News & Updates
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- 8/30/10 - Msg Board Posting about Charles T. Myers Golf Club
CT Myers Jamie Played yesterday (8/29), course is nothing to brag about. Very slow play, left after 9 holes because I could not be there 5.5 hours. A few greens were OK, but most were starting to get pretty bad. Very bumpy and chewed up for the most part. Overall the course is usually average, but nowadays it's not even that. You may want to give the course time to improve, so maybe try it in a few months. - 8/29/10 - Msg Board Posting about Fox Den Country Club
fox den egolfer just to let folks know, Fox Den just aerated their greens. - 8/28/10 - Msg Board Posting about Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Emerald Lake Golf Club, Highland Creek Golf Club, Skybrook Golf Club, Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club
Greens update 08/28/2010 DrSchteeve Personally checked or played (except where noted):
Verdict Ridge: punched "about 2 weeks ago" - still quite bumpy, along with some bare spots that haven't responded to the punching
Olde Sycamore: punched about a month ago, unfortunately divots from poorly repaired ballmarks mar the surfaces significantly - in other words, they look ok, and in general are in good rolling condition, but there are just too many ballmarks so almost any putt is likely to hit a ballmark (or 2)
Emerald Lake: punched about 10 days ago, still top dressed with a lot of sand, along with other issues certainly not rolling true
Skybrook: some really nice smooth areas on many greens, but also bare spots and many plugs of (presumably) poa anna, overall not bad
Highland Creek: very spotty, bare areas galore, one green (#15) gone by report
Red Bridge: mostly in very good condition, only a few greens with some isolated issues (Red Bridge greens are mini verde per clubhouse); definitely the best greens of all these (except Cleghorn, see below)
Cleghorn (this from a month ago) - in Rutherfordton, a hike, but perfect Bermuda greens (and fairways), best overall conditions I've played in all year (and maybe ever)
Hope that helps somebody... - 8/28/10, Lancaster Golf Club, Review by JD - Sadly, they just started to lose the greens here. Still playable, just a bit bumpy. They're doing their best to keep the putts rolling. Still a good value.
- 8/27/10, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Review by malamute - course is holding up well #13 is playing as a par 3 right now because of broken water line in fairway like most courses greens are just fair due to heat
- 8/26/10, Skybrook Golf Club, Review by kravon - Like most area courses there are issues with the greens. Almost all greens have a little to a lot of weed growth. Understandably given the rain they were slow as well. Some patches of rough were extremely high as well.
- 8/22/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Emerald Lake egolfer I've played Emerald Lake more in past months than I normally would with my friends because alot of others' greens are in trouble. The course can bite you especially 3,7,8,9,16 and 18. The more I've played it the better I've shot at it. It's a bit of a drive for me(40)mins. I've come to like it ok except for hole 9 which is not really a fair hole unless the pin is in front left because the green slopes down front to back and sticking a ball with a wedge is difficult with big bunker in entire front of green. Never had an issue with staff then again I never call for t times. Don't know about being not told about aerification. - 8/22/10 - Msg Board Posting about Renaissance Park Golf Course
Re: Biased? Dan I agree with Karl......In fact, I think all of the courses around the Charlotte area lie about their conditions on a regular basis. I refuse to ever golf again at Emerald Lake because of their staff and cocky attitude. I just recently played Renaissance a week ago and specifically asked the guy behind the counter the conditions of the greens. His response......"excellent, best in the area". Well, the front nine was "okay" at best and the back nine had several greens that were in "sub-par" condition. I have heard all the excuses as to why the greens are suffering, but if you ask me, it is just plain ignorance. What else really upsets me is that the courses "play" dumb and make no effort to adjust their greens fees to make it a fair deal. I bet none of the course GM's would buy a new car with just primer on it...! ....I feel ripped off everytime I golf. - 8/22/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Greens were punched 8/16-8/17. The holes are small but the greens will be slow and bumpy for another week or so.
- 8/22/10, Warrior Golf Club, Review by bjl877 - Warrior, like many courses in the area, is in rough shape. The greens were soft and bumpy with bare spots (another trend in the area.) What I don't understand is the rough- it was as high as 5-6 inches in some spots. It looked like it had not been cut in a while and, like the last reviewer mentioned, you could easily lose balls just off the fairway. Most of the bunkers looked like they were washed out. Honestly, it looks like they've given up on conditions for the summer. Very disappointing.
- 8/21/10, Skybrook Golf Club, Review by outliar - Recent heavy rain noted; however here is what AI observed: FAIRWAYS - cut but heavy clumps of grass EVERYWHERE, we had to play lift clean and place, not because of wetness, but because partial maintenance; GREENS - slow, generally healthy, but terrible problem with weeds; GENERAL MAINTENANCE - totally lacking....not sure what the deal with bunkers hear and at Birkdale is? It is like the superintendent prays for heavy rain so it can be an excuse for the sorry ass bunkers. 99% were TOTALLY WASHED OUT, CAVED IN, PUDDLED ETC. Without a single field crew anywhere near a single one of them. i call out Birkdale here too because they ceased caring for their's about 18 months ago. What happened to the respectable $55 public round of golf? Am I asking for too much (greens with grass no weeds, bunkers with sand and raked and fairways cut and decently clean????
- 8/19/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Re: Biased? Jamie B-man your assessment about EL definitely matches what I have experienced, although I have had a few strange situations there. Back in the spring we played on heavily sanded and aerated greens, even though staff informed us when we booked on the phone the exact opposite - we were not pleased. Generally the greens are very good and consistent. I like the course, it's just that EL is not usually a course that offers the discounts that Carolina Trail and several others offer. Nice layout, particularly #5 and #14. The only hole I hate is #9 (old #18) because of the green being constructed backwards, sloping from front to back and toward the water, making it a 3-shot hole for even the longest hitters. I was told several years ago the course had intended to reconstruct it but has not. All in all a very good course even with its quirks. - 8/19/10 - Msg Board Posting about Larkhaven Golf Club
5th Annual Larkhaven Founders Tournament The B-Man Got an email on this today and thought I would share. Also, I have not received any updates recently on Larkhaven. I'm curious how it is holding up this summer.
