here. Customer service and respectful communication matter, and unfortunately, Sunken Gardens failed in both areas.

This course is a hidden gem! We play a lot of golf all over north America and have recently brought our clubs to the Bay Area. We weren’t sure if any of the local courses are enjoyable. We were pleasantly surprised by this 9-hole course not just because it is really close to where we stayed but this course has a scenic charm and offered a lot of shade in the hot July weather. The pace of play was exemplary. We liked it so much that after nine holes and a beer we decided to play the nine holes once again - Super easy to book the tee time. After all 18 holes, we also enjoyed the bbq beef brisket lunch with a nice salad. We would definitely recommend this course to our friends and family and hope they enjoy playing here too. We plan to be back and play some more rounds anytime we are in the Bay Area again.

I don’t normally write reviews but I also have not ever felt as uncomfortable and unwelcome as I did today at Sunken Gardens Golf Course. Myself and another momma booked our tee time for 10:30 am so excited to get out and do something we love while going through postpartum with our six month olds. This is not the first time we have gone golfing with our little ones. We have been to many golf courses in the area and have been welcomed with open arms with our kids. However that was not the case at this course. We walked into the room to pay for our tee time and the lady who was working looked at me and rudely asked “what do you need” I said I am here to pay for my 10:30 tee time. She looked at me and then looked at my stroller and said “your not going out there with them” we said oh we did not realize that was a rule where does it say strollers and young kids weren’t aloud on the course, she said “ it doesn’t say that, it’s up to the person working and your not going out there with them” at this point I felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome , she told me to get out of the shop that she was locking the door to go help another person and would return in a few. We walked out of the shop and she responded with “ this isn’t baseball” we replied we are well aware that it is not baseball, we then proceeded to ask for a waiver because we know some other courses have had us sign one without any problems and she said they don’t have one. We will never be going back to this golf course not only because of a rule that is not even on their website or stated anywhere but also because if this is how you treat people and even mothers going through postpartum looking to enjoy a beautiful day outside doing something that they have done for many years, it is not a place I want to support. I will also not be telling other people with their children who have a love for the game to come to this golf course.

First, last, and absolutely avoiding this place going forward. If I could give 0 stars, I would. My wife and I came here just to enjoy a casual round and had one of the worst customer experiences we’ve ever had at a course. On one of the early shots, my wife hit a ball that was not great, and before we even had a chance to reset, the guy in the pro shop area was already standing there waiting just to scold us and tell us to move on. Not helpful, not professional, just immediately rude and confrontational. There was zero patience, zero courtesy, and no effort to make paying customers feel welcome. It honestly felt like he was looking for a reason to snap at someone. Completely killed the mood and took the fun out of what was supposed to be a relaxed outing. For a short 9 hole course, you would expect a more easygoing attitude, but instead we got treated like we were a problem for being there. The course itself is not in good enough condition to justify that kind of behavior from staff anyway. Save your time and money and go somewhere that actually appreciates its customers. We won’t be back.