- "Great course"
 Olde Sycamore is now one of the more dependable public courses for conditions and rates. It is a fun layout where you don't need driver off the tee very often and I've played it for over 2 decades. So it feels like an old friend when I get back here to play.
The greens had their last top dressing of sand for the season before we played, but that did not slow them down. They were running at least 10 on the stimp. I think the light sand actually kept a few of our balls from rolling off the green. I was happy with the speed.
Still lots of hard bounces on the greens. They are still only about a year old. You need to keep that in mind when playing your approaches and chip shots.
There are a few areas marked as Ground Under Repair around the cart paths (Hole No. 3 in particular) and some brush being cleared on a few holes. These mostly don't affect play and should be in better shape by next season.
The staff is great and the $56 rate for a weekday afternoon was reasonable. I will be back again soon. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 They recently replaced their greens and they roll like it. A fair amount of tiered greens. They rolled fast as new Bermuda does. They're also new, so they're still quite firm and will be for a little while. I'd consider it a plus since they roll predictably and true. Though, you need to have good speed control. I did not for most of the day. I forgot they had just replaced them during the summer otherwise I would have made EXTRA sure to remember that. :)
The course itself is very scenic, was well kept and showed that the grounds/greens keepers are doing their jobs well. It's a reasonably challenging course from the back. I felt the front 9 was fairly straight forward.
#10 is definitely narrow and requires a well placed drive. #14 gives you an option to avoid hitting directly over the water on the forward tees, but if you're playing White or Gold, you're going directly over the water most of the way. To play the green reliably on #17 you'll want to be past the sand on the left. Do that and the 2nd shot becomes reachable. Though, if you want a closer shot, there's plenty of room for a layup down the fairway.
#18 is most difficult at approach with the water protecting the front of the green. Sadly, I was hitting into the sun and it threw me off and I hooked it a bit... Into the water. Oops. :)
Anyway, I was happy with the course and will play it again. Definitely was one of the better stops recently. Online Tee Times are bookable now, too. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The last time I played this course was in March 2016, and a lot has changed in that time, some with the course and a lot with me and my skills.
The primary course change was the inclusion of a Silver set of tees that should be (but isn't) advertised on the course’s website, as well as updated on this website. The scorecard specifics: 2575 yards (Front) and 2513 yards (Back) = 5088 total; 65.9/116 Rating/Slope. It seemed to play well as a
“Senior Tee”.
Playing conditions for a 9 AM tee time were moderately good: Recent rainstorms meant “cart path only”, and there was standing water in one, or two bunkers. As further testament to the impact of the storms, the driving range was closed. The fairways and greens were in good condition in spite of the storms. There was a heavy dew on the grass such that ground balls spewed up sizeable rooster tails, and as the sun rose, that dew contributed to almost oppressive humidity. Thank goodness, I was only playing nine holes while filling out a foursome.
My only criticism of the course is the lack of GPS in the carts and/or printed yardage diagrams (I’ll admit, I did NOT check whether a yardage book is available). On-course signage is behind the times also, because the Silver tees aren’t included on the posts. I was surprised by how much I remembered about individual holes, and was able to make necessary adjustments in spite of the lack of information and age-associated loss of distance such that I scored about as well as I had 10 years before.
Overall, I would continue to recommend Olde Sycamore to any local golfer. Read The Review
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- "Never going back"
 We played during the 9:00 a.m. hour. The woman handling check-ins was very pleasant, welcoming, and informative. She was giving $8 discounts because the “greens were just cut”—which, as it turned out, was appreciated but didn’t come close to making up for the course conditions.
The warm-up area is disappointing. Separate from the TopTracer facility, it’s extremely small and realistically accommodates only about 4–6 golfers at a time.
The fairways were average at best, with several bare dirt areas throughout the course. The greens, however, were by far the biggest disappointment. They had deep grooves from recent mowing or maintenance, and sand was spread so heavily that several greens looked like concrete from the fairways. Putting conditions were terrible.
The grounds crew also seemed in no hurry to clear the way for golfers, forcing us to wait on multiple occasions.
Overall, this was the poorest-conditioned golf course I’ve played in the Charlotte area. I’m glad I gave it a try because I won’t be going back. Read The Review
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- "Average"
 I haven’t played here in a while. I think the price is steep for the conditions. I was a little disappointed in the front nine. There were multiple greens in poor condition, including three that were under repair. The back nine was in better shape. The guys in the club house were cool, the cart girl handed out some free ice pops which was clutch. I would play again. Read The Review
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- "Average"
This course typically has great maintenance with really good greens but they are letting them die to resurface....wish I would have known before driving 65 mins. Greens were crusty, mostly dead and extremely hard with most shots running over the back of the green. Other areas like fairways needed mown. Definitely the worst condition I ever seen for this track. Course will reopen in August after new greens come in. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 First time playing. Good test from the tips, better have tunnel vision on drives. Be mindful of runout in fairway to water on several holes #1, #5, #17. #5 is the hardest hole on the course...dogleg right with the lake on the right and trees then creek through the fairway. Greens were good speed with a few patchy areas. Needs some work in several areas. Area around practice green looked horrible in some spots but don't let that dissuade you from playing. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Had never played here before. There are major renovations on 10 and 18, with 2 temporary greens that are about 10 feet wide and long grass. Almost not worth playing these holes. The fairways and tee boxes throughout need some work. The fairways are pretty firm dirt with grass sitting on top, which leads to consistent tight lies. Needs to be sliced and overseeded. Won’t be playing here again for $80. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Staff both friendly AND helpful...starter chased us down in the parking lot to see if we wanted to tee off early (we did!). Greens in good shape, but slow. Need to come up with a way to taser folks that don't rake the traps! Since Troon took over management of the course a couple of years ago they've made significant changes to the facility. They taken out a lot of trees, reshaped some bunkers (to make it easier to rake with the tractor I guess), redid the cart paths, painted inside and out. Not sure how upcoming greenway will integrate with the course and the golfers. Probably the course I play most often given generally good conditions, low cost, convenient and the folks are always nice. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Tega Cay is one of my favorite courses to play in the Charlotte area due to the unique layout and shot variety required. Since I had last played at TC in February, the greens on holes 10 and 18, two of the signature approaches/greens on the course, are both under construction. Temporary greens are being used here. The temporary greens are small, uneven and largely ruin the experience on holes 10 and 18. The course does not make these renovations known online so please be aware before playing the back 9 (grandview course). The Front 9 (Carolina Pines) was unaffected by renovations. I will definitely return in the future, but I may give the course some time to complete renovation work. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I played Warrior Golf club for the first time last Friday morning. The golf course was in great condition - the greens were particularly pure. The front 9 winds through a neighborhood but large trees and setbacks create a nice buffer. #7 was the standout hole on the front for me. A shorter par 4 with multiple forced carries and well-placed bunkers. The back 9 was some of the prettiest golf in the Charlotte-area. Holes 13-18 wind around Lake Wright, providing some beautiful backdrops. Challenging pin placements, well-placed hazards, and quick greens (due to the recent drought) made this course more challenging than most for me in the Charlotte area. The course conditions and views make this course worth returning to Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This was my first visit to Olde Sycamore since the Summer 2025 greens renovation. I've played this course 5-10 times previously. This spring was the best shape I've seen the course in the past few years. The greens were smooth and consistent. The bunkers were soft and in good condition. A few of the tee boxes, specifically those where most people are not hitting driver off the tee (#2, 4, etc.) were worn, but most of the par 3 tee boxes were in good shape. I play most of my golf on Friday and Saturday evenings. I was able to walk on as a single and play a fairly quick round for $60 - in the Charlotte area, it's tough to beat that. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 After my negative review from January, I owe it to the course to post an update. I played Charles T. Myers on 4-16-2026 based on a recommendation from a friend who played there the week before. I am glad to report that the Poa Anna infestation is gone. The greens were rolling good. They are much better than they were in January, but many greens still have bad patches from the damage done in a previous year when they were allowed to cook in 90+ degrees temperatures without being watered. No holes were set in the bad areas. When you consider the cost, CT Myers GC is a decent value for the money. The layout is golfer-friendly and the overall condition of the course is good. The bunkers have been rebuilt in the past 2 years and are better than many courses costing much more to ply. The fairways are in decent shape for this time of year. The tee boxes are okay. The staff is as friendly and helpful as you will find anywhere. Don't expect greatness from this course, but it's fun to play, and a good value. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I've always enjoyed this course, but the conditions are not great right now. Greens are very firm (too firm) and full of poa annua, so while the speed is ok, they're very bumpy. Fairways are dry and hard and not much rough - goes from fairway to dirt on most holes. Not terrible, but far from the best around. I'll give it another chance later in the year. Read The Review
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- "Average"
 Since Rock Bark County Club jacked up their rates again, I ventured back to ROaks for a round. They continually work to improve the place, probably more-so than any course within 100 miles.
Good course conditions however the greens here are still fairly hard (as in firm). Disappointed & confused as to them spending money to redo hole #1 to relocate & build a new Green and not do a better job building it. Way too much slope on the entire surface and zero relief areas. You can miss the green by 2 feet and end-up either in the small pond 30ft away, or down the cart path to the right 40ft from where you landed. With an 8 iron I missed the mowed portion of this green by 2’ right, yet the ball ended-up 40 ft away down near the bridge via the path. The green on Hole #6 has this same issue as does the front portion of #9 green.
Overall its a fairly easy golf course due to the lack of trees and wide open fairways, especially the back nine. You can miss a fairway by 60-70 yards and still unobstructed shots to the green, most folks will shot lower scores due to this.
Another slight issue for me are the Range Balls. Just purchase some Standard Range Balls! Customers will steal far fewer of them vs the current practice of using the varying MIX of balls they find on the course. Plus the blue paint they mark these balls with transfers to your clubface. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Shot one of my best rounds in a year in TheGrint Tour Spring Fling event to win another trophy. The course was in excellent shape as it has almost greened up completely.
The greens were quick but not quite as fast as they typically get in mid-season. These putting surfaces are very sloped so my best advice is try to stay below the hole. The course winds through tall trees with a few ponds mixed in but the distinctive features are the elevation changes. Downhill tee shots and uphill approach shots are typical throughout this par 71 layout (only three par 5's).
One change I noticed since my last round here is the clearing of trees between the 9th and 18th fairways and also between the 18th fairway and 17th tee. The clearing was most noticeable and impactful on the tee shot at No. 9. It definitely improved the visuals as you play your approaches into 9 and 18 (which share a large double green). So I like it.
The difficulty of this course is mostly tied to the challenging approach shots into some severely sloped greens and can vary day to day based on pin positions. We had a few pins in this round that were very difficult (e.g. front pin on No. 6, back pin on No. 14 to name a couple).
Overall, this is one of the best bang-for-your-buck courses within an hour of Charlotte and is kept in great shape year-round. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Greens are in excellent shape - very full and smooth and speed is decent. Fairways are great for being dormant, and most tees are in very good shape and bunkers were excellent. Fun layout with a wide variety of holes.
Great customer service in the pro shop and snack bar. We played in 4 hours on a busy day.
Would highly recommend Waterford. Very good experience. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
If you are serious about golf, you won't like this course. The greens are infested with Poa Annua. The Bermuda is dormant so the clusters of Poa make for very bumpy, unreliable putting. The rest of the course is in decent condition for this time of year. I played CT Myers in early November and the Poa wasn't as bad as now, meaning that nothing has been done. I don't see how those responsible for maintaining the greens could ignore this problem. Even with the reasonable muni-course green fees it's still a waste of money. I can overlook a lot of shortcomings, but unplayable greens are unacceptable. I'll stay away from CT Myers until the greens are decent. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Most greens have 10-20% damage from what appears to have been fungus. Greens crew has added sand to the bare spots to try to keep things playable, but they're a challenge. Fairways are good, tees are average and rough is dormant but fairly full. The crew has done a good job removing leaves and significant work was taking place on the course to remove and thin out small trees and scrub brush.
It appears they're working hard to improve course conditions and I haven't played the course in about 18 mos, so I'm not sure if it's significantly better than some of the negative reviews posted in the past 6-9 mos.
Very good customer service from the pro shop, starter and snack bar. Really like the layout here and it's a fun course to play, so I'm pulling for them to keep up the improvements. But - greens are the most important part of the experience when playing a new course and those need to be better. Read The Review
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- "Average"
 For as much as people gas up this course, there were a lot of issues. First off, zero points deducted for renovations happening at the clubhouse. You cannot fault them for improving there.
One can, however, fault them for taking their eye off the ball of the course to make a new clubhouse happen. 1/2 of the tee boxes were desert landscapes. Golfers who swing out of their shoes will fall victim to gravity as they slide around the tee box. There were multiple holes, better than half, that had major erosion issues. Bare roots, bare spots, and muddy ruts plagued, especially on the back nine. Last critique, the waste land areas are full of clay and rocks.
The greens are in great shape, they roll true as can be. They are in great shape this winter. The staff is very kind. I just expected more based on the way local golfers sing about its superiority. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 It was my first time playing Eagle Chase. I had NYD off, so I could dedicate time to drive from Huntersville. They didn't charge a holiday rate, just a regular weekday rate. This is now my second favorite track in the area and I cannot wait to come back and play. Some tee boxes were rough. The greens were impeccable. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
After checking out the renovations at Highland Creek, I had to do the same at Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation. This is another course that I played frequently in my early days of public golf around Charlotte, going back 25 years. I came to love the layout and would continue to come back several times a year.
