- "Below average"
I heard they are closing for 8 months for a sewer project, hopefully they use that time to fix the issues. The greens are newer Bermuda and were fine (but fast and hard, I like those, some may not). None of the bunkers were playable. Full of mud/water etc. To be fair they might be purposely neglecting them since they will be unused for 8 months, but the price should reflect that.
I love this course design and remember when it used to be top notch. Hope it comes back. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The new bigger greens are taking nicely. They roll true and with the reduced tree coverage around the greens and fairway, the course is in great shape.
I’ve played 3 of the tee boxes and love the different course from each distance. Pace of play has been solid. 4 hour, even a sub 4 hour round!
Really looking forward to how this course plays in the spring. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Another course I used to play but haven't in over 10 years. I really like the layout , the driving range and the practice area. The staff was very friendly. The fairways were in good shape , the greens were fast but had quite a few ball marks and the bunkers were still dealing with the after effects of hurricane Eta 8 days later. Some were still muddy while others were badly eroded. Will like to see this course with the new greens next year but will hate the idea of losing the driving range and turning #9 into a par 3. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Arnie would probably not be real happy with the condition of his course today.
I was able to snag a $35 deal with the GolfNow app and got on for a 130p tee time. I got paired with a guy named Clint who had just retired and moved from California to Denver NC.
He had played before & we're about the same age so it worked out good. He was able to offer some guidance on how the course plays.
I'm sure when this course was first built in 1997 it was considered a premiere course. Not so much today as the years have not been kind.
The tee boxes are good, the fairways are good but the greens were in very poor condition. There were bare spots, un-repaired divots and ragged patches. The front nine was much worse than the back.
I really didn't care for the layout and design of this course. Way too many green side bunkers and the green design and pin placement made it very difficult at times.
The are observing COVID guidelines. The Staff was nice, the Starter was great, the check-in was smooth and easy and the facilities seemed OK. There is a driving range and a small practice putting green area. The carts were clean and in good condition.
On one of the holes on the front nine, balls that are hit from the driving range and are off-line come into the fairway which is very frustrating.
I doubt I play this course again. I was disappointed since I had heard so many great things about the course when it first opened. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Birkdale is in very good shape. Greens are doing just fine in the summer heat and rolled with good speed. Lots of ball marks to fix, but most were fresh and not causing permanent pock marks. Tees and fairways were all good. About the only issue I had was with some of the rough just off the fairway and nowhere near out of play. To the right of #8 fairway really penalized me with tall grass and weeds when I was maybe 5 feet off the fairway for my 3rd shot into the par 5. Right of #9 fairway gets you into a net or an area of rough loaded with driving range balls. This hole will likely be altered next year when they take out the driving range to develop that land. Overall, this course is worth playing right now - which is great news for a course I've been down on in recent years due to poor maintenance. $59 after 1:00 on a weekend is a bit pricey compared to other courses in similar or better shape, but not far off market price these days. Arnie's Tavern is open and they have tables outside overlooking the 18th green -- which is a great spot to relax before or after your round. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played Birkdale this afternoon. Tees and fairways are in decent shape. Some bunkers are better than others. Greens are showing the stress of the summer heat. Lots of bare spots and bumps that throw your ball offline. Also not a lot of consistency in speed from green to green. The starter told me that the club will close this Fall to re-grass their greens with bermuda. Also, at some point in the future, they are going to build a hotel and shops on the land where the driving range currently sits. This project will also take out the 9th tee and fairway. That hole will be converted to a par 3. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Weekday Senior rate $35, replay $15, Played 36, 80 and 83. Course is in great shape. They had dressed the greens not too long ago but they were putting great and the sandtraps showed issues from some recent heavy rain (ponds, etc. were bloated) but you could tell there is fresh sand in all of them and maintenance was out raking them back into shape. Tee boxes, save #10 that gets little sun, were for the most part great and the fairways, rough and fringes were very good. Well worth playing. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing here in years and I was very pleased with the course conditions. Fairways were lush and green , greens were smooth and fast. I only played the front 9 due to weather concerns, lightening in the area. This was always one of my favorite courses in the Charlotte area and I definitely will be back and very soon. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Hadn't been to Birkdale in quite some time, and it will probably be a while before I go back. Course was not crowded at all on a nearly 80° day, which should've been the first clue. Had a coupon and it's a good thing, as the rack rate of $49 would have been way too much to pay for current conditions. Much of the grass was dormant, as to be expected, but the greens were in really rough shape. Bare patches and uneven patches abound. Low areas of the course are still really wet. Staff was great. Range was mats only. Range balls are a mix of old and new. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Birkdale is the perfect example of why I hate the current state of golf. They charge $65 for a course that is very green, but plays pretty terrible. The course looked great- very green, not many issues in the fairways or tee boxes, and greens looked decent from the fairways. In reality, if you missed a fairway at all, you were probably not finding your ball because of isolated dirt patches that shoot your ball way off line, or thick bermuda rough that wasn't that thick at Quail for the PGA. The greens were incredibly soft and a hair furry (read: slow).
