News & Updates
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- 3/9/10, Firethorne Country Club - This was on the front page of CharlotteObserver.com today: Firethorne club called 'insolvent'. Yikes...
- 3/1/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Update from Russell: I had never played at Emerald Lake and I was interested to see what I would find after reading all of the conflicting postings last year. I had a Sunday morning tee time (2/28) and the staff was just like 99% of the other courses I play. Friendly, took my money - gave me a cart key. I am not really sure what other people are looking for but it was fine for me. The course was in pretty good shape for this time of year. It was cart paths only even though there has not been much rain recently and there were some wet spots on the course. Tee boxes were a little chewed up and they are in the middle of a sand trap restoration program - but even the ones that are done had a very heavy sand/dirt/rock mixture. I thought that the greens were very good. Quick and consistent. Some of the slopes are extreme and I agree that the 9th green is a disaster. I enjoyed the layout. A nice mix of sharp doglegs and straightaway holes of varying lengths. With all of the choices in that area I am not sure if I will hurry back but overall it was pretty good.
- 3/1/10, Fort Mill Golf Club - Update from Russell: In between the rain, snow and freezing temperatures I was able to play 2/22 at Fort Mill. It is my first trip back since they re-did the greens and they are interesting. Approaches rarely leave a ball mark and when you do repair them it feels like steel wool. They are pretty uniform and roll pretty consistently but I am not sure that they hold approaches as well as they did before. The rest of the course was in decent early spring condition. All of the recent rain left a lot of debris on the course but nothing too bad. Tee boxes were pretty chewed up but the sand traps were nice compared to other local courses. Not too excited that they have increased the rates with the new greens. It used to be a bargain but now it is in line with their sister course Springfield - a better overall course in my opinion.
- 2/18/10, Larkhaven Golf Club - The 39th Annual Larkhaven Men's Four-Ball Tournament will be held April 23-25. The cost is $300 per team. Entry includes all cart & greens fees for tournament, Bar-B-Que Cookout and Flighting Party following Saturday's round (with one guest invited for each player), lunch Sunday, prizes each flight, closest to the pin prizes and more. Optional team skins game held each day. Visit the Larkhaven web site for more information.
- 11/1/09, Fox Den Country Club - Due to popular demand, I've officially added Fox Den to the site. Send me your updates and reviews! Here's one from Chuck: I know Fox Den CC is not considered a "Charlotte" golf course, but I did play there today (10/18/09) and I have to say this course is in very nice condition. The greens are rolling really well, the fairways are nice and you do have pretty decent lies to hit off of. True, the front nine is pretty hilly and you may have some uneven lies but the back nine is even better. Nice new clubhouse and not too many other golfers out there due to the cooler temps made this round very enjoyable. Only a 20-30 minute drive north of Charlotte, a must to check out.
- 11/1/09, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club - Update from Robert on 10/27: Played Red Bridge this past Sunday. It was a great experience. I had read that there were no yardage markers, but I had no trouble finding yardages on the sprinkler heads and 100, 150 & 200 markers in the middle of the fairways. The roughs were tough, but playable. You are supposed to be penalized for not landing on the fairway, but these were not like pro-tournament roughs. I am a 12 handicap and found the course challenging but fair. I remember every hole, no two were similar. This is the best golf course in the Charlotte area.
- 10/14/09, Birkdale Golf Club - Update from Chuck: Played Birkdale yesterday, in the Susan G. Komen benefit tournament. The course overall was in pretty decent condition. Fairways were nice and green with pretty decent lies for the most part. Greens were in good condition, some greens look like they have been bombarded with ball marks, but that is to be expected when a course gets alot of play, such as this one. The greens were pretty quick which I like. Hopefully with the cooler weather coming some of the greens with alot of ball marks will have time to heal. Overall, not too bad. Definitely should go play it, if you haven't.
- 10/14/09, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club - Update from Steve: My 2nd time playing. One of my playing partners had the same comment I did the first time out - the course is "goofy". I, on the other hand, absolutely loved it this time around. They have moved some teeboxes up, so that the distances are manageable instead of absurd. The greens have to be the toughest in Charlotte. Lots of mounds, lots of very tough pin placements, overall speed normal but with some downhill putts that are killers. Bottom line is you have to have some course knowledge, but if you do this is a real thinker's course, and it requires every shot in your bag. Next time, I'll bring my GPS (assuming the course has been yardaged).
- 9/28/09, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club - Played in the Pickup18.com tourney here on Sunday. First, let me say, for anyone who enjoys a friendly competition where you have an honest chance to win a prize, you missed out. My partner and I took the Net top prize. We're both 11 handicaps and we won by a stroke. We also got a couple of skins on the side. Next time you are able, sign up to play on Pickup18.com. As for the course, I've played it 3 times now and the conditions have been better each time. The greens are now excellent and roll true and quick. I saw yardage markers in several fairways where they weren't there before. The beverage cart came around several times and there were no problems with pace of play (not enough play yet to be a problem). They have moved up the white tee on the long par 3 #7, but not on 18. So 18 is still a par 6 masquerading as a par 5 -- just brutal. Also, they won't be cutting the rough until this winter, so it's also brutal. Very easy to lose a ball. One last thing that bothers me is the mix of white (out of bounds) and red (hazard) stakes. It's very random. There are several holes where the OB stakes made no sense (#6, #9 and #18). They should either be red or not marked at all. In my opinion, OB should be reserved for personal property lines or roads, etc. The OB stakes made those holes much more penalizing for marginally off-line shots. So just know that for now, this course plays very difficult.
- 9/16/09, Edgewater Golf Club - Heads up that they are aerifying the greens on 9/21 and 9/22. I should also note they have a unique tournament coming up in October. From the course, "Superindendent Matthew Bunch has declared this Halloween his day of revenge and no golfer is safe! Flagsticks will be tucked in unthinkable locations, and there is no telling where the tee boxes will be set up. The format for the event will be a 4-player scramble (captain's choice). The event will be held on Sunday October 31st. The entry fee will be $50 per player and include green and cart fees, practice balls, food after the round, and awards." Sounds like fun. Call the course pro shop to sign up.
- 9/2/09, Tega Cay Golf Club - I can confirm this update from Russell. My company had an outing scheduled for October and it had to be moved to another course. From Russell: A coworker of mine is a member at Tega Cay and he told me today that they "lost" all 18 of their greens and are closed for the next 2-3 months to re-sod them. (I never thought they were that great to begin with) He did not mention their 3rd 9 hole Cove course but I assume that is closed as well.
- 8/31/09, Skybrook Golf Club - Review from Steve: Skybrook has moved WAY down on my list. It used to be one of my favorites, but I tried to play yesterday, 8/29/09, and everything about the round was terrible. First, pace of play: we stopped playing after 6 holes had taken 2 hours. This after being told before we teed off that they were having no problems with a 4 1/2 hour pace. The slow play appeared to result from a busy Saturday and the semi-private nature of the course - lots of couples, even kids, and an unwillingness to ranger those members. As we rode in from #6, we saw two almost completely open holes, this despite a promise from the ranger less than 15 minutes before that "everyone is now in the proper position, so play should move along". Added to this was the condition of course: in a word, terrible. Fairways had loads of bare spots, greens also. What a shame! This used to be one of the best courses in Charlotte.
- 8/27/09, Emerald Lake Golf Club - The greens were aerated this week -- the back 9 on Monday and the front on Tuesday. They did use the small 1/4" pencil tines and so the greens should be all healed up by the middle of next week. The normal rack rate during the week is $42, but they have lowered it to $28 while the greens heal. The weekend rate is down to $40 from $59. So while the greens are not perfect, the price drop helps to make up for it.
- 8/26/09, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Got this email blast from Ballantyne today: "The Golf Club at Ballantyne will reopen on September 2nd after completing a major greens renovation project. The bent grass on all 18 greens has been replaced with Champion Ultra Dwarf grass. 'The Champion grass is used at several courses that hold PGA Tour events and offers a much more resilient putting surface throughout the year than the bent grass which often struggles in the southeastern climate,' says Woody Allen, director of golf at The Golf Club at Ballantyne. 'During the conversion we were surprised at the number of inquiries we received from professionals at prominent courses in the region who want to monitor the results. The Champion grass has been used for over a decade now in hot and warm weather climates and provides an outstanding putting surface.'" If you get out in the next few weeks to play Ballantyne, please send me a review.
- 8/23/09, Charlotte Golf Links - Played 8/23. Course is in average shape, about the same as my round last month. The tees, fairways and rough were fine. I do like how they've cut the fairways short -- it makes the course play more to its "links" namesake. The greens would be okay but the course gets so much hacker traffic that there are old unfixed marks everywhere it seems. I probably fixed 5 marks on every green. So they weren't bad but they weren't great. They also have one problem green - #13. It has been bare and bumpy all summer and I'd say it's borderline unplayable. Hit the green, write down two putts and go to 14 tee. Outside of the greens, the round was good. The pins were very accessible and the GPS was on target (anyone from Highland Creek reading this?). Our round teed off at noon and finished by 4:15 or so. When I get another under-$30 deal, I'll come back.
- 8/16/09, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 8/15. Good and bad today at Charles T, so about what you pay for here. The fairways were nice and lush, no issues. The rough was about as tough as I've seen it here, very thick and it ate some golf balls. The greens were mostly good, the speed was nice. However, several had some bare dirt spots that were not playable (in particular, #14). In addition, several bunkers were also unplayable. The ones due to rain, I can sorta understand -- if they don't have an opportunity to pump water out. But the greenside bunkers on #5? They were overgrown dirt ditches with apparently no recent maintenance at all. Huh??? The conditions were such that if you avoid the problem spots, you'll probably have a great round. If you hit in some of them, you'll be mad and won't come back anytime soon. I only had a problem with some of the muddy bunkers and made a lot of putts. So I'll give it another chance when I want a cheap round.
- 8/14/09, Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club - Update from Steve: Played on 8/9. Conditions were immaculate. Course layout awesome as always - one or two holes are a little too tricked up, but overall it is a beautiful course and has a great mix of challenging and less challenging holes. I would consider it the best course in Charlotte, and I have played almost everywhere. You do need to know the layout, however, as there are blind shots and fairway and green conditions that demand course knowledge to improve your chances of a successful shot. We saw two does and two fawns on the #11 green, incredible! Can't recommend highly enough.
- 8/14/09, Monroe Country Club - Played on 8/13. The greens are back from aeration and were in fine shape. Very quick. You don't expect these greens to be fast or even that smooth to look at them, but play 18 holes on them and you'll be a believer. The fairways were also in awesome shape. The rough was thick and difficult. I lost at least one ball in it because on many holes you wouldn't find your ball unless you walked right over it. This was more true on the back 9 than the front. One odd issue was the white tee markers were missing today, pulled off to the side. I believe they did this for a tournament, but I was teeing off from what I guessed at the typical spots were -- since the Blues are too long and the Golds too short. I'm pretty sure the whites will be back in place next time. Overall, the course played nicely and I'll be back.
- 7/26/09, Highland Creek Golf Club - Played Sunday morning. My first time back here in awhile. It has always been one of the more difficult courses in the area, from any tee box. You have to drive the ball straight and hit the right spots on the greens. You should be comfortable playing from the sand traps. So, you don't need the course setup to be any more difficult. Unfortunately, this time out at Highland Creek several things made this round even harder. First off, they tucked pins no more than 10 feet off the back edge on about one third of the holes. Several were on slopes that were just plain unfair. That was bad. Several of the greens have wasps burrowing holes in them and buzzing around while you putt (#1 and #5, in particular). Several bunkers had been untouched despite rain a few days ago. The bunker on #10 was a literal water hazard -- my partner lost his ball, are you kidding? HC, like the other Trail courses, has on-cart GPS. Today on screen, the pin positions were all marked in the middle -- despite many being tucked in the back. If you couldn't see exactly where the pin was, you were hosed by at least a club. Took us several holes to realize they had them all wrong on the GPS. We teed off at 7:05 and the round went fine, pace-wise (4:30 total), but we didn't see the beverage cart until the 17th hole (11:15). Now that all said, the fairways were lush and the greens (other than the wasps) were quick and mostly smooth, despite many ballmarks. But, overall, this was not a fun round and it seemed like the course managers were careless with the pins and conditions.
- 7/18/09, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played this morning (7/18) and had a great round. Other reviews have been mixed for whatever reason. I say that right now you can't complain about the conditions. The greens were in fabulous shape, smooth and quick. Fairways and rough were also good. It was as good as it's been for all the times I've played here. They've even softened up the area behind the 9th green so balls can roll off the back of the green and stay up. Long used to be dead. A few folks have commented about the staff and they are entitled to their opinion. I had no problems at all. The cart girls were making the rounds frequently and the ranger helped us play through a foursome at the turn (we were playing as a twosome). I even chatted with Matt (GM) and TJ (Head Pro) and think they're topnotch. If you have an issue during a round, let 'em know and they'll take care of it. And go play Emerald while it's in great shape.