OS was one of the last holdouts with Bentgrass greens and the summer of 2024 was one of its worst for course conditions. So, I was extremely excited to hear of the plans for renovation this year. They just reopened with new Bermuda greens two months ago.
My first impression: they are excellent! Especially considering how young they are, the new greens were quick and rolled true. Of course, you’ll want to aim for the front of the greens, as they will be difficult to hold until they grow in for a season.
There are several other related changes that the greens renovation brought with it. Namely, trees cleared around several greens to provide more direct sunlight for the Bermuda grass. This was most evident around nos. 13 and 18. This really opens up the area around the green for misses that stay in play.
The layout is still very unique, with about half of the par 4’s and 5’s featuring a dogleg that can take driver out of your hands — which can be good news or bad news depending on your game. The course is well-bunkered, so have your sand game polished and ready. The course features a giant double green for holes no. 6 and no. 8. The front 9 closes with a long, tough par 4 and the back 9 closes with a reachable par 5. Lots of variety and tons of scoring opportunities if you can hit your targets on the dogleg holes and get close to the par 5’s in two shots.
I am ecstatic to see the renovations here that will guarantee good playing conditions on the putting surfaces year-round. Can’t wait to get back in the Spring and see this course really shine again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 My first crack at the new greens! I have played this course going back to my early golf career in the 2000’s when I started this website. So this track feels like an old friend. I was excited to check out the renovations after years of poor conditions during Charlotte’s hot summers. The new Ultra-Dwarf Bermuda grass should do much better in the typical Carolina heat and humidity.
The greens were in good shape when we played. Not super fast but pretty true for being so young. They are hard to hold, especially with lower trajectories and longer clubs. So it’s best to aim for the front 3rd every time.
The entire course has been over seeded to stay green during the winter. So fairways and many of the tees were lush. They haven’t done all of the tee boxes yet, however. About half of the holes, the newly seeded tee boxes were closed while they grow in. Until they open them, your tee box mileage will vary.
They also seeded the greens with annual bluegrass (poa annua). The week I played, they were having a tough time keeping up with the mowing because it was taking so well. That caused a bit slower speed and maybe a few bumps, but overall I putted well, making several 6-8 footers that rolled true. So I had no complaints.
The course layout and green complexes have not significantly changed. This is still a difficult course with several tee shots demanding pinpoint accuracy — in particular, nos. 7, 9, 12, 15, and 16. The namesake creek comes into play on over half of the holes. There is also a lot of O.B. as the course winds through the Highland Creek neighborhood.
You get (risk-)rewarded at the very end of the round with a short, reachable par 5. This has always been one of my favorite closing holes in Charlotte public golf. An aggressive tee shot with the driver should get you within 200 yards of the green for your approach. Of course, the entire right side of the hole and most of the green is guarded by a large pond. Go for it, I say!
Overall, I was impressed with the speedy and successful installation of the new Bermuda greens and very happy to know that Highland Creek can go back in my rotation. After your round, stay for food and beer at the HC Taproom and enjoy the views of the 18th hole. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Fairways/Rough are starting to go dormant, Greens were a little shaggy and too many golfers are not repairing their ball marks on the green. They are increasing the size of the greens so they have the outer bands under minor construction. Does not have a major impact for putting. Staff is always great and the new clubhouse is amazing. Beautiful 18 hole putting green, similar to Thistle Du down in Pinehurst. This course is always on my regular rotation. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Upgrades have taken place. Still a lot of improvements to be made. The ruff is rough! Lost a lot of balls due to high grass. Greens are mixed of slow and fast. A lot of patchwork around greens and fairways. Staffing seems to be an issue as well with Carts stacked up to be cleaned, rangers not doing much managing pace either. Waited 27 minutes for a foursome to play one freaking hole. Touch riff-raff to deal with here. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Played 9 holes. Play here in a league most Thursdays and conditions are always great. Greens were recently aerated and roll great. This is one of the best courses in the area, staff is amazing, course is consistently in great shape. Only concern is people not fixing ball marks Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Gone to Pot! Have always enjoyed Glen Oaks over the decades, however its now in the worst condition in my memory! A friend of mine who is a member has recently told me it was horrible, but I had to see it for myself! He also says the course is up For Sale. Bare dirt areas in many fairway, with greens having issues as well! Sad to see this! I guess they have been too focused on the huge Dog Fight Groups several days per week. They might need to refocus and hire a better Maintenance Manager. Hopefully at some point GOaks will return to its prior enjoyable conditions! Read The Review
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- "Never going back"
I wish I could add pictures you wouldn't have to read this. This course is not worth any of your hard earned money. Go literally anywhere else. Staff saying stressed from heat/rain and they are improving is just being dishonest. You are starting at worst greens in Charlotte there's nothing to do but improve. Tee boxes are poor, rough overgrown and where it was cut large clumps of grass piled everywhere. $80...shame on you Divide. Your course conditions are nowhere close to delivering value. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
I know people use this site to get condition updates, so I thought I would give a little feedback on The Divide. My group was pretty excited to get out there because the weather was absolutely perfect. I'll start by saying that the staff were extremely friendly and upbeat and I always appreciate a smile and a great attitude. Kudos for that...but that's where it ends. I paid what a thought was a fairly steep greens fee and the instant the CC machine beeped "paid," the pro THEN decided to fill me in. He said that there was some fungi on some of the greens that they were treating and because of that, they couldn't cut them. That's like paying a prostitute in full and THEN she decides to tell you she has numerous STDs. It changes your decision. Had I known, I would have waited to play this course on another day. Waiting until after I pay to tell me is a shitty move. The greens? Yeah...they were terrible. They were worse than the tee boxes, which were VERY bad. The greens had entire sections that were cut out. Try to picture a living room that had been re-carpeted by a few ten-year olds. Entire pieces missing. Terrible seam jobs. Sections of disease that had been missed. It was a mess. I never want to have to pick up my ball and move it just so that I am not putting over what can only be described as the surface of the moon. On top of that, they were horrendously slow. Like putting across the shag carpeting in a 70s porn film. We were SLAMMING 12-foot putts and coming up short. Stimp of 10? Try 1.5. It was a joke.
Hey Divide: Do a better job at being honest. My initial response may have been to return in a few weeks. But instead, I will quote my playing partner: "I'm NEVER coming back to this $%&#ing place again."
I know you need the money, but in the long run, you are forever alienating clients. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Course in good shape for this time of year, greens were consistent and rolled at a decent speed, bunkers we're Ok as well. Course has been maintained throughout the summer, back tees on 10 are closed due to shaded area and tree root problems and Bermuda just won't grow there. Tee'd off on the lower-level tees which is not a big deal. Nice full bar and grill in the lower level of the clubhouse. Got a great double-Bloody Mary at the turn from their friendly bar staff/$17.00 but she was nice enough to make my drink in my XL Styrofoam Polar Pop cup from CIrcle K, that lasted the entire back 9 until I popped open a 16oz Miller Lite to finish off my round. Go check it out, definitely worth the price and conditions and staff considering other courses I have played. Will go back soon. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 First time, drove up from S CLT, 70 minutes. Clubhouse, staff, check-in were all fine-those things aren't something I ever care much about & laugh when I read people have issues. The course was played with high expectations, great weather-a Ferris Bueller Day, until....!
Teed off on 10-mildly upsetting, my watch (distance) died on 13th hole, partner and friend was crabby-all contributing to a BAD day.
The fairways were nice but the first cut bermuda was US Open high! Stepped on more 'lost balls' than I've ever seen-2' off the fairways! Greens undulations were nice but also kept high (heat?) & slower. On the turn-someone jumped in(?) front of us and it slowed play
Layout 7/10, condition 7/10, carts had GPS but were slow 5/10, cost 9/10. I know the owners are former NASCAR guys yet the carts were stupid slow.
Overall-got what I paid for but wouldn't make that drive again. Read The Review
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- "Average"
 A follow-up review to the Jackson Course at Rock Barn.
Have been playing here weekly this summer, and the more I visit the more issues & concerns I have noted! Not sure whats going on staff wise however The Jackson Course looks like its been abandoned in August! 16” grass runners growing in the sand traps, numerous greens have significant issues. Yes, I realize that Bent Grass can struggle in summer heat, and I am a huge fan of Bent, however when you see that a couple of the greenside ventilation fans are pointing skyward and not toward the green this shows a lack of concern. I also witnessed the young maintenance kid responsible for midday hosing of the greens doing a half-a** job. When he is moving from green to green at the same speed as me playing, there is no way he’s doing this job properly! He was more interested in his phone than his function. The Tee Boxes on Hole 7 are probably the worst tee boxes I have encountered in years at ANY course! I mean horrible, as is the consitions of muchnofvthis entire hole. In early August a strom afternoon thunderstorm had blown thru, it was 2 weeks before they even brought out the fairway blowers to remove leaves & stick debris!
I’m beginning to see why there is VERY little play here on weekdays. I mean very little! This is NOT a $70 course!!! When Verdict Ridge is $12 less its a no brainer decision where to play! Extremely disappointed, and probably not going back for a while. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Have played here for many many years now, however not within the past couple of years (it & the entire area became overly crowded). Due to the Heat running folks off, we ventured back for a round this week. VR has definitely made a few changes with the arrival of the Newest Pro. They finally made Ice easily available, improved the D. Range Tee Area along with adding a small catch fence to its back section. Converted to Electric Carts as well!
As for the Course itself, First the Good; VR has as nice a Fairway Grass as you’ll find, and as always most of the holes are attractive and offer varying types of shots & sidehill lies.
As for the negatives; to me its confusing as to why a nice high-end course allows many areas of the course to resemble a $25 goat Tract course! Hole 14 being one example. Numerous holes at VR border or cross creeks & wetland areas, however the last portion of this hole need major clean-up. It was actually far worst than in prior years along the banks of the parallel creeks that cross the fairway. A real eyesore. The later half of #18 could benefit as well from some border clean-up as well. Second, as with most Bermuda greens in mid summer constant maintenance leaves them less than ideal, but may courses reduce the rates for a couple weeks as they recover. VR’s were, well, not great. Several times I left the putter the bag then picked-up my ball. They were a bit strange for a Bermuda strain, unusually soft under your feet. I’m certain however this green maintenance will yield rewards this fall.
VR is for certain a first class operation and the aforementioned improvements have elevated this. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
First time playing CT Myers in probably 20 years. Pretty sure I said 20 years ago I’d never come back here. And it’ll probably be another 20 years until I play it again. Especially for 60 bucks. Robbery. That’s a $30 golf course. Period. Until they make significant improvements, $60 is just messed up. If it would have cost $30, like it should have, I wouldn’t have even written this review. Because it’s a muni…and muni’s in this kind of condition cost 30 bucks to play. I’m not sure when this changed but it’s just not right. Maybe some people don’t know what a $60/round course looks like so they just pay it? And it’s not like $60 is some huge amount of money, but that’s beside the point. It’s just not a good value. Charlotte National costs the same to play and is at the very least, 10x better.
The greens were just bad. And some were terrible. Crabgrass infested with extremely uneven coverage. Saying they’re bumpy is a disservice to the word bumpy. Think Plinko.
Fortunately I was only in one bunker. They were looking pretty suspect but they did seem to have sand in them. So there’s that.
The fairways were alright with the exception of 1 of the par 5’s on the front 9. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t even a fairway on this hole.
They did do a hell of a job keeping the coolers filled with cold water. Kudos for sure. It was like 99° and I definitely would have died without it. So thank you so much for that!
Just make it a $30-$40 course and everything is fine. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Really good course...everything is in great shape. Was in bunkers throughout the day and all had good sand volume and in great shape for a fair shot at playing out. Greens are very very good...some pitchmarks that were left unrepaired, but not too bad and not the courses fault. All in all I really like everything about it except the drive from Charlotte. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
After a 18 month absence I finally returned to RO. Lots of stuff has improved; paved parking, better carts, cleaner Restroom. Course conditions were good however the greens were sandy and very firm. Nice course conditions, with a few changes, however the flow, appearance and feel of the course is still weird. Can’t believe they didn’t improve green #9 during the recent redo. Accurate approach shots can still run back 10-12 ft, then off the green toward the creek, due to steep slope and during winter will end-up 25yrs away in the creek. The New green on hole #2 also has this same issue. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 This is not really a review of the course, rather it is one man’s review and opinion of the new, Top Tracer facility on the driving range at Skybrook Golf Club.
Disclaimer: I have not played golf for over two years due to arthritic fingers that would not adequately grip the clubs. I recently put fatter grips on the clubs, and headed to the range to see if, and how well, I could swing with them in place. I was looking forward to the Top Tracer technology to provide some objective, quantitative measure(s) of my performance. The good news is that I can hit the ball reasonably straight on a consistent basis without any signs of a blister occurring on my fingers. The bad news is that my “distance” has decreased significantly, presumably due to the effects associated with becoming an octogenarian, but that is beyond my control.
