Olde Sycamore: 3/14-3/15 and 8/15-8/16

I had the honor of playing with THE B Man today at Olde Sycamore. Overall the course was in good shape, fairways rolling and the greens were true throughout the round.

I played Olde Sycamore last year and will play that again. I might drive over to Pinehurst and play a few rounds there. Any reccomendations? I am looking at Hyland Hills, Tallamore, Southern Pines. I am trying to stay within a budget of $50 per course.

So here was my experience at Olde Sycamore yesterday.

Heading out to the range, about to use the token I bought for a bucket, I noticed there were quite a few balls on the range already. I pocketed the token, headed to the range, and began hitting balls. Called to pick up my partner who had just checked in, I got in my cart, having left several clubs leaning against the club rack in front of the balls I was hitting. When I returned, a course employee was on the range, buckets in hand, picking up all the balls on the range. He asked me if I “paid for those balls” to which I answered, “they were here when I came out”, at which he picks up the balls and puts them in a bucket and walks off.

I have played golf for over 20 years, on every ! course from exclusive club to downtrodden muni, and I have never seen this, and never had this type of confrontational event on a range. Usually, course employees are giving out free buckets if they happen to cross a golfer while they have some balls in hand. I have played at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, and when asked what to do with the bag of balls not used (because there were plenty of balls on the range to hit), have been told “Take them, they’re yours”.

I understand that there is an alternative view - that I was "stealing" balls by hitting balls that I hadn't paid for (even though somebody did). I just haven't seen this in over 20 years of playing golf. Not likely I'll be going back to Olde Sycamore anytime soon.

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...

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.

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.

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.

You are welcomed to join Ri Ra Irish Pub in our second annual Charity Golf Classic. This is your chance to get out and have some fun with Ri Ra while we are busy re-building you a brand new pub due to a fire back in May. We are pleased to be working with and supporting the charity the NC Fire Fighters Burned Childrens Fund. Our event is Wednesday October 21st, 2009 1 PM Shotgun start at beautiful Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation. Only $80 per/$320 a foursome with ALL proceeds to the Charity. Food, beverage (the good stuff of course!) and prizes provided all day. Please don't hesitate to register at www.rira.com (follow links to Charlotte golf site). CHEERS!

Another great round at Olde Sycamore. I don't play there nearly enough as the condition of the course was immaculate as usual, much better than any of the Carolina Trail courses. It's a terrific layout and well worth $54 (with coupon) on weekends.

Played Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation on Friday, July 31. We've gotten a good amount of rain this week and the course was a bit wet (cart path golf), but I can imagine this course will suck up all the moisture this week. The place was in great condition. It was my first time playing it and I was impressed. On "par" with Emerald Lake and Skybrook, though Skybrook has had a little wear and tear in recent weeks. Greens were a little beat up due to the moisture and resulting softness of the playing surface, but I think they'll bounce back soon. Even though this course is a bit more expensive than the other public courses in the area, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a decent challenge and good conditions.

Anybody try the 29.00 carolina trail coupons ? I was curious about the select Tee times. The price is great but don't really want to have to play in the heat of the day. The coupon say anytime but the fine print has select time.

Played Olde Sycamore on Thursday and the course was in great shape. Greens were firm and fast but rolled real nice.

Played Stonebridge on Tuesday and the fairway was a little shaggy due to the rain and not being cut but otherwise in great condition.

Anybody play springfield lately ? Looking to play next week as the rates are down and enjoyed playing there last year.

I agree with the comments about the condition of the course. Great shape right now. Greens are quick. I still would rather play Skybrook or Carolina Lakes for the price though, $69 on Friday. They charged a holiday rate. Does anybody know what holiday it was on Friday?

Just some comments on some of the courses I've played in the last couple of months.

Renaissance - completely disagree with the comments earlier. The only issue I had with this course is that it's sometimes hard to find a flat spot on the tee.

Emerald lake - completely agree with the last comment. Not going back.

Regent Park - played there Wednesday. Greens were a little fuzzy and slow but the course is in great shape.

Springfield - Always in great shape.

Cleghorn Plantation - made the drive and was dissapointed. Course is gorgeous. Great views, elevation changes, etc. Tees, fairways, bunkers all in great shape. Greens were terrible. They have something growing besides grass. It made them virtually unputtable and ruined the round.

Olde Sycamore - always in great shape.

River Oaks - greens were very good. Tee to green, not so much. Needs some work, Not worth the drive unless you're north of town.

Glen Oaks - I really liked this course. They seem to take a lot of pride in this course. Some really pretty holes and at least one where you tee off across a road. Worth the drive.

