Overall: 3 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 4
Pace of Play: 3
Layout: 3.5

Los Lagos. Translation: The Lakes. Of the three municipal courses in San Jose, I feel Los Lagos has the most character.

Los Lagos is situated in East San Jose. Location matters, and in this case, it matters to many local golfers who have less money than the country club type. And I love it. I love when golf is accessible and unpretentious. You see lots of blue collar folks working on their game at the range (even late into the evening…the range closes at 8:30pm and it’s lighted, double decker). You see First Tee Program kids taking their classes. You see many local high schools playing their tournaments here. Los Lagos also lets you reserve online 9-holes anytime. Perfect for people with busy schedules or if you just want to take your junior golfer out.

The unfortunate thing is that every so often, the City of San Jose questions the need of Los Lagos and there are often Council meetings to determine it’s future…to turn it to residential homes or to turn it to a park or soccer field. So far, Los Lagos has withstood these challenges. If you’re a citizen of San Jose, always place your vote. I certainly have.

Ok, back to the course. It’s a par 68. But, don’t let that fool you. There are many holes where shot selection matter and also strategic landing spots on the greens. The greens are no joke. Often the “lagos” are in play. There is a fun par 4 where you can drive over a large lake, as well as a long par 3 right over another lake.

Another thing you’ll notice is that the course is very very lush. This may be surprising because California is in a constant drought. The rough is lush green, fairways with no brown patches, and greens are in relatively good condition…especially considering it’s a muni course.

As for pace of play, it depends. When the course is full, it’s slow as you would expect. Lots of beginners are working on their game. But have patience. We were all beginners at some stage of our golf journey. However, I find the course seldomly packed. And when that’s the case, I’ve finished 9 holes in 1.5 hrs and 18 in 3.5 hours easily.