- 7/18/09, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played this afternoon (7/18). Course is in awesome shape as far as fairways and lush conditions. The greens were good but not great. A little slow for some reason today, but you could make some putts if you got it to the hole. The round was very slow, the course seemed packed wall-to-wall. We waited on all 18 tee boxes and came in at about 4 hrs and 45 min. Didn't seem like we had anywhere to go. So maybe just busy. There was a twosome jammed between 2 foursomes ahead of us. I'll say again the fairways and tees were superb. And the rough was not difficult. Nowhere near as long or punishing as some other local ones I've played. The cart girls came around often enough, which was good in the hot weather. So slow's the word of the day, but I still had a great round and am glad I got to play it.
- 7/17/09, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played late afternoon 7/17 for $25. Course was in fine shape and the greens were quick and true. Some are not much to look at -- they may have dirt spots or marks -- but they all roll well. And you can make some putts here. If you've read my recent reviews, smooth greens are at a premium these days. Thumbs up for Eagle Chase. The fairways were also doing well and the rough was cut so you could find your golf ball and play a shot. That's another thumbs up. One small issue I saw was that the greenside bunker on the par 3 3rd hole was marked as Ground under Repair and just seemed neglected, with weeds and grass growing in it. Strange that they wouldn't fix it. I had a great round, playing in under 3 hours. This is a great place for a late afternoon round if you want to finish 18 before dark.
- 7/16/09, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club - Played this brand new course for the first time today. It just opened over the July 4th weekend and you can tell. The parking lot and many cart paths are still gravel. The clubhouse is a nice but temporary one. And there are hardly any houses or paved roads around the course right now. Which means it's all about the golf. I'll say the conditions of the fairways, rough and bunkers are pristine and lush. The rough is deep and tough, so watch your shots carefully. The virgin greens are solid (MiniVerde bermuda), but need to grow in so they can cut them shorter and make them smoother. For now, it's impossible to make a putt longer than 5 feet on purpose. Every putt is a bumpy, bouncy ride. You can't count on a putt holding its line. And the lips won't help putts drop either. The greens are about the only reason I'm not raving about this course. It is a fun, scenic and challenging layout that starts with a par 3 (!?!) and has 5 par 5's. That said, I do have a beef with two holes, the par 3 7th and the par 5 18th. The par 3 is 205 from the whites requiring a 175 yd carry just to get in the rough in front of the green. It's a full 190 carry onto the green. Impossible. Then you get to the 18th. It's 619 yards from the whites!!! So hit 2 great shots and you're still left with a 200 yd or so 3rd shot that is uphill over a hazard. Impossible. Looking at this hole in particular, there's no reason for the length -- they have plenty of room to move the tees up. So it makes no sense. One hole I thought was very cool was the short downhill par 4 17th. It takes a target tee shot and then a short approach over a hazard to a small green. I have a feeling people will love or hate this course. Right now I'll say I like it and think it could be a great one. One last note -- the course is not yet marked, other than the 200/150/100 plates in the middle of the fairway. No pictures on the scorecard either. So drive forward before your shot and gauge your distances carefully.
- 7/16/09, Charlotte National Golf Club - OK, I'm playing here a lot lately because it's one of the best courses to play late in the afternoon and get in 18 holes. I teed off about 10 til 5 today and finished a little after 8. So 3:20 is not bad. The course is in great playing shape right now. The greens were very, very good. This is more of what I'm used to here -- smooth, fast, no bumps or problems to worry about on your putts. The course is being watered well and was very lush and green despite the lack of rain recently. The rough is still tough and you need to watch your shots finish so you can find your ball. The twilight rates are great ($25 weekdays, $27 weekends), the clubhouse guys are flexible (I started on the back 9 today to avoid a league starting on 1) and the conditions are great right now. Go play it.
- 7/12/09, Carolina Lakes Golf Club - Played 7/12. Course is in really good shape tee to green. Only thing I noticed at all was that some of the fairways are browning, with little rain recently. The greens were great, smooth and not many ballmarks or bumps to worry about at all. After yesterday at Birkdale, these greens were much, much better. This was only my second round here and I definitely like it. However, it's gotten quite expensive now at over $70 a round anytime you play. It's not an easy course, either. The greens are huge and have many undulations. So you have to put your approaches in the right section of the greens. The pro shop and ranger crew here is very nice and helpful. So you do at least get what you pay for.
- 7/11/09, Birkdale Golf Club - Played 7/11. My first regular round here in quite a while -- usually I only get to play here in tournaments. I was frustrated with the greens. Inconsistent roll and a gazillion ballmarks (many fresh and not fixed). It was nearly impossible to make any putts of significant length (over 5 or 10 ft) because your ball would hit something and knock offline. It was late in the day and the greens were a little hairy and moist towards the end. The bunkers were also inconsistent, again mostly due to careless play (not raking). The rest of the course, tees and fairways, was in very good shape. I would say this course gets too much play for its own good. It's definitely a fun layout, but I expected better greens.
- 7/11/09, Skybrook Golf Club - Played again after only 2 weeks since my last round here. Conditions are still good but not quite as awesome as last time. The greens were a bit more marked up, but still rolled pretty quick and true. Overall, the course played about the same. Some tee boxes are getting bare and one of them gives me fits (#8) because the lower tee box has trees and brush in play when it shouldn't. The worst thing I can say about Skybrook is the pace of play. So this is the second Saturday morning round I've played where they've had a member tournament going on and it's been terribly slow. Today our tee time was 30 minutes late starting and then backed up on every hole, all the way to the end -- all told it was a 5:30 round. Brutal.
- 7/8/09, Edgewater Golf Club - Played 36 holes on 7/8 using their July $40-Play-All-Day special. My first time here. I have to start by saying I shot a career-best 76 in the first round. So, this review may be biased, but I do love the course. All 18 greens were immaculate, best I've played anywhere that I can remember. The course is young so the greens haven't had enough play to get all marked up. They had good speed, but the most important thing was they were 100% consistent. The front 9 fairways need another season to grow in. Many had significant bare dirt spots that affect play (you should take a drop on grass), but especially #2 and #6. The back 9 has no such problems. I thought the course offered a nice variety of holes and difficulty, with lots of birdie opportunities. I especially love the 17th hole, a short 420-ish yd par 5. I eagled it the first time and tapped in for birdie the second time. Another thing to note is that we had about an hour-long downpour during our 2nd round -- a super soaker. 90% of the courses in town would have been unplayable. This course, especially the greens, soaked it up and was fine. The exception would be the front 9 fairways, many of which became mud puddles, but we were on hole 7 when the rains came. The staff here was friendly and helpful. Rounds come with free range balls and free water bottles throughout the course (there were big barrels full about every 4th hole or so). All in all, it's a great new course. In about 6 months when the front 9 fairways grow in, this course will be a must play.
- 7/7/09, Charlotte Golf Links - Played 7/7. Must have been a long 5 weeks since my last round here. Conditions aren't nearly as pristine any longer. I figured it might not last. Fairways and rough were hard and fast, but the greens were extremely soft. Several have been recently punched (#13 was one). Others were pock marked and bumpy. Still quite playable but not ideal. Rumor is that the greens will be aerated very soon. I didn't have any trouble with the clubhouse crew. #1 tee was backed up badly at 5:15 with a league going off at 5:30. So they squeezed me in with a twosome off #10. That allowed me to get in 18. Actually, 20, because the front 9 got backed up on the way in and I looped around to play #5 and #6 twice. So, not bad for the price ($25 Clickit deal). I'm going to give the course a few weeks before I consider coming back though, due to the greens.
- 7/5/09, Monroe Country Club - Played on 7/5 and thought the course was in very good shape. The greens were fairly slick and rolled pretty true. The tees, fairways and bunkers were all good. The rough was actually cut so it wasn't too bad (compared to a few other nearby courses I've played recently where you can lose a ball in the rough). Overall I had another awesome round of golf here. I teed off as a single at 3:45 and had the course to myself until the 13th hole where I played through another single. Then I was good until the 17th tee. Even with the wait on the last 2 tees, it was a 3 hour round on a Sunday afternoon. Perfect. One bit of bad news... the course is closed Monday and Tuesday (7/6 and 7/7) as they aerate the bermuda greens. Too bad, I have lots of chances for golf in the next 2 weeks and wanted to come back soon, but now I'll wait.
- 6/27/09, Skybrook Golf Club - Played Saturday morning 6/27 in the heat. Skybrook is one of my top 5 favorite area courses and it did not disappoint. Fabulous shape, especially the greens. They were quick and true -- my version of perfect. I'd say they were the best I've putted on all year. They was only one glitch that I noticed on the course and that was a bad spot in the middle of the 12th green, which I happened to land right in the middle of with my approach. It was a bare dirt spot and I had to take relief to make my birdie putt. The other 99% of the course played in awesome shape. The cart girl found us several times during the round, which was great. The round was pretty slow, our 9:06 tee time did not get to the 3rd tee box until 9:45 and we didn't finish until almost 2:30. They had a members match play tournament going on and it seemed the competitors (we played with 2) were taking their time and playing it straight. All in all, it's still a treat to play this course (rumors about going private still abound) and Red Alert -- only 1 day left to buy your summer golf sale $39-play-any-day-anytime passes.
- 6/23/09, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played late afternoon on 6/23. Course is still in fine shape tee to green. The rough is definitely tough right now, but it's fair (and actually can help your ball from going into trouble). OS still has the best bunkers of any public course I've played in Charlotte, nice and consistent white sand. The greens were good, maybe just a tad slower, but that was probably due to the lateness of our round (we played from 5 until dark). Overall, I was pretty pleased again with the course.
- 6/13/09, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 6/13, only 2 weeks since my last round here. The greens were better this time, more smooth and true with good speed. The fairways are in great shape but the rough was tough. It was cut high and tough to hit from today. They must be trying to get in shape for the Open next week. I had trouble with gnarly lies, even when I just missed the fairway by 5 yards or so. So it made the course much more difficult than usual. Still, I had a good time. We played at 3:15 or so and went til dark on their $27-all-you-can-play deal. We got 23 holes in and the last 5 were a blast, with no one else on the course in front of us. I'm definitely going to do that again soon.
- 6/7/09, The Divide Golf Club - Played Sunday morning 6/7. Not thrilled with conditions here. Greens were okay, not my favorite speed or break, though. I had several beefs with the course conditions, especially compared to other local courses. The fairways were fuzzy and had not been cut recently. As a matter of fact, it seemed the course had no maintenance in the past 24 hours or so. Several (at least 5 I saw up close and personal) bunkers had standing water and were not playable -- one had been marked ground under repair. So #1, they have a problem with drainage if the bunkers hold water more than 24 hrs and #2, nobody had touched them to either rake them or pump the water out. Other courses do this, why not The Divide? A few other problems I saw were some rough spots on the collars of a couple greens and overall poor grass on the tee boxes. The blue tee on #8 was completely overgrown, which put us on the back tee box and making for a brutally long par 4. And last but not least, the GPS had the wrong pin position on a couple of holes making us mis-club. Best grade I can give the Divide right now is C+ and that's probably generous. This is such a shame, being only 5 minutes away, but I can't seem to hit the Divide when it's in good shape.
- 6/3/09, Charlotte Golf Links - Wow. I was impressed. The Links are in great shape right now. I was worried after reading the comments and reviews this year, but for those folks, I say come back and play it now. The greens were awesome. Smooth and quick. I made a ton of putts today because they rolled very true. The fairways and rough and were both cut nice and low, with no bad spots that I noticed. They have cleared out quite a bit of brush and bushes that used to eat golf balls. So it plays more open and straightforward now. I like it. It seems more fair now. Today I used the Summer Golf Deal and played for $29. I could use the same coupon and play Saturday morning. It's a steal around here. Rack rates are in the $50's and $60's on weekends at most courses. I'll be back playing here soon.
- 5/30/09, Charlotte National Golf Club - Course was in much better shape than my last round in April. Fairways are in good shape now. The greens were solid, as they usually are. Though, with the recent rains, the greens seemed slower than usual (but not necessarily soft). Most of the rough had not been cut, so it was tougher than usual and harder to find your ball, but not too bad. Overall, it was a good round and a great value -- $27 after 3pm on weekends for all you can play. Can't beat that around here.