Deer Brook - I wasn't all that impressed but I was out there after some bad weather. I'll try it again before passing judgement.

Rock Barn - Played the Jones course and it was great as you might expect from a course that is a Senior Tour stop.

Charlotte Golf Links - It's horrible. Don't bother.

Moorseville Muni - You hear different things about hhis course but I liked it. A few of the tees needed a lot work but I thought the fairways and greens were very good. They seem to do a lot of 1st Tee/ Junior golf up there. There were lots of kids walking the course Mother's Day.

Have played Eagle Chase, Fox Den and The Warrior also. All were in good shape and worth going to play.

Playing Edgewater in the morning. I'll update my last comments about it.

A comment about Ballantyne Resort. They really aren't interested in attracting local golfers over there. It's all about packaging rounds with rooms and corporate outings.

Played 4/11 for the first time and pace of play was good. we used coupons off their website for a discount. wet from the t-storms on fri, but it wasn't bad. greens were a bit slower and holes were still visible from aeration... should roll better in the next few weeks. the par 3 4th green really is a monster. well, i think it depends more on pin placement. it didn't look too intimidating off the tee, but once we started putting it was nearly impossible. the pin was cut about 3 ft from the tier in the middle of the green. a few inches past the hole and you roll 20 ft down, and if you roll it a few inches short it'd roll right back down. i was lucky enough to 2 putt and get out. the layout was fun, a few dogleg rights in the beginning. fairways are greening out and bunkers were clean for the most part.

B-man,
I've been golfing, but too busy to provide course updates, so here's a bunch from the last month or so:

Fort Mill -- The improvements made here are all subtle and these have to be some of the fastest greens in Charlotte... at least at this point of the year. Great value. The course is in good shape.

Charlotte Golf Links -- The greens and bunkers are in better shape than they've been in the past. Sadly, in an effort to speed up play they've made some changes that make the course a lot easier. Specific changes include slashing the thicket areas between holes #6 and 17, to the right of #7, between holes #10 and #18, and between holes #14 and #15.

Stonebridge -- I played the same day as you, it seems! I think the course is in very good condition for this time of year. No changes to course layout there.

Ballantyne Resort -- The changes they made to a few holes seem to be designed specifically to speed up play only. Nothing of any real note. Sad to see hole #2 get changed to a much less interesting hole.

Olde Sycamore -- I'm growing tired of this course for one very nit-picky reason. The hole placement of the first par-3 (hole #4) is terribly unfair... and it screws up my entire round every time. The hole is perched atop a massive slope. If you're above the hole and you miss the putt by two inches... you wind up 20 feet away. If you're downhill and miss the putt by 4 inches... it rolls back down 20 feet. Sidehill putts are death. That's not the way golf is meant to be played. Rant over. The course is in so-so shape.


Pebble Creek (Par 3) -- Yes, I'm not above playing a little pitch-n-putt. I know it's early in the season, but this place usually has nice greens and bunkers. Not so. It's in terrible shape, even for this time of year.

Carolina Lakes (Sun City) -- Continues to be one of the nicest and well-maintained courses around. Not too tough off the tee, but the greens are sinister. They raised prices again and now it's not a good value... but it is a good course when you have some extra cash.

Played the divide this week and the greens are a mess. I don't see how these greens will get any better all year in 2009. Save your money and play somewhere else! Also played Olde Sycamore this week. Course is always in good shape and you can get good deals during M-TH. Greens were fast and rolled great for Feb. They had some evil pin placements out there on Thursday.

3 July - Played Warrior for the first time. Pretty impressive. Course was in great shape, greens, tee boxes, everything. Well worth the drive. Playing partner walked on and shot four over, the annoying b@$t@rd.

4 July - Olde Sycamore - Was in it's usual immaculate shape. Of the 30 or so public/semi-private courses I've played in this area, I think this is the nicest and also the most difficult.

5 July - Tega Cay. Second time I've played here. I think it's a very nice course but it is another one that doesn't believe in bunker maintenance. I've noticed that about several courses in the area.

12 July - Skybrook - Played here several times and it's always in great shape but it's also one of those courses that could use a little more bunker maintenance. It is on the Carolina Trail now but not part of any of the packages. Not sure what the deal is there.

13 July - Stonebridge - Nice course but it is a haul from Huntersville. Again, bunker maintenance. How hard is it to go in, turn over the bunkers and rake them smooth. I don't get it. I know, I know, if you don't hit into them you won't have that problem. Whatever.

Playing Pinetuck on the 18th and Eagle Chase on the 19th. I'll write up something about Pinetuck next week.