Now to the Top Tracer review. The facility just opened to the public in the past month, and the “newness” is impressive. There are 15 bays available, all completely covered. Amenities include a unisex restroom, cold water fountains, seating, clubhouse lunch counter phone in ordering, and a cart girl on duty, the latter being especially welcomed on the Heat Index 105 degree day that I elected to visit at 1:30 in the afternoon. There are several ball/basket options available, ranging from 30 to 140 balls, $11 to $41 respectively, and credit card, or other electronic payment methods, accepted. Word of advice: be sure to put the basket in place BEFORE completing the payment operation!
There is a bit of a learning curve for using the technology, most particularly if you are interested in personalizing the data and having it downloaded for review away from the course. One needs the TOPTRACER Range app, and to become familiar with it before heading to the range. The real time display on the monitor is sufficient for purposes of general performance assessment, but the amount of data quickly becomes a little overwhelming. I had hoped to compare Top Tracer data to that from my 3BAYS GSA swing motion analyzer, but a technological problem with the latter prevented me from doing so. I am not a fan of turf pads for driving ranges, because I believe such affect both swing mechanics and ball flight motion, but that can’t be helped given these circumstances. Another issue (shared and voiced by a fellow golfer on the range) is the quality of the range balls (especially over time, and extended usage) and effects on distance and ball flight curvature. So, I do not know how accurate the data from my outing may be, but it compared reasonably well with my real time visual assessments, and I believe that the average, casual user could benefit from this new addition to the driving range at Skybrook. If nothing else, it provides an objective measure of consistency.
On another note, the grass practice tee area is restricted to members only, but that’s no big deal. However, the practice bunker and two greens were in poor shape. The condition of the bunker was reminiscent of several years ago when even the on-course bunkers were terrible. The current condition certainly doesn’t afford any opportunity for good bunker practice. I hope that this is a temporary issue, and not due to inattention and lack of maintenance caused by concentrating on the new Top Tracer facility. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Still one of the best conditioned courses in the area. A lot of folks mention Verdict Ridge as being a top course, imho its not even close. Way nicer facilities at Rock Barn, better course condition & course facilities. Rock Barn also has a better practice area and uses new Titleist Balls on the Range. Carts are slightly nicer here as well. Plus they have 2 Courses here.
Love the Bent Grass Greens at Rock Barn and they roll better than any course I have played this year. Crying shame some other area courses converted away from Bent.
The ONLY thing at RB that I found puzzling was the condition of Hole #7 on Jackson Course. Tee boxes were bad and surrounded by 2-3ft tall weeds and brush than hasn’t been maintained in what appeared to be 8 months or more. The first 100 yards of Hole 7 was the same way. Looks like crap! Lots of erosion along the cart part here as well. Hard to believe this is allowed to happen at such a high-end Club Course. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
It's been just about a year since I played this course the first time.
It was better the second time around.
Like most courses with blind shots and acute dog leg holes, the second time around brings familiarity.
I was joined by 11 others and we got there early to hit some balls on their range and the really large putting practice area.
Since the BMan bumped this course in the 'top ten' rankings for 2025, our group was very interested to check it out and determine why it's now #2.
First the greens were just outstanding! Running fast, true and a making the experience so much more enjoyable.
The views on this course are simply unmatched by any other courses in the area.
Designed around beautiful Lake Wright, it makes for some great vistas!
The grass in the fairway was a nice relief from 'picking' the ball off the fairway in many other area courses.
It's country golf in a rural setting and it's been 'discovered' so even playing during the week it was busy but we had experienced golfers in front of us so the pace of play was right at 4.5 hours.
You will be challenged by water on many holes, there are ponds and criss crossing creeks but it's not excessive.
Very reachable Par 3's which are always fun for scoring.
You'll really like #18, a blind shot up a hill and those that can drive it in the fairway, 250 yards or so will find themselves with an inviting wedge shot into the green but DON'T be long or you are over a CLIFF! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played in The Grint Tour event. Overall, the course was in fine shape, particularly sine the prior evening saw a 2" rainfall in less than an hour. Love the layout, as it requires all of your shots, and the greens were in great shape, fast and true, yet accepted well hit irons as expected. One of the better courses in Charlotte for public play! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The Divide has come a long way since Covid. New cart paths and carts, greens continue to improve (need to get faster), and the work that will be done on the tee boxes and traps will only make it better. They have become a destination for some with the Top Tracer range and outdoor bar with live music. It is one of my go to courses as the rates are better than many of equivalent or even sub-par courses. The 18th hole is one of my favorites in the Charlotte area. Keep up the good work! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 One of the more difficult courses in the area. A good round here may be a great round elsewhere. The Springs courses are run very well and all are in good to great shape, with Springfield being the crown jewel, in my humble opinion. Springfield requires many shots, driver isn't always the best option. The greens are fast and true and the overall experience of playing Springfield is very satisfying. It is tough to get on if not a member or playing with a member. For a public course, may have the best membership program with a multi-year wait list. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Played Olde Beau twice last weekend in my first visit to this mountain resort course in Roaring Gap, NC. What a treat! The views and the challenges of this layout were both breathtaking. This is a true mountain course with dramatic elevation challenges from tee to green.
Several holes have blind tee shots and approaches. So it helps to drive up and preview the hole before hitting. The course also provides a guidebook with tips and of course if you use a GPS app like TheGrint you can get layup yardages and distances to hazards. I will caution you to take the elevation changes into account when you are calculating your distances even for layups. The downhill slopes can run your ball into trouble.
The Bentgrass greens were in good shape but not overly fast, which made the slopes manageable. Tees, fairways and bunkers were all well-maintained - with the except of the No. 13 tee. These tees are so heavily shaded it is difficult to keep grass on them - similar to the problems that Warrior Golf Club had with No. 7 before cutting down trees.
All of the par 5’s are reachable in two and the course is very scoreable once you know how to navigate the blind shots and severe slopes. No. 2 is probably my favorite of the par 5’s with a good tee shot giving you a tempting risk-reward decision for your 2nd shot, which will be either a 150-175 yard shot over a pond or a skinny layup up the fairway to get past a cluster of trees.
No. 17 is the trickiest of the par 5’s with a blind landing area off the tee that is severely sloped down and to the left. It’s easy to hit it too far and get into trouble. The second shot is the most dramatic drop on the course to a green protected by a small pond.
The par 4 15th green features one of the most beautiful views in the Carolinas. Take your time and enjoy the scenery. You’ll also want to pay your respects to the club’s namesake. The owner’s dog Beau is buried behind the green and memorialized with a plaque.
The 9th and 18th holes are two of the toughest in this layout with both requiring accurate tee shots and steeply uphill, blind approach shots.
The club is located in Roaring Gap, about 2 hours from Charlotte but fairly convenient to I-77. There are dozens of cozy villas right on the course that make for a nice stay-and-play trip.
I highly recommend making the drive and playing this gem. It’s a thrilling round of golf with some majestic mountain views. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
My home course for several seasons about 12 years ago, Emerald Lake is a course I love to come back and play when it’s in good shape. And I’m happy to report that it is indeed in very good shape. The greens are rolling good with no issues to report as the summer kicks off this month.
Several greens have significant slopes that play difficult when the greens are smooth and quick as they are now - in particular, holes No. 2, No. 5, No. 9, and No. 18. The front nine closing par 4 is one of the most difficult in all of Charlotte public golf. After a layup tee shot to stay short of the creek, you’re left with a 150-175 yard approach shot that plays 1-2 clubs uphill to that severely sloped back to front green. Good luck!
The signature par 5 14th is a gem, requiring two shots over the namesake lake and giving risk-takers a chance to make eagle. No. 18 runs along the lake with the green protected by it on the left and long. While it tempts you to go for it in two shots, the 18th green is severely sloped right to left towards the water. So be careful!
Emerald Lake uses dynamic pricing for online tee times and the rates can get high during peak weekend mornings. So book early and be flexible with your starting time to get the best deal.
The clubhouse has a large banquet room for hosting weddings and events. The bar opens out onto a scenic patio where you have a nice view of the 14th tee and 18th green.
If you enjoy this course layout like I do, now’s the time to go play it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 You'll be hard pressed to find a better all around golf experience in the great state of NC.
My second time since Sep of 2024, this time with a 3 others who've never played it.
Like any other course, you'll experience some challenges your first time around and after that, you will play some holes completely different.
This is rural Carolina golf in Randolph County and it feels like it.
The word is of all the Stranz courses, this was his favorite and it's easy to see why. It's so plush and green, the natural landscape is scattered with boulders that are designed to create exceptional views.
I especially like there are 5, yes FIVE Par 3's, all reasonably short and accessible. The Waterfall hole #15 is a work of golf art, just spectacular.
It was a great experience from the beginning. Ron, the starter and cart attendant helped us with our bags and was very friendly and professional. Jack & Keith in the clubhouse got us checked in quickly and directed us back to Ron to give us the low down on current course conditions, pace of play, cart operation etc. They are EV's with GPS included.
When Ron told us about the 'out of bounds' play guidelines and recommended we not go in the woods and mentioned rattlesnakes and copperheads, that got our attention.
It's an easy rural drive of about 1.5 hours from Charlotte and you'll be rewarded with a memorable golf experience. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
My 4th time playing here.
I played in October of 2024 and not too many changes since then.
It's still a fun and challenging course.
In the Uwharrie Mountains, it sits at about 800 feet of elevation
This creates some dramatic elevation changes with elevated tee boxes and greens.
Our foursome played on Memorial Day Monday so it was very busy and resulted in a slow pace of play at 5 1/2 hours.
It was overcast and we got a little rain but we brought our rain gear so we managed to get through 18 holes.
Since this was my fourth time playing in 4 years, I had some course knowledge
which made a big difference, especially on #11, 452 yard par 5. It’s a blind shot until you’re about 200 yards out and then you can see the edge of the pond that juts out from left to right. You have a decision to make. Go over the water or play to the right & avoid the pond on your left and have 200 yards of open fairway to the pin. It’s a large green so a well placed shot will give you a great birdie opportunity.
Number 15 is the #1 handicap hole, it's a 375 yard Par 4. The entire right side of the fairway slopes from right to left. There is very little flat fairway here so you are challenged to make an accurate shot off the tee. Too far left and you are on the lowest part of the fairway with no view of the elevated green from about 120 yards in. It's a smallish undulating green. This hole will challenge every aspect of your game.
They have a very nice driving range and practice putting area with a dedicated chipping green.
Best to play here in the fall when you get some excellent leaf color and cooler temperatures.
I would play here more often but it’s a 40+ mile trek through Charlotte traffic but it’s worth it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Impressed with the condition and speed of the greens. They were in very good shape. The Bentgrass was cut short so they were quick and I didn't see any issues. With the greens this smooth and fast, several holes had very difficult pins -- back left on 5, back right on 9, front left on 18.
Tees and fairways were good as well. A few bunkers had standing water (fairway bunker on 5) or dried mud but the maintenance crews were working on them while we played.
The club has done a comprehensive tree clearing affecting many holes but especially Nos. 15 and 17. This was done to give several greens more sun and better airflow. They've also cut down one of the trees guarding the dogleg on No. 4 and between holes 7 and 8. All of these changes make those holes easier and more open, in my opinion.
The course plays as a par 71 with only 3 par 5's. The White tees (which I played today to prepare for a scramble event in two weeks) take driver out of your hands on several holes (No. 1, 4, 9, and 15) due to doglegs and hazards.
Hole No. 9 is one of the most challenging par 4's in Charlotte. Off the tee, you have to ensure your ball does not roll into the hazard at the end of the fairway. Even a perfect tee shot leaves you a long uphill approach to a steeply sloped greened back to front.
Hole No. 14 is one of my favorite par 5's in Charlotte, with two shots over water and a peninsula green. No. 18 is also a fun par 5 that can be reached in two but trouble surrounds the green, upping the risk-reward factor.
I was a member at Emerald Lake for two seasons about 15 years ago. I still enjoy coming back to play, especially when the course and the greens are in such great shape. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I hosted and competed in TheGrint Tour's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta tournament here. It was a very challenging windy day but I enjoyed getting back out to Mooresville.
The greens were very good and very difficult as usual. The Bermuda greens are a bit tricky to judge (especially the Donald Ross front 9) and the slopes make even short putts nerve-wracking. I typically average around 30-32 putts but had 37 today with 4 three-putts. Several of my and my playing partners' putts lipped out viciously. If you don't have a good day putting, you will have difficulty shooting a good score.
Several holes have significant issues in the fairways where it's brown and bare - especially holes No. 11 and 18. You can't even really play those spots as ground under repair because the closest relief may be 20-30 yards away.
About half of the White tee boxes are currently closed for renovation making the scorecard yardages invalid if you are trying to play those tees. For the most part, it seemed like the White tees were moved up in those situations, making them play probably 200 yards shorter for the round.
The layout features several holes with tall grass bordering the fairways and cart paths. These areas are not marked as hazards so the penalty for losing a ball in these areas can be steep and it can slow down pace of play. I wish they would mark these as lateral hazards. This is particularly true on holes No. 5, No. 11 and No. 17.
The golf carts have GPS with accurate pin locations. However, the course does not change the flag colors to designate front/middle/back pin locations. So make sure you check the pin location on the cart screen before selecting a club for your approach.