- 5/26/09, Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club - Update from James: Played Verdict Ridge for the first time Monday - LOVED IT! Course was in good shape - few patches on the greens, but overall, I was satisfied. What a tremendous layout. I highly recommend the drive, as I think I found my favorite layout in Charlotte. Plenty of elevation changes, tough approaches, and challenging putts.
- 5/25/09, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Played on 5/25 for my first trip back to Renaissance in 5 or 6 years. I did miss the unique layout. I'll say the course is in decent shape but my expectations were low coming in. The greens were solid and smooth, but a bit on the slow side for me. A couple of holes bothered me today. Hole #7, while they seemed to have solved the drainage problem, there are mounds of red dirt along the left side that make no sense and haven't been seeded. The Black tee box on #13 is no longer elevated and is down with the ladies tee. Makes it a lame par 3. There are a ton of blind shots and hidden hazards, but you get no help from signs. They could stand to put in some plates that tell you how far to trouble on several holes. Lastly, they are still (?) building the new short game area. The pro shop guy said it probably won't be ready until next summer (!). If you've never played here (or just not lately) or are looking for a reasonably priced round, check it out. Otherwise, there are other better kept and fairer courses.
- 5/25/09, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 5/24 after some good rain. The course doesn't drain well and so there were some large puddles (especially #7). The bunkers were hit and miss. They have upgraded several with nice white sand, but most of them were red dirt and not kept well. Rain notwithstanding, the fairways and rough were spotty. With all that said, the greens were mostly great. They must put all their effort into them, because even wet, they rolled fast. A few had some bad spots (front of #15, stripe thru middle of #17), but they were the exception. 90% of the greens were perfect - best I've ever seen at Charles T. So that and the price might bring me back. On another note, the course is building what looks like a neat pitching and short game practice area. I'll have to come back when they are done and check it out. Could be cool.
- 5/22/09, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 5/22. This course gets my highest rating and best review of the year for conditions. Immaculate. Perfectly green and smooth fairways. Fast greens. Just awesome. About the best shape it could be in. Go play it! But grab a coupon or play in the afternoon. The prices have gone up. $69 rack rate on a weekend, $49 on a weekday. I played for $36 after 3 today (Friday). So it was a great deal for what I got.
- 5/17/09, Larkhaven Golf Club - Played on 5/16. I'll start by just saying I think Larkhaven is in great shape. I played just after the on-and-off rain showers ended early Saturday afternoon. There were several puddles in the fairways and some bunkers, but overall the course was in good playable condition even so soon after the heavy rain. The greens on the front side seemed a bit slower and maybe cut a tad longer, but all 18 were in good shape. The grain of these greens makes a big difference in speed. Some of your putts against the green require a big whack, while you can just get the ball started going with the grain, especially downhill. Larkhaven is one of the most unique courses in the area and takes getting used to. If you know what to expect, you'll feel satisfied with your round. If you get in the rough, your lies will be a crapshoot because of weeds and barespots. Keep it in the fairway as best you can. With several of the short holes, doglegs and blind shots, it's best to play safe, target golf. Being aggressive leads to lost golf balls. Last thing I'll say and I've said it before about Larkhaven -- they need to invest in different flag colors to give you some clue as to pin location. Many of these greens are large and have different tiers. With all white flags, you won't know what spot on the green to shoot for on your approach.
- 5/4/09, Monroe Country Club - Today was my first chance to play here since they redid the other 9 greens last summer. This is one of my favorite places to play, both for the course conditions and the price. It's a fun course, with a mix of easy and difficult holes. You can post a good score here. Today the conditions were awesome. They've flipped the nines, which I think made total sense. You now start right out in front of the clubhouse and finish with a par 5 (as opposed to a tough uphill par 3). The flow of holes is a lot better. The renovated greens were great, consistent and quick. They vastly improved a couple of them by leveling the more extreme greens (now holes #2 and #4). I liked the results, a lot more fair. Did I mention it's only $37 on the weekend? Wow. Best value in the Charlotte area, period. I'll be back soon and often.
- 5/2/09, Fort Mill Golf Club - Course in great shape. I really like playing here and wished I lived closer. It's a great old-style members course, with the next tee always right next to the previous green. One of the top 3 walkable courses (public) in the area. The new Bermuda greens were pretty nice. They weren't superquick today but we played very early (7:40am start). The course plays long, with most approach shots and par 3's being uphill. But I wouldn't call it a difficult course. If you hit some wayward shots, there's a good chance you will find the ball and still be able to salvage a good score (I had to do that a few times today). I had a great time and will be back often.
- 5/1/09, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Played on 4/30. Course is in nice shape, especially fairways and rough, which are nice and green. The greens were solid and rolling quick (with the exception of #2, which is still a young green and cut longer). I liked the change to #2, more of a straight uphill par 4 now. #3 now plays as a par 4 but was more fun as a par 5. They supposedly redid the green on 8, but it's still tough, very sloped. #12 is a cheap par 5 now, but it still plays a little narrow and all uphill with a long, sloped green. So I guess it's not completely defenseless. Used to be a brutal par 4. And finally #18 has now got some real teeth to it, with the water on the right of the green now coming more into play, especially if you favor the right side of the fairway. Overall, it's still a lot of fun to play and they treat you well. But I only splurge when they have a reasonable deal ($49 after 2pm today when we played).
- 4/26/09, Eagle Chase Golf Club - I played on Sunday 4/26. I thought the course was in great shape tee to green. Since my last round here last summer, I'm happy to report the bunkers were well-kept. That was my last beef with the course. Greens were very consistent. I saw two amazing shots today and have to brag on my partners. One of them holed out from 50 yds for birdie on #1 and the other drove the green on #13 -- the 330yd dogleg right par 4 with the big pond on the right. Both shots were things of beauty. We had a great round!
- 4/22/09, Springfield Golf Club - Update from J.D. - The course was in very good shape but the greens were just a bit shaggy. It seems they're trying hard to prevent a repeat from last year, when several greens burned bare and others had some bee/beetle issues nesting in the greens. So far, so good this year. (Although I did notice a few crawling beetles on some of the greens...I hope the greenskeeper keeps on top of it.)
- 4/22/09, Carolina Lakes Golf Club - Update from J.D. - Retired people don't rake bunkers. That's my headline. Other than that, the course is in good condition, not as great as usual. Fairways are fighting to get green. Tee boxes are beginning to get less level. Probably even less of a value these days, now that they raised prices ($75 I think).
- 4/11/09, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 4/4 (Garrett) - last round before heading back to New York City. Wanted something hilly and just "not city". Hilly - check! "Not City??" semi-check. Greens are slope-y and challenging. Recovery from aeration coming nicely. Fairways are good. Wish to see it in May sometime when there is more green. There were a lot of comments online about pace of play issues. We came in at 4:50 for the round on a Sat 10:18am tee time. Really it was slow for only the first 3 holes. Then it was nice right up to the end. HOUSES EVERYWHERE. Hidden OB everywhere. Nice course, I would like to play later in the season on a weekday.
- 4/10/09, Regent Park Golf Club - [Update from James] Practice range is in horrible shape, no grass. All the greens are punched and sandy. Tee boxes in general not great. Charged $69 on Saturday morning. Definitely not worth the money right now. I won't be back there anytime soon and this is one of my favorite layouts in Charlotte area.
- 4/5/09, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played Friday, 4/3 (update from Garrett). Played Stonebridge in WINDY conditions today. I must say the grass on the greens was in good shape. Previous aeration has healed and there are only few bad patches. I predict a FAST summer on the Stimp. Now for the opinion section of the update. What a BORING course. Flattest, most uneventful greens I have seen in a long time. Even in windy conditions, it is sooo easy to score. NO IDEA how this pushover got a slope of 136.
- 4/5/09, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 4/5. Thumbs up for pace of play starting at 8:30 (finished at 12:30), for the price ($46) and the condition of the greens. They were smooth and quickened up after the dew burnt off. The fairways, though, were not great. Several holes had flood lines (where grass collected from the rains) or very little grass (#15 in particular was bad). So the fairways (and a few tee boxes) need some time to get in shape. Bunkers were fine.
- 4/3/09, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played Eagle Chase for the first time today. TWICE!! Wonderful course, still healing from aeration, but playable, and what a bargain at $25 play all day Mon-Tue-Thur (update from Garrett)
- 4/3/09, Charlotte Golf Links - Greens were aerated recently. So golfer beware! (4/1 update from Garrett)
- 3/7/09, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played on 3/7. Course was fine overall. Greens were pretty consistent and quicker than my last round here. I liked 'em much better this time. Course is still dormant overall and there were wet spots here and there from the deluge last weekend, but I'm not complaining. I bet most courses fared worse. It was a bit of a slow start (about 20 min late on our tee time) and a slow round (5 hrs). So, nothing special but overall good round.
- 2/6/09, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 2/1. Very impressed. Have not played this course in years and am now kicking myself. Although when I did play it last I think it was cheaper. The greens were great, very fast. There was a frost delay so I guess that lent itself to the faster speed. Everything is still brown but it was well worth $50 - expect more in the summer. Go out and play it now while you can. (Thanks to Bill for the update)
- 2/4/09, Fort Mill Golf Club - Played there on 1/30 for the first time. Very impressed by the conditions given the time of year. Greens were very fast, as quick as I've ever seen in the area (at any time in the year). Great track and I love that the course is very walkable. Check their site, you can get a coupon to play Mon-Thurs for $30 with a cart. (Thanks to Eric for this update)
- 11/8/08, Crescent Golf Club - Played Crescent on 11/07/2008. The greens were in great shape. Pace of play was excellent. Would recomend Crescent. Friends of Crescent discount, only paid $20 with a cart. (Thanks to Mike for the update)
- 9/20/08, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - I got to play about 12 holes Thursday when the course re-opened to the public. My first impressions -- the changes they made will be for the better, but they're not quite ready yet. Two greens were completely redone -- #2 and #8. These greens are slow and hairy. They will need time to grow in. Also, several cart path curbs were redone and the dirt around some of them has not been filled in yet. Hole #2 got the biggest changes. Instead of a tricky dogleg right and uphill par 4. This is now a much more straightforward uphill par 4. I think this will be a good change. They moved the #3 tee up and took it from a par 5 to a par 4. The second half of the hole is still the same. So it will be tougher. They redid the green at #8, but I did not notice a huge difference in the size or shape of it. It still has 2 tiers, with a significant back to front slope. Lastly, the former long uphill par 4 12th hole was turned into a par 5, but the tee hasn't moved and the layout wasn't changed. I hit driver and 5-iron to reach it in 2. One thing I didn't like is that there is still a lot of construction along #12's left side. So it's not a very pretty hole and will likely be distracting for awhile. Overall, I think most of the changes will be positive, but it will probably be spring before they are really ready. Around the course, they've added a pavilion for outings behind the driving range. The putting greens are not ready and were marked off-limits when I was there. I'm really interested to find out what the rates will be. For my money, I would go a few more miles down the road and play Carolina Lakes for $67 right now. In the spring, it might be a different story.
- 9/15/08, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 9/13. Course was fine. With the rain, it's of course green and pretty lush, but also fairly soft and slow. Greens were medium fast, a little slower than I like it here where they can get nice and fast during dry weeks. One other effect that made the course much tougher today was the rough. The bermuda was thick and it let balls nestle down and sometimes disappear. You really had to watch your shots carefully because you wouldn't find your ball unless you walked right over it. I won't say it was unfair, since you're supposed to stay in the fairway, but it was more difficult than this course usually plays. The best part of my early Saturday afternoon round was the pace of play. I was worried when my twosome started as two foursomes had just gotten to the tee ahead of us. They played fast, though, and we never saw 'em after hole 3. So we zipped around in 3 and 1/2 hours. I wish all my rounds were like that! Last note for those who play here often: the course has updated their official slope and course ratings. They all went up, meaning you might get an extra stroke or two next time you play. Example: the Men's Blue tees went from 71.0/122 to 71.9/128.
- 9/10/08, Fort Mill Golf Club - The course officially reopened on September 4th. If you play it, please send me a review. The course underwent a $3 million renovation that updated the layout while restoring many of the design characteristics incorporated by Donald Ross and George Cobb years ago when the course was first built. The updates included seeding the greens with the heat-tolerant MiniVerde Bermuda grass.
