The view for Hole 15.

Small town charm and world class golf

Hunter Ranch Golf Course, a short drive from the heart of Paso Robles, is a popular destination for great golf and delicious food. Entering the grounds from Highway 46E, the drive to the clubhouse wanders through centuries old oaks draping with Spanish moss. The sights of browsing deer, soaring hawks and the occasional wary fox add to a sense of getting away from it all. The Grill, a popular restaurant at the clubhouse, and the pro shop are located at the end of the road on top of a hill overlooking the golf course and the surrounding wide-open spaces.
The par 72 golf course was designed by Mike McGinnis and the late Ken Hunter, Jr. who also developed the well-known La Purisima and Sandpiper golf courses. The designers took advantage of the natural terrain to lay out an 18 hole course that suits the challenges for both novice and skilled players. Leaving the natural rolling contours of the land in place allows the course to play differently from each tee and tests playing strategies between the front and back nines. The greens putt fast and smooth, and the fairways are lined with century-old oak trees, natural lakes, and native grasses. The Hunter Ranch Golf Course has been awarded four and half stars (out of five) by “Golf Digest.”
The Hunter Ranch pro shop is well stocked and offers a wide variety of instructional programs with PGA golf professionals to all types of golfers. The golf course is popular for golf tournaments and offers full service planning and coordinating for tournaments and golfing events. Hunter Ranch is a regular host for PGA Junior League teams. Both the men’s and women’s locker rooms are spacious with ample room for changing and freshening up before or after a round. Golf packages are offered by most of the area’s major hotels.
Golfers and non-golfers alike are welcome at The Grill at Hunter Ranch for a great meal and majestic views of rolling hills, vineyards and the golf course. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. The Grill features local wines and great selection of beer and serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week. The menu includes a special Pooch Menu just for your dog. Daily happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday brunch is one of the most popular in the area.
In 2014 Hunter Ranch over planted all of the fairways with a hybrid drought tolerant Bermuda grass. “Our fairway improvement project achieves two very important goals: becoming more water efficient and offering an enhanced playing experience to our golfers,” said General Manager John Carson.
Hunter Ranch Golf Course is located at 4041 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles, CA. For more information about the golf course, rates, and golf packages visit the website: http://www.hunterranchgolf.com. For golf reservations call (805) 237-7444. For The Grill, call (805) 237-7440.

– Jackie Iddings