Overall: 2.9 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Location: 5
Driving Range Mats: 3
Driving Range Grass: 3 (members)
Range Balls: 1
Chipping Area: 3 (for fee)
Putting Greens: 2
Practice Bunker: 3
Like: Central location, complete practice facility (range, chip, bunkers)
Dislike: Old range balls; wait for hitting bay at peak hours; putting greens mediocre
Address:
400 N. Saratoga
Santa Clara, CA 95050
http://www.pruneridgegolfclub.com
I frequent the Pruneridge practice facility because my kids went here for lessons for 7 years. Overall, it's an great place for beginners to learn and practice. The practice facility has all the components you need - a full driving range, putting area, and a short-game area. The short game area is quite good, but it does require a day fee. This isn't a bad thing since it's usually not very busy, and you can chip in virtual privacy and practice lots of shots. The public putting green is fine for beginners, but the green quality is mediocre.
Pruneridge also has two driving ranges. One public and one private area. The public one has the normal range mats. The private area is grass, and it requires you to purchase an member pass. The grass on the range is usually a bit thin. Hard to describe. The grass isn't very dense and the surface is usually a little uneven. Grass is grass, and I always prefer it for practice and it's a gift to have it available. But, just don't expect it to be as solid as you see it one the course or at other facilities.
The public driving range is ok. It has two levels. The first level has good mats, and good shade during the morning hours. However, during the afternoons, the sun shines directly into these practice bays and it can get very hot. I personally only use the first level because drivers are not allowed on the top level. As a result, the first level is usually pretty busy and you often have to wait for a spot. The mat quality is good. Some mats are in better condition than others, but generally the mats are fine. You also have individual hitting bays, so it's roomy on the bottom floor. The other nice thing about the range is that has lots of targets and lots of yardage markers. Always practice with a purpose and target in mind! The best part of this range is that they recently added grass to the entire driving range. It's a great visual for practice and so you can get a better sense of how the ball reacts when it lands.
The range balls are typically below average. Pruneridge tends not to refresh their balls frequently. So, if you happen to come when they do swap for new balls, you are in luck! But, don't have your hopes up as the balls are almost always very worn out. Trust me, I've been practicing here for many years.
Overall, the Pruneridge facility is a great place for the busy Silicon Valley worker. The location is extremely central, and probably 15-30min away for most people who work in silicon valley. It's a place where if you have an hour free in your schedule, you can hit a small bucket, fly a few chips, and roll a few putts to keep your game fresh. You can also take a lesson from their strong teaching staff or play a 9 hole round. Both Mike and Jeff are excellent instructors with a ton of experience.