- 9/4/08, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 8/31. The course was OK, but I had a few beefs. I played late on a Sunday, teeing off around 4:00, and getting grouped with a twosome. The play was painfully slow. At the Divide, there are no on-course rangers. They use blast messages on the GPS computers in each cart to tell everyone to speed up. As far as I can tell, the messages can't be targeted to a particular cart. So all we got was one blast message halfway through the round saying if you couldn't see the group in front of you, you were playing too slow. That was it. And it didn't have any effect. We waited on every tee box. It was brutal. Then, late in the round as we neared darkness, the blast messages from the clubhouse came fast and furious. But not about the slow play. They kept reminding us that carts had to be in by 8:00 sharp. Then another one comes in about 7:30 -- they are removing the flagsticks due to recent vandalism. Then at 7:50, they turn off the GPS yardages. We were on hole 17. Great, thanks Divide. Recommendation: Avoid late afternoon rounds at the Divide. Course-wise, the greens were soft, bumpy and on the slow side for the Divide. It seemed that due to the previous week's heavy rains perhaps the course mgmt did not want to cut the greens short and fast. Also, several of the tee boxes were bare and torn up -- at least where they had the markers on this day. It was disappointing to see the markers placed near the bare spots when the rest of the teeing ground looked fine. One positive note was the condition of the bunkers. Considering the recent rains, I thought they were in fine shape. Overall, though, there are a few reasons I don't play the Divide much, even though I live 3 minutes away. This review covers most of them (the other being I don't particularly care for the layout, with so many hazards and OB).
- 8/25/08, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 8/24 in a tournament. Course was in good shape, slightly better than it was 3 weeks ago. The greens were rolling a bit faster and the rough was a little more difficult. Balls were nestling down and you really had to keep an eye on where your offline shots ended up. Overall, there were no problems and it played great.
- 8/25/08, Renaissance Park Golf Course - (Update from John R) I played at Renaissance on 8/21/08. The Conditions are much better than the prior review states. The course is now green. the greens are rolling very true and are of moderate speed. I talked with the Pro there and he said they now have taken care of the dreaded 5 hour rounds this course was known for. The dirt by the driving range where the chipping green used to be is going to be a new short game area. New chipping and putting greens will be installed. As well as 3 short par 3 holes for short game practice. Range tee will be multi tiered. Also building Impact Performance Golf Learning Center with indoor hitting bay with video analysis and launch monitors. Only dates I was told for completeion was the dirt for range and short game area should be completed by December. Then grass will go in.
- 8/11/08, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played on 8/10. I went in with high expectations. This has always been one of my favorite layouts with some of the smoothest, fastest greens. I was a little disappointed this time. The residential neighborhood has been built out around the course, changing the scenery and OB lines on a few holes a little bit. The biggest impact, however, appears to be the level of play. This course is somewhat isolated in Union County between Waxhaw and Monroe, but with the new residences and pool/tennis courts/clubhouse, the course has seen much increased play. That has had an impact on the condition of the greens. They were much softer, slower, and marked up than I remember. I expect this won't get any better. The rest of the conditions were fine. Bunkers were in good shape. The hole maps on the carts are very helpful and the course is well-marked for distances. But I miss the fast, smooth greens!
- 8/4/08, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 8/3. One of my favorite local courses and it didn't disappoint. Fairways were not much to look at (some brown and yellow spots), but they were in great playing shape. The greens were nice and quick, as usual. They give a nice, true roll. Keep your ball in the short stuff, though. The rough is thick and the ball will nestle down. All in all, the course was a nice challenge today. My biggest nitpick was the water buckets every 3rd hole or so. We had a late afternoon tee time and we last saw the cart girl at 6:00 or so, around the 7th hole. All the water buckets on the back side were empty and had not been refilled. We were severely parched by the 19th hole. If you haven't played here in a while, you'll find the complexion of some holes has changed, with home construction now complete around the course. The layout and conditions, however, have not changed and are still awesome.
- 7/13/08, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 7/13. Got 17 holes in before the storm hit. With the rain recently, the course played pretty soft. The greens were slower than normal, but in good shape. There were a few unrepaired marks on many of the greens, but they didn't get in my way. Course is fine and I'll be back soon.
- 7/8/08, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Update from Russell: Like B-Man - I have stayed away from Renaissance for the past few years due to conditions. I thought that I would give the new management a few months and go out and check it out. Conditions have not improved. Greens are spotty and slow, fairways have some bare areas, tees are pretty chewed up and uneven. They are not any worse than they have been in the past - just not any better. Hole 7 has been a problem as long as I have been playing here and it is still being renovated down the left side of the fairway - but is playable. The chipping green has been removed and they are moving a lot of dirt in that area. On Saturday late morning the pace of play was almost 5 hours with long waits on most holes. On Sunday I went off a little earlier and did not have to wait much at all and was done in just over 4 hours.
- 7/5/08, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 7/3. The course is in good shape overall. The greens were solid and consistent, but they weren't perfect and they weren't fast. The fairways and tee boxes were in fine shape. If I had to nitpick, I'd say they need to mark hazards more clearly with stakes and painted lines. My group had to take some best-guess drops because it wasn't obvious. One change I noticed from my last visit is that they've really let the brush grow in the creek that divides the #15 fairway. My tee shot bounced into this "hazard" and I dropped some 15-20yds behind the margin. I still couldn't see the flag over the brush and it's an uphill shot! At any rate, I'm mostly sour because I didn't play well. Pace of play was fine and I only paid the afternoon twilight coupon rate ($30), so I shouldn't complain much.
- 7/3/08, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Renovation Update 7/2: The resort has posted a detailed description of the updates they are making to the course. You can read about them here. While they are making enhancements to some greens and all tee boxes, the major changes will affect hole #'s 2, 3 and 12. They are re-routing #2 and building a new green near the current #3 tee box. They're going to move the tee on #3 up and change it from a par 5 to a par 4. To maintain their par 71 layout, they are also going to lengthen #12 to make it a par 5. They are also upgrading the practice area and adding more amenities for group outings. We'll see how it all turns on September 1st when the course re-opens.
- 6/26/08, Birkdale Golf Club - Played on 6/25. My company has an event here every summer and the course puts on a great tournament. The conditions were good. Fairways were in great shape. The greens were pretty good but very soft. A few wedge approach shots plugged in the green and you pretty much had to hit your shots on the number since there was little roll. A few bunkers had standing water from the recent rains. I don't understand why courses don't have a maintenance routine to pull the water out and rake all the bunkers each morning. Maybe it's more difficult than I think. Also, on several holes, the GPS on the carts had the pins in the wrong location and my group was only saved by the fact that in most cases we could clearly see the flag on the green and make our own adjustments to the yardage. Still, it seemed a little careless. Overall, this course is typically kept in very good shape and is probably the best of the Carolina Trail group of courses.
- 6/21/08, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 6/20. Course is now in fabulous shape. What a difference 5 weeks can make. Fairways are now lush and green. The greens were in great shape. The course is really in top-season form.
- 6/20/08, Larkhaven Golf Club - Played on 6/20. OK, so I gave Larkhaven almost 2 years since my last round (see my last review). I was pleasantly surprised. The course was in good shape compared to expectations. The tees and fairways were good, not perfect, but no problems that affected play. The greens were solid but not spectacular. Several of them were in great shape and then several were a little bumpy with thin spots. The rest were fine. So it was a little inconsistent, but this is such a unique and fun layout that I'm okay if the greens are playable. And they were mostly fine. I still have trouble with yardages because there are very few markers, but overall today I had a good round with no problems.
- 6/19/08, Carolina Lakes Golf Club - Played for the first time here on 6/18. Great course! Fantastic shape all around. Greens were immaculate and faster than most courses. Tees and fairways were doing very well. The sand in the bunkers was pretty soft and took me some getting used to. The course was pretty well-marked with yardage plates all over the fairways. A marshal provided cups of ice water twice on both 9's, which was great. Overall, this is a wonderful round of golf and is worth the trip and even the high price.
- 6/16/08, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 6/15. I took a shot at Charles T on Sunday morning and I got my money's worth. This is still a bargain for Charlotte golf. Sometimes the conditions can be frustrating and I had read the recent review on the message board that things weren't good here. Well, I was happy. I thought the greens were great and not just for Charles T. They were all pretty smooth with no trouble spots that I could see. They rolled fairly and true. The tee boxes, fairways and bunkers were fine. Some of the bunkers had rocks or maybe needed to be raked a little, but I didn't have any real trouble playing out of them. And to answer the message board post, the scorecards are new and nicely printed again. All in all, I had a good time and will be back soon for another inexpensive round of golf.
- 6/7/08, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 6/7. The Divide is in good shape. The greens didn't have any problems and seemed to roll smooth and consistent. A few tee boxes need some grass, but the fairways were good. It was a slow round and they were 30 minutes behind by 9am, but I had a good time.
- 5/22/08, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played on 5/21. The course was in good shape. I thought the greens were a little slow, but they were smooth and consistent. A few tee boxes were in rough shape. Also, they've been teeing off #10 for the last several weeks due to some work on the #1 tee box that requires heavy early morning watering. My last comment is about hole #9. This is the par 5 with the green near the clubhouse that backs up to the signature lake. They've made some changes to the back of this green over the past year or two and I think it needs more work. It is extremely difficult to hold this green, which slopes front to back towards the water. In my opinion, they need to grow the rough collar around the back to prevent good shots from rolling through the green, off the back into the water. It's difficult to the point of being unfair.
- 5/22/08, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Course CLOSING 6/16: I got wind of this a week or two ago and just confirmed today. The course is closing for 3 months for renovations. Here is the official note from the course: "The Golf Course at Ballantyne Resort will be undergoing enhancements June 16 - September 15, 2008. During this time the golf course will be closed, however The Pro Shop, Z Golf and Dana Rader Golf School will remain open daily. The enhancements will further improve the quality of the course as part of the continued efforts to provide an elevated golf experience." There are a few special deals available the last week before it closes. Check them out here.
- 5/18/08, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played on 5/18. Course was nice and green, ready to go for the summer season. Tees, fairways and greens were in good condition. The greens were pretty smooth and decently fast. My one beef with this course remains -- the bunkers. They are the worst of any course I play. I swear the maintenance staff must ignore them. Today, there were a few with mud or even a little puddle -- which a good raking or shovel could have made playable. The others were filled with rocks and different forms of dirt or sand. Considering the rest of the course, the state of the bunkers is a crying shame. Of course, if you stay out of them, you'll have a great round.
- 5/15/08, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Play Golf America day is this Saturday, May 17th, from 10am to 4pm. It's free and features all sorts of contests (incl. $25,000 putting contest), long drive exhibitions, giveaways, door prizes, product demos and instruction from PGA pros. Trick shot artist Peter Johncke will be performing at 11am and 2pm. Should be a good time and it is kid friendly.
- 5/10/08, Monroe Country Club - Played on 5/10. Well, the news is good on course conditions here, but time is short. I found out that they are planning to close the front 9 on 5/19 and redo the greens like they did with the back 9 last summer. My round here was great. The course was in wonderful condition and the greens were pretty good. We showed up as a twosome without a tee time at 7:30 on Saturday and they were able to fit us in with another group before 9:00. Lots of member play here. If you live near the course, consider joining. The membership fees are the best deal in the Charlotte area. Even the regular rack rates are low. And the food and drinks in the clubhouse are also cheap. I wish I lived closer. I'd make this course my home.
- 5/5/08, Charlotte Golf Links - Played on 5/4. OK, this course is officially back on my playlist. It was in great shape Sunday. The best I've seen it in several years. Fairways and tees were solid, while the greens were very smooth and consistent. They aren't the fastest around, but this isn't supposed to be Quail Hollow, either. I liked 'em. My only beef is with the bunkers. My group played from a few and they could all be better. They needed more sand. They only had a light layer of sand covering mostly dirt. It was difficult to hit a regular bunker shot out of these. But with a little work, they'd be fine and I'd have zero complaints. As it is, I still give the course a very good rating this time around.
- 5/3/08, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 5/2. Course conditions, other than the as-usual well-kept, smooth greens, were disappointing. Fairways were still pretty thin, but the worst part is that they decided to drown the fairways in water to help them along. It was nearly worse than playing after a rainstorm. It was very frustrating to hit a perfect drive in the fairway and play from a muddy, in some cases casual water, lie. They definitely overdid the watering and that affected play. Tee boxes are also spotty and need some work. They do their best work on the greens, though, because I had no complaints. I've always liked Charlotte National's greens and they rarely disappoint.
- 5/1/08, Springfield Golf Club - Played on 5/1. Course was in great shape all around. Had a great round and no complaints. Greens were well-kept and smooth, not fast though. Find an opportunity and go out to play this course. You'll have a great round!
- 4/3/08, Waterford Golf Club - Played 36 holes on 3/29. I can echo Slice-o-matic's review of Waterford. It was in good playing shape for this time of year and compared to other local courses. Also, note that this is a great course to play 2 rounds in one day. Their weekend replay rate was only $20 and you can play 9 at a time for $10. They were not busy at all the Saturday afternoon I played and we went right back to the #1 tee after finishing our first round.
