- "Best of the best"
Still the best public access course around Charlotte. This is a semi-private course with private club conditions and amenities. Greens are in fabulous shape. The fairways and rough are dormant, of course, but will be ready for Spring. They are using tee mates for the par 3's during the winter months, but the turf mats are top quality, even allowing you to put a tee in them. So they actually play as good or better than the natural teeing ground right now. The work done on the bunkers last year has paid off. The sand is fluffy and consistent and does not get washed out during big rains.
They have also made improvements (or have them in progress) to several holes with marshes and penalty areas like hole #7 – where they are clearing the wooded part on the low right side and will fill in with dirt to guarantee good lies for balls that roll down the fairway slope into the rough. On other holes, they've significantly cut back the brush in the marshy hazards – on #15 you could even walk in there and search for your ball – and that has made a few shots less intimidating (e.g. the par 3 11th as well).
The course's affordable memberships have been popular over the past year or two. Saturday and Sunday tee times are reserved for member play only (since last Nov) and Fridays may soon be as well. The course is definitely worth taking off early to play during the week. So get out there when you can. You won't be disappointed. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This use to be a nice course several years ago, however now it pretty worn from the excessive amount of play in the past 2 years. Good luck even getting on the course since membership totals here have ex’s,oded in the past 24 months. It so busy now they are in the process of going Private in early 2020. No non-members now on the weekend as of October.
The course is defiantly different than most with al sorts of side hill fairways, and un level greens. For the conditions is way over-priced vs all other area course outside Charlotte. Greens in the summer are so quick they are borderline unplayable by summers end. They did spend several hundred thousand $ last winter redoing (and removing numerous) the sand traps. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Greens were slow compared to what they usually are, but they are letting them grow in I believe. Was not able to play #5, due to bunker repair. Still many holes have bunkers under water and maintenance doesn't seem to be touching them until they re-do them, but the ones that are complete, look great. Aerated fairways. Still waiting for some >70 deg weather at night along with the rest of courses in the area to green everything up. Not bad for this time of year Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Introduced a good friend of mine from SC to Verdict Ridge on Tuesday. The course ate him up, despite all my advice (ha). Conditions were good despite the heavy rains over the weekend. It was cart path only but we didn't really encounter any trouble with casual water or muddy lies. Bunkers were okay as the sand had dried out. Tees, fairways and greens are all very lush. The greens were in great shape and rolled quick but not lightning or unfair. It was a beautiful day to play and the trees around the course are changing colors. So the course looks spectacular right now. Check out my Instagram (@charlottegolfer) for pics and vids from my round. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Had the privilege of playing Verdict twice last week with the GM Scott Knox. I even got to meet his dad, the owner and developer of Verdict Ridge -- and former Charlotte mayor -- Eddie Knox. Great man and a great course he built! Verdict is still #1 in my annual ranking of the best public courses in the Charlotte area. The layout is very unique for the area and plays like a mountain course. Extremely challenging with risk-reward holes throughout both 9's. There are a number of picturesque holes, including the signature 9th hole with it's waterfall backdrop behind the green. I love playing here. The Bermuda greens are always in great shape. They also have GPS on the carts and a beverage cart stationed at the cross path of holes 6 and 14 so you're guaranteed two chances to grab some drinks during the round. Top notch practice facility and clubhouse/grill (when it reopens). If you haven't played Verdict Ridge before, go play it when you can. Only about 30 minutes north on Hwy 16 from uptown Charlotte. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Verdict Ridge lived up to my own hype (I ranked it #1 for Charlotte's public courses in a recent article for Charlotte Agenda). Course was in immaculate shape tee to green. The greens in particular were quick and true, just about perfect. While the heat took a nice break on Saturday, they had a well stocked beverage tent set up on the crossing between 6 & 14, which was perfectly situated in the middle of both 9's. The only notable negative was the ground under repair on #7 at the end of the fairway -- my playing partner's ball rolled under the black plastic fence and he got a free drop. Not sure what the plan is for that area right in front of the hazard. The staff was super friendly and I should also mention the practice area has free range balls before your round -- not many public courses offer that. Needless to say, I'll be back many more times this year. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Fairways and tees are in great shape. Greens were running at US open speeds. If you hit the green in the wrong spot above the hole, there are times were your next putt will be off the green. So fast, but a little bumpy/wavy. overall good Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing the course. Really enjoyed it. Free access to range balls during pre-round warmup was nice.. wish other courses would follow suite. Cart, while didn't have GPS, seemed fairly new and had plenty of power. Pro Shop guys were super nice and helpful to a first time visitor. Locker room was very nice. If I lived closer, would contemplate a membership here. Only complaint was they had just sanded the greens, so coupled with the early morning dew, it was a bit messy out there. Having said that, can't wait to go back to play those rolling fairways! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Really great course. Greens were a little slow, but recently punched and growing back well. Balls rolled true. Fairways were perfect. Course is beautiful and well landscaped. Time spent driving to this course is saved by the ability to play a round much faster. Guilties bar/restaurant inside is really nice. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing it and loved it. If it wasn't so far from uptown I would play it more often.
