Rancho Solano, Fairfield, CA

Rancho Solano is a gated, master-planned community in northwest Fairfield, set against the hills above Suisun Valley. Its centerpiece is the golf course, an 18-hole layout that opened in March 1990 and is known for putting surfaces that run unusually large for the region. Water comes into play on seven holes. In-Shape Fitness, with a pool and tennis courts, sits close by too. About 1,200 homes are spread over six gated sections, mostly New Traditional and Mediterranean houses with stucco siding and tile roofs, plus some townhouses. Lots along the fairways look out on oak-studded hills, and the street names lean Spanish to match the architecture. Inside the gates, Andalucia Park and The Park at Rancho Solano give the streets their own green space, and the listing descriptions mention greenbelts and bocce courts. Meadow Glen Park, in Rolling Hills, is about half a mile away. Wine is the nearest destination, since Suisun Valley's tasting rooms start at the community's edge. Vezer Family Vineyard sits just beyond the boundary on the Suisun Valley side. For dinner, Favela's Fusion in the Gateway Courtyard serves Mexican food, and downtown Fairfield and Napa both lie a drive away. Daily life depends on a car. Safeway and the Travis Boulevard shops in Woodcreek are the usual stops for errands, and Solano Town Center, with well over a hundred stores and a movie theater, is the bigger shopping trip. Interstate 80 puts San Francisco and Sacramento each about 45 miles away, in opposite directions. Public bus routes do not run into the community, so a car is part of the deal. Gates and loop streets keep the interior quiet, and the six gated sections keep each cluster of homes to itself. Beyond the gate, the stores are a drive, and par threes on the course reward careful club choice for anyone who plays.