Overall, Mooresville is a great public golf facility (with 9 holes of Donald Ross) with well-kept challenging greens. It is also one of the best values in the area for the price. It plays difficult so bring your A game! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I'm playing in a weekly 9-hole Twilight Golf League here at Stonebridge. So far, we've played the front 9 each week. It's my favorite of the two nines, so I've enjoyed it so far.
The course is in very good shape as they ramp up to the summer season. Greens are all rolling well, just at medium speed right now. I've seen them faster here in the cooler months. This will likely be the regular speed as the temps rise. Tee boxes, fairways and bunkers are all in very good shape.
There are plenty of houses now around the course where it used to be peaceful and tree-lined. So the aesthetic is a bit more typical of a residential course now, similar to Carolina Lakes or The Divide.
As I always say, I love the front 9 stretch from Hole No. 5 to No. 9 as it winds around a big pond and then has two smaller ones protecting the 8th and 9th greens. I just wish these were still the closing 5 holes.
They have done quite a bit of clearing on the right side of the dogleg right par 4 No. 4. This used to be thick with trees and bushes and pretty much a lost ball if you failed to cut the corner going for the green. Now, you might have a window to punch out from a hardpan, rocky lie amongst the trees.
Overall, Stonebridge is a very good public course with one of the best practice areas and teaching staffs of any local course. It's a little ways out there towards Monroe but fairly easy to get to.
And hopefully soon, we'll get to play the back 9 on league night! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Had a great time at Glen Oaks. Course is good shape, welcoming and fun atmosphere! There are a two greens currently under construction so there are temporary greens, however all others were in really nice shape. Very much recommend giving this track a shot! Read The Review
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- "Never going back"
To charge $80 for that dog shit course is criminal. Tee boxes with no grass. Spray painted putt putt carpet greens. Dormant muddy fairways after no rain. If you are paying $80 for this please stop. What a joke. An attendant was giving a customer a hard time about having his empty cooler on course, even after he was saying he was going to buy beverages from the bar. Sandwiches used cheap food lion bread charging a premium price. They couldn’t pay me to play this course. But hey the cart paths were just paved Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Unfortunately Springfield is cart path only the entire winter, regardless of weather conditions. This made for slow play. Greens are in fantastic shape. Fairways are a bit chewed up, even without carts being on them. I'd probably wait until the grass is no longer dormant and carts are allowed back in the fairways. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
For winter conditions, the fairways were in very good shape. Greens were in good shape as well. No dead spots. I few holes has sodded turf squares on the edge of of the greens that had very little effect on the hole. Greens were lightning quick. A few bunkers needed a little TLC as they were more like hard pan that fluffy sand. But overall happy with the playing conditions. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Very nice golf course layout! One the best tracks in Charlotte.
However, course management continues to neglect course conditions. I can't accept paying one the most expensive green fees in the Charlotte area, when the course is unkept. It's been going on for multiple years and getting noticeably worse. Green fees in proportion to course conditions does not hold up and the logic I use to not play there anymore. I would love to go back and pony up the $ when course conditions match green fee. Hopefully many feel the same and our messages gets heard. Best guess is, it's an internal financial situation with the company that owns this course. But the decision to raise revenue via green fees while not improving course conditions will not work for long. It's a shame they have a jewel in their hands. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
 For the price you pay, the issues that we experienced this morning should not exist. Multiple tee boxes are in poor shape, multiple greens are in poor health with dead patches throughout, and overall maintenance seems lacking. While the layout itself is pretty decent other than some odd holes (9 and 18 stick out) it’s just a very mediocre course. When you take into account the price, the lack of warm up facilities, the constant construction noise, and the shape and health of the course, I don’t think I’ll be back for a while. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The course has one of the best layouts in NC. Lots of great elevations changes and interesting holes that will.make you use every club in your bag. It's one of the most interesting course.to play. The issue i have is the greens are slow and not rolled regularly. They suffer from.unreparied pitch marks and bare patches on many of the greens. The tees are similarly bare in spots and the back tees on several holes have been left uncut. It's a real shame as the course has so much potential. Still we'll worth playing but desperately needs some TLC. If they do this, it would tank one of the best courses public courses in SC Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
This place was amazing. Was the first round of a guy's golf weekend and was a great way to kick it off. The views are quite dramatic with lots of elevation changes...just absolutely beautiful. The greens are insane. Multiple tiers, undulating, and incredibly fast. Putting was a significant percentage of my overall strokes, so be prepared for some frustration and to just laugh at the ridiculousness and move onto the next.
Will definitely be back! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played Mooresville for first time. Great course, excellent greens. I belong to private club but try to play other areas courses this time of year. Have wanted to play Mooresville for awhile, even though it is 50 min drive for me. Very nice course, no quirky holes. Long ending Par 5 is interesting. Mooresville is every bit as good as private club I play at and greens are much better, wish I lived closer Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Me & Ron back on 10/10/24 for some Fall golf.
We were hoping to see some color in the leaves but too early.
What we did find were exceptional greens and wide open fairways in excellent condition.
This is a shot makers course and if you don't stay in the fairway you'll be looking for your ball among the pine cones, good luck with that.
The previous Head Pro.Matt has moved on to Piney Point in Norwood, NC.
The new guy is Wally Moore.
The range, chipping and putting practice areas are all in great condition.
It was a sunny day, a little on the cool side at 61 degrees for a 10a tee time with wind gusting to 27 mph. We had great pace of play and finished the front in 2 hours, it had warmed to 67 and the wind was down.
We made the turn and kept on playing as the group in front of us moving so we were able to play ready golf and complete the round in 4 hours. They advertise to allow 4.5 hours for 18 holes.
Since this was my third time playing in 3 years, I had some course knowledge
which made a big difference, especially on #11, 452 yard par 5. It's a blind shot until you're about 200 yards out and then you can see the edge of the pond that juts out from left to right. You have a decision to make. Go over the water or play to the right & avoid the pond on your left and have 200 yards of open fairway to the pin. It's a large green so a well placed shot will give you a great birdie opportunity.
I would play here more often but it's a 40+ mile trek through Charlotte traffic but it's worth it.
Aug 29, 2023Previous review Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing here in over a year. Website said the greens had been aerated on 8/29 and it was hard to tell that they had been. They were dew covered at our 8:30 tee time and even after the sun burned off the dew they rolled slow compared to Tega Cay where I play in a Wednesday afternoon golf league. The greens are enormous is size but again, compared to Tega Cay they didn't have as much break to them. I love the layout, but due to the distances between some greens and tees it's not a walkable course. I agree with the B-Man that #'s 13-16 are amazing stretch of holes. Not sure what was up with my game but I shot a 50 on the front and a 38 on the back, with a missed 10' birdie on #16. My partner and I played with 2 members who were great guys and golfers. The round of golf was a gift and at $95 it is definitely out of my price range. I will definitely be back when I can find an affordable rate. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Having moved to Charlotte in October '23, I'd say Verdict Ridge is the best public or semi-private course I've played. Excellent condition - greens, tees and bunkers were really nice. Staff was very friendly and helpful and for the senior rate of $55, it's fantastic value. Enjoyed the layout - lots of variety and several sets of tees to choose from. Nicely stocked pro-shop, good snack bar/restaurant as well and excellent practice area I could play this course every day and never get bored - lots of elevation changes, green undulations and uneven lies. Overall, very challenging but fair golf course. I would highly recommend playing here. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Beautiful, scenic course. Eye candy everywhere, with dramatic elevation changes and holes artistically sculpted into the natural terrain. It's not for the faint of heart. Landing areas are very generous, but there is trouble around 75% of the greens, much of it close to the putting surfaces. If your approaches are not solid, you are going to struggle. You are also going to 3-putt. Greens are massive with a lot of slope. A couple (mid-green tier on number 8 and false front on number 17) are comically severe, with slopes exceeding probably 15 degrees. The Prism zoysia is a consistent surface with no grain. It rolls relatively slow, which is a good thing for greens with so much slope. Course conditions overall were exceptional. At $150, this is a once-a-year special treat for me, but one that does not disappoint. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Shout out for the Dr. Charles L. Sifford Course. I have a 50-year+ love-hate relationship with this course. It's a compact and occasionally quirky layout, and there is always an eclectic crowd, with lots of beginners who (simply through lack of experience) struggle with navigating the course and observing standard golf etiquette. Pace of play can be an issue. The course has also undergone several management changes. All that said, it is a very well maintained muni. The fairways are old-school bermuda, which loves the heat, so the turf really pops in August and September. If you want to experience the DCLS course, play it now, in peak condition. Fairways were full with premium lies all day. Greens are dense, with a smooth, consistent surface and surprisingly fast downhill. Tee boxes are beat up due to the volume of play. Play the tips on this short course for better boxes. The starter is not very organized, and the marshals do not really enforce pace of play. However, you can almost always get on this course and can walk it on a weekday for ~$20, which is a great value. A real mixed bag of holes, with some relatively long and difficult ones (1, 7, and 9, with a 200+ yard force-carry over a hazard to a tight fairway from the back tee) combined with a couple near-drivable par fours. It has a lot of personality and, for me, fond memories of playing here with my father as a kid, which keeps bringing me back. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This course was in wonderful shape. Greens were great, fairways were good and a few tee box’s could use work but nothing crazy. You need to learn when to leave the driver alone and play smart. The views while playing were awesome, especially the signature par 4 hole 15. First time playing here and I plan on making many trips back to play it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Jackson course. Fairway turf in excellent condition. Tee boxes generally good, as well. Bunkers pretty good, though some on the front side were not raked and a couple were thin on sand, with the bunker liner poking up from underneath. Greens in good shape but, as is typical with bent grass in NC in August, showing heat stress and with a lot of ball marks. Front nine was very slow, with what appeared to be a club-organized captain's choice tournament, which concluded after 9 holes. Back nine much faster. Professional and courteous staff. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Course is well-maintained and in excellent conditions. Fairway bermuda is in peak summer condition, with plush lies all day. Rough is thick and penalizing, at about 2 inch height. Tee boxes in good shape. Traps in good shape and well maintained. Greens appear to have been slit-aerated and lightly sanded within the last week but were healing nicely and were generally smooth and relatively quick. They putted very consistently. Normal pace of play at 4 hours. Staff, starter, marshal were professional and courteous. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
They've lost every green to a fungus or poa annua, something. You can't play these greens right now. They are running out of places to place the cup, bare dirt everywhere. It's so bad I like to know what happened. 50 years of playing and I've never seen anything like this. It was a shame, the rest of the course was in great shape for Sycamore. The 85 I shot was automatic 2 putts once you were on the putting surface. Couldn't take the round seriously. I would nevr agree to play these greens at any price. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
My best review of the summer. Warrior is in fantastic shape tee to green. The Champion Bermuda greens were immaculate and rolling quick. They were very consistent throughout. Tees, fairways and bunkers were also lush and well-maintained.
The course just celebrated its 25th anniversary in July and is now better than ever. They have made a few playability and pace of play improvements to the course. Notably:
No. 7 - cleared a ton of trees that were shading the tee boxes and not allowing grass to grow. This was one of my criticisms of the course going back several years. The grass for the back tees should be in good shape for the Fall.
No. 11 - removed the large bunker guarding the blind approach shot and left just the three smaller bunkers in front of the green.
No. 13 and No. 17 - cleared out most of the brush and many of the trees between these two par 5's. You can see both fairways from each hole because they cleared out so much. This means a left tee shot on 13 or 17 is no longer a lost ball or a sideways punchout. This should reduce the number of lost balls and give you a chance to recover from a bad tee shot.
The carts have GPS screens to help with distances to trouble both off the tee and on layups. It also lets you order food and drink from the grill to cut down on your turn time. Speaking of drink, one suggestion: stock up on water and beverages before you tee off. There are no water jugs around the course and on this Wednesday there was no beverage cart.
Warrior is now No 4 on my Top 10 list and has risen above Rocky River and Skybrook, two similar semi-private clubs with Bermuda greens. Go play it and tell me what you think! Read The Review
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- "Never going back"
This is the first time I've played CTM since Troon took over the management of the course. On a positive note, the staff is friendly and helpful, and they've gotten new battery powered golf carts since the last time I played the course. Other than that, the conditions were appalling. I realize it's been wet the last few days, but I doubt the tees, fairways, and rough have been mowed in at least a week. The greens were slow, and most of them had at least one dead patch. Bunkers had not been maintained, and several had grass growing in them. Multiple holes have sections of cart paths closed because they are either under water or have huge holes in them. Spend your money somewhere else. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I made it back to Emerald Lake, where I was a member for 2 seasons over a decade ago, and it was very nostalgic. The layout has not changed much and it felt like going back home.
First, re: the conditions: greens were in good shape with very few issues that affected play. The course was very soft due to recent storms and even pitch shots were leaving considerable marks. While there were tons of old ballmarks on each green, most were recovering and I didn't notice any of our group's putts bumping off line because of them. The speeds were a little slower due to the soft conditions. Only one green was noticeably different (No. 10) with some crabgrass and a few had some bare spots around the edges.
Tees have recently been aerated (I'm guessing within the last month) and so there were aeration holes and sparse grass on several of them. While it affected the aesthetics, it was easy enough to find a good spot to tee it up. Fairways and rough were lush and in good shape. The bunkers were packed mud due to the recent rains, but they seemed like they'd be fine once they dry out.