5th Annual Larkhaven Founders Tournament
October 2 & 3, 2010
$270 per team
Larkhaven Golf Club cordially invites you to join us for the 5th Annual Founders Tournament on October 2 & 3, 2010. Entry deadline is Wednesday, September 29, 2010.
Entry includes all cart & greens fees for tournament, Bar-B-Que Cookout following Saturday's round, lunch Sunday, Gift and CASH prizes for each flight, closest to the pin prizes and more. Optional team skins game held both days. Payment must be received by Wednesday, September 29, 2010 or the entry will increase to $300.
Format will be two person Captains Choice. Women play red tees, seniors, 60 and older, play gold tees, everyone else play white tees.
More information - 8/18/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Re: Biased? hawk22 A few things as a long time reader of these forums
1. Emerald Lake is a good course with fantastic staff. I've been going there for years and I've never understood the negative reviews on these boards given my countless positive experiences there. The range is great and the course is always in good shape.
2. BMan has not been biased about his reviews, just honest and objective. I don't think that will change now that he has joined Emerald Lake. I agree with others....keep up the good work! - 8/18/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Re: Biased? Karl i agree that bman has been fair and objective in his reviews. My only issue, and it is not really an issue because i really dont care, is that if someone has a very bad experience at emerald lake, and they post it on here, bman will go to emerald lake and get their side of the story, which of course will refute any negative comments. no other course has that opportunity. i am sure you can email the course gm and let them know about the feedback, but emerald lake now has a direct link to this website while no other course does. again, no big deal, i just thought it seemed sketchy. bman, if the course is in horrible shape and should be avoided at all times, will you post that for all to read, even though you know that the staff at emerald lake reads this site often? if you think that a shop guy is a jerk, will you write that for all of your readers to see even though you will see him the next time you check in to play at your "home course?" tough call. - 8/18/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Re: Biased? The B-Man Karl -- actually, I have indeed given other course GM's the opportunity to respond to negative feedback here on the site -- the most recent example was Birkdale, but before that I've done the same for Charlotte Golf Links and Rocky River, to name a few. And I will always give course staff the opportunity to respond here on the site if they contact me.
If you read one of my recent reviews of EL, I actually said I would not post a review every time I play (since it would be frequently). Most likely I'll only post a new one if conditions change. So watch for my next update because it likely means something's going on (perhaps when they aerate).
As I said before, please post your own reviews of Emerald Lake and other local courses. This site is built on player feedback and opinions. If I post a review that you don't agree with, post a comment. If you think my coverage of Emerald Lake is biased or not accurate, then don't take my word for it.
Let me know if you have a suggestion for how I should handle Emerald Lake reviews and feedback. I couldn't tell from your post what you were expecting me to do differently. And if you want to handle it off the board, feel free to send me a direct email.
B-Man - 8/18/10, Waterford Golf Club - Received this today via email: Waterford Golf Club Presents “PLAY OUR NEW GREENS SCRAMBLE” on Sunday, September 19. 1:00 pm Shotgun Start. Entry Fee: $32 Members,…$52 Non-members. Get a foursome and sign up to play a Captains Choice Golf Tournament on our new Mini Verde Greens! Net & Gross Team Winners and closest to pin prizes on all Par 3’s. BBQ Dinner Following Play. Please sign up in the Pro Shop or call 803-324-0300. We expect a full field, so get your team together and sign-up!
- 8/17/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Biased? Karl Markham Just an observation and you do not have to post this if you feel as though it shouldn't be, but it just seemes a bit biased that you joined Emerald Lake a few weeks ago and now they have been the "Featured Course" on your home page for weeks now. There are coupons posted all over your website now for this course. Also, going back over the message board, it seems as though you have defended Emerald Lake against bad reviews. How do we know that all reviews are being posted about your "home course?" I know that there has to be negative reviews out there because I played there last Friday and thought the place was a cow pasture. Just an observation. - 8/17/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Re: Biased? The B-Man Karl -- thanks for the feedback, always welcomed. Let me first say that, sure, you can consider my reviews of Emerald Lake biased -- just as you would anybody's reviews of a course they play frequently and know well. Since I joined on 7/30, I have played there probably 8 or 10 times for at least 9 holes. I also know the staff pretty well.
That said, let me clear up a few other things you mentioned. First, the Featured Course on this site's home page is automatically selected based on the course with the most recent review. So with me having posted 3 reviews since 7/23, there's a good chance when you've visited the site recently that Emerald Lake was the Featured Course -- as it will remain until a more recent review for another course is posted. Please, by all means, if you've played another course recently, post a review and that course will become the featured one. Just note that the selection is based on the date you played not on the date you submit the review.
Secondly, my defense of Emerald Lake over the last 12 months has more to do with me living so close to the course and knowing the staff. I can see for myself whether the reported conditions are as someone describes. I can also get the other side of the story directly from the staff -- which I have posted in fairness and to provide my site visitors with more information so they can judge for themselves. I have never withheld replies from the original reviewer. In the previous cases here on the message board, the reviewers never posted another message or contacted me.
Lastly, I would encourage you to post a full review if you had a bad experience at Emerald Lake. Other players can then comment. I, for one, as biased as I may be, don't know what courses you are comparing Emerald Lake to that you would consider it a "cow pasture." As I've noted, the only issues I have seen are ball marks on the greens from lots of recent play, a few greens with small bare spots requiring a top dressing of sand and a few tee boxes that are thin. The greens roll very true, the fairways are lush and weed-free and the bunkers have been kept in good shape. There are only a few courses in the Charlotte area I would consider a "cow pasture" -- due to weeds in the fairways, greens not mowed, bare dirt spots around the course, grass in the bunkers, etc -- and one of them closed a few years ago (Crystal Creek).