- 4/3/08, Waterford Golf Club - 3/22 - First time playing this course, and I was very surprised. The course was in fantastic shape (compared to others we have played in the past even.) The greens and approaches were well watered, green, and fast. The traps were perfect, and the dormant grass was long enough to hit off of. We were very impressed with the conditions at Waterford, and it is now on our regular list. (Update from user Slice-o-matic)
- 4/3/08, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Played 27 at Renaissance on 3-21-07. Even though we knew the grass was dormant, the course was in poor shape. They are filling in part of the driving range, and a couple holes had erosion damage, even changing one par 4 into a par 3 with relocated tee boxes. (Update from user Slice-o-matic)
- 3/28/08, Fort Mill Golf Club - Just heard today that the course is currently closed for renovations as of Feb 15. There's no word on when it will reopen, according to their web site.
- 3/22/08, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 3/22. The course is not quite ready for the season yet. They evidently aerated the greens several weeks ago and they still had some sand on them. They rolled fast enough, but had a few bumps. The bermuda fairways won't come in for few more weeks. The tees were also hit and miss. A few of them (such as #6) were just plain bad, in my opinion. All in all, it was just okay and maybe a little disappointing for this time of year -- especially since they are charging higher in-season rates already. Don't even touch this course without a coupon. The rack rate was $68 on a Saturday. Thanks to GolfHoles.com, I only paid $50. If I'd paid $68, I'd have had to say something to the staff.
- 11/28/07, Skybrook Golf Club - Just got word today that IRI Golf Group has acquired Skybrook Golf Club and has added it to the Carolina Trail lineup of courses that already includes: Birkdale, Highland Creek, The Tradition, The Divide, Charlotte Golf Links and Waterford. Expect to see Skybrook included in the memberships, discounts, and Player's Card programs soon.
- 11/12/07, Rocky River Golf Club - Played on 11/12. Course was in good shape, not spectacular, but not majors issues. A few of the greens had some spots under repair, including some newly sodded patches, but the pins were kept away from those spots. I actually thought the greens rolled pretty true with good speed. The tees and rough were just okay, but fine for winter shape. The fairways are starting to go dormant but they were fine for playing second shots. I do enjoy this course and it's a good round right now.
- 11/1/07, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Played on a Monday 10-15. Course was in great shape despite lack of rain. Greens held nicely and fairways gave nice divots. It's a nice layout and you will hit every club you got. For the $$$ it's as nice as any course in the city. Only downside is the constuction noise on some holes. (Thanks to I.Dillard for the update)
- 10/29/07, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 10/28. So we finally had significant rainfall. How does Charlotte National look now? Well, the greens were great, nearly immaculate. Fairways needed the rain, but now they have the drainage lines where the grass clippings clumped and dried. That made fairway lines a bit dicey. They're very thin. Tee boxes were not so great, especially the par 3's. All of those were not cut and had new, tall grass on them. It was tough to find a good lie and stance. The course will get better, but right now, outside of the greens, it's just so-so.
- 10/15/07, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 10/15. Interesting day at Charles T. So I made my tee time late Sunday (6pm) for a 9:40 slot the next day. No problem. I have 3 1/2 hours to get in a round before I have to be somewhere else. I get there around 9:35. There's an outing at 10 and the line at the counter was 10 deep. Geez. After paying up, it's now 9:50 and he tells me I can go to the first tee and get out before the outing. I get there and the front 9's already backed up. I'd be behind several 3 and 4 man groups and just in front of the outing. So I bolted for #10. Not a soul within 3 or 4 holes. Now why wouldn't the starter send me, a single, off the back? Why wouldn't someone alert me to the outing when I made my tee time? I dunno, but it worked out fine. I finished at 1:15. As for the course, they had one hole closed -- the par 3 4th hole. From what I could tell, they were filling in and building a wall on the left side of the hole that borders the lake. The green and tees were not being touched. To keep an 18-hole score, they were letting folks play 2 balls on the par 3 8th. No word on when #4 will reopen, but it should be soon. As for the rest of the course, I was impressed with the greens condition, with only a few exceptions (#2 and #8 come to mind). They were rolling true and solid. The tees and fairways of course are dry. The bunkers around the course could use some work. Several were hard pan with rocks, a few were even wet (?!?). Overall, it was just your average round at Charles T.
- 10/8/07, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played on 10/8. Course is in fantastic shape. Greens were smooth and immaculate, some of the best around town right now. No trouble anywhere that I saw. They have been watering the course well and kept it green. I was very happy with the conditions today.
- 9/19/07, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played again on 9/19. Was here just 11 days ago and the course looks even better. Probably the best conditioned course in my area of town, hands down right now. In particular, the fairways are green and lush, despite the lack of rain. Other nearby courses (possible exception: Emerald Lake) aren't faring very well. The greens were also better than my last visit, a little faster and smoother. If you need a place to play where the conditions are guaranteed to be good, stop by Olde Syc.
- 9/15/07, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 9/14. The course needs rain badly. The fairways were parched and thin. Around the greens, they've kept watering so the rough, fringe and putting surfaces were fine. I imagine most courses are suffering too, but I've seen Charlotte Nat'l in alot better shape. Was cheap, though. Only $29 for a Friday afternoon.
- 9/10/07, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 9/8. I was fairly happy with the course conditions. Fairways and greens were solid. I thought the greens were slow, but they are certainly healthy. Just a little hairier than I like at Olde Syc. There were a few odd wet spots around the course (just to the right of #8 green) where you didn't want to hit your ball. I can only guess a renegade sprinkler or hose was to blame, cause there hasn't been any rain in weeks. No other worries, really. They aerated early, back in July/August. So you shouldn't run into any problems.
- 9/3/07, The Divide Golf Club - Played the front 9 holes on 9/3. This course is in average shape. I was not real impressed today. The greens were okay, but a few had some bad spots. The tee box on the tough par 3 #7 was in terrible shape, worse than the driving range tees. And to top it off, there were not 1, not 2, but 3 five-somes playing in front of me. I called the pro shop and the guy said they weren't holding anybody up because it was slow anyway. What?!? Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled and am in no hurry to go back.
- 9/3/07, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played this course on Labor Day. They have aerified the greens about a week before I played, but they were still in good shape. The fairways and tee boxes are in incredible shape. The rough is pretty thick, making it tough to hit out of it, but I guess that is how it should be. I give this course another week, and it will be in absolutely incredible shape. Even aerified, the greens are in better shape than some other courses in the area. (Thanks to Kenny for the update)
- 8/31/07, Charlotte Golf Links - Played on 8/31. My first time back in 3 years. The course was in okay shape. Good enough to play, but $40 on a Friday afternoon was pricey. The greens were decent. They looked slow but actually rolled pretty quick. They just a little bumpy for my taste, making it difficult to keep a makeable putt on line. Tees and fairways were okay, obviously a little dry. And the rough is mostly dust and weeds. They have cleared out many areas around greens and cut a few greens, making it easier to find a stray shot. Overall, this is still a fun layout to play, just a little overpriced.
- 8/26/07, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 8/26. I was very pleasantly surprised with the shape of Charles T. The greens were very good and played nicely. The fairways were mostly green, even without rain recently. The only complaint I heard from my foursome was about the bunkers. I was only in a few and they were okay, but my partners thought they needed more sand in them and should have been raked this morning. Outside of that, the course is in great playing shape for late August.
- 8/14/07, Regent Park Golf Club - Played on 8/14. My first time back in over 4 years. I didn't realize how much I missed this place til today. It really is a nice layout with a great mix of challenge and fun. The par 5's are all manageable and birdie-able. There's a drivable par 4 and a par 5 disguised as a par 4 (457yd #8). The course was in good shape, especially considering the drought. All the fairways were lush and well-kept. The greens were solid, not fast, but no problems anywhere that I saw. I gotta make it back here more often. The 3pm twilight rate today was only $30.
- 8/12/07, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played last Thursday (8/9). The course, like most others, is dry and browning a bit, but the greens were well-kept and in fine shape. They were frequently watering them, which actually made them soft. While I understand the need to do this, it creates a big difference between bouncing just in front of the green (where it's hard and dry) and just on the green. Nonetheless, I always enjoy my round here. They've cleared some trees and brush around some greens and fairways, giving wayward shots a better chance. Otherwise, no changes to this great layout.
- 7/6/07, Highland Creek Golf Club - Played on 7/6. Like most courses, the Creek is in fine shape with the rain over the past several weeks. Everything was nice and green. Played the White tees and several tee boxes were up for some reason, making the course play even shorter and changing club selection off the tee. The sand bunkers (I played many of them) were in so-so shape. They could use better sand and a little more upkeep.
- 7/6/07, Springfield Golf Club - (From JD): What a terrific and challenging course. One key update, though, is that the practice green and driving range are both closed for renovation. If you need warm-up time before a round (I certainly do), you may want to wait until the practice areas are ready. One more nit -- you won't find any white, yellow or red stakes on this track, so you often have to guess at your penalty.
- 7/6/07, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - (From JD): I played with a local member who told me they just hired a manager who historically was "more interested in coupons than course conditioning." Apparently , Olde Sycamore was in bad shape a few years ago under this guy's watch...and now he's back. Course played fine last weekend, but keep an eye on it.
- 7/6/07, Regent Park Golf Club - (From JD): I keep hearing conflicting rumors about the new management there. I met them and they told me they were committed to course conditioning and improving the golf experience. But I've also heard rumblings that they're trying to sell the golf course for construction development. Stay tuned.
- 7/6/07, Fort Mill Golf Club - (From JD): Great conditions on an underrated track. The Donald Ross 9 is straightforward with tough greens. The other 9 is a bit more interesting on approaching the greens.
- 7/6/07, Charlotte Golf Links - (From JD): What a difference a few months make. Course greens have bounced back BIG time and the fairways and rough is all in terrific shape. If they can just put some real sand in the bunkers, we can again be proud to have this T. Doak design in our backyards.
- 7/6/07, Monroe Country Club - Alert: I had heard rumors that Monroe CC was working on the course and so I called today to find out. They are indeed rebuilding the greens on the back 9 [corrected] and it is closed until sometime in August (they would not give a definite date). So you would have to play the front 9 twice. Give 'em a call next month before you play.
- 7/6/07, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Played on 7/5. What can I say. It's Ballantyne. The conditions were fine, just what'd you expect. The greens were a little slow for my tastes, but rolled true. So no real complaints. Be aware that development around the course is changing the landscape and adding some OB areas as new buildings go up. And use Clickit for the best rate.
- 7/4/07, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played on the 4th. Great conditions. Zero complaints on the course -- tees, fairways, rough, greens are all in fine shape. Had a great round at one of my favorite local layouts.
- 6/29/07, Emerald Lake Golf Club - I played Emerald Lake Golf Club today and it was great. The greens are rolling very quick and smooth. They were cutting fairways this morning, and where they had cut was like a carpet. Someone had told me a few weeks ago that the course just needed some rain and it would be a gem, well they got 5 inches since Sunday and the course came to life. I bought my round on Click-it, which now has some good deals for Emerald Lake. I hope this helps !! (Thanks to Kenny for the update)
- 6/20/07, Birkdale Golf Club - Played on 6/20. Course was in great shape overall, lush fairways and greens. There was a good 10-20 minute rain shower before we started, but it only left a few wet areas or puddles here and there and carts were still 90 degrees. Greens were very smooth and rolled well with good speed, not super-fast. I enjoy the layout here and it's a well-kept course with a very good practice area. It's also now a part of the Carolina Trail and Click-it offers some great rates.
- 6/16/07, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played on 6/16. Course was in good shape, 90* rule 2 days after a strong rain. One bunker (#3) had standing water, but the others were fine, much better than my previous rounds here. My partner had trouble with a few rocks in the bunkers, but they were raked and soft sand, at least. Fairways and tees were fine, but the greens were just okay. A few had some bare spots (#1) and most were a little bumpy. It was hard to make many short and medium putts because the roll was not quite true. They were faster than I thought and it took awhile to get used to. One last note for those who play here often -- I noticed that they shortened the fairway on the short, dogleg left par 4 10th hole. It's now a good 180yd+ carry to the fairway, which starts 160 yards from the green.
- 6/15/07, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 6/15. Course had drained off most of the water. Only had to drop once out of casual water. Fairways, tees, and greens are all green and lush. The greens ran slow for Olde Syc today, mostly due to the rain, but they were all smooth. It's in great shape by my standards.
- 6/6/07, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 6/6. Course is hard and fast, just in time for US Open next week (laugh). Seriously, the greens were fabulous -- green, firm, and smooth. The fairways were dry but not bare at all. I was happy with the conditions. I love playing here, one of my local favorites.