A few other notes: the fairway on No. 1 has been narrowed with the left side now mowed as rough and two trees planted in what used to be the left half of the fairway. Supposedly they did this to make the hole tougher and prevent players from cutting the corner of what used to be a short dogleg left par 4. I'm not a fan of this change as my tee shot normally would have been center cut fairway and now it settled down in rough height grass.
They did a similar thing with the fairway on No. 4, leaving grass cut to rough height about 75 yards short of the end of the original fairway. However, I was told this is a temporary change to allow new grass to fill in the fairway. In my round, I was once again center cut of what was supposed to be fairway but instead had a ball sitting down in rough.
The rest of the layout is the same as I remember it. The par 5 5th, 14th and 18th holes are still my favorites, with the 14th and 18th running along the namesake lake. The par 4 9th is still one of the more difficult holes around town.
Logistics note: the front entrance off Lawyers Rd is currently blocked due to construction of a roundabout. You have to go the back way and enter the neighborhood from Rock Hill Church Rd for a few more weeks - I'm guessing through Labor Day.
If you enjoy this layout like I do, it's worth getting back out here to play. Just plan ahead so you can find a good deal online. Rack rates can be anywhere between $65-$80 but you can get $15-$20 less for a non-peak time. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Had a great round at Edgewater and got to check out what's under construction and in the plans for the next 1-2 years.
First the golf course. Conditions were pretty good for late summer. The A1/A4 Bentgrass greens were soft due to recent rains but they rolled well. Not a crazy amount of old ball marks, but definitely some. They are certainly doing their best, though, with "Fix your ball marks" signs next to every green.
The tees, fairways and rough were all pretty lush with no issues. I didn't visit too many bunkers but they seemed to be in good shape too.
The layout is still fabulous starting with the downhill drivable par 4. There are also tremendous elevation drops from the par 5 6th and par 4 7th tee boxes down to the fairways. The par 4 9th bookends the front nine with another reachable par 4 back up the hill.
On the back nine, you finish with an uphill but reachable par 5 and then another downhill/uphill par 4 with 2 tall pine trees between the tee box and fairway (!). They are intimidating but with a decent drive you can fly right over them.
Edgewater is a fixture in my Top 10 each year and I always enjoy getting down to Lancaster to play it.
Jimmy Grappone from True Homes was my host for this round and gave me the scoop on the exciting additions currently under construction and coming soon. How about this: a $20 million, 18,000 sq ft clubhouse including a new pro shop, restaurant & bar, expected to open in late Spring / early Summer 2025, along with a 1-acre putting green & short game practice facility, and 16 pickleball courts. They are also putting in TopGolf TopTracer covered bays on the driving range that should be open by September.
The current pro shop will become a wedding and event hosting venue and there are plans for a 9-hole short course on the land next to it.
Check my recent Instagram post for photos of the course and a rendering of the new clubhouse facilities.
I'm going to have to start making the trip to play Edgewater more often. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Thought the layout was challenging, a fun Arnold Palmer design! Staff was very friendly, and course was not too busy even with a weekend tee time. it had rained a little the night before and course did not drain well. The lack of driving range is a minus, however the staff does well to mitigate problems with the parking lot. Overall a good experience, issues with the driving range prevent this from being one of my go to courses. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Everything the B-Man said in his review about this course is accurate. I might use some different adjectives, like replacing the word 'challenging' with extremely difficult!
Let me just say that for me, blind shots are just not enjoyable at all! There are so many on this course and if you are not in the fairway most of the time you are in big trouble.
There is a tremendous amount of up and down with some extreme elevation changes. Some of the Par 5 holes and the longer Par 4's are really hard because they are uphill all the way.
For the most part the course is in good shape. The greens were generous and flat for the most part and were rolling true. Oddly, I found there to not be a lot of break in the greens.
There are some very nice vistas with elevated tee boxes which were really exceptional.
My favorite hole was #16, a reachable Par 3 that has a little water and an intimidating bunker guarding the front of the green; I nearly carded an Ace!
I got a nice greeting when I arrived from Parker who loaded my bags on a cart and directed me to the Pro Shop where Caleb checked me in and gave me the low down on the set up.
I was very pleased with my Veteran rate of just $60 bucks on a Friday which included the cart and two bottles of iced down water.
There is a practice putting area which is large and in great shape.
Norm was the Starter who is a real Pro. I was playing solo so he paired me up with a new Member and we got started about 20 minutes sooner. It really helped to have a member offer guidance, especially on the blind shots
It was busy on a Friday but we were able to complete our round in just under four hours.
There is GPS in the electric carts and they were running good and in great condition. They will really help you find the hidden creeks and water hazards.
I especially liked the yardage markers on the tee boxes and at key intervals along the cart path
There was a beverage cart that was making regular rounds on the front and the back.
There were also several bathrooms on the front and the back.
The snack bar at the turn offered some great hot and cold food options and all the usual beverages you might expect.
There are just a few nits:
No driving range or chipping area.
The practice putting area is small and under repair
No water stations at all.
Too many blind shots and way too many extreme hills.
On some holes you are right next to Interstate 77 and you can hear the trucker traffic as well as the sirens from the fire tricks and ambulances..
For the most part the cart paths were good but there were stretches where it was broken.
Extreme down hill runs on some cart paths which were a bit scary in some areas.
You are penalized to the extreme if you are not accurate with your tee shots.
Very little forgiveness for being off the fairway, you will lose balls.
With this review, I have finally completed the B-Man's top 10!
It's taken me two years but it's been a ton of fun!! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Greens recently aerated, so fuzzy, bumpy, and very slow. Tee boxes also a bit fuzzy. Fairway turf in good condition, as well as bunkers - nicely shaped and raked. Pace of play (on a Tuesday morning) was slow on the front at 2.5 hours, but picked up on the back (at 2.0 hours). Staff accommodating and professional. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course was super nice!! Greens rolled amazing!!! It cost me $143 for myself and my 14 yr old junior player with two range tokens. The views were stunning on the back 9. Lot of shots I was guessing on club selection. For that price carts should have GPS. Greens were fairly flat to be a mountain course, but man they were nice. 1 hour 40 minute drive is a little to far for a round of golf, but I love the mountain courses. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Good layout with many doglegs. Challenging layout that tests every part of your game. Fairways were perfect and aprons and chipping areas around the greens were in excellent condition. Bunkers were all raked and in very good condition. Most tee boxes were excellent; however a few of the par 3 tees were pretty thin. Customer service in the pro shop, restaurant and the beverage cart were all outstanding. Well-stocked pro shop and decent food menu. The only negative comment is regarding the greens - lots of brown spots, some fungus and burn spots and a large number of ball marks. Speed was decent and they rolled fine - but they were a long way from great or perfect. Unfortunately, this time of year with high temps and high humidity, bentgrass greens are tough to maintain in the south. Will definitely play Olde Sycamore again, but will likely wait until fall when the cooler weather will give the greens a chance to thrive. Hopefully, down the road, they are considering replacing bentgrass with bermuda. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I've played this course so many times over the years. As a CLT native I can say, this has always been one of the easiest courses to get a tee time for. If you play early in the morning during the week you can easily play it in 2 hours.
I was invited to join my buddy Adam who loves to play here.
We had an 8am tee time on a Wednesday and the weather was just perfect!
It was in the BEST condition I've ever seen.
The greens were in absolute immaculate condition!
Easily rivaling some of the top courses in the area, just that good, rolling fast and true.
They have recently come under new management so there have been some notable changes and upgrades.
The tee box on #3, 145 yard par 3 has been completely rebuilt. It's now elevated to
include both the blue and white tees and much larger and in better condition.
The bridge over the creek on #9, the 460 yard par 5 has been completely rebuilt.
My favorite holes remains #7, a 173 yard par 3 with an elevated tee box and a great green complex downhill. It sets up beautifully an it's all right in front of you.
You don't want to miss long and go over the back.
The pin placement will be key for scoring on this hole. The right side is on an elevated shelf which feeds down to the lower left.
The greens keepers her love to place the pin in this undulations just to keep it interesting.
This course has a history going back to 1929 when it was first called The Bonnie Brae.
It still holds up to this day as one of the best short courses in the CLT area. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
From the time I pulled my vehicle into the 'bag drop', I knew I was in for something out of the ordinary.
A young man immediately picked up my clubs and put them on a cart and instructed me to the ProShop.
There I met Jacob who got me checked in and I was smiling with the news that my Monday round of 18 holes and a cart would only be $55 bucks, what a great value!
I made my way to the driving range to hit some complimentary balls and also test out the putting/chipping green.
My group of 4, was able to tee off right at 1140a with an assist from Mike T, the Starter.
I will say, this is a very challenging course. There is a lot of changing elevation throughout and a fair amount of water that comes into play on a majority of holes. There is a creek that criss crosses throughout and some small ponds as well.
You'll find the fairways wide open, however you'll be challenged for ball placement as the majority of fairways will funnel to the creek or water.
The greens are very fast, they are undulating and generally small for the most part.
The views are amazing! It's built in a development with Million dollar homes that line the fairway and circle around the green complexes.
There are adequate water stations scattered throughout and there is bathroom at about hole #8 where they have cold face towels in water
that will refresh you.
I didn't try the food but I did check out the menu and it looked like a good mix of hot and cold options.
Even on a Monday it was very busy and our round of 18 holes took about 4.5 hours. It was tough with 93 degree temps and 60% humidity.
Just a few nits that were not major but a bit disappointing.
Even though they had a food/beverage cart parked by the Club House, there was no one to operate it.
In several areas, you will be confused on where to go for the next tee box because there is no directional sign.
The carts were all gas, not a single electric cart and they struggled getting up the steep hills.
The pace of play was longer than expected, not a big deal when the weather is great but when it's 90+ degrees and humid, you will suffer as there is no Ranger to keep things moving.
This is a semi-private club and only members are allowed to play Friday to Sunday.
Overall it was a five star experience, sadly it's quite a drive from where I live in Fort Mill but I was glad to check this one off my most of the B-Man's top 10 CLT area courses. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Enjoyed playing the Tradition. Fairly tight course and challenging off the tee - it could be a long day if you're spraying the driver. Fairways were in very good shape and greens were smooth and decent speed. We teed off at 11:00 am on a Sunday and got around in just over 4 hours - we only waited on one hole. A few of the par 3 tee boxes were a little rough, but overall very good course conditions. Very challenging layout and a course I'll definitely play again. I would recommend playing this course. Read The Review
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- "Average"
 This is a country track,
Everything is straightforward and simple and an OK golf experience.
The greens were actually in decent shape and I liked the well marked tee boxes, they were large and well maintained.
As a Senior you can take advantage of some really good tee box placement on many holes. Several holes over water but with the Senior tee's takes the water out of play, Just too many blind shots for me. Tee box sitting low and maybe 200 yards to the top of the hill where you can't see beyond it.
Most all the Par 3's are long and have low tee boxes with shots up hill.
I played with a group of Senior Veterans so it was a memorable day for this AF Vet. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing Eagle Chase - great golf course and challenging layout. Very hilly layout - felt like I was in the Ozarks in southern Missouri. Several elevated tees and greens with lots of variety. Par 5s are all fair and challenging and the course has a very good set of par 3s. Greens are firm (I think that's just they way all Diamond Zoysia greens are), but were in great shape at a decent speed and rolled true. Tee boxes and fairways were both in very good shape. Holes 11-13 are super challenging and beautiful (par 5 over water, long par 3 with trouble left and right and a short par 4 where you drive over water with a tricky green waiting). All in all a very solid golf course that I will definitely play again. Weekday rate of $49 was very fair. Not much of a restaurant/snack bar if that's important to you. Practice area is excellent. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I made the 1 hour trek from Fort Mill on a Thursday morning for a 810a tee time.
Matt at the Pro Shop was real nice, checked me in, got me educated on the course lay out and recommend I pair up with a regular named Jaime.
Turned out to be a great round and fortunately Jaime was able to educate me on how to play several holes. Without that guidance it could have been a disaster. There are several holes that are blind shots especially on #17.
From the tee box you can see a red flag on the right side of the fairway.
It gives you no indication of the massive pond that lurks right in front of the green. From the Gray tee, it's' 321 yards to the pin. Fortunately, I was able to pull of a miraculous 210 hard drive that left me 110 yards over water to the green.
It's a beautiful green complex and a very fun hole. It's slightly elevated from the fairway and large. The grass is well trimmed right to the edge of the green and then a well trimmed second cut that slopes down on all sides.
You must land the green in the middle otherwise it's going to roll down and leave you a chip shot to a slanting green.
Overall, I was very happy with this course. It's part of the Cleveland County YMCA. Jaime told me he plays there at least a couple times a week during the summer and that it's now been 'discovered' and is very busy especially on the weekends.
The tee boxes are in excellent shape, the fairways are in great condition and wide open. The greens are beautiful and fast. You have to be really wild off the tee to be out of bounds.
There is a fair amount of water that comes into play on several holes, especially on #8, blind shot up a hill with a big pond on the other side.
They have an adequate driving range and practice putting green.
The electric carts are in great condition. They have a nice little snack bar where you can get burgers dogs and snacks to go.