I encourage other readers to weigh on and comment on my recent reviews.
Thanks,
B-Man - 8/17/10 - Msg Board Posting about Emerald Lake Golf Club
Re: Biased? panthersfann55 he must have had a bad round. i for one play emerald lake a few times a year and find the staff and course enjoyable. keep up the good work b-man. - 8/17/10 - Msg Board Posting about Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
Olde Sycamore/Oak Hills DrSchteeve Sadly heard that Olde Sycamore's greens are going the way of everyone elses - not horrible, but not good.
On a bright note, played Oak Hills in Columbia - a great track with Bermuda greens and fairways in great shape. I definitely recommend if you are in the area. - 8/14/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club, Review by The B-Man - Emerald Lake is in great shape right now, with the greens especially rolling smooth and true. There are still a few with some sandy spots, but overall very good. Fairways are in great shape. A few tee boxes are thin, but most are fine. They are doing a great job with the course this summer and they still have a great membership special going for August. $1995 for 12 months incl. cart fees. It's an unbeatable deal and I took advantage of it 2 weeks ago.
- 8/13/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by outliar - I played the front 9 only: The good news: their greens aren't burnt out like most of the rest of the course's in the region. The bad news: Greens were absolutely covered with weeds. It was the biggest tease EVER! As I pitched onto the 1st green I thought, "wow, what a surprise...of all places to not have lost the course...". Then I got on the green and was snapped immediately back to reality. I guess Golf Links has officially replaced Crystal Lakes. It almost makes me cry, because the DESIGN is among my favorite, and in it's heyday (in MY opinion), THIS IS WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAITHFUL re-creations of links play this side of the Atlantic. FOR SHAME FOR SHAME FOR SHAME!!!
- 8/12/10, Warrior Golf Club, Review by mattbeachum - I had always heard great things about this course and have had this course on my list of courses to play for a while. Finally got around to it and I wish I hadn't set expectations so high. The course was very well designed and the upkeep is amazing. It's very pleasing to look at and a good mix of holes. However, the rough is BRUTAL, to say the least. I loath hitting a decent shot and losing a ball. Local knowledge of where fairways are cut is a HUGE advantage. The greens, minus a few blemishes, rolled great, yet were a bit too receptive. I'm not good enough to stop a 2-iron in 18 inches, yet that's what happened. Definitely worth the drive, fun to play, but bring the $20 bag of used Wally World balls, leave the Pro V1's at home.
- 8/10/10 - Msg Board Posting about The Golf Club at Ballantyne
HeartBright Golf Invitational September 17, 2010 Whitney Urschel The HeartBright Foundation makes an enormous impact on its surrounding community by filling the gaps for chronic care patients. This is done through resourcing individuals by increasing their awareness of their chronic care issues and helping them to reach health goals through consistent care and access to providers. When you donate to HeartBright you sustain programs that educate all ages in cardiovascular health, from teaching children battling obesity better nutrition and exercise, to the elderly new ways to self-advocate. HeartBright reaches over 4,500 men, women, and children weekly in the Greater Charlotte Area and with your support we can continue to improve the health of our community.
On September 17, 2010, at the Golf Club at Ballantyne, we are going to hit the ball for HeartBright! The HeartBright Foundation is holding an invitational golf tournament and we wouldn’t want you to miss the opportunity to play and/or sponsor the event. The sponsorship options are numerous and the benefits to the Foundation will continue long after the final shots are made. This is going to be a fantastic day for HeartBright starting with an 11:00am registration; 1:00pm shot gun start/scramble format, and a 5:00pm after party. Please visit our web site at: www.heartbright.org/golf for more information and various sponsorship opportunities.
Come out and have some fun for HeartBright! Friday, September 17th, HeartBright Golf Invitational! We look forward to seeing you at what will prove to be a great fundraiser for the HeartBright Foundation. This will be one tee time you will not want to miss! - 8/8/10 - Msg Board Posting about Charlotte National Golf Club
Charlotte National egolfer Charlotte National's greens are pretty much gone. There were a couple that were still in good shape but most were burnt up with sand patching dead spots. Rest of course is ok but like others, their greens are dying. - 8/8/10, Fox Den Country Club, Review by DennyCrane - The course was in pretty good condition. Problem was, everyone and their mother showed up for the $29 special and the club was unprepared. Tee sheets were stacked, rangers lax about pace of play, and a round took over 5.5 hours to play. It's a nice course and the greens were much, much better than Birkdale or Highland Creek (putting on asphalt there), but wait until next month when the crowd dies down.
- 8/8/10, Monroe Country Club, Review by estanwick - Monroe CC: Tees: B+; Fairways: B+; Greens: A-. Overall compared to other courses (springfield, Regent etc,) this course is in very good shape. The greens had no signs of heat or disease damage and in very good condition. It is very easy to lose a golf ball in the rough here due to the thickness. It is not an extremely long course but well worth the drive to play this course. Pace of play: 4 1/2 hours on Sunday morning.
- 8/7/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by DrSchteeve - Other than a slow foursome in front of us (and no ranger to move them), everything was good. One green (#17) had some issues, otherwise greens were great, as were fairways. They have really trimmed the rough in a lot of areas, which makes the course easier and reduces time looking for balls.
- 8/7/10, Skybrook Golf Club, Review by outliar - B-man you are being too polite regarding the slow play issue. In my opinion the BIGGEST IMPAIRMENT to playing more rounds is the pace of play. It is downright RUDE and arrogant for some hack shooting 105 to wait until the green clears (from 280 away) before hitting a shot. AND THEN circling a putt for 8 minutes from 45 feet for triple bogey. I REALLY WISH folks would understand THEY are not on tour and we do not have 6 hours to devote to playing a round. I don't advocate rushing folks, BUT a REALITY CHECK IS CERTAINLY IN ORDER for folks who think it is OK to take 5+ hours for a casual round.
