
Empire Ranch Course
Empire Ranch Golf Club


About this course
Empire Ranch Golf Club sits in Folsom, California, in the rolling terrain east of Sacramento where the Sierra Nevada foothills begin to rise. Designed by Brad Bell and opened in the mid-1990s, the course occupies land that was once part of historic ranch property, and the routing takes advantage of the natural elevation changes and oak-studded landscape characteristic of the region. The layout moves through varied topography, with fairways that climb and descend across ridges and valleys, offering golfers a mix of uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies. The design incorporates the native California landscape, with mature oaks framing many holes and native grasses defining the edges of play. Water features come into play on several holes, and the bunkering follows a naturalistic style consistent with Bell's approach to integrating courses into their settings. The property's elevation provides views across the surrounding foothills and, on clear days, toward the distant Sierra peaks. Empire Ranch serves a public golf audience in the Folsom area, part of the Sacramento region's broader golf market. The course appeals to local players seeking a layout that offers both scenic variety and strategic interest within the foothill environment. The club provides standard amenities for daily-fee play, and the course remains a fixture in the area's recreational golf offerings.
Quick facts
- Location
- Folsom, CA, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 2002
- Designer
- Brad Bell
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,668 yards
- Difficulty
- 71.5/127
Getting there
Most visitors to Empire Ranch Golf Club arrive through Sacramento International Airport, a straightforward forty-minute drive to the northeast into the rolling foothills of Placer County. The route traces the edge of Folsom Lake along winding roads that climb gently away from the valley floor, trading suburban sprawl for open ranchland and scattered oak groves. As you approach the club, the landscape opens into sweeping grassland punctuated by granite outcroppings - a distinctly Northern California transition that signals arrival at one of the region's most thoughtfully sited daily-fee experiences.

FAQ
Common questions about Empire Ranch
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Empire Ranch was designed by Brad Bell.
Yes. Empire Ranch is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Empire Ranch is 71.
Empire Ranch plays 6,668 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Empire Ranch is 127.
Empire Ranch is a 18-hole course.



