Overall: 4.2 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Location: 2
Driving Range Mats: N/A
Driving Range Grass: 5
Range Balls: 4
Chipping Area: 4
Putting Greens: 5
Practice Bunker: 5
Address:
1 Coyote Creek Drive
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
www.coyotecreekgolf.com
Like: Top-notch grass range, pitching/chipping hole, putting greens
Dislike: Location is inconvenient for most, pricey balls, not-lighted range, windy conditions
Coyote Creek Golf Course and Practice Facility was recently remodeled. Both of the two Jack Nicklaus designed courses are awesome. The Valley Course has been resequenced (for the better), and both courses have Pebble Beach sand, making them the best bunkers around! I'll share a separate review of the course. The cool thing is that they also renovated the practice facility. So, bar-none, Coyote Creek has the best public practice facility in the Bay Area, but there are some drawbacks too. And because of these drawbacks, it's not my favorite practice facility.
The Likes:
Everything about the practice facility is top-notch. The driving green is all-grass and large. The grass is great quality, not lumpy. And if you get there early, you'll be treated with pristine fairway-like conditions on the range. The range has plenty of target flags, so you can go pin hunting.
The short-game area is also top-notch. What I like most is that their short game area mimics a real hole. Visualize a short par 3 hole where you can practice 50 yard pitch shots, bump-and-run chips, and sand bunker shots. The sand bunker, like the course, is brand new with pristine sand. It's literally having a dedicate par-3 hole just to practice on. Amazing!
The putting areas are great. They have two large putting greens. One next to the range, and another next to the starter/snack shop. I personally like to practice on the green that is away from the range. Less crowded, and also more nuanced slopes, so I find it better to practice green reading.
Lastly, the range balls at Coyote are great. They currently have Callaway practice balls, and they are usually pretty fresh. Coyote does a great job cycling their balls and removing the old ones.
The Dislikes:
With all these amazing things about the facility, why isn't it my favorite place to practice? First, it's the location. Coyote Creek is in south-south "San Jose". Technically, its actually in the City of Morgan Hill and some would consider this outside of Silicon Valley. So, for many people, Coyote Creek is too far of a drive from work. For me, it's fine as I live in South San Jose.
Second drawback is the price. Coyote's range balls are pretty expensive. It's $7 for a small bucket (35 balls). Most places charge $5. Also, Coyote doesn't allow you to bring your own shag-bag for short game practice, so you'll need to buy range balls and then use their shag-bags to practice. It's not a big deal, but I do prefer to chip with my own non-range balls for better feel and consistency. This is the reason I didn't give their chipping area a perfect score.
Third drawback is the hours of operation. Because the driving range isn't lighted, the range follows the sun for operating hours. Open around sun-up, and close about 30min prior to sun-down. So, if you don't get out of work a little early, don't bother coming to Coyote to hit some balls.
Fourth drawback is the attire. Coyote requires you to dress appropriately for use of the practice range. Golf attire - no gym clothes or tee-shirts. So, if you come, don't forget your collared shirt!
Final drawback is the weather. Coyote's range is not covered, so if it's raining, don't plan on practicing here. Also, Coyote Creek GC is infamous for the high winds, and the driving range is no exception. The high winds will definitely affect your ball flight and visuals on your ball.
Overall:
Coyote Creek is a GREAT place to practice. As I said, from a facility perspective, I strongly feel it's the best I've seen in Silicon Valley that is open to the public. I was a member of their club, and I absolutely loved the members-only practice area. But, the drawbacks of price, place, hours, and inconvenience prevent me from saying it's the best place for my fellow busy Silicon Valley workers to practice.