It was windy, so it made hitting fairways a little tougher, and they were a little soft so not much run. The greens were great- quick but receptive. Used to playing on hard greens with little reception so it was nice to get some check-up shots. I love the layout of the course, but wish the Par 3's weren't as long (three over 200yds from the tips) and there weren't so many short par 4s. Overall, I recommend everyone getting out and playing this one. In great shape right now. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I played this course on a Saturday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised with the pace of play! I was able to book a single tee time and didn't run into any other golfers for the first six holes! This might have been due to the first day of college football coming back, but either way, it's always great to find a public course that feels private on a weekend!
The greens, fairways and tee boxes were all in great shape.
This is a great course that I would definitely recommend playing! Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Interesting golf course with some challenging holes. Good fairways, but bunkers are like concrete. Only about 2 inches of hard sand before you hit good old Carolina red clay. The greens are the main issue. I would expect dwarf Bermuda to be pristine this time of year, but these were bumpy, thin grass, and generally unpredictable. Some fast, some slow. Don't waste your money on this dog until they figure out the greens and bunkers. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Finally got to play a round here after 2 rainouts in the last month or so. Tough course. Lots of difficult, blind landing area tee shots and many sidehill lies. The hilly terrain and elevation changes tee to green may give you fits. The course is in good shape right now. The fairways were excellent. The greens didn't all look pristine to the eye (some had brown strips here and there), but they all rolled well. No real complaints about conditions. On the 7th green, the ranger asked our group (which was slow) to take extra time at the turn to allow 2 faster groups to overtake us -- which was fine and handled well. I would play here more often if not for the long haul from my end of town. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing this course and I was not disappointed. However, I was very disappointed with my score on a great course. The greens are probably the best in town. The tee boxes and the bunkers could use some help. The only reason I did not give it a 5* was due to the pace of play. I would definitely like to go back there. The marshals could have sped it up a bit. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Arrived at 7:50 AM for 8:40 AM tee time. Nobody there so they let me out at 8 AM. Got around in less than 3 hours. Fairways were being aerated and a few greens still bumpy, but traps in good shape and raked except for a couple on back side. Pretty well drained with only a few wet areas in fairways.
Looks like fairways had been mowed as there were lots of clippings in clumps. Overall, pretty typical shape for this time of year. Staff and facility excellent. Still one of the best courses in northern Charlotte area. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Greens were punched about 2 weeks ago, and it was noticeable. It was impossible to make a putt under 5 feet. Despite that, the course was in good condition. Bunkers actually had soft sand, and it was wet only in spots. Unlike many, I have never been a fan of this course, but it is always in great shape and is worth the trip out once or twice a year. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played Verdict Ridge for the first time. This is a descent course. The fairway seem to be about the same as what everyone is reporting on the other courses; starting to come in but not quite all the way there yet. The greens were in great shape as far as grass goes but they do have a top dressing of sand on them at the moment. Sand traps had plenty of sand. There’s not a lot of variety in the fairways on this course. Most of the fairways had a sloping left to right slant to them. Basically hit the ball to the hill on the left and let the hill turn the ball back down to the center of the fairway—over and over and over and over x 10. Nice looking club house and friendly staff. They let us on for $39 instead of the normal rate of $49, which was great. $39 dollars for a weekday rate is a fair price for this course. If I would have paid $49 I probably been a little more disappointed in this course. I probably won’t be back to this course for a while due to the travel time to get there for me. Overall a good course in good condition. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Even waiting on every hole, we finished in less than 4 1/2 hours on a busy Sunday. Otherwise, everything perfect. Pricey, but worth it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Verdict Ridge is still an awesome golf course. I have played it many times. Its wide open and I have always enjoyed the design. Everything here is immaculate and now they installed mini verde greens. So if you have played VR before you know what to expect.