I had heard a lot of good stuff about Birkdale, and later this summer I might give it another go, but I am not impressed with the $65 round Sunday. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I last played this course in February 2013 because of the (now) well documented problems. I decided to give it a try to see how it was under new/reorganized management, and to see how "Senior friendly" it is. Some course conditions, and a fairly strong, steady breeze combined for a less than stellar (enjoyable) outing. All of the tee bases are sparse, with no green grass whatsoever. The fairways are brown, but beginning to show signs of greening up following Winter. The greens have been aerated recently, and still have lots of sand on them (Consensus of my threesome: they were slow and bumpy, and made putting quite problematic). I, personally, take issue with the existing sloping of the fairways. It seemed as if, no matter where one hit the ball (fairway, fringe, or rough) the sloping terrain always caused the ball to roll into either a bunker or a hazard. Another inconsistency was that the greens, for being so slow for putting, did not hold approach shots. This was particularly exasperating on the Par 5 fifth hole where my second shot landed in the fairway yet, because of the slope, rolled into the water on the right side , almost 90 degrees from the direction it was traveling when it landed. After retrieving my ball and taking a drop, my wedge shot hit the green just beyond the pin, but continued to roll into the bunker behind the green. In all honesty, I hit three successive shots that were well struck, but ended up with a bogey instead of birdie because of course conditions! I do NOT consider Birkdale to be Senior friendly. First of all, I could not find any marked tees that did not exceed the recommended Play-It-Forward yardage range for my average driving distance (I played the White tees as did my two partners, also seniors). The longer yardages, coupled with the strong breeze severely reduced the number of opportunities for hitting the greens in regulation. Another inconvenience, for seniors, is the inability to drive the cart to one's car to unload after the round. Birkdale does offer a Senior rate of $35, which is not too bad. However, it didn't seem like such a bargain compared to my round last week at Olde Sycamore where, because their greens had been recently aerated, they had a flat rate of $25 for all (and respective course conditions were so much better). Finally, a personal bias - the driving range uses mats instead of grass/sod. That may not be a bother to many golfers, but I absolutely detest hitting off a mat. In summary, it may be another 3 years (if ever) before I return to play at Birkdale. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course played great, fairways, bunkers and tee boxes were in good shape.. bunkers had plenty of sand and were well raked...Greens were in good shape, the only knock I have is that I repaired quite a few divots on the green that were just left there...pace of play was ok, just a very slow playing group in front of us Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I live in Huntersville and was a bogeys to birdies member at BGC. I usually only play 9 hole rounds due to other committments. The only complaint I have is that the greens were recently aerated which I don't have a problem with, but they never told me before I played and they were in really bad shape. The pro shop for the most part is very accomodating to me and my family. I would recommend this course to other golfers in the area. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I have played Birkdale a few times recently and the course is in very good shape. Whoever is running the course now has made great strides to get the course back into the condition most of us grew accustom to when it first opened. Fairways and Greens are great. I noticed an upgrade or improvement each time. I've put in about 4 rounds in the last 2 1/2 months due to my proximity to the course and the improvements they have made. It is worth it. I heard they've started work on the bunkers as well which was the only thing I saw (on a few holes) that needed some attention, but I know bunkers take months to rebuild correctly. PS - Customer Service at the course was excellent as well. Each round my buddies and I finished off with a beer in the bar and their staff is probably the best I've come across this season. I'm very happy to see Birkdale getting back into form. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
This is my first time back to Birkdale since the closure for back taxes. I got a great rate of $25 if that is any indication of how poorly they are doing.