- 6/4/07, Fort Mill Golf Club - Played on 5/27/07 - course in very good shape for as dry as it has been. Fairways are still quite green and the greens are in good shape. Greens do have a lot of slope but are not super-fast so it is not unfair. Cost was only $37 on a holiday using coupon from http://www.leroysprings.com/GolfCourses.html. (Thanks Barry for the update)
- 5/21/07, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played on Sunday afternoon 5/21. Courses are starting to show signs of the drought now and Emerald Lake is no different. Fairways and tees are getting burnt out, yellow and dusty. As pretty much always, though, the greens were in very good shape and more than make up for the dry conditions. The tees were all open and the course played pretty close to the scorecard from the Blues. Best part of the round was the fast and ever present beverage cart. I don't remember more than 2 holes in a row that we didn't see her, which was great considering the 80 degree heat.
- 5/19/07, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 5/18. Ahh... Chucky T's. This course is like an old friend, harking back to 2003 when I got a one-year membership. The course has changed a pretty good bit. Since my last visit almost a year ago, they have cleared out many of the trees and brush that separated the holes and swallowed golf balls. The changes are good, in that respect. You can play a few of the holes a little differently or little less accurately off the tee and still be fine. Funny, I still managed to lose 4 balls this round. The conditions were maybe a little less than I'd hoped for. About half the greens were good and the other half were average. They are not smooth enough for you to count on making a lot of those 5-10 footers. Every putt will have a nuance or two. The tees and fairways were okay, some great and some not so great. I would like to see them fill in with grass where they've cleared trees. Lot of bare dirt spots. Speaking of dirt, big thumbs down to the red dirt (not sand) bunkers. Overall, you get what you pay for here.
- 5/7/07, Tega Cay Golf Club - Played CP / GV on 5/6. CP greens were nearly immaculate, very green, smooth and consistent. Their speed was quick but not like Skybrook or pro-style fast greens. The greens on the Grande View nine were not as nice, which surprised me. I thought GV was supposed to be best of the 3 nines. Tee boxes and fairways were good, but a few were just okay. Overall, I'd say the conditions were good but not awesome. We didn't play the Cove nine.
- 5/3/07, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played today. I thought the course was in fine shape. Most holes were green and lush. A few tees were kinda rough or patchy. The #8 fairway was splotchy throughout, but it was fine to play. The greens were good. Not quite as fast and perfect as Skybrook, but consistently good. Several of the Blue tees were up and playing to White yardage, which changed several holes pretty significantly as far as club selection. I wasn't quite sure why they did that. All-around, I was pleased with the course.
- 4/18/07, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 4/18. Still one of my favorite tracks in the area. I absolutely love the greens. Fast but very true. I took only 30 putts this round and made several 15-25 footers. The other side of fast greens though is challenging chips and pitches. I played tennis on a few holes because my chips were running on through the greens. They are still building houses and townhomes around the course, but it doesn't interfere with your round. Look for LastMinute tee times to save some money here.
- 4/15/07, Tega Cay Golf Club - New Course Added -- look for a review soon!
- 4/15/07, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 4/14. Fairways are still dormant, but they played fine. The greens were rolling pretty well too, no complaints. Didn't see anything new for the season. So my opinion hasn't changed. This is a good course, but nothing to get excited about. You still need to find a good coupon deal to make it worth the price.
- 4/6/07, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played front 9 on 4/6: OK, I finally got off my duff and went hacking on a Friday afternoon. Had not been back to Emerald Lake in quite a while. Course looked much the same. Getting into Spring shape but not there yet. Much like my own yard, the bermuda has just started to green up again. There were no problem spots to speak of and the greens were mostly pretty good and consistent. Still a tough track for me, but conditions were fine.
- 11/11/06, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played on 11/10. Good shape. Grass is dormant for the winter now, but had no problems with it. Greens were pretty good and rolled fast. No problems with the bunkers this time around.
- 10/10/06, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played on 10/9. Had a great time. Despite recent rains, the course had no standing water or muddy problems. Carts were 90 degrees. Greens were fantastic and the rest of the course also played nicely -- except for the bunkers. Several holes had sand traps under repair and required a free drop -- though the clubhouse manager had warned us of this before the round. Another note, they are now building houses on the course and there is a lot of construction. Besides disrupting this rural, peaceful layout, several holes had newly planted out of bounds markers off the fairway (#'s 2, 9, 16, and 18).
- 9/24/06, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 9/24. Course is in fine shape. Greens were very good. Rolled smoothly and quickly and they were consistent. Tees and fairways had no problems. We were double-teed to accomodate all of the pre-football golfers, but had no problems at all with pace of play.
- 9/16/06, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 9/15. Course was nice and green. No visible defects due to aeration last month. The greens were pretty consistent, but I never figured them out. This was more me than the course, but I only made one putt all day. The course was still a bit wet. It made the greens super-soft (no roll and several approaches plugged) and there was standing water in several bunkers. Since it had been 24+ hours since the rain, I have to give The Divide a C-minus for drainage. One more problem -- the carts have GPS to show you pin locations. Today the pin positions were all wrong, which was frustrating. Thankfully they still use flag colors to indicate front, middle, back hole locations.
- 8/25/06, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 8/25. The course was just aerated 2 weeks ago and the greens are still coming back. Had no problems with the fairways or rough, but about half the greens were still bumpy and difficult to putt. The other half were in decent shape. So overall, it was fine, but not pristine shape. Give it another couple of weeks if you want really nice greens.
- 8/25/06, The Tradition Golf Club - Played on 8/20. The fairways and tees are in good shape and the greens are like most at this time of the year, pockmarked. It is hard to get a good roll. Many of the green side traps were disasters, there is very poor drainage and the bottom of the traps were like a sandy mud. Even taking a drop it was hard to play from anywhere in the trap. To be fair most of the traps were playable but a few were completely unplayable. (Thanks to Scott for the update)
- 8/13/06, Rocky River Golf Club - Played on 8/11. One of the better conditioned courses I've played this summer. No complaints on any surface, tee to green. The rough is well-kept as well, even though the rain has it growing pretty fast. Contrary to some other local courses, you can generally find your ball without having to walk right on top of it, which was nice. After a so-so round, though, I was reminded how easy it is lose golf balls on this course, with a few forced carries with no bail-out areas for so-so shots. If I were a Concord resident (who get nice discounts on fees and memberships), I'd strongly consider making this my golf home.
- 8/10/06, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Course will be aerated on Mon 8/14. They will be offering 50% off green fees for the entire week of 8/14.
- 8/8/06, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Played on 8/4. Not as nice as my May round. Greens were again pretty well pock-marked from a ton of play and were not fast at all, which made them so-so in my view. Rough was rather thick and allowed wayward shots to disappear and become unfindable. I literally had to step on my ball one time to find it.
- 7/16/06, Larkhaven Golf Club - Played on 7/16. Let's see... I'll try to be nice. The beverage girl was great, meeting us several times on both 9's and keeping us hydrated. The pace of play was 4 hours for my 2-some behind a couple of 4-somes, not bad. The cost for a Sunday afternoon was decent, $38 from Clickit. OK, there, I was nice. Conditions, though, are another story. The course was very dry, with the greens slow and grainy. Fairways were spotty and offered very mediocre lies for good tee shots. The rough was left tall and thick. If you didn't walk within 5 feet of your ball, you would not find it on most holes. Pin locations were a mystery because this course offers no pin sheets or flag colors to guide you for your approaches. And several holes were interrupted as the maintenance staff decided to turn on fairway and green sprinklers in the middle of the afternoon. Needless to say, someone will have to drag me kicking and screaming to play here again.
- 7/12/06, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 7/11. Course has gotten a bit dried out. Was in pristine condition several weeks ago, but not as perfect now. Greens were top-dressed with light sand and several had thin spots. They still rolled mostly true and quick, but not as smooth as usual. Fairways and rough were fine. Have I mentioned that Olde Syc now has some of the best sand bunkers in the area? Beautiful, consistent white sand. Course was deserted, even for a Tuesday afternoon.
- 6/25/06, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played on 6/25. Greens and fairways in great, green shape. Greens were normal speed, not fast or slow. But beware, the bunkers suck, to be frank. While there was a recent deluge, I didn't get the sense that the bunkers get much attention anyway from the maintenance staff. They need some work. We had to play rake-and-place before hitting out of them and that was no picnic either. Really a shame because it was the only sore point of the round for my group. Nice $37 Click-it coupon for a weekend morning.
- 6/18/06, The Tradition Golf Club - Played 6/18. My first time back in probably 5-6 years. After playing its sister course The Divide yesterday, I'd have to give Tradition the nod on conditions. Generally good across the board. A few spots here and there, like the rough patch on green #6, but greens were very good and fairways were pretty lush throughout. Not bad. Will bring me back.
- 6/18/06, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 6/17. No major problems. Course was green and in good playing shape. Nothing special to report, though. Tee boxes were fair, not great. Greens were solid, but not exceptionally smooth or fast. I say this all the time about most Carolina Trail courses -- don't pay full price to play. Find a coupon or get the Preferred Players' Card.
- 6/3/06, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 6/2. The course was in fine shape. I love Skybrook's greens. Though they are some of the fastest around, they are smooth and roll true. The place is pricey, but all-around conditions are top-notch. That said, a member did tell me that the course will close for a day or so next week so they can re-aerate the greens (small holes only). I guess it's pre-emptive work. Look for a discount next week if you call to play.
- 5/21/06, Monroe Country Club - Played on 5/20. First time back in almost 2 years. I missed it. This course can be fun, with straightforward par 5's that give you real chances at birdies (I made 3 of 4!). This course is generally in the Charles T, Larkhaven mold of laid back and sometimes less than pristine shape. It deserves more credit. With lots of local play and memberships, this course stays in good shape. Greens were solid, tees and fairways were fine. They've added fairway bunkers on a few holes and cleared some brush from the trees lining some fairways, giving you more chances to find an errant shot. I had a great time for $27 on a Saturday afternoon. Can't beat that deal.
- 5/19/06, Eagle Chase Golf Club - (Review by Scott) - I played this based on the review on this site. It is an interesting course and the tees and greens are in great shape. The greens rolled very true and with good speed. The fairways were brutal in places, but were good overall. The staff was not very helpful nor did they make me feel very welcome. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the course layout.
- 5/14/06, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played front 9 on 5/13. I've played several of the area's better courses recently and Charles T suffers by comparison. Greens were fine and rolling fine, but tees, fairways and rough areas were spotty, bare in some places, and not in good shape at all. Charles T seems to have taken a step backward since my last visit.
- 5/12/06, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - Played on 5/11. You get what you pay for -- in this case, very nice conditions. Everything was pretty green and lush and the greens were in good shape, despite many fresh, un-fixed ball marks -- the place gets a lot of corporate outings. No real changes since my last visit. Still a fun layout that's not too difficult from the Whites. My advice though is to find a friend or corporate vendor willing to foot the bill. It's now $60 during the week and pushing $100 on weekend mornings.
- 5/8/06, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played on 5/7 in the rain. Cart path only, of course, but it held the rain well. A few sogging spots where you could get relief from casual water. The bunkers mostly held up well too. Greens were great. They rolled smooth, true and still fairly fast despite the rain. Course is offering a free VIP signup where you will get offers for discounts, tournaments, and such. I signed up and will let you know what it turns out to be.
- 5/8/06, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 5/6. Course was wet from previous night's rain, but very playable despite cart path only. The GPS system on the carts is nice because the clubhouse messaged us later in the round that we could drive in the fairways. I was impressed with the greens and second the opinion from the last update that they are in great playing playing shape now. This course is still pricey compared to nearby competitors, but it's in good shape.
- 5/5/06, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 5/5. One of my favorites: good conditions, laid back, not crowded, reasonably priced. Greens were near perfect and pretty fast. Fairways were green and nicely cut. No complaints at all.
- 5/5/06, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 5/4. Course is in nice shape with only a few exceptions. A couple fairways and tees were splotchy and damaged, but the rest were very good. The greens were excellent. The sand bunkers, though no fun to be in, are some of the best in the area. If you haven't played here in a while, you'll notice a lot of new houses springing up. They have changed the view and the landscape of several holes on the back 9. The course has also added several stone walkways right off several of the greens. While aesthetically pleasing and nicely done, they could send a slight mishit into the green out of play. The ones I remember were on #3, #4 and #8. Beware.