Only two small nits worthy of mention. For the most part, the asphalt cart paths are good. Sadly, there are quite a few areas where the ashphalt has washed away and only gravel remains.
If you’re not playing with someone who has been here before, you’ll be confused at some of the intersections between green and next tee box.
The secret is out!
I highly recommend this place.
The weekday Senior rate for 18 holes and a cart is $30 bucks.
Just can't beat it for the quality of golf and facilities. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Another solid round of golf at Charlotte National. The course is crispy and the greens are quite firm, but that is to be expected with the lack of rain recently. The greens did roll true and pins were in some difficult positions - several pins were just a couple yards on the green and some were right on the spine of slopes. The only issue on the day was the pace of play - 5+ hours on a 90-degree day was not ideal and I did not see a ranger on the course to keep the pace moving. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Tee boxes could use a little TLC. Fairways were in very good shape. Although we weren’t in a lot of bunkers, they were in good shape. Fluffy sand. Greens were recently sanded so they played pretty slow and a little bumpy. But not very many blemishes or dead spots. Friendly staff. Good practice areas. Ranger did a good job of instruction - pace of play, pin positions, etc. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Great experience in first trip to Monroe CC. It's a haul from Charlotte but worth the effort to play an enjoyable and well-maintained course. Front side is quintessential Ross - compact tract, small punch-up greens, hidden bunkers, very playable when you're in position. Back side feels roomier, with a lot of tree-lined fairways. Conditions were top-notch. Played ball down all day with premium lies. Greens were spotless and rolled consistently. Breaks are subtle. Bunkers have quality sand and are well maintained. Course is very walkable. Clubhouse staff friendly and helpful. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This is a legit top 10 CLT area course.
Don't let the fact that it was a former municipal course slow you down
It's a Donald Ross design so it's a classic!
Richard who runs the ProShop is great and has an answer for every one of your questions.
They have a driving range, chipping area & separate putting green. All are in great condition, all so close together and in excellent condition.
You will love the wide open fairways!
The tee boxes are in great condition & large. They have tee positions that will suit every level of play.
Most of the greens were in really good shape. There were maybe three or four that had bare spots but not unusual given the weather.
They have GPS on the carts. They had rain the night before so many of the holes were 90 degree or 'cart path only' You will get a beep on the GPS and a nasty gram if you try to defeat the guidelines.
As a Senior on a Monday, I got a great rate of $48 bucks for 18 holes with cart.
It's a course I highly recommend! Read The Review
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- "Average"
Yup, I’m actually writing a not so good review. After my last three reviews, I thought after not playing for months because of my move, that I was just overjoyed to play and thought every course was a gem, perfection, an absolutely must play…well not today. Sapona is within an hour’s drive for most of the Charlotte area but that doesn’t mean you want to take the trip.
I played during a tournament so while the pace of play wasn’t bad for a tournament, I can’t tell you what it is normally like. I also cannot tell you what the staff is like except for the wonderful cart girl who should be given every resource she requests from the club: sandwiches, more drinks, bigger beer selection, liquor, and a raise (ok I said the raise, not her).
While most of the layout was good, with challenges of elevated greens, a few blind tee shots and water on more than a few holes, some of the holes were wacky, with very short par 4s with layup iron tee shots (8 or 7 iron) and tricked up fairways that had no landing area that allowed your ball to stay in the fairway.
That being said I would play the layout again if it wasn’t for the condition of the course overall. There were many dirt/bare areas in the fairways and rough. While they have made changes with installing some sod and drainage, the course is just beyond the band aid fix. One of the issues with carts making the bare spots worse are the carts paths being more like motocross tracks than golf cart paths. Many players would drive next to the carts paths instead of on them. The greens for the most part rolled well and their condition was good. There were a few areas of soil showing through the grass but the ball rolled true. That’s why I gave 5 starts instead of 4.
I don’t like downgrading a course because I know the staff, especially the maintenance staff, put the work in. This is more of the club not putting resources into the course sooner. Final thought would be play if you have a reason (tournament, buddy in the area, etc.) but don’t make a trip for it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Birkdale is still getting better! The golf shop is very well stocked with supplies, from premium to value. They just added Puma gear which makes sense since they carry Arnold Palmer stuff and it’s an Arnold Palmer course. Food menu is still lackluster: just Glizzies, Turkey, or Ham sandwiches. Great beer and liquor assortment and friendly bartenders. They now have a beverage cart heading through the course though I played 18 and never saw it.
The course itself is in great shape. Greens were fast but rolling true. The rough is cut for a challenge if you miss a shot. The bunkers are hard packed which is surprising since they recently had the sand replaced. Tee boxes are sandy at this point and most holes need to be rotated.
It’s still one of the very best public courses. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Verdict Ridge is the best semi-private club in the area. It is neck-and-neck with Rock Barn for the #1 spot in my annual rankings of public access courses around Charlotte. It only allows public play Monday-Thursday. So find a member (or shoot me a message) if you want to play it on the weekend. Or... play it in a tournament on TheGrint Tour. We have a few spots left for our event there next week.
Scott Knox and his team at Verdict do a fabulous job constantly improving the course and the amenities. This year, they are expanding (by 30-50%) and resodding many of the tee boxes (all of the par 3's) and adding Xgrass turf mats to use in the winter or during inclement weather. They are almost finished but today we had to play from some shorter tees on two holes (the par 3 No. 8 played 85 yards and the par 5 No. 16 played about 375 yards).
Aside from the work on a few holes, the course, especially the greens, were in near perfect shape. The Champion Bermuda greens putted great, with consistent speed and roll throughout. The tees and fairways were lush and the bunkers were good, though my group had a fried egg lie or two to deal with.
The layout is breathtaking with many dramatic rises and drops, severely sloping fairways and greens, rock features, waterfall features, ponds, etc, etc. The par 4 ninth hole is the signature one with the waterfall next to the green and the pond along the right side and the clubhouse at the top of the hill.
I probably think to myself about 4 or 5 times during the round: "I love this hole", especially No. 9 and No. 16. I will never say that about No. 7, however. :-D
I've made more double and triple bogeys on that hole than any other hole I can think of around Charlotte. I do applaud the addition of some short rough in the middle of the fairway, dividing the upper tier from the lower tier. This gives your ball a chance to stop on the upper tier and not roll down into the right rough. The approach shot over a ravine to a crazy, multi-tiered green is still one of the most challenging second shots you'll have on a public course. There's no such thing as a benign pin location on this hole.
The closing stretch here from No. 14 through 18 presents a diverse set of challenges and risk-reward decisions. The dogleg left par 4 No. 14 forces you to go for position off the tee so you're not blocked out on the approach over another ravine. The par 4 15th has a valley for a fairway that can get you into trouble if you hit your tee shot too far. The uphill par 5 16th has signature boulders framing the approach to the green. The dogleg right par 4 17th has a long, two-tiered sloping green. And the closing par 5 18th is a sloping dogleg right with danger lurking on all sides for all 3 shots (2 if you're long off the tee and brave).
The course is very difficult the first few times you play it and can get you even if you've played it a hundred times. It pays to take mental notes each time you play so you leave yourself in good spots, both off the tee and around the greens.
Verdict Ridge is a fantastic course with great amenities and a friendly staff. Go play it whenever you have the chance. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I booked this round at Red Bridge based 100% on the reviews posted to this site. When I pulled up, the entrance befits the reviews then it falls apart. Everything about this club screams “we ran out of money.” They were going to build a parking lot until they ran out of money. They were going to build a clubhouse until they ran out of money. They were going to have a snack bar until they ran out of money. They were going to repair and maintain the golf carts until they ran out of money.
The good news, I know where the money is. It is obviously spent on the course. The greens, fairways, bunkers, pristine! The layout is really cool but the signs are confusing and don’t give you clear directions on where to head next. There are a lot of elevation changes, really really long Par 5s, including two back to back.
The Verdict: this course is great but needs to be invested in. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Rock Barn is a treat every time I play it. The layout is fantastic with so many fun scoring opportunities and breathtaking risk-reward shots.
The greens were in good shape, but not quite perfect. They had been aerated about a month ago and verti-cut recently. There were still a few traces of that but I didn't notice much effect on the roll. So maybe they played a bit slower than normal but they rolled true. The rest of the course conditions were ideal.
If you can make it past the opening tee shot (a 200 yard carry over a hazard), the course plays short (about 6000 yards from the Men's tees for a par 71). The two par 3's on the front side have dramatic drops from tee to green with a beautiful pond fronting the signature No. 6 green and a steep ravine requiring 2-3 clubs down on No. 9.
The par 5 10th hole is one of my favorite risk-reward holes in the area with another gasp-worthy tee shot that drops 50-75 feet to the fairway, then a decision to go for it in two (175-200yd carry) or layup to the right side of the pond. The two par 3's on the back nine play slightly uphill and both have ponds to carry for a mid-iron shot.
The par 4 15th hole is a short but fun and picturesque hole with the fairway sloping down towards a pond and a second shot to a super long green (120+ feet).
The par 18th takes you back up the hill to the spa and clubhouse with a large, severely sloping green. Par is tough on this one!
If you've never played Rock Barn, go make the trip! The price is very reasonable for what you get (best public course in the area with GPS / green maps on the cart and range balls included). I can't recommend it enough. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
If you haven't played The 500 Club since its renovation and rebranding, go play it now. The course is in great shape. In particular, the Bermuda greens were really good and rolling very quick. The bunkers were very good and consistent (and raked! Compare to my earlier review of Skybrook's bunkers).
The layout is very challenging, with lots of hazards and high grass where you can lose shots. So your mileage may vary on whether you like it. I appreciate the challenge and stayed out of trouble for the most part. I would like to see better hazard markings though. The high grass on Nos. 2, 3, and 4 and the trees/brush on Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9 should probably be marked as hazards to speed up play.
There are many holes with some dramatic elevation changes: holes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 18, in particular. They can create some blind shots. So make sure you know where the group is in front of you before hitting! The GPS on the carts is helpful and fairly accurate.
A few notes about the amenities: there is no driving range but they have 2 simulators inside that you can warm up on. They are building TopTracer simulator bays outside that should be done later this year. They also have a cool putting course just outside the clubhouse that is lighted at night where they frequently have live music.
The sports bar upstairs with the 2 simulators is awesome! Great place to meet and hang out before or after your round.
If you want to go play a premium course and make a day of it with your friends to hang out afterwards, The 500 Club is a great spot for it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Skybrook is one of my favorites due to the layout and the greens. It did not disappoint this time out. The greens were in fantastic condition and not crazy fast. Conditions on tee boxes and fairways were mostly lush with just a few exceptions on the front nine.
The opening par 4 is a cool way to the start the round as it has an elevated tee with a valley fairway that can feed the ball towards the green. However, the drainage on the hole leaves muddy, thin tracks in the fairway and near the green that take away from the aesthetics and playability of the hole.
A few other holes on the front have similar issues around the fairways that are less than perfect, but the back 9 had no such issues.
My other bone to pick at Skybrook is the bunkers. We teed off at 3pm so who knows how many rounds had been played that day before us, but every bunker I was in or near, it looked like no one had raked them all day. The sand in all the bunkers, greenside or fairway, is super fine grained white sand which makes shots come out very heavy or fat if you don't hit close to the ball. It also creates fried egg lies for every shot that flies into the bunker.
Last thing about my experience for this round... the price. $85 for a 3pm Friday tee time is very high. It seems public courses around Charlotte have done away with twilight rates altogether.
I love the layout here and that hasn't changed much. They have taken out the trees on the right side of the path on hole No. 3 and let the area grow wild -- making this hole even more difficult than it already was since anything to the right of the path is now lost.
The elevation changes that come into play for more than half the holes are the course's most distinguishing feature. The closing stretch of holes, No. 14 through No. 18, is one of my favorites in the area.
Skybrook is still one of the best public tracks in Charlotte and worth playing several times a year. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The Tale of Two Nines
Monroe Country Club sits just southeast of downtown Monroe in a well-hidden, tree-lined setting where the original Donald Ross nine-hole design is laid out near the clubhouse and the Tom Jackson back nine is a short cart ride under Pageland HWY and across Richardson Creek. Driving up to the clubhouse, you will see the pro shop and snack bar to the left next to a small practice green. I made a tee time online for $50 and was paired with a father and son from the area.
The pro shop staff was nice, even outgoing to give a bunch of info including the course guide and apologized for the range not being open. They did point out a short game area that I could use for full swings with short wedges. It was basic, with three targets and enough to get the swing moving the right way. After that I checked in with the starter, who was a great help in finding the short game area and giving me some info on the course. While on the practice green, I struck up a conversation with a regular who was also an Air Force vet like me. Monroe CC is another example of a public course with the basic facilities but put their money where it matters, in the course.
The course, at first glance, is simple and peaceful. The first hole is an uphill blind tee shot, where the starter will help out by positioning themselves at the top of the hill and let you know when it’s clear to hit. Over the hill, the course opens up and you can see much of the front nine. The bite comes when you walk onto the greens. Donald Ross does not disappoint with greens that hide their breaks and look much larger from the fairway. These are definitely small greens, so have your chipping game with you.
The tale of two nines comes in when you play the back nine. Definitely a different design with more doglegs and a couple holes with water. While the design was different, it was complementing to the front nine. Enjoy the round coming in especially on 18, a long par 5 with elevation changes and some required shot making.