The range balls are junk again the "NEW" ones are already beat up. Many people like myself get a large bucket and just set aside the crap balls. Which are most of them. The range grass was cut, which was nice.
The fairways are NOT greening up, maybe due to the rain, but they look like Muirfield. The greens are still in bad shape from punch marks. The greens on the front are actually pretty darn nice minus the softness and the ballmarks. No one out there cares. Its in such bad condition that no one thinks it would help to repair the punch marks. The course was surprisingly dry, balls were rolling out. EVERY person I spoke to said they haven't been getting paid. I spoke to 4 individuals.
I will not spend more than $25 to play here. I feel so bad for the workers there - because they are trying, there is just NO money being put back into the golf course. I MEAN ZERO!
Also- ZERO playable bunkers on the golf course. I hit the ball in there and had to rake and replace my ball. Read The Review
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- "Average"
The amount of rain received lately has made the bunker maintenance difficult, so that didn't affect my rating.
The greens are coming back slowly, but that is expected. This is what has to be done to keep the greens rolling. So if they are junk for a couple of weeks, then so be it.
The course needs a solid couple of weeks of warm, dry weather to get itself back to into shape. It needs more time now than anything.
The worst part is the ball marks. Guys just aren't fixing them out there, and that is unfortunate.
I'll be back next week. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I review Birkdale often due to its convenient location to my house. This is my third time playing the golf course in the last month and the course continues to wake up from this past winter. The tee boxes are greening up, fairways are looking good, and greens although hard - were rolling nicely. My issue here is the practice area at Birkdale and its poor condition.
They are still hitting of mats which are torn up- I mean they are just horrible. Holes, rips, tears, gashes...you name it these mats have it. The range a balls are tired- VERY TIRED. Very little paint left on them and they don't fly true. I hit a driver and thought I dented the club face, only to watch the ball shoot out weaving left and right about 10 feet off the ground. I had to make sure it wasn't my swing so I pulled out an old XL2000 and sure as can be, it flew like my normal ball flight. These things are bad. Really bad.
The chipping green is in good shape, but the bunker it just compacted sand. Like hitting off of dry dirt. It needs sand. Hell if you give me free golf I will spend a week there getting that practice area in better shape. The putting green is good though, just a few spots of poa.
After my 4/1/13 review I got an personal email from the CT Regional Superintendent describing what they were trying to do with the course and I can honestly say that it is working. The course is improving. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played Birkdale again after getting a good deal on the tee time website. In 1 week the course has really begun to green up and the greens were rolling even better than before. The tee boxes are still needing a little bit warmer weather, but the golf course in general is waking up quite nicely. I had a great round and really enjoyed the conditions of the greens.
Very pleased, will be back. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Booked online for $23 for a 2pm start time. Upon check-in the kid in the pro shop tried upping the price to $39- I called bull and he changed his tune.
The course was cart path only which did slow down play. I ended up only going 9 holes and that was 3 hours! The putting green is almost half engulfed with crabgrass, so that is borderline unacceptable.
Course conditions were a little wet in spots with mostly dormant grass, but bunkers were raked and greens were certainly playable- they were rolling surprisingly fast and smooth for the season. So 4 stars on the greens. Tee boxes have new fresh grass starting to poke through, but look like crap. Huge GUR area short of 3rd green which isn't too pretty.
For $23 I think it was a good deal and would be worth it. Leaps and bounds better than Skybrook. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The fairways were in pretty good shape considering the season and the fact that we had 3 inches of snow the preceding Saturday. 90 degree cart rule was in effect, and was no problem (However, some of the tees are more than a few steps from the cart path, and what may have been saved by driving to your ball in the fairway was offset by walking to the tee.)
The round did not get off to a good start. The practice green was closed, and the chipping green was a poor substitute. I had a decent drive on No. 1 only to wait for about five minutes for a groundskeeper to finish mowing the green. He eventually stopped, and yelled back to me that I was supposed to have started on the back nine. It surely would have been nice if the attendant in the pro shop had informed me of such when I checked in.
Play was somewhat slow (I had been warned that they were running about 15-20 minutes behind), and I was soon joined by another single using a pull-cart. We made up time on the second nine where we almost had the course to ourselves.