- 8/6/10, Birkdale Golf Club, Review by outliar - B-man you are being too polite regarding the slow play issue. In my opinion the BIGGEST IMPAIRMENT to playing more rounds is the pace of play. It is downright RUDE and arrogant for some hack shooting 105 to wait until the green clears (from 280 away) before hitting a shot. AND THEN circling a putt for 8 minutes from 45 feet for triple bogey. I REALLY WISH folks would understand THEY are not on tour and we do not have 6 hours to devote to playing a round. I don't advocate rushing folks, BUT a REALITY CHECK IS CERTAINLY IN ORDER for folks who think it is OK to take 5+ hours for a casual round.
- 7/31/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club, Review by The B-Man - I took advantage of their July membership special and joined up this week. So I played this morning with several other members and had a great round. Conditions overall are very good here. The Cato-Crenshaw greens are faring much better than other bentgrass courses. There are a few greens with a top-dressing of sand (6, 10, 12, 13, and 16 if I remember right) but other than a bit of speed difference, that didn't affect play. I'll probably be playing here a bunch now. So I'll post reviews/updates as conditions change.
- 7/31/10, Lancaster Golf Club, Review by JD - Continues to be one of the best values in Charlotte -- just a gem of a traditional course. They are working HARD to keep things in good condition -- watering like crazy -- and it seems to be working for them.
- 7/31/10, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Review by happygolfing - The course was is good shape, but the green were full of ball marks that affected every putt. I mentioned it to the person at the Pro Shop and he got personally offended. He stated well 'it is a public golf course." This is the second time I've played here and found the Pro shop perfect very rude and disrespectful. I like the course and was thinking about a membership, but will hold off for now due to this experience. I will be looking at Red Bridge and Emerald Lake.
- 7/30/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by JD - Links is still beating the heat with pretty good conditions. I learned that the practice green is Mini-Verde...wonder if they'll make the switch to the course?
- 7/29/10, Springfield Golf Club - Springfield has lost its greens to the summer heat and the course is closed while they transition from bentgrass greens to the more heat-tolerant MiniVerde grass. They fumigated the greens this week and plan to sprig the MiniVerde grass early next week with the hope of being open by late September or early October. "The decision was, do we put more fans on the course (to cool the greens) or do we go with new grass," Gene Roper, director of golf at Springfield and Fort Mill said. "We had to do one or the other. Our greens were not up to snuff. We were tired of fighting it. It's not fun to do but when you look at it long term, it was the right thing to do."
- 7/29/10, Waterford Golf Club - Waterford's greens have been lost to the summer heat. The course closed July 11 and hopes to reopen by Labor Day weekend. They are transitioning from bentgrass greens to the more heat-tolerant MiniVerde grass.
- 7/26/10 - Msg Board Posting about Red Bridge Golf & Country Club
red bridge randy whitley Played the course Sunday the 23rd July. I'm a 2 handicap. I have to say the greens are in the best shape of any that I've played this year. The mini verde greens and the heat that we have had have made them great - 7/25/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by JD - Links continues to be in good shape, when you factor how many rounds this course gets and in this heat. Pock-marked greens are annoying, but that's lazy players' fault, not the course managers. A few tee boxes weren't great...but this time of year, the course was in relatively good shape.
- 7/25/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by pga5f - The Bermuda greens at Red Bridge are thriving in this heat and may be the best in Charlotte right now. This course is quirky target golf but in my opinion one of the best tracks in the area. Their greens got hurt by the cold winter but now will fare better than most courses in this heat. The course still has some rough spots but for the money and the fact that many courses in Charlotte are losing their greens, it is the place to play.
- 7/24/10, Regent Park Golf Club, Review by CU_Tigerfan - Played here for the 2nd time in about a month and a half, and unfortunately their greens are just terrible. The 17th had a temporary green. The others were bare dirt over large portions. The rest of the course (bunkers, tees, fairways, rough) is really in very good shape. Pace of play was good for a Saturday morning, but it's just not worth playing right now.
- 7/23/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by malamute - course in great shape except 13th green /course holds up well with amount of play / in good shape compared to most courses around right now
- 7/23/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club, Review by The B-Man - Course was in very good shape all around and stands up very well in comparison to courses around town. Greens were good speed and consistent -- only issues were lots of ball marks from recent play and one or two spots on a couple of greens (#16 was one) that did not come into play. Tees, fairways, bunkers were all good. I'm definitely warming up to this place as a regular spot in my rotation -- I'm even considering their July membership special of $1995 for 1 year with carts/range included since I live so close.
- 7/22/10, Eagle Chase Golf Club, Review by malamute - called before going to ask about greens and was told only 4 had problems - it was more like only 4 did not have problems course is a great layout however not worth playing right now due to greens
- 7/21/10 - Msg Board Posting about Eagle Chase Golf Club
Eagle Chase t2green2 Played on Sunday 7/18.
Fairways in good shape but the greens are the worst I have seen. Several burnt out and there is no consistent speed to any of the greens.
I really do like the layout of the course but just cannot recommend it until it recovers - 7/21/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by hvalmer - Golf course is in great shape. The greens have held up to the heat very well. I have heard other courses are not faring as well, so I was surprised to see the greens in as good of shape as they were. Quick pace of play, but that was expected on a very hot weekday afternoon. All in all, kudos to the staff here.
- 7/19/10, Tillery Tradition Country Club, Review by hvalmer - Had a comp pass to play this course from a friend of mine who lives in Albemarle, so I went out and played last weekend. It took me about an hour and half, so this is a little out of the way for people who live in charlotte, but it was a nice change of pace. course was in above average shape with the greens being in excellent shape. this was my first time playing it and i will be back in the future for a good change of pace.