Conditions…the fairways are very good and the greens did not have a spot on them, obviously from excellent maintenance and golfers who fix their ball marks. Now you will see some different grass encroaching on some of the greens (but no effect on the true roll) and bare areas around the course mostly around the cart paths and some rough. The bunkers were tough with high lips and firm sand, but they were well maintained.
The end all be all is the layout, fairway & green conditions, and the test of Donald Ross greens all in a wooded setting, made Monroe CC a pleasant surprise.
PS – I’ve read previous reviews of Monroe from this site and others where the club was not so welcoming. I believe there has been a change in the customer service and the focus of the management. Most notably after my round since I live about 15-20 minutes away and was happy with the course, I asked about membership that is on the city website and in the course guide. Well the memberships were cancelled 2 months ago and Monroe CC is a straight daily fee with only a senior’s discount (60 and above). With that I believe there will be better conditions with the increase in revenue and less volume. I wonder what the previous members are doing since the membership cost was in the low $100’s per month and now if you play 3 times a week at $50/round, it’s $150+ a week. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Edgewater Golf Club, opened in 2008, is southwest of Lancaster, SC backed up to the Catawba River in what will be a very large, planned development, most of which has yet to be built. It’s a good hour from uptown Charlotte and Columbia, with the last 10 minutes of the drive giving you an idea something special is coming. As you enter Edgewater by passing their signature tower gate, the community vibe is relaxing while leading you to the club house and course. Currently the club house is a small pro shop and snack bar, but look across the street and you will see the major projects taking place. A huge clubhouse, practice area, and tennis/pickleball court center is being constructed. The practice area will be one of a kind, with a practice green that will be over an acre, a range that will entice you to practice more than play with Top Tracer technology, and a relaxing atmosphere all within reach of a club house being built for luxury and enjoyment. I’ve been around a few clubs from the beginning and some that grow over time. Edgewater is impressive and will be great to watch grow.
Enough of the vibe, I checked in for my 9:09 tee time and was warmly greeted by the staff and asked if it was my first time there. As it was, they gave a little info on how to get around during the construction and some course info including a course guide. Then I was on to the range for warm up. I met up with the three guys I was paired with, guys who are neighbors and two brothers, so I knew this was going to be a fun group with all the brotherly banter expected. While the range is mostly under construction (which the next phase will open up in about 3 weeks), it was adequate. One word of advice, get a couple buckets since a single token gives about 20 balls. Moving onto the practice green which is located next to the starter’s area for #1, you get to look down from #1’s elevated tee box to feel for what lies ahead.
The first hole is a great opening hole to get familiar with the course and a little challenge. Stay left and the hill down the left side will feed your ball to the center of the fairway and closer to the green. The green is accepting and it should be an easy par. One thing to note are the bent grass greens and their conditions will vary slightly when wet. I saw a lot of old ball marks but nothing affecting the roll.
Number 2 is a long par 5 which requires a somewhat accurate tee shot to stay away from the right fairway bunker and out of the trees on the left. Your second shot should be down the left fairway to avoid the right drop-off into the trees and set you up for a better approach into the green. The course is giving you a little less forgiveness but you’ll enjoy the challenge.
Third hole is a short par 4 that requires accuracy off the tee. Don’t let it fool you because you need this tee shot to be right to have a less hazardous shot to the small green protected by a front right bunker and water to the left and behind.
Number 4, your first par 4 is a beauty from the black tees which sit on its own island. The rest of the tees still have an over water shot but a bit straighter. Regardless plan an extra club for the elevated green and be mindful of the wind you can’t feel because of the tree lines behind and right of the hole. Oh, one more thing, don’t be short!
Moving forward #7 is a great shot making hole. You don’t have to be long from the tee, just set yourself up for the approach shot with water in play and bunkers left and right of the green. After you finish you’ll see one of the inlets leading out to the Catawba River. Nice place to take a breather.
Edgewater shows you more teeth when making the turn, where #10 is a slightly narrow tee shot to an uphill green. It’s a great hole to start the back nine. The back nine will show you more elevation changes and a few doglegs which set up some great views.
As you make it around the back nine, more houses and construction are visible but mostly not in play. Many players do not like houses surrounding or bordering the course, but from my perspective of playing Florida golf where houses are right on the course (literally having back patios 8 feet from the OB markers and even fairways), Edgewater has them set back away from the course with generous amounts of trees in between the houses and the general areas. Maybe a better win-win for players and homeowners.
As you finish Edgewater, #18 leaves you a little perplexed with the tee shot having two very tall pines about 100-150 yards straight out and in the middle of your tee shot. It was explained that the original design had much lees room on the right so the player was required to hit a fade around the pines. Now it looks like you can try a draw or a fade. Stick with the fade, trust me. In the future, they will be taking those tall pines out after they plant some shorter pines (there are two already but they need more). Regardless of the tee shot, you see a great finishing hole with slightly elevated approach shot to a well bunkered green. Right now, you see the construction of the club house and the practice facilities well behind the green and further up hill. Once the club house is finished, it will be a beautiful sight from both #18 and the club house.
While Edgewater is definitely a longer drive from Charlotte and Columbia, it is well worth it. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Poor value. Fairways in good shape, with a few isolated spots, but able to play the ball down. Greens generally in good shape, with a lot of unrepaired ball marks. Speeds were consistent. Tee boxes are beat up. Bunkers not raked. Pace of play was just under 5 hours, with a marshal monitoring but not enforcing pace of play (two holes open ahead of group in front of us). Olde Sycamore has a nice layout, and if it were a $60 or even a $75 course, then this review would be different. But when I pay $100, I expect, at a minimum, raked bunkers. Kinda screams that you're not trying very hard, right? Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I played last Friday, a sold out holiday weekend so I knew what to expect for pace of play. Took about 5.5 hours to play the course. There were marshals out and about but there were no gaps to be found.
The course has gotten better as the season has gone on. I know they plan to replace the greens next year but they are finally in good shape and since we haven't had drought, they aren't scorched. The bridges are all brand new which was a grave concern before. Fairways are a little splotchy on some holes but this place seems to be very well cared for.
The value is there compared to the comparably priced courses in the area. Their clubhouse and pro shop are top notch, well stocked, and the food is really good.
BEST 18th HOLE IN THE AREA! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
So here’s a little perspective before I review Eagle Chase GC. I recently moved to the Charlotte area…recently being 10 days ago. Coming from a country club in South Florida which is in great condition and on its way back to the what it once was when hosting the Honda Classic, the switch back to public golf scene is reminiscent of my time playing military courses and public/semi-private clubs around the world where I enjoyed the competition and the friendships. I’ve also played a lot of NC mountain golf in the Highlands/Cashiers area where my parents retired and still live. I have experienced a lot different golf courses, clubs, and resorts, and understand the different vibes. So I’ll hopefully give you a perspective of course, club, and “vibe” in my reviews.
Eagle Chase is set in farm land and ranches in the foothills southeast of Charlotte. The course elevation changes create dynamic views and challenging hole layouts, especially on the back 9. First impressions of Eagle Chase are deceiving as the pro shop, facilities, and services are minimal but provide what you need for golf, and fun. Go into the small pro shop with the obligatory tv locked into the current Tour event and pay for your green fees and range balls, which you’ll scoop out your bucket of balls there. Simple homemade sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, snacks and plenty of beverage choices are also available. Grab what you may need on the course because there’s no beverage carts on the course. The staff are friendly and care about your experience while at Eagle Chase, using the resources at hand. (Spoiler: they put the resources into the course conditions)
Going out to the range was a short trip past the outdoor patio with some tables and chairs and the practice green with plenty of room and different types of putts. The range is two tiered with a small chipping green next to it. Plenty of distance and targets to choose from. While stretching I noticed the regulars around; teenagers who play golf for competition, college kids, middle-aged, and retirees, along with the every-once-in-a-while players with girlfriends in tow. Watching the players on the range, the regulars play golf to compete and enjoy. I didn’t get a chance to ask about the money games or groups, but I’m sure they exist. The above average conditions of the practice areas give you a good idea of what lies ahead on the course.
The first hole is visually elusive where the tee box looks out at an over water carry to a dog leg left and you don’t see beyond that. It promotes a thought of “ok, what is this course?” Put your drive in the middle or right center for a safe shot or challenge the left trees with a draw. Once you get around the dog leg, you see a simple shot to a mildly guarded green. The greens are one of the gems of this course. They are smooth (the regulars and visitors alike obviously fix their ball marks), undulating, and today they are about a 10 on the stimpmeter. They could easily be cut and made like glass but be careful about what you ask for! Finish the hole and drive to #2.
Coming up to the #2 tee box, the course bears its teeth, half grin, half biting snarl, as you look out to water down the left, trees and creek right with a sliver of green to be seen in the distance from the left side of the tee box. Looking down to the fairway in the narrow space between the water and trees you think you see a cart sign in the fairway…it’s a drop zone sign in the middle of the fairway. Ouch. I yanked my shot left and just found the water beyond by the left fairway bunker. Once you get down to the fairway, the course opens up to say “enjoy the views” as you see left of the water, the front side par 3’s, #3 and #6. After the drop, my approach shot looks at a well-protected green with water, bunkers, and death beyond the green. I flushed a 9 iron to 15 feet and one-putted for par. While I didn’t get bitten here (I’d rather be lucky than good), you get a feel for what the course was going to be like…gentle beauty mixed with lethal consequences. Think Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow, a seductive smile then the kill shot.
Don’t worry, I’m not giving you the hole by hole run down, I want to play golf too! But it is easy to see why Eagle Chase is one of the best public courses in the Charlotte area. It is the perfect statement of pure golf. No white glove service, no resort waterfalls, just challenging natural beauty.
-Pudge Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The course was in good shape. The greens were a bit firm despite a consistent rain during the round (planned to play 18 holes but stopped after playing 9 due to weather) but they rolled true. There are some areas of the course where it seems the club appears to be doing repairs/remediation but they are mostly on the outskirts of the holes. All in all, it felt like the course handled the wet conditions fairly well. I will definitely return to the course (minus the rain, hopefully)! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This course was in much better shape than the last time I played it. The greens are in fantastic condition. The front nine has some big drainage issues and even though it hadn't rained in days, I had a couple mud balls. The back nine is really fun with some interesting and challenging holes. I enjoyed the bar / snack area, the renovations have been really well done. They should work on their pro shop assortment for sure. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I cannot wait for the parking lot to be done. It is slightly inconvenient to wait for the golf cart shuttle. Once you're there its a non issue. The clubhouse is cool but in need of serious updating. There was no food available just booze. They do fill coolers with ice for you and I dig that a lot. The pro shop is well stocked with product you actually want to buy. The course is in good shape. The bunkers around the greens are soft, the greens are receptive (except 9, which to be fair is a new green). I really enjoy this course and look forward to its return to glory. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 I absolutely enjoyed the layout of the course and nature of it, with Kings Mtn in the background. But would have to take it down some points because of some unkept spots on the course, or lack there of. Management seem to just cut the grass and that’s it, not much of trying thoroughly fix different spots on the course so leaves ugly lies sometimes. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course was in really good shape. Fairways and greens were excellent. Greens have a mix of grasses but they were mowed close and rolled true and fairly fast. As long as they keep the greens in decent shape, which is a problem for them in the heat, it’s a great course to play. Nice facilities as well. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This 9-hole course is quick, cheap and fun but nothing special as you’d expect. I like to play first thing in the morning and walk 9. It’s worth playing if you live close by and want to play a quick 9, as it’s one of the only options within charlotte. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I am playing in a 9-hole Twilight Golf League every Wednesday here. I've now gotten play both nines. I really enjoy this layout and consider the 4-hole stretch from No. 13 through No. 16 to be one of my favorite in Charlotte public golf. The views from the 13th and 14th greens and the 15th and 16th tees are very cool.
With that said, the conditions for late April are just kinda okay. The greens are fine and have rolled pretty true. They are medium speed right now. We are playing after 5:00. So we get the slowest speeds of the day, I'm sure. I didn't see any issues with the putting surfaces.
Speaking of the greens, though, they are huge. So you can get some really long putts if you don't hit your approaches to the right section of the green. The course also has hundreds of bunkers and most seemed to be in good shape, though by the end of the day, we encounter some questionable rake jobs.
The tee boxes were not so great though. Very chewed up and some were pretty bare. The fairways, green surrounds and rough were hit and miss as well. So like I said, the course feels like it's in average shape right now.
My league runs through the end of May. So I've got 5 more weeks to play it and see if conditions improve a notch.
One note, I had heard the rates had gotten over $100 here. I'm only paying $39 for 9 on weekdays. So that's about a $78 rate during the week. I checked their online booking engine for tee times next week. Sure enough, the peak rate on Sat/Sun morning - $109! Wow. That's outrageous.
I love the layout here and when the conditions are pure, it's one of my top 10 public tracks. But with the average conditions right now (at the start of peak season) and those prices, I'd look elsewhere for your weekend round. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
The Good: The parking lot and facilities are in great shape. Beautiful building. The snack bar was clean, stocked, and the staff was really kind and friendly. Good beer selection. Prices were fair inside. Most of the fairways were in great shape. A few drainage issues seemed to muck up parts of the fairways. The layout is awesome, some holes reward accuracy, some reward precision, and the green complexes are complicated but very playable.