My primary complaint about the course conditions is that the greens were very bumpy. My playing partner, who claimed to be a 5-year contract Carolina Trail member, and regular patron of the course, indicated that this was standard and attributed it to lack of maintenance and caretaking due to the financial problems of the Carolina Trail enterprise. However, he did indicate that the latter situation was reportedly improving, and he was hopeful that course conditions might also improve before the end of the year.
Bottom line assessment: A challenging course with fair value greens fee for seniors. I will likely try it again in the spring and/or summer months. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Very sad to see Birkdale in its current condition. The practice balls are so old most of them don't have dimples, the practice bunker was unplayable due to the lack of sand. The practice putting green, as well as every green on the course were saturated with leaves. The bunkers looked like they had not been raked in weeks. Course was packed, but no ranger and the shop at the turn was closed. Round took 5 hours. The disappointing thing is that it appears that little or NO effort is being put into this course. I mean come on, it doesn't take a lot to have someone blowing the leaves off the green. A buddy I played with said he played a muni course in Gastonia the day before and even there they had a guy blowing the leaves off the greens.
Apart from the lack of care, the greens were ok. Pace of play torturous with no ranger in sight. NOT coming back here for a long time. Just not worth it. Sad though as I have always loved this layout. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Gotta give 'em props...Best condition this course has been in in a long time. Except for two, greens are in great shape and faster than I ever remember for Birkdale. Fairways in excellent shape. Many traps still need work, but many more are full of new sand. Maybe they are taking the money they aren't spending on other courses and spending it here? Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Probably the best kept course on the Carolina Trail. I really hope they don't go south. The layout is very interesting and the course plays challenging from the back tees. Greens were in decent shape considering the fact that they were Bent. #10 had some serious issues on the greens, but the rest were OK. Bunkers were spotty, some were decent and some were nothing more than just holes filled with stones. I would come back if they kept up the course as it is. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I got a great deal and decided to,give Birkdale another shot. The greens have improved from midsummer but there are still problem spots. They have lost almost all of the 10th green. I was paired with a Birkdale resident and he said the course is having problems paying its staff like other Carolina trail courses. Too bad because with a little care this could be a really nice course. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
From tee to green it was perfect minus the bunkers. Fairways a 10
Rough 8
Bunkers 3
Greens look 6 but putt an 8
I went in expecting the worst looking at recent reviews but its in great shape considering the stress the greens are under. They don't look good put put better than most in the area. The rest of the course is great. Just under a 5 hour round on a Saturday, I'm a happy camper. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
First time playing at Birkdale. Used an ezlinks tee time so it was very reasonable. Arrived to find tee times delayed 40 minutes becuase of an earlier shotgun tournament followed by a large group outing. Understandable for a Saturday - I guess. It was a terribly slow start (two groups waiting on #2) but slowly picked up.
I really liked the layout but conditions were poor. The biggest problem were the bent greens. They appeared to have been aerated awhile ago but were not coming back. Most were bad - some terrible. I know bent greens struggle this time of year but bunkers were washed out, areas of the course were overgrown, downed trees were adjacent to greens, etc. Unfortunately, this seems to be the level of care typical at Carolina Trail courses. I had heard that Birkdale used to be in great condition under its previous owner and I hope it gets back to that level someday because I like the layout. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in great shape for this time of year. It was nice to play in 60* weather for a change. Greens are well maintained and were cut a bit fast. Roughs were cut a tad bit high. Staff was very friendly, but would have appreciated the marshals to push some of the slower moving groups. I guess 4.5-5 hrs is expected on weekends. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
New favorite course in Charlotte only made better by a great price on EZLinks. Fairways were in great condition, greens a little beat up but still good and the tee boxes showed a little wear and tear. The sand traps were in good shape and that is a real plus compared to other courses in Charlotte that I have played. If you have never played it I strongly recommend you do. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
My first time at Birkdale. Here's My confessional impression. Enjoy.
Being that it's an Arnold Palmie design, you can say it's a players, players course. Everyone wants to play here; players and noobs like myself alike.
Was it worth the hype? Oh it's not too shabby. I don't think it quite compares to Tot Hill Farms up in Asheboro (Why is that course not on here btw?), but it's a beautifully designed course with large, open rolling fairways and a few water hazards. Speaking of, #18 was my favorite hole.
You will drive through neighborhoods, roll across streets and might even get the chance to indulge your eyes in a hot milf, possibly cougar jogging through the streets.