- 7/18/10, Eagle Chase Golf Club, Review by DrSchteeve - Sadly the greens at Eagle Chase have gone from perfect to poor in only a few weeks. Most greens had significant issues, a few were OK. Other course conditions were fine.
- 7/18/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by snake - i have been fortunate to play this course 3 times this month. feels good to play that much. wish i could play this course more often. Met Lew Farwell; the new club pro. great guy. could go a long way to help this course along. course is better and better. love #7; long par 3. played 10 from the tips; 5 iron to carry to the middle; fade it and your dead. easy hole, just hit it straight. just had to play 18 from the back; 648? gotta love it. longest hole in charlotte and i was happy to get par. played driver, driver, 8 iron. happy golfer today. well worth the money. as the course matures/ages i hope they raise the rates to get rid of the rif-raf. saw many golfers that should not try this challenging course. i understand the desire to play a tough round, but take a couple of lessons first. they got a good pro now.
- 7/17/10, Fox Den Country Club, Review by pga5f - Course is in good shape. Greens holding up well. One of my favorite courses in the area and well worth the drive up to Statesville.
- 7/17/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by malamute - course coming back greens much better but slow and needed to be cut well worth the drive
- 7/16/10, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Review by malamute - course is in better shape than most this time of year a few greens had sandy spots but not bad at all well worth playing right now
- 7/15/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by snake - i have played this course several times since openning last year. i read some of the comments writen and think most of you should take up another activity. stop talking about maintenance issues like cutting greens lower and "mostly dead" when you don't have a clue what is going on. these greens are bermuda, not bent. learn something about the 2 before writing and showing your ignorance. bermuda can be slow to transition in spring but will be spectacular in summer and fall. these greens are slow now, but many bent greens are suffering with the heat of summer. both will be great in fall. like all courses, this winter was brutal. Red Bridge is coming back strong. if you had a bad experience here, you are foolish to not give it another try. this is by far the best, most challenging layout in charlotte. it demands all the shots. play the course as it is and stop trying to compare one course to another. it will only get better as it matures. someone made a comment about hiring the right staff. don't speak of what you don't know. none of us have any idea of all the factors that go into managing a course from business to agronomy. golf is not like anyother business. they operate on very low margins and need a good amount of play to maintain viability. please keep your comments to your opinion of the round you played. anything outside of this makes you look stupid.
- 7/14/10, Carolina Lakes Golf Club - Thanks to Landon for this update: "The fairways have improved, the greens are rolling true and are fairly quick for a public course. Please educate yourself on how to properly repair a ball mark on the green for the enjoyment of others, doing it wrong can make the healing process much longer than it should be. Pace of play was good at 3:45. I would recommend to all"
- 7/13/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by The B-Man - I was worried about conditions, given recent reports from other local courses, including a few of the Carolina Trail ones. I'm happy to report Golf Links is doing fine. The greens were in good shape. Just lots of ball marks and the 13th green had aeration holes and some sand. For whatever reason, they cannot keep the 13th green in good shape. It's always been an issue on this course. Tees and fairways were fine. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. We had a 6:51 start time, cart path only due to the floods Monday. After we let one twosome play through ours, we breezed through our round in just over 3 hours.
- 7/11/10, Regent Park Golf Club, Review by DrSchteeve - They lost green #17, so it's playing with a temporary green which doesn't really make it a hole. Other than that, most greens were in very good shape, as was the overall course. Unfortunately, as much as I like the layout, it seems every time I play here (usually just one or two times a year), there is some issue with conditions - temporary green, bunkers not in good condition, just always something.
- 7/10/10, Eagle Chase Golf Club, Review by pga5f - Finally made the long drive out to Eagle Chase. The course layout is great with lots of elevation changes and the fairways, tee boxes and bunkers were generally good. Unfortunately the greens were in TERRIBLE shape. What made it worse was that I specifically asked about the greens before I made the drive out and was told they were fine. Understandable that the greens are getting killed in this heat but they should be honest about it. Also, get ready for a bumpy ride as their cart paths are a disaster.
- 7/10/10, Highland Creek Golf Club, Review by bjl877 - Highland Creek is in ROUGH shape. Probably the worst I've ever seen the greens. Greens are very spotty and bumpy (bare spots everywhere) and there seems to be maintenance all over the place. The practice green was even closed the morning of July 10th. The green complex on number 15 (short dogleg left par 4) is completely torn up and virtually unplayable. To be fair, the fairways were great in spots. Glad I had a coupon because their regular rate of $59 on the weekend is inexcusable. I would give it some time to recover. A lot of courses around are taking a beating from the heat.
- 7/10/10, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Review by pga5f - Great course and the greens are weathering the heat pretty well, with only a few having some issues, but even those roll well.
- 7/10/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by tvrepairex - Course is in overall good condition.A couple greens have been resodded in places but it doesn't affect the putting much.The pin placements were fair, unlike a month ago when I played and the pin placements made some holes almost unplayable.There was a couple tee boxes that was in need of more grass and the traps need to be maintained a little better.
- 7/9/10 - Msg Board Posting about Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
Olde Sycamore touts its conditions and service - do you agree? The B-Man I am on the email list for Olde Sycamore and this week's specials came with a big intro hyping their conditions and service. I thought it was a great list that all courses could aspire to, but I was skeptical about how much OS lives up to them. I'm curious about others' opinions on this and whether other courses do a better / worse job with this list. Post your feedback here.
So why do Charlotte golfers continue to choose Olde Sycamore over other area courses?- Bag drop loading and unloading services.
- Clean carts stocked with comfort towels and tees.
- Well groomed fairways and general playing conditions.
- Smooth, fast greens.
- Well groomed sand traps.
- On-course beverage and snack service.
- Clean clubhouse and on-course restrooms.
- Upscale practice facility.
- Well maintained landscaping throughout the grounds.
- Convenient outside water stations.
- Friendly registration staff.