- 4/28/06, Charlotte Golf Links - Played last week (4/21). They have done a lot of work to get the greens back. The 10th green had a whole area that was really terrible and that has been repaired. There are still many greens where the collars are in poor shape. If you saw them previously, you would appreciate the effort, but they are still rough. They also appear to be letting them grow out to help them repair themselves. If not for the convienent location I wouldn't go there, the game stops at the greens because the ball rolls so poorly. (Update from Scott)
- 4/26/06, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 4/23. The course is in good shape. The greens are well restored from the aeration. However they are running very slow....beware. Some tees were a little rough, but overall the course is in good shape. (Thanks Scott for the update)
- 4/21/06, Rocky River Golf Club - Played on 4/21. Course is green and in good shape. Greens especially were smooth and very nice. No problems with tees or bunkers. A few fairways were spotty, but most were nice. The best conditions I've played so far this year.
- 4/18/06, Highland Creek Golf Club - Played 4/18. Challenging layout as always. A few tee boxes were being worked so the Blue's were up on several holes. The greens were aerated only 3 weeks or so ago, but I putted them well. So I can't complain. They are definitely slow and bumpy by Highland Creek standards, but that will change soon. Overall good shape as the season kicks in.
- 3/16/06, The Divide Golf Club - Greens were aerated on 3/13 and need a week or so to heal up.
- 3/16/06, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played on 3/16. Greens were in pretty good shape, rolling well. Tee boxes and fairways, however, were thin and hard. That gave lots of roll on tee shots, but so-so lies for second shots. Great rate with a Clickit coupon, though ($22 weekday). Aeration scheduled for end of March.
- 2/28/06, Charlotte Golf Links - Played the weekend of 2/25 and greens were in bad shape -- lumpy and pock-marked. Looks like they were hit with a fungus or something. (Update from J.D.)
- 1/16/06, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played on 1/16. Course was still very wet from the rain two days prior, more than I would have expected. The 18th fairway was nearly unplayable. For the most part, the other 17 were okay, but it was very muddy. Greens were in good shape and not rolling too fast. Several tees were either up or back from their normal placement.
- 1/12/06, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 1/12. Course was wet and cart path only thanks to the heavy rain Wed. Greens were great though, rolling fine with no problem spots. There were some small puddles and muddy areas, but not bad. I'll also give Olde Sycamore its due on their bunkers. Most courses don't drain them and keep them dry after rains. The ones at Olde Syc were in fine shape, zero puddles.
- 1/11/06, Pawtuckett Golf Club - I received word today that Pawtuckett Golf Club has closed for good, as of 12/26/05. The note said "The oversupply of golf in the market and the poor location were the driving forces behind this decision." It also added that "The land is being divided up and sold to residential developers." While my last round there (Sept) showed the conditions had gone downhill, I still enjoyed the layout. It had a unique feel to it, compared to other area courses and it was still one of the top 3 values in the Charlotte area. I'll miss it.
- 12/30/05, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Played on 12/30. Course is in just average shape right now. Fairways, tees and rough are all dormant and have rough spots. Greens were mostly okay, but several on the back nine had a layer of sand that made them questionably puttable. This course is still a good deal, but it's been in better shape.
- 11/26/05, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 11/25. Fairways and rough in okay shape, yellow for the winter. A few bunkers were waterlogged. Greens were decent, but some had some rough spots. They're just okay in the month since aeration.
- 11/26/05, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 11/26. Fairways and rough are dormant for the winter, but are fine. Greens were well-kept and smooth as usual. A few tee boxes need work, but weren't bad.
- 9/24/05, Charlotte National Golf Club - Played on 9/22. The drought has left the course dry, with fairways and tees getting brown and some a little bare. Not too bad, though. The greens were mostly fine, though a handful had some rough spots that made for bumpy putts. Overall, I'd call it just decent shape.
- 9/19/05, Pawtuckett Golf Club - Played on 9/18. Course is in mediocre shape. Many fairways have weeds or patches of other grass growing, giving you questionable lies for perfect tee shots. Greens were so-so. Some were fine, but others had a few bare, bumpy spots. My biggest beef was that the greens were so hard that even high approach shots and solid chips would bounce and roll through, rather than hold the greens. I do enjoy the layout here and the price, but the conditions were not good enough to bring me back anytime soon.
- 9/15/05, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Played 9/15. Course in fine shape. Greens were recently aerated on 9/6, but they recovered nicely. Only a few bumps here and there, otherwise greens were fine, medium speed, and mostly true. Fairways and tees were also fine. A few holes were a bit wet, including 2 or 3 with standing water off the fairway, but not a big problem. For the price especially, Charles T is a great round.
- 9/12/05, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 9/10. Course was in fine shape, one of the best conditioned courses in town right now. Tee boxes and fairways were fine. A few areas around greens had been recently sodded and were roped. Otherwise, greens were excellent. Beware: all greens are being aerated this week and Skybrook is discounting their rates.
- 9/8/05, The Divide Golf Club - Played today and course was in decent shape. Some tees were bare. Fairways were fine (saw little of them, though). Greens were a mixed bag. Mostly good, but inconsistent. Tough to get a read on them from hole to hole. For most courses around town right now, they rank pretty good though.
- 8/19/05, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played 8/17. Great shape. Rough is tough, very thick and can hide golf balls if you don't see your ball land. Greens were excellent and fast. One of the better kept courses around the Charlotte area.
- 8/11/05, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 8/10. A few greens were sanded, but hardly affected play. The greens were actually rolling awesome, nice and true. Tees and fairways were in great shape. Super-twilight on weekdays is $30.
- 7/19/05, Skybrook Golf Club - Played on 7/17. Greens were in great shape, rolling fast and true, some of the best I've played this summer. The rest of the course was fine and pace of play was pretty good for a weekend afternoon. Pricey as always, though.
- 7/13/05, Highland Creek Golf Club - Played on 7/8. No problems. Greens and fairways were in good shape and played well. Tee boxes were fluffy and needed to be mowed or better kept on many holes. Didn't really affect play. The course has awesome email coupon specials available through August. Check their web site to sign up.
- 7/5/05, Eagle Chase Golf Club - One of the friendlier places to play and one of the best values. With a Clickit Golf coupon, you can play on weekends anytime for $35. Course is in great shape. The rough is thick right now from the summer storms. Keep a good eye on your ball. It may disappear in the thick stuff only a foot or two off the fairway.
- 7/5/05, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 7/1. No problems to report. Course is generally well-kept. Minor problems, such as a very patchy 7th fairway, don't impact play most of the time. Greens are in typical good shape.
- 6/29/05, The Divide Golf Club - Played on 6/26. It was raining off and on. Found the course to be in great shape. The tees were a little rough, but certainly playable. The greens and fairways are in great shape, so it makes the poor quality of many of the tees stand out. The staff was helpful, but the starter was neither helpful or informative. All in all a very nice course. (Thanks to Scott for the update)
- 6/23/05, Rocky River Golf Club - Course in pretty good shape. Greens had some sand on them, but rolled fine and didn't affect play. A few tee boxes and greens had some spots under repair. Fairways were in great shape.
- 6/20/05, Firethorne Country Club - Going private in September 2005. You'll have to get a membership to play.
- 6/20/05, Springfield Golf Club - Played on 6/17 for my second visit to this course. Many reviews mention the un-courtesy staff, but our starter was helpful. Marshalls left us alone and the clubhouse crew gave course tips. You'll need 'em for your first round. This course has many blind shots and hazards that can ruin otherwise good shots.
- 6/20/05, Stonebridge Golf Club - Played on 6/17. Great shape. Greens were fine and fast. No problems.
- 6/20/05, Crescent Golf Club - Played on 6/18. Had heard bad reviews recently, but I found no problems that affected my round. Greens were absolutely great, giving true and fast roll. The front nine has a few sparse tee boxes, but I hardly noticed. This is a fun course to play with great rates.
- 5/13/05, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Played on 5/6. In good shape. Greens were very good. No complaints. $38 on a Friday afternoon.
- 5/13/05, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played on 5/8. Not very happy with the conditions. Many tee boxes were bare and mostly dirt. Fairways were also spotty, though they were giving lots of roll. The area surrounding the #9 green is being reworked to eliminate the dropoff to the water and add rough to catch long shots. That area is under repair and requires you to take a free drop. Under current conditions, this course is overpriced.
- 9/13/04, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Course is in the best shape I've seen it this year. Greens were immaculate. Fairways, tees and bunkers were all well-kept.
- 8/23/04, Larkhaven Golf Club - Greens were aerated last week and were a "7 out of 10" according the pro shop. They were taking $5 off greens fees for now, but you may want to give the course another week to even out.
- 8/23/04, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Course is doing well. Greens in fine shape, with a few exceptions (8th hole). The rest were green, smooth and rolling quick for Charles T. Fairways were lush and in good shape. If anything, the tee boxes could use a little help. Many were divot worn, as if the markers had not been moved around frequently enough. Overall, the course played well.
- 8/9/04, Skybrook Golf Club - Front 9 still recovering from a problem in early July. Several greens and fairways had white streaks where the grass had died. Generally though, it didn't affect play. Greens in general were fast but ball mark ridden. They rolled pretty true in spite of it. For this course, I'd have to say the conditions were below average, but that still beats many courses around town.
- 7/31/04, Charlotte National Golf Club - Course in great shape. Greens were impeccable and rolling briskly. Could not complain about anything from tee to green.
- 7/16/04, Larkhaven Golf Club - A few greens were bumpy because they'd recently been aerated and sanded. Overall the greens ranged from so-so to good shape. Fairways, bunkers and tees were alright. No problems in particular and the weekday morning rate is twenty bucks -- tough to beat anywhere in town.
- 7/16/04, Charlotte Golf Links - Course in okay shape. Shows signs of the recent dry heat, with fairways browning and some greens with bumpy, bare spots. Like its sister courses, CGL carts now have GPS satellite-aided yardage guides / hole maps.
- 6/27/04, Pawtuckett Golf Club - First time back here for me in 2 years. I missed this course. Fairways were in great shape. Greens were overall good. Several greens on the front 9 had some bare spots and were cut a little slow. Back 9 greens were more consistent and smoother. A few bunkers were wet because of the recent rains. This course is still one of the top 2 or 3 values in the area.
- 6/16/04, Waterford Golf Club - In good shape as always. Several fairways have been recently aerated, but it didn't interfere with play. Tees and greens were fine. The greens were rolling medium fast. Lots of rain the last couple of days, so of course it's a little soggy. This course drains well, however.
- 6/13/04, Larkhaven Golf Club - Only my second time ever playing here and first time in over a year. Greens have been vastly improved. They are now faster and smoother. I was impressed. The rest of the course was in fine shape. With the great greens to go with a fun layout, this course is definitely the best value in town. It's also now very accessible, less than 5 minutes off I-485 at Hwy 24/27 (Albemarle Rd).
- 6/9/04, Crescent Golf Club - Awesome price - $29 on a Saturday from LastMinuteGolfer.com. Greens in great shape, very smooth and consistent. Some reviews have bad-mouthed the sand bunkers, but I thought they were fair. A little thick and wet, but groomed well. Fairways in good shape. Nothing to complain about. (Review by Soupy)
- 6/3/04, The Divide Golf Club - Course is a little bit worn from the lack of rain, but not bad. A few tees were rough looking, but fairways and bunkers seemed ok. Greens were a little dried out but rolled fine, not too fast.
- 5/30/04, Monroe Country Club - Course is in average shape. Greens are a bit dried out and patchy, but still rolled relatively true. Since the last time I played here, the course has upgraded several holes with brand new bunkers, adding difficulty. I enjoy playing here for the change of pace, but the conditions are always a notch below the better local courses around town.
- 5/30/04, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Course played well today, very nice shape. No problems at all. Greens were especially good, rolling smooth and true. A few tee boxes still had aeration holes, but I hardly noticed.
- 5/15/04, Charlotte National Golf Club - One of my favorite courses and it's in very good shape. Greens were perfect and rolling fast. Fairways and tees in excellent condition. This course is kept better and is cheaper than its neighbors, Emerald Lake, The Divide and Olde Sycamore.
- 5/12/04, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played on Monday. The greens are always well-cared for at Emerald Lake. I wish they were a tad faster, but every one was smooth and consistent. Fairways were in good but not great shape. Tee boxes always seem to need work here.
- 5/4/04, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Very good shape overall. Greening up. Only a few rough spots -- some so-so tees and a bunker under repair on #2. Greens were very consistent and medium speed. This course will likely be in perfect shape within a few weeks.
- 2/24/04, Waterford Golf Club - They have just aerated and sanded the greens. The rest of the course is in good shape for this time of year. Rough is thin and brown and they cleared out/thinned a lot of brush thoughout the course. Reworking bunker on number 6. (From Russell)
- 11/27/03, Springfield Golf Club - Course in great shape. Must have overseeded, fairways are still green. Putting surfaces are very nice, smooth and fast. Very impressive for late November.