I agree - the greens at Rocky River couldn't be any slower. For me, it takes the enjoyment out of the round. Additionally, I think their tee boxes are in poor shape. It's a shame, b/c this course has such a great layout.

6/22 - Played at Olde Sycamore. This used to be my favorite until Carolina Lakes came around, but I still love it. It was in great shape, quick and fair greens, and a good test of golf. Sign up for their online discounts - some decent deals can be found.

* Regent Park is in better-than-average shape and the greens are rolling true. I met the new owner and he seems to be genuinely committed to providing a quality golf experience.

* Olde Sycamore is in average shape, but there are a few holes (5-6?) on the front nine that have fairways that are practically dead. Greens have been better here, but are average.

* Charlotte Golf Links is just awful. The greens are terribly inconsistent, and they're all cut high, almost like fairways. They claim to be working on the problems, but there are beetles on most greens, which suggest its only going to get worse. Are they just letting this place rot? Or are they just keeping status quo because it's always crowded?

Latest reviews:

Charlotte Golf Links -- greens were still bumpy and inconsistent as they have been for most of the year, but the fairways were in average shape. The course layout still continues to impress me...you have to think your way around the course, with a few options off most tees. If they put a bit of money into fixing the greens and making the bunkers a little more interesting (e.g. make them more Scottish), it could be one of the best in Charlotte. The potential is there.

Olde Sycamore -- worst greens they've had this year, unfortunately. But the fairways are in good shape. If you're having trouble with long irons on this course, you're in for a long day...it feels like the slope rating should be higher than posted. For the money, you'd expect a yardage book or a good GPS system on this course, rather than the dog-eared photobooks they put in the carts. But still a good course.

Played eagle chase and olde sycamore over the past four days. Eagle chase was a really good round, reasonably priced and the greens rolled great. Some very memorable and challenging holes, esp. a few of the par 3s. The fairways were not in great shape however.
Olde Sycamore is a great round of golf, though I thought the greens were on the slow side.

I played olde sycamore today, because it was so cold the greens were brutaly fast. Most holes were not very muddy despite the heavens opening up two days ago. I played a horrible round but course was in good shape.

Verdict Ridge and Olde Sycamore are fairly different in terms of setup and difficulty. Olde Sycamore is a shot-shaper style course, with the driver not needed on most holes. It has a lot of dog-legs. The greens are usually in great shape, and fairly fast. Verdict Ridge is beautiful, but one of the toughtest courses in this area. The greens are usually very nice, but can be tough to putt because of the undulations. Verdict Ridge is a great course, but it will frustrate you if you don't bring your A game. I play Olde Sycamore more because it's more convenient. Verdict Ridge is a bit of a drive, but worth it.

For those visiting Charlotte this fall, please know that this summer's conditions were very hard on local area greens - very wet and humid early and very, very dry for an extended period only now starting to come back. My opinion on those asked about in earlier posts:

Springfield - tough tough, forced carries and truly unique place - just now developing real estate on/around course. Play it now as it is one of the best premium courses in the area. I played last week and greens were so so - having just been punched and suffering a bit from the bad summer - great value durring the week and unique.

Eagle Chase - kind of a long drive, I call this a bubba course. I mean it in a nice way - more like a muni look and feel it is low end but really good layout, not in great shape - almost like a mtn course with elevation change.

Olde Sycamore - Probably best greens around right now - very playable and tough layout. typical Charlotte style course in a housing development.

Regent Park - great layout and usually great shape - i have heard greens were lost earlier this year and have stayed away but will defer to earlier posters and go back on their rec.

Waterford - in Rock Hill SC - 30 min from Charlotte. A gem, and a Hale Irwin Course very fun and some unique holes (#3 has you drive thru a "chute") Good shape

Charlotte Golf Links - scottish style layout with lots of Gorse, bunkers and elevated greens - good shape and right off 485

Stonebridge - good shape for the most part and forgiving layout

Larkhaven is a muni that is not in the same tier as above but fun/fair and cheap

Verdict Ridge is TIGHT and LOTS of houses but very nice and good shape last time I played

My top 4:

Waterford
Olde Sycamore
Springfield
Charlotte Golf Links

Played Olde Sycamore today 09.22.05. It was great. Conditions were excellent. You can find a coupon in the paper here for $35 per person or at www.golfholes.com.

Played Springfield last week 09.15.05 and the greens were in very poor condition. I've always enjoyed Springfield but would not play there again until the greens have returned.

Oh yeah, Forgot about telling you about Olde sycamore!! Not as nice as Tega Cay, But had a very nice time there. Greens were in excelent shape. Fairways were not overseeded. I really don't care for playing with dormant fairways, It's so hard to see.