The Bad: The greens were advertised and bragged on and 1/3 of them were burned or had weeds poking through. There were some questionable hole placements trying to keep people away from the pock marked parts. The tee boxes were covered in sand yet the sand traps were rock hard and devoid of sand. The cart paths are horrendous and are not safe. There is also two very questionable bridges. Maintenance is a must. The assortment at the pro shop was more football related than golf related, it felt like they cleaned out an off brand mall sports store.
The Ugly: They charge a booking fee on their site and don’t book on 3rd party sites. They do not offer twilight rates, and they are overpriced, especially compared to their sister courses. No public course should be priced above Mooresville or Verdict Ridge. Further, Pinnacle has nicer courses in their portfolio, Birkdale, Highland, and The Tradition are all in better condition for the same or less money. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Straight forward course and not terribly difficult - other than the greens, which offer a good challenge. The course is mostly in good condition, even with the recent rain. Can’t say I’ll be making the 45 minute drive to play here regularly, but it’s worth making it out here once or twice a season. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Love Rocky River, especially this time of year. It was cart path only, but conditions were still over solid. Greens weren’t playing as fast as I’ve seen them later into summer, but still offer a good pace & challenge. This course gets more fun the more you play - definitely recommend. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This was my first round back at Birkdale since it re-opened last November. I spent some time before my round chatting with Jeff Thomas, the GM, to get some construction updates and tour the changes to the course, including the new 9th hole.
The $45 million commercial and residential development construction is ongoing and unfortunately, displaced the parking lot and eliminated the course's popular, lighted driving range. For now, you park in a temporary lot and wait for a golf cart shuttle to the clubhouse. The shuttles run continuously and your wait shouldn't be more than 5 minutes. I went ahead and called the pro shop since I was the only one waiting and they had a shuttle right out to get me.
As mentioned, there is no driving range or warm-up area anymore, just a practice green near the 1st tee. So you may want to make plans to stop at a nearby course or simulator venue to get some swings in before your round.
The course layout has not changed except for No. 9. What used to be a tricky dogleg left par 4 with the driving range net along the rightside is now a challenging, long par 3 hole. I liked it. It still has the creek along the left side of the green and two large bunkers on the right side. So the tee shot presents a nice risk-reward decision, especially if the hole is cut on the left side or in the back.
Other memories of this course came back quickly as I made my way around. You can also still hear the buzz of power lines on the 1st and 11th holes. The par 5 5th hole is still the signature hole with a nerve-wracking approach shot over a pond (I put two in that pond for old time's sake). The short par 4 7th hole is another fun risk-reward hole.
On the back nine, the 10th and 18th holes are currently affected by a damaged drain (from the development construction) and so there's no water in the pond that comes into play for the tee shots on both holes or the approach into 18. This is a pretty bad eyesore but isn't affecting playability. It is scheduled to be fixed and the pond restored this month.
My favorite stretch on the course is Nos. 13-18 (the issues on 18 notwithstanding). In particular, No. 15 is a very birdie-able, short par 4 surrounded by large greenside bunkers followed up by the pond-guarded, downhill par 3 16th hole. I birdied both holes in my round so my opinion may be slightly biased. Ha!
The greens are in great condition, rolling quick and true. There was only one exception, the lower portion of No. 18, where geese have apparently damaged the green and left small sandy craters in their wake. This will get fixed but for now they are keeping the pin locations on the upper portion.
Most of the greenside bunkers throughout the course have nice, fluffy white sand in them now, which is great. However, the fairway bunkers and some of the greenside bunkers are still the darker, firmer sand. So the consistency can be tricky to judge.
The rates right now are $65 weekdays and $75 weekends (with no twilight rates, only 9 hole rates). That's consistent with similar caliber courses in the area. However, with the construction going on, no driving range and the drained pond, it's a little overpriced, in my opinion.
All in all, I still love this Arnold Palmer layout and I was very happy with the greens. The inconvenience of the parking situation, the disruption and ugly views created by the development construction and the issues around holes 10 and 18 definitely take away from the experience. But... most of that will improve once the development is complete (within 6-12 months is my guess).
If you are like me and have fond memories of this course, it's definitely worth going back to play. It's only going to get better and it has the potential to be one of the top courses in the Charlotte area again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Every time I play Red Bridge I have an absolute blast. This time of the year is easily the best time to play anywhere in the Charlotte area. However, Red Bridge never ceases to amaze. With great pricing.
The greens were rolling a solid 12-13, and fairways were amazing. The reason this course isn’t a 10 or a 9, is simply because of the lack of scenery. Red Bridge has some pretty holes, my personal favorite is #9, a picture worthy par 3.
As a golfer who has played semi-professional, this course is ideal for both beginners and professionals. I would put it in my top 5 public courses. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
Greens weren’t bad, fairways were as expected this time a year. Course was dry but carts on path only. We left after 5 holes, waiting 10+ mins per shot because the course was so packed, tee times were spaced and seems like they just wanted to make as much money as possible leaving golfers with a poor experience. Haven’t played here in over 10years and now I remember why. Allowing 2somes to go off back to back to back just isn’t it, pair them up so people don’t feel like they have to allow players to play through. We didn’t even try to get a raincheck, wasn’t worth it as we don’t plan to return. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Had the best conditions in months at Skybrook during my post-work 9 holes on Thursday 3/14/24. They were still not allowing carts on the course so it could fully dry, but it's pretty much there now after a week of no rain and warm temps (of course it's raining heavily now as I type this a day later). Contrary to another recent review, there were zero issues with tee boxes, fairways, greens, or bunkers. The course is not "destroyed" and in actuality is starting to add more green as each day passes. There are no ruts from carts in the fairways, although number 6 has a large area or ground under repair between tee and fairway where some work was done to address drainage. All bunkers look like they've been recently filled, although one still had the new sand sitting in an pile but it had a ground under repair sign next to it. Greens were rolling well as usual although they were a little shaggy/slow compared to normal.
Give this course another couple of weeks and it should be in really great shape as the days get longer and temps warm up to help dry it out more consistently. Thankfully, winter golf is just about behind us! Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
I was so excited to go back to this course. We played it in early fall of 2023 and it was a fantastic experience. This was a different story, the course is nearly destroyed. It has been a wet spring and yes it was cart path only this time - but it looked like they lost their superintendent or something because it was in such horrendous condition and not even close to the previous experience.
Tee boxes were a muddy mess with the markers not being moved to dryer areas though easily could have been. The fairways were destroyed with deep cart tracks in the mud and super bad drainage. The greens were mostly in pretty rough shape other than a few of them. bunkers were rough with piles of new sand dropped on them but not raked out.
Disappointed as this was beautiful 9 months ago... Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Greens were rolling true, just a little slow given the recent rain. 9th green is healing from some weird damage across the middle of it, but imagine that will be remediated in the next couple weeks. Always enjoy playing this course, but like most charlotte area courses, it didn't drain well with the rain we had the last few days. Very muddy, but that's to be expected this time of year. Only negative was that the range was pretty chewed up when I was warming up. Scattered divot patterns all over in every spot. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Another fun round at Tega Cay. I need to get out to play it more often. The greens are always rolling nicely and the Carolina Pines / Grand View layout has an exciting mix of scoreable and challenging holes. The course was in good shape despite late winter conditions which tend to keep fairways muddy and the dormant Bermuda rough difficult for chipping. Despite the pricey $64 greens fee for a Monday morning, this course still feels like a good value for the Charlotte area. I'll be back when Spring weather greens up the course. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Course was in decent shape. Some holes didn't drain very well, so a couple muddy fairways were chewed up by carts. Greens were rolling well, despite the occasional ballmark that wasn't fixed. They did have a frost delay (~30mins) that slowed down the pace of play with the course getting a little jammed. Hole 13, Par 4 was the sole cartpath-only hole. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Finally made it out to play Charlotte National and absolutely loved it. The greens are pristine, even at this time of year when everything else is brown. The course is awesome and brings a good amount of thought into club selection and course management due to hazard placement, doglegs, etc. Really enjoyed playing out here where there isn't a house in sight and everyone was so welcoming. Can't wait to get out there again! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time out to Eagle Chase is 2023. As usual the course was in great condition. The greens were receptive and while the speed was slower than the last time I played there, they were still challenging and rolled very good.
We played the course at 6394 yards. A little long for me but my grandson was the host and those are the tees he plays. While I was hitting longer irons and some 7 wood shots into the greens the course provides enough space to hit those shots.
The staff at Eagle Chase is friendly and work with you when there is a frost delay to make sure you know exactly when you will go. This eliminated any group being confused until the tee times were back on schedule.
My favorite hole on this course is the 14th. This hole is set up for a slight fade but don't push it to the right of the fairway, that will put you in the tree jail. The green has a trap guarding the right front but the green is pretty flat so you can play several types of shots into it.
My least favorite hole is the same as the BMan, number 2. This hole has water on the left and no room to miss on the right. The visual from the tee box makes it look like there is absolutely no room to get the ball where you need it. The correct play for me is to start it down the left side of the fairway with a baby fade. The approach shot into the green is slightly uphill with water left and traps around the green.
Eagle Chase is a little bit of a drive from the north side of Charlotte but well worth it. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
First time playing Birkdale. Loved the layout - lots of variety and the course overall was in great condition. The new greens putted great - both speed and condition. New bunkers look and play great. They're in the process of building luxury apartments and a hotel nearby, so no driving range for the time being and a temporary parking area with a shuttle to and from the clubhouse. Decent pro shop, excellent service all around and a nice tavern to have a cold one after the round. Golf carts appear to be new also. I'd definitely play it again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 First time playing here in over 20 years and I will definitely be back. Course was in good shape, really liked the layout, back 9 more than the front 9. Definitely walkable, pace of play was 3 1/2 hrs and only $30 to walk 18. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This was my third time playing Tot Hill Farm since it reopened in September. This course has already been labeled a love it or hate it type Stranz design. I have really enjoyed all three rounds. The review is for our round on 11/22/2023.
The staff is very friendly and work with you to make sure you have a great experience. We were early arriving from Charlotte and they asked if we could go out 30 minutes early to get in front of an outing. This probably reduced our round by at least 30 minutes. Thanks!!!
The course is in great condition. The Zoysia greens are getting some speed in them as they had to leave them a little long when the course first reopened. The 1500 trees that were removed during the work in the summer has resulted in better views of where you need to hit the ball and doesn't "pinch" you in as much. The fairways are generous but it does help if you know exactly were the best angle is to get to the correct tier on the green.
My favorite hole is the par 3 15th. The waterfall behind the green is a great touch. The par 3's on the back nine all have water so make sure you carry the ball onto the green.
This course rates in my personal top 10, which some may question but it is my top 10. Will definitely play again in 2024. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Teed off around 12:40pm but didn't finish until 5:20pm. We had a few slow groups in front of us with no ranger on the course. I don't understand why you have a starter but no on-course marshal to control pace of play. That was really my only issue.
The course was in fine shape, with the greens being very good. I would say they were as fast as they get, but someone else told me they were even faster the week before. So this is a good time of year to play Stonebridge. The greens are in their best condition of the year.
I played with a guy who gives lessons here and so I got a very good rate. I highly recommend playing with someone who works at the course (ha).
Flipping the nines (it's been over a year now) still bums me out because 17 and 18 now are kinda "blah" par 4's to finish your round. I still love what is now the front 9, especially the finishing stretch of 5-9.
Though the par 3 8th still gives me fits. That green is smaller than you think so there's no point in playing to the front or back pins. Just hit a club that will put you in the middle of the green. I wish I could take my own advice more often.
Speaking of the par 3's, I absolutely tanked them all on this day. Two doubles, two bogeys, +6 for those 4 holes. Yikes.
This is a course I enjoy playing, especially the familiarity I have with the layout. It's just gotten a little pricey for public golf. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I meant to post a review last week about the experience of playing the newly renamed Larkin/Fox Den course to what is now known as The 500 Club. Well, with a deep long sighhhh, it was nothing special, considering they have gone up to $80.00 on the weekend. Basically, in a nut shell it was my last time playing there for that price. The new Mach 1 greens were OK, rolled decent and at a decent pace, but IMO, the Mach 1 greens at River Oaks are much more mature, firmer and are quicker and were seeded at the same time. When you put in new greens I would assume that you would make sure the practice putting green would be one of the main priorities. The practice putting green was closed and it looked terrible. Not sure what happened there, but to charge $80 for that course with no range and closed putting green is an absurdity. Just because you change the name "AGAIN" and put down another type grass on your greens doesn't justify that price. The course was in the same shape as it was when it was Larkin. This place was purchased by a group of Daytona 500 winners, meaning a Nascar group, hence the name change according to the word going around. Well, let's say you can't almost double the rate because you put in new greens. The course was fairly empty and we played in a flat 4 hours. Just an FYI to any who will read my review to this point, River Oaks is a far better deal @ $58.00 on the weekends, Tony did not go up 1 dime on the rates after he put in new greens and moved the green on the first hole back across the ravine to where it originally was.` The 500 Club has gotten my last $80.00. Golfers beware!!! Read The Review
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