- 11/25/03, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Played last Saturday. Greens were impeccable as always and the fairways, despite browning for the winter, were fine. Course was in very good shape with no major problems, just a few areas / tee boxes under repair.
- 11/11/03, Charlotte National Golf Club - Course is in great shape for the fall. Greens were well-kept and smooth, good speed and not lightning fast. Rough was cut well so you could always find your ball. Lots of leaves around some greens, but it's that time of year.
- 10/26/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - This course (and its sister course Renaissance Park) will be phasing out their affiliation with the AGPA, which offers a membership discount at both courses. The courses will still be offering the best-value membership plans in the area, though. Plans that include greens fees, cart fees and range balls start at about $700.
- 10/26/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Greens were fine and in good shape. Fairways and especially the tees are showing the wear and tear of a long season with patchy areas. Get used to these descriptions with the winter coming.
- 10/5/03, Eagle Chase Golf Club - Course is in good shape. Starting to look like fall. A few greens had aerated spots, but were cut so well it wasn't a factor. The fairways and tees were fine and the sand in the bunkers was nice and fluffy.
- 9/13/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Course is in great shape. It's hosting the Mecklenburg Co Amateur Tourney, along with Renaissance. Greens are very nice and fairways are smooth and fast. Watch the rough though. They haven't cut it to make it tough for the tourney. I lost 2 balls that just missed the fairway. Balls are disappearing in the thick stuff.
- 9/6/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Only played the front nine today. Course is hard, dry and fast. Fairways were giving lots of bounce and roll. Greens were not perfectly green but rolling pretty fast for Charles T. I liked the greens very much today. Tee boxes were torn up a bit with divots and a few bunkers still had muddy spots.
- 9/2/03, The Divide Golf Club - Very good shape for this course. Tees, fairways and greens are all nice and lush. Bunkers are still wet -- a few had leftover puddles. Greens were soft and smooth but on the slow side for my tastes.
- 8/28/03, Renaissance Park Golf Course - The course is in better shape than the wet spring / early summer. The tees / fairways are nice and smooth and no casual water. Greens are so so. A little bare in spots. The traps are in very good shape for Renaissance. Number 7 is back to being a par 4 with the dry weather and there are no cart restrictions. Prices have been lowered slightly this year. (Update by Russell)
- 8/28/03, Firethorne Country Club - My first visit in nearly 2 years. The course has matured well. Overall fine shape, especially tees and fairways. Greens were cut well and rolled consistently, but a few had some bare spots and poorly repaired ball marks. Not perfect shape for this course, but compared to most local courses very good.
- 8/17/03, Skybrook Golf Club - Course is in excellent shape. Bunkers have nice white sand and are in the best shape of any course in Charlotte -- which is important because Skybrook has many bunkers. Greens were pristine, rolling fast but very true. Fairways and tees were lush. Made me want to play this course again real soon.
- 8/17/03, The Divide Golf Club - Just played the front 9. Course seemed to drain okay despite the recent rains. A few bunkers were wet and not easy to play. Fairways and greens were in good, but not great shape.
- 8/13/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Only played the back 9. Greens were very smooth and green, medium speed. Fairways and tees were mostly green and smooth. A couple bunkers were still rough because of the rains. Speaking of rough, it is extremely thick right now throughout all the holes I played. It's easy for balls to nestle down and disappear. Not cool.
- 8/3/03, Eagle Chase Golf Club - One of my favorite area courses. In beautiful shape wherever there's grass. Greens were impeccable, about the best I've seen with no bad spots and consistent roll from putting green to the 18th hole. Fairways, tees and rough all fine. Now about the bunkers (my only beef). The rains really messed 'em up. Most were dried riverbeds, some not so dry, while a few were nice and fluffy. The inconsistency and bad conditions of some wreaked havoc on my round.
- 8/2/03, Eagle Chase Golf Club - $32 weekend rate using the Clickit Golf prepaid voucher is a great deal. It's good anytime Sat and Sun and you can buy 'em at the last minute after you've made the tee time.
- 7/29/03, Highland Creek Golf Club - Nice and green as always. Fairways are rolling almost as fast as the greens. The rough, though mowed relatively short, is very thick and balls can get nestled down, making for difficult recovery shots. Everything was in fine shape and the cart GPS worked great.
- 7/23/03, Waterford Golf Club - Wow. This course is in absolutely pristine condition. One of the best I've seen lately. Even with the rain, this course held up well. Very little casual water to speak of. Tee boxes, fairways and greens all were lush and well cut. I've got to find time to play here more often!
- 7/20/03, Emerald Lake Golf Club - OK, much better than my last round here in May. The gold tees were back, though several holes had closed tee boxes under repair. The fairways and greens were all very lush and green. However, the greens are in dire need of some players who know how to repair their ball marks. The greens would be perfect if not for so many careless players. A few of the greens (such as #1) were just riddled with unrepaired marks. Other than that and a few tees, this course is in great shape.
- 7/12/03, Crystal Creek Golf Club - Played for the first time here today. Fun course, though it's in so-so shape right now. Several fairways are patchy, but overall they are okay and roll very well. A few greens have also just been aerated and still have sand on them. The speed of the greens was average, but fairly consistent.
- 6/16/03, Charlotte Golf Links - Course is in great shape right now. It has dried out nicely and is playing great. They even allowed 90 degree rule in the fairways (update by Scott L.).
- 6/10/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Still a bit wet, but no major standing water. Bunkers need to be raked hard. They look like river beds and many are not playable. Some tee boxes and rough areas have recently been aerated. The fairways and greens are all lush and in very good shape.
- 6/4/03, Charlotte National Golf Club - Despite the wet stuff, this course is in very good shape. Fairways and tee boxes are lush and well-cut. There are some spots of standing water, even puddles in a few bunkers. Hole #15 especially played tougher because of the wet. The greens were beautiful and very fast.
- 5/27/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Rain, rain, and more rain. For once, Charles T did not take it well. Fairways were extremely muddy with a large standing water pond on nos. 1 and 2. Several bunkers were also full of water. I actually lost a ball in one 'sand' trap on no. 16 that had 2 feet of water. Greens were in good shape though.
- 5/21/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Due to more rain lately, several holes were path only. Except for those holes, the fairways had drained well and were in fine shape. The greens were especially rolling well, with the front nine being a bit better and faster than the back nine.
- 5/18/03, Emerald Lake Golf Club - The course is a mixed bag these days. The greens were impeccable, some of the best, most consistent I've played lately. The tee boxes and fairways, however, were mediocre to poor by comparison. During my last visit (12/20), the tee boxes were bad. It looks like no attention has been paid to them. The white and blue tees jump around from being up on a few holes and back on others. Again, the Gold tees on the scorecard are nowhere to be found on the course. It's been 5 months and little has changed. For its price and semi-private status, this course should be in better overall shape, in my opinion.
- 5/14/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Course is doing well. Fairways are green and full, with little or no water or mud problems other courses are facing. Greens are consistent but on the slow side. Overall, great shape for Charles T.
- 5/12/03, Regent Park Golf Club - Overall, the course is in good shape. That said, they are having a problem with the collar around many of the greens. The 2-3 foot band of fringe around the greens is bare and in some cases, ground under repair. In my round, it rarely affected play. The greens themselves were in fine shape. The tee box grass was high, probably not cut recently due to rain. I was disappointed in the course marshall. For the first time in my golfing career, my group was asked to pick up our balls midway through a par 5 and move to the next tee. I felt we were unnecessarily being pushed along because they had a busy day lined up more so than we were playing that slowly. The incident dented my enthusiasm for the course.
- 5/9/03, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Recent heavy rains are keeping things soggy and muddy, but the course overall is in decent shape. The greens are all in good shape now. Note: Hole 7 has temporarily been converted to a par 3 while the fairway is repaired.
- 4/23/03, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Held their member-guest tourney today (4/23) -- no, B-Man's team didn't win. Course is in very good shape. Fairways are green and lush, though still a bit soggy in spots. Greens are very good, rolling medium fast.
- 4/15/03, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Course in average shape, a little disappointing for this time of year. Could be due to recent rains and aeration. Fairways and rough were just okay. Front nine greens were decent, back nine were patchy and inconsistent. Hole #7's fairway is in poor shape, as it doesn't drain well.
- 3/26/03, The Divide Golf Club - Course in all around good shape heading into spring. Greens are especially good, rolling medium speed. Fairways are good, a little fluffy still. Tee boxes are spotty and need to grow in.
- 3/13/03, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Aeration is scheduled for Monday, 3/31. Courses are usually not fun to play right afterwards because of the fairway plugs and bumpy greens, so beware.
- 3/13/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Aeration is scheduled for Sunday, 3/23. Courses are usually not fun to play right afterwards because of the fairway plugs and bumpy greens, so beware.
- 3/13/03, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Aeration is scheduled for Sunday, 3/16. Courses are usually not fun to play right afterwards because of the fairway plugs and bumpy greens, so beware.
- 3/12/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Fairways are very green and becoming lush. Greens need to catch up. They are still bumpy and tough to sink putts on.
- 3/9/03, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation - Course will be closed Monday, 3/10 for aeration. Fairways were already wet, muddy and in average shape for this time of year. Greens, however, were in excellent shape, rolling fast and true. Pace of play was very slow today and it was cart path only.
- 3/4/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - I'm getting the impression this course drains well. Just days after more rain, the fairways and greens were in good shape, with the only standing water in the rough. Greens are still uneven. Still cart path only.
- 3/3/03, Charlotte Golf Links - Course was very wet from recent rains, with standing water on every hole. The greens have recently been aerated but not completely sanded. They were very bouncy. (update by Russell)
- 2/26/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Today was also cart path only due to more rain. Many courses are having trouble with the weekly wet stuff, CT is no exception. A few holes had large puddles, some in 'sand' bunkers. The fairways are green and in good shape otherwise. The greens were so-so. A few have been aerated and were bumpy.
- 2/13/03, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Fairways still very wet in places, some standing water. Today, cart path only rule was in effect for the front 9. Some of the greens were in pretty bad shape with bare spots, possibly due to winter. Sand traps were wet, heavy clay more than sand. (update by Russell)
- 2/12/03, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Cart path only rule is in effect due to recent rains. Considering that, the course was in good shape. Some fairways were soggy and one or two had standing water. Greens rolled smooth with medium speed. One or two had rough spots.
- 2/8/03, The Tradition Golf Club - Course in good shape and mostly dry, even with recent rain. The greens were smooth, quick, and challenging. (update by Russell)
- 2/8/03, Regent Park Golf Club - Course is in great shape. Greens are rolling nicely, not too fast and very consistent. Fairways are green, though there is casual water in some areas and the cart rule is path only.
- 2/5/03, The Divide Golf Club - Course is in winter shape. Fairways and rough are muddy and show cart tracks. Rough is thick and yellow, tough to locate errant shots. Greens, however, are in fine shape, rolling very true.
- 1/20/03, Charlotte Golf Links - Course is in average shape, showing signs of the winter. Lots of golf cart mud tracks. Rough is thick and yellow, hard to spot balls in. Greens are rolling on the slow side.
- 1/1/03, Highland Creek Golf Club - Course is in great shape for this time of year. Tee boxes and fairways are green and holding up well under the recent weather. Greens are rolling true and only medium fast (for this course).
- 12/20/02, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Tee boxes not in great shape. Back tees (Gold) have disappeared. They've been moving the Blue and White tees back and forth. Last round, many holes had White tees with the Teal (Ladies). Greens in fine shape and course is still playable.
- 12/4/02, Renaissance Park Golf Course - Many holiday specials are available where you can buy discounted rounds good til March 2003. See their web site or call them for details.
- 12/2/02, Stonebridge Golf Club - Holes 5 and 6 are currently closed for repair. These holes died during the summer drought. The course rep said it may be January before they re-open. For now, the course is offering a discount rate for all the holes you can play.
- 11/25/02, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Selling preferred player cards for the 2003 season. Cost is around $60, but pays for itself with free greens fees and discounts.
- 11/24/02, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Fairways are muddy and have standing water in some places. Still playable, but you may have take a drop. Greens are in fine shape.
- 11/24/02, Charles T. Myers Golf Club - Holiday deals: $50 for 2 weekend rounds or 3 weekday rounds. $100 for 4 weekend rounds, etc. Call or check their web site for details.
- 11/16/02, The Divide Golf Club - Golf carts now have a GPS system. The color monitor on the cart gives you complete hole maps, green closeups, exact distance to the pin from your cart and more.
- 11/16/02, The Divide Golf Club - The course is currently selling yardage book / course guides for $8. The book comes with two $5 off cart/green fee coupons along with a few other discounts. So it basically pays for itself and is nice to have when you walk 18.