- Full service Bar and Grill.
- Professional, polite service.
- The ability to enjoy a hassle free round of golf.
At Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation we focus on our players and our product. We promise to maintain the level of excellent course conditions and service you have come to expect and we thank you for your support and business. - Bag drop loading and unloading services.
- 7/9/10 - Msg Board Posting about Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
Olde sycamore Drschteeve I think all those apply, except occasionally the pro shop staff is a bit stuffy. With a lot of courses suffering this year due to the heat, they have done a very good job with course conditions so far. - 7/9/10 - Msg Board Posting about Warrior Golf Club
@Wade Re: Warrior t2green2 We played Warrior July 4th and could not have been happier with the condition of the greens. There is still some poana in the greens but they are well water and roll very true. Other than the occasional issue with ball marks not being fixed the greens are in great shape.
The Fairways are a bit hard but considering how little rain we have had of late I can over look that. The Tee boxes for the middle tees were not in very good shape at all. They appear to have killed off some tee boxes and are trying to grow new grass.
Hope this helps,
Todd - 7/9/10, Highland Creek Golf Club, Review by malamute - greens are in poor shape on back 9 / better on front course not worth playing now
- 7/5/10 - Msg Board Posting about Rocky River Golf Club
Ri Ra Charity Golf Classic Ri Ra Irish Pub Ri Ra Irish Pub would like to welcome all interested parties in joining us for our 3rd annual Charity Golf Classic: Wednesday, August 25th 2010 10 AM Shotgun, 9 AM registration, Rocky River GC. All proceeds will benefit the NC Fire Fighters Burned Childrens Fund. Cost is $100 Per/$400 foursome. There will be breakfast, lunch and beverages (including beer) provided along with lots of prizes, raffle items and giveaways. One lucky foursome will win a golf trip to play in Ireland! To register please go to www.rira.com and follow the links to the registration page. CHEERS! - 7/5/10, Regent Park Golf Club, Review by wnb5th - Overall the course is in good shape- it usually always is. The greens are taking a beating from the heat but they are doing a really good effort to keep them in good shape. Only one green, #17, had issues. Compared to Waterford where I played 2 days earlier this was great. Actually no comparson, Regent was in much better condition. I play in a golf league here as well and think it is one of the best courses around for the money and the layout is great. Challenging golf course and if your par #8 you should be proud.
- 7/5/10, Springfield Golf Club, Review by bob - Greens are in horrible shape. Not sure what happened, but at least 13-15 are almost completely dead (i.e. bare dirt and weeds) and several have huge bees burrowing holes in the greens. They gave us the "maintenance" rate, which I assume is what they charge after aeration. Like the course but won't be going back until they straighten out the greens, which may be a long time. Looks like they might need to rip them up and start over.
- 7/4/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by snake - course has made tremendous strides in the last month. spoke to the assistant superintendent to comment on the improvement. he told me " not bad for a staff of 6" i was floored! i have wondered why i rarely saw maintenance staff while playing. i asked if i may speak with the superintendent. he mentioned that he was repairning an irrigation break and was not available. i've met a few supers. i can't picture any of the ones i met doing the actual work themselves. i usually get disturbed by 1 or 2 employees a round at other courses. it's no wonder i don't see them here. i have to say if they have six guys, they all need a raise. the job they are doing is fantastic. we would all do well to learn a little more about the inter-workings of the courses we play before we make some of the comments we do. i'll play here more often just out of respect for the amount of work these guys do to give us a place to play.
- 7/3/10, Waterford Golf Club, Review by wnb5th - Greens are in horrible shape. Tee boxes are also not good. On bright side, the fairways are ok. The 2 weeks of 90 degree + weather has severely damaged these greens. Go play elsewhere.
- 7/2/10, Tillery Tradition Country Club, Review by tvrepairex - Great course.Greens in good shape,rolls true ,fast but not too fast.Lots of traps,mostly well maintained and well placed.Fairways in good shape.Only comment is a couple of the par 3's could have been designed a little better.Cost a little high normally but great value if you buy online.
- 6/29/10, The Golf Club at Ballantyne - The course will be closed July 8-9th for aeration. So get out and play it in the next 10 days or wait for it to heal.
- 6/29/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club, Review by The B-Man - Played quickly as a single by starting on the back 9. A few greens on the back 9 had been lightly top-dressed with sand. A few others were pock-marked due to heavy traffic from lazy golfers not repairing pitch marks. I would say that 2/3 of the greens on the course were in very good shape, rolling quick and smooth. The course is holding up well in the early summer heat and better than other local courses.
- 6/26/10, Lancaster Golf Club, Review by JD - I continue to love this course. Exceptional value, great layout, in great shape.
- 6/26/10, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Review by The B-Man - I played in the Matt Clark charity tournament Saturday morning and the course was in perfect shape. No issues anywhere. Smooth, quick greens. Lushness all around. The rough is in mid-season form, which means it's thick and penalizing when you're in it. It's not past the point of fairness, but you will need to keep a close eye on any shots that are headed for it -- in some cases, you may have to walk right over a ball that has nestled down in the thick stuff. This is one of my favorite area courses mostly because it's kept in such great shape.
- 6/25/10, Highland Creek Golf Club, Review by malamute - course in good shape 15th is bad fairway torned up short of green fun course to play
- 6/20/10, Edgewater Golf Club, Review by DrSchteeve - Only complaint is fairways are still a bit sparse in some areas. Nice course, nice mix of holes, not too tough. Worth the drive, but still not up there with Verdict Ridge.
- 6/19/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by malamute - great course nice layout greens on back 9 in bad shape course not as difficult as expected range is small and balls poor quality
- 6/15/10 - Msg Board Posting about Rocky River Golf Club
Re: rocky River AC Rocky River's greens have vastly improved over the past year there was a stretch for about 2 years when they were very bad. Of late they have gotten better, they are not perfect but are definately getting better. - 6/13/10 - Msg Board Posting about Rocky River Golf Club
rocky River Phil McGroin Hello,
I am going to play Rocky River for fathers day and was wondering if the greens are good. I have heard mixed reviews on them. Has anyone played it lately?