Now the reason I am writing this for the new greens. I always thought the old greens were kept in tremendous shape. I agree with the previous reviewer that Rocky Ridge's greens are better, but also slower. VR's greens were firm and a tad bit faster, but you can tell the bermuda hasn't woving itself together yet. This is probably the reason they cut it short. So hopefully the greens can get themselves together before the fall/winter. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
New greens are doing fine. They are just a little bumpy, hence only 4 1/2 stars. They also are playing firm, but are still receptive, far more receptive than the new greens at Rocky River. Everything else was great - the rough is deep but fair, fairways, teeboxes, traps all in good condition. Yes, the price is a premium, but the course is well worth it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This is my second favorite course in the area. ( rock barn being number 1, but thats a hike) The conditions were pristine. Greans were amazing, maybe around a 10.5,which was good. Fairways, teeboxes, and sand traps were all in wonderful shape. If you have been here you know what to expect. An awesome challenging layout with some tricky putting depending on pin placement. I will try and get up here as much as possible before they switch the greens. Also, I couldnt beat the price on a Saturday. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Perfect conditions on my favorite course in Charlotte. I hope they are not making a mistake moving to Bermuda - they say they aren't changing the slope of the greens when they make the switch, and if the Bermuda turns the greens to bricks, like Springfield, the course will go from challenging to impossible. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Finally, finally, finally made the trip to play Verdict Ridge. Glad I did. The course is a beaut with a couple of the prettiest and most unique holes in Charlotte. It plays like a mountain course with hills, valleys and side hill lies aplenty throughout the 18. The first handful of holes were okay but then things picked up. By the time we reached the scenic #9 (see my photo of it on Twitter @charlottegolfer), I was really digging the layout. 16 is another cool one with giant boulders near the green on the uphill par 5. So layout-wise I was impressed. Conditions-wise, I got the sense it was not as lush or perfect as it usually sounds in the reviews. The front 1/3 of the layout was less than lush, with some bare fairway and tee spots - not bad, just not pristine like I expected. The second 2/3 were better. The greens, while there was nothing wrong with them, seemed slower than I expected, probably about average for most courses. I consistently came up short on the course because the putting green was fast and I'd heard the greens were challenging. I imagine they are when they are running quicker. The staff was friendly and the clubhouse/grill is top notch. The round was pricey (rate is $59 on a Friday afternoon?). The guy gave us the discount card for $10 off when I asked about the rate. That's cool but for the long haul to get there (round trip gas for me was probably $20) and the time of day / conditions, not sure the value is there. I'll be back because I liked the layout and found it very unique to Charlotte. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The course was in good shape for this time of year as the fairways are starting to go dormant. The greens were very fast, they looked liked they had been punched recently, but they still rolled smoothly. I had a free pass from points collected on GolfNow so nay free round is enjoyable. Pace od play was good 4 hours. This was the 3rd time I played this course and I forgot I how hard the last 4 holes are. Frankly, I do not care for any of the last 4 holes. All the fairways are crowned and two of greens are blind. In reality the terrain is too rugged and is not suited for a golf hole. The only other knock on this scenic beauty is the 3 out of 4 par 3's from the blue tees are all the same length long 195 yards. I prefer more of variety. Therefore I typically play the whites on only the par 3's thus giving me 7 iron on one, 9, 6, and 5. I do not like hitting a hybrid on almost every par 3. One last note with the expansion of route 16 to 4 lanes and completion of I485 - it is short 20 minutes from Charlotte now. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
We got at least 2 inches of rain on the north side of town Friday so the course was wet and path only. Course is in really great shape. Their club championship is next weekend so it'll be perfect for that and after. They do something interesting with the tee sheet on the weekend. They have ten minute tee times, starting groups on 1 and 10 until 930 and then they don't start anyone else until noon. Seems to be working for them. Fix your ball marks. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Greens punched 2 weeks ago and quite bumpy and sandy, everything else good. Round was $49 and a coupon was given to take 1/2 off a future round before the end of the year - applicable without any limits (weekends and holidays OK). Everything good but the greens - rough was punishing, but consistent. Always a great course even when conditions aren't perfect. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
From South Charlotte take 485 around to 16 north. Took me about 25-30 minutes to get there but I have a bit of a lead foot. I thought the layout of the course was pretty cool. A lot of challenging shots for a guy like me that can shoot 78 and 98 the very next day. The greens on 4, 8, 11, and 15 (if memory serves) had some really rough patches on them filled with sand. Overall it's worth the play but the greens could use some real work right now. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
My favorite course in Charlotte, and I've played them all. But...they must have had some issues around the edges of most greens, because on most greens there were 2-4 feet of sod, very uneven, nearly impossible to roll through, which made just off the green shots nearly impossible. It was easier to hit off these blocks of sod than to try to play through them. Definitely added several strokes and reduced enjoyment of the round. Read The Review
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