While offering carts with GPS was a biiiiiig perk, 80% of the carts didn't have them. But if you ask and tip nicely, they'll take care of ya. Greens were punched, but they didn't affect roll too much. Strangely, for a course of this caliber, the bathrooms were still pretty filthy.
In short, I wouldn't pay the $69 rack rate, but if you can book a Tee time though EZLinks, it's worth the 40 bucks. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Some small holes punched, otherwise, good shape, played less than 4hrs and greens were rolling. They will be perfect in SEPT. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
The Club Pro had a playing lesson for a 10-12 year old boy and just jumped around from hole to hole, seemingly ending up in front of me every third hole or so. I'd pull up to the blue tees, they would be on the front tee with no one in front of us and go ahead and play, making me wait while the kid slapped it around. Also, informed the pro shop that their water hazards are improperly marked in a couple of places (red stakes where there should be yellow) and they just brushed it off, even commenting that the stakes don't make any difference in the type of relief one takes. All the Carolina Trail courses dropped off dramatically in maintenance once they came under their management. Weeds, thin spots, unmarked GUR, poorly if at all marked hazards, etc. Ask me how I feel. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I went(even though I said I wouldn't) back because a guy told me "Birkdale is in great shape now". If he thinks that is great shape, he must be a member at Sunset Hills.
Pace of Play= A
Fairways= B
Bunkers= C
Green= D
One green is nice and that's hole #9. I came across 3 bunkers that didn't have rakes so they were filled with footprints. Read The Review
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- "Average"
While my score was horrible, the course was just ok. We have gotten a good amount of rain so it was cart path only. The sand traps didnt' hold the water well and we might as well been playing in concrete. Also, they just aerated the greens on Wednesday so they were pretty bad. The one good thing I will say is that we said something to the pro shop and they gave us a $20 off coupon for our next round. Hopefully the condition and my play will be better the next time! Read The Review
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- "Below average"
B-man you are being too polite regarding the slow play issue. In my opinion the BIGGEST IMPAIRMENT to playing more rounds is the pace of play. It is downright RUDE and arrogant for some hack shooting 105 to wait until the green clears (from 280 away) before hitting a shot. AND THEN circling a putt for 8 minutes from 45 feet for triple bogey. I REALLY WISH folks would understand THEY are not on tour and we do not have 6 hours to devote to playing a round. I don't advocate rushing folks, BUT a REALITY CHECK IS CERTAINLY IN ORDER for folks who think it is OK to take 5+ hours for a casual round. Read The Review
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- "Never going back"
The bad rating is due to the General Manager and not the course itself. The front nine was very nice. Our group of 12 didn't get the opportunity to play the back nine.
Wes Jones, the GM met us at hole 10 and asked us to skip that hole and move on to hole 11 because we were 25 minutes behind his GPS schedule. I pointed out the next party in our group was 1-1/2 holes behind us. He said that didn't matter because we were two holes behind the group in front of us. I again pointed out the group in front of us was not in our party and I watched them tee off 36 minutes before us; we had actually gained roughly 2 holes on them. Mr. Jones walked to my cart and began rudely pecking on the GPS time indicator to show me we were 25 minutes behind. At that point, I asked for a refund for nine holes, and our 12 party group left and went to Fox Den.
The Fox Den people appreciated our business and we had a great time there.
I would be remiss not to point out that the rest of the Birkdale staff was very friendly to us. Before I left the course, I asked one of the guys how it was that everyone was so nice but their leader was such a horse's patute. He replied, "they get asked that question a lot".
We were scheduled for lunch and an 18 hole replay so you decide who lost out on this deal.
Just for the record, I later asked the last group in our party if they were being pushed and they replied "no". Irv Looney Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Enjoyed my round here today. The staff was friendly as always and we moved around the course at a good pace. Although the greens weren't pretty to look at (looks like they had to treat some areas and there were light splotches on many greens) and still a bit on the slow side (aerated last month), they rolled true and were consistent. The fairways and tees were in good shape and more lush than most courses this early in the season. A few of the bunkers needed to be raked, not just from earlier play, but because they were wet or muddy. Overall, this is a fun course, with many challenging holes but also some short par 4's and reachable par 5's where you can be aggressive. It also has a great short game practice area. If I lived closer, this would be a regular stop for me. Read The Review
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