While the quarry course gets all the glory, Black Diamond’s Ranch Course holds it’s own and is arguably a better overall course. To be clear, if you only get one round at Black Diamond you have to make it the quarry course due to the five world-renowned quarry holes.
Once you’ve had the unique privilege of playing the quarry, you need to play the Ranch course. Like the quarry, the Ranch course was also designed by famed golf course architect Tom Fazio. In fact, it’s said that Tom Fazio claims the final three holes at the Ranch course are the best three finishing holes on any golf course he’s ever designed. By the way, he’s designed around 200 golf courses.
The Ranch course feels a little tighter off the tee, but still really has generous sized fairways that are easy to hit for most. The appeal of the course starts on the first tee shot. It’s a short par-4 that is framed by lots of tall pine and oak trees. The first hole doglegs to the right leaving a shortish club for most to a green that is down the hill all the way to the green. The green size is plentiful, but errant and short shots typically find one of Fazio’s many greenside bunkers. That’s a theme that plays out throughout all 18 holes.
The course then remains nicely consistent and pretty quickly also introduces some larger waste bunkers that are quick to gobble up any errant tee shots or weak approach shots. Holes wind through the woods and up and over sand hills. Compared to the Quarry course, the Ranch greens have more levels offering more pin positions. Also, it just seems like the greens are bigger overall on the Ranch course. Overall conditioning of the Ranch course is solid, but you can tell it doesn’t get the same level of attention as the quarry. The course is presently finishing an upgrade of the greens ensuring continued improvement over time.
The 10th hole is a fun par-5 that is reachable with a couple good shots. However, being a Fazio design, you have to be accurate or you will find yourself in bunkers that guard a green that’s not too deep and slopes from left to right across the entire green complex. The 13th is also memorable being a short and even potentially drivable par-4. Yet, you have to be precise off the tee. A lake right runs the entire fairway and large bunkers protect the left and front of the green. It’s a green framed beautifully by three moss-draped oaks.
Let’s not forget about Tom Fazio’s favorite three finishing holes. Let’s just refer to them as a major test of your golfing abilities. The 16th is a long almost 600 yard par-5 with waste bunkers that have to be navigated with long irons or woods. At the end of this test is a narrow, but very long green with deep bunkers in play for slightly errant shots. The 17th is a par-3 that plays 200 yards plus. There’s a mean bunker short left that surely sees a ton of action. The green has multiple tiers and pin placements even having a small upper tier on the very back. It happened to be back there the day we played making the hole play about 225. Make sure to lace up your shoes extra tight to take on the 400 yard 18th hole. It’s all uphill so the second shot only gives you a peak at the flag and not the green itself. The green is sloped back to front and if the green speeds are up, one might certainly find themselves having a longer second putt.
Black Diamond’s Ranch Course is a fun and fair course to play. It’s a layout that is pleasing to the eye off the tee and on approach shots. It’s one of those courses that really are peaceful as you head out and really don’t see any other holes or groups until late in the round due to the trees and forests that surround the holes.