Empire Ranch Golf Club

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.