Thanks and Happy fathers day to all the great dad's and as my dad used to say "TAKE It easy but Take it." - 6/11/10 - Msg Board Posting about Birkdale Golf Club
Re: Don't Go to Birkdale The B-Man I posted this comment on the review and I'll repost it here. I got in touch with Wes Jones about this one and received a quick response.
Paraphrasing:
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. At Birkdale our goal is to have all players enjoy themselves and feel they have received a good value. It is difficult to please all the people all the time and unfortunately we were not able to do that with Mr. Looney's group... a group teed off at 8:23 and then the first of Mr. Looney's three foursomes teed off at 8:35, 12 minutes later... his group played the front nine in 2:38. His group had been warned for slow play twice in the first seven holes. This forced me to make the difficult decision of asking his group to skip the 10th hole. We ! want our guests to enjoy themselves but not at the expense of our other guests... the two groups following Mr. Looney's group played the front nine in 2 1/2 hours and well under two hours on the back nine after his group left.
On June 4th we had 182 rounds played and 144 players after Mr. Looney's group at 8:35. If I had allowed his group to continue on their pace we would have had our other rounds in the 5 1/2 hour range or worse. I do not want Birkdale to have a slow play reputation. In short, we would like people to play Birkdale. You will find the course conditions very nice, we take pace of play seriously and as Mr. Looney said, we have a friendly staff.
Sincerely,
Wesley Jones
Birkdale Golf Club
General Manager
Pace of play is a touchy subject. Obviously, you hate to be playing fast and easy, then get caught up in a logjam where you are waiting on every shot. On the other hand, if you are having fun but get behind because of a few stray shots where you lose time trying to find a lost ball or get back in play, it can be nearly impossible to catch up and get back on time with other groups on the course. So it is indeed a tough situation for the general manager. It's a bit of a Catch-22 -- which is worse: disappointing one or two groups by having them skip a hole to keep up pace of play or angering half a day's worth of groups that play 5 hour rounds?
I think in this situation you've got to be 100% sure that groups are truly backing up and tee times are running late before you ask a group to skip holes. If the groups behind are not complaining, not waiting, then there shouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure whether the GM made the right decision in this case, but it does seem like he carefully considered everything before speaking to the group.
I can certainly understand why you guys left. This has only happened to me once or twice in my 11 years of playing and I was very angry. I'm glad you had a good experience over at Fox Den. I've yet to play it, but keep hearing great things.
Thanks for the feedback. - 6/11/10, Springfield Golf Club, Review by malamute - course in good shape greens great but need to be cut 7th green had a few rough spots
- 6/5/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by mattbeachum - Played Red Bridge several times since it's opening. Played from the tips for the second time last Saturday and, a bit of a fluke, shot a 78. When money gets tight, most courses skimp on taking care of their greens and spend every dime making their course "look pretty". Red Bridge has kept their greens immaculate. There are some spots that need some attention and only one pin location was placed a little too close to one of them. But overall, the pace of play was phenomenal, the staff in the clubhouse has an old school feel (even though it's still a mobile unit). Make sure your long clubs are working or #4, #10, and #13 might make you feel like a goober. And don't be intimidated by the 641 yard 18th. It's long but exremely wide. Enjoy!
- 6/5/10, Warrior Golf Club, Review by TwinsDad - Made the drive up to Warrior and was not disappointed. Fairways are very narrow, and with all the rain the rough was pretty thick. A good layout with a variety of holes. At least 3 of the par 5's are reachable in 2. Greens were in excellent shape, although speed was slow. Not sure if this was due to the rain or not. Very friendly staff. Nice yardage books in the carts which were a big help to a first timer. Took about 50 minutes to get there from Matthews, but I would make the drive again.
- 6/4/10, Emerald Lake Golf Club - Just played the back 9 this morning so not posting a full review. Obviously with the flooding rains this week the course was wet, but fairways was puddle free. The greens were the absolute fastest I've played anywhere in town this season. Lightning smooth. Made it difficult to get even lofted shots to stop on the green, but I enjoyed the challenge and not having to worry about bumps or inconsistent roll. So if you're going out this weekend to play when it's not raining, give Emerald a look. They have special lower Sunday rates in June.
- 6/4/10, Birkdale Golf Club, Review by geoirv - The bad rating is due to the General Manager and not the course itself. The front nine was very nice. Our group of 12 didn't get the opportunity to play the back nine. Wes Jones, the GM met us at hole 10 and asked us to skip that hole and move on to hole 11 because we were 25 minutes behind his GPS schedule. I pointed out the next party in our group was 1-1/2 holes behind us. He said that didn't matter because we were two holes behind the group in front of us. I again pointed out the group in front of us was not in our party and I watched them tee off 36 minutes before us; we had actually gained roughly 2 holes on them. Mr. Jones walked to my cart and began rudely pecking on the GPS time indicator to show me we were 25 minutes behind. At that point, I asked for a refund for nine holes, and our 12 party group left and went to Fox Den. The Fox Den people appreciated our business and we had a great time there. I would be remiss not to point out that the rest of the Birkdale staff was very friendly to us. Before I left the course, I asked one of the guys how it was that everyone was so nice but their leader was such a horse's patute. He replied, "they get asked that question a lot". We were scheduled for lunch and an 18 hole replay so you decide who lost out on this deal. Just for the record, I later asked the last group in our party if they were being pushed and they replied "no". Irv Looney
- 6/4/10, Fox Den Country Club, Review by geoirv - Great course, and the collective staff was possibly the best I've ever encountered. After being treated very poorly at Birkdale, (see my review of Birkdale) our group of 12 were greeted very cordially by the whole Fox Den staff. From the cart refreshment lady to the General Manager everyone had a great attitude. The starters and rangers all carried smiles and they were quick to engage in friendly conversation. The lady's at the bar were sensational and the food and drink was wonderful; without being gouged on price I might add. Thank you again to the staff of Fox Den for turning around what had been a bad experience at Birkdale earlier in the day. We look forward to playing Fox Den again. Irv Looney
- 6/3/10, Skybrook Golf Club, Review by geoirv - Nice course with long par 4's and exquisite par 5's. Staff was courteous to our group of 12 golfers and we played the entire round without incident from the course rangers. I would definitely play this course again on future visits. I would advise staying away from Birkdale due to the GM there. (See my review of Birkdale) Irv Looney
- 6/2/10, Red Bridge Golf & Country Club, Review by bgtsoil - the greens on the back nine need alot of work. They need to provide a map of the holes for the many blind shots. Otherwise the course held up very well during a series of thunderstorms. The staff is fantastic!!!!
- 5/31/10, Eagle Chase Golf Club, Review by The B-Man - Eagle Chase is in real good shape, about the best you get here. Everything was real nice and I did not notice any problems. The greens were very smooth and consistent. They had good speed until a good shower hit us on the 11th hole. After that, they were obviously a little sluggish. The tees, fairways and rough were all lush. This course played just like I remembered it (I only get out here a few times a season), with one minor change on the 3rd hole par 3. The right greenside bunker -- which was always tough to keep dry and playable -- has been eliminated. So now it's just a grassy swale, an improvement in my book. This place is a great deal if you can make the trip - $39 max with the weekend voucher.
- 5/31/10, Stonebridge Golf Club, Review by JD - Stonebridge is in perfect shape. The greens crew there does an amazing job. As an example, they were spraying all of the red and yellow hazard lines yesterday, and re-raking some bunkers.
- 5/30/10, Regent Park Golf Club, Review by CU_Tigerfan - Course was in very good shape. Very enjoyable round here on Sunday. A couple of fairways were a little water logged, but other than that no complaints at all. We didn't see another group in front of us, or behind of us all day.
- 5/28/10, Carolina Lakes Golf Club, Review by Russell - First time playing this south Charlotte course. Definitely more expensive than I am used to but I was able to get a good discount with clickit golf. The club has a large clubhouse with grass tee driving range and large putting green. Friendly (although aggressively so) staff of what appeared to be retired residents of the surrounding Sun City community. I really enjoyed the layout. Strategically placed hazards made me think on every shot. A LOT of sand but it is well conditioned. Large greens were in nice shape (fix your ballmarks!) and had some significant contours. I do have to agree with the earlier review that the fairways were not up to the conditions of the rest of the course. I think that they are trying to address this since six of the fairways were closed to carts - slightly slowing down the pace of play. I thought that they were playable though.
- 5/23/10, Carolina Lakes Golf Club, Review by DrSchteeve - Nice layout, but the fairways were TERRIBLE - bare patches interspersed with tufts of grass (I'm talking 1 inch tall tufts). Way not worth the premium (most courses charging a bit less) and relatively slow play.
- 5/23/10, Charlotte National Golf Club, Review by The B-Man - The course was in fine shape and there were no issues to report. The only thing was I thought the greens were just okay, speed and smoothness wise. This probably has more to do with me not making any significant putts than the actual conditions. So take it with a grain of salt. When it's perfect here, though, the greens roll fast and true. Today, I just didn't think they did that. Maybe it was the recent rains because I also thought the fairways were shaggier than usual.
- 5/22/10, Charles T. Myers Golf Club, Review by Tom S. - Haven't played Charles T. in about 10 years, and it feels like some of the garbage from the landfill is starting to seep through. Nice easy layout though for a 6-8 per year hacker like me. Pluses: - Sparsely played in the afternoon, played my first sub-4 hour round in about 25 years. - Short, wide, and flat. The cement-like fairways provide good roll. Easy, uncomplicated greens. Minuses: - Laughable fairways and rough on most holes. - Completely unmaintained bunkers Bottom line: If you only play a handful of times per year (like me), this is a good course to knock around on. It's a course very much like the old Crystal Creek, depending on nature to perform the landscaping.
- 5/22/10, Springfield Golf Club, Review by Russell - I played in a modified scramble tournament at Springfield and the course was in pretty good shape. Everything has "greened up" pretty well and the greens were in nice condition. The only complaint would be that the greens needed to be cut - they were very shaggy. They have also moved the tees around to try to address some of the bad teeing areas - hopefully they recover quickly.
- 5/17/10, Lancaster Golf Club, Review by JD - What a gem of old-world course design. A Donald Ross "mini classic." In great shape and gets very little play on Sundays. Worth the drive.
- 5/16/10 - Msg Board Posting about Lancaster Golf Club
Lancaster Golf Club JD B-man,
You've gotta play this course and add it to your list. Front 9 is Donald Ross -- and CLASSIC -- a very good represntation of his work. The back 9 isn't as good, but complementary. In all, if you like a classic-style golf course, this one is very, very good.
It's in near-perfect shape. Only gripe is small, uneven tee boxes. A gem. Worth the 45-minute drive from South Charlotte. - 5/15/10, Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, Review by DrSchteeve - Nearly the best shape I've seen the course. Pro shop staff snooty as usual, which is usually the only issue along with pace of play. For a Saturday morning, the pace was lightning.
- 5/14/10, Charlotte Golf Links, Review by JD - Over the years, I've been hard on Charlotte Golf Links because I feel it never reaches it's potential. It's a Tom Doak course (yes, THAT Tom Doak) but it's typically overplayed and underkept. Not this morning. Near-perfect conditions with average-fast greens. Two minor gripes: uneven tee boxes and fairways were about 80% good, but a few brown/bare spots. The course is at its peak potential right now. Go play it.