"Bad, stay away"
Clubhouse is nice. And that's the end of positive things to say Course is in awful shape. Greens are running a 2. Bare spots on several holes. Weeds all throughout greens. Group in front of us took almost 5 hours. Ranger came by once but didn't improve anything.
First of all I love Charlotte National. Very nice people and the greens are always in great shape, I love the layout with some hard and some easy holes.
With that said, the past few times I have been out there I have seen fivesomes on the course. One time there were 4 or 5 groups backed up behind the fivesome waiting on tees. The other time it was a fivsome going from 9 to 10 so no impact on me as I was just starting my round. I am hoping this is not a new policy and was allwed because it was winter, Hopefully this does not happen into spring and summer as my favorite course will be eliminated the first time I have a five and a half round due to a slow fivesome.
Yes they routinely allow fivesomes, even on busy spring and summer weekends. One rumor is that the course owner plays in a fivesome regularly. I will say that even with fivesomes the pace is sometimes OK – they do ranger it fairly well.
I’m not sure what day of the week you were out there but I know on Wednesdays there are a couple leagues that play out there. Whenever they have an off number of golfers they usually make a five some and send that group off first. That allows the league to finish close together without having to wait on the five some to finish up if they fall behind. They like to have some socializing after the round and don’t want any league golfers leaving before everyone has finished golfing. They think this strategy helps. Anyway the foursomes trailing behind are part of the league too (their not mad) they understand the deal. They also have a league on Friday that I know about too. I can’t vouch for the other days of the week but they might have some other leagues too. I would say if you seen a five some and it! wasn’t the owner it was probably a league. They will bend the rules for a league, it guaranteed money every week.
National does have a group that plays with 5 or more from time to time several days a week…the owner is part of this group. I have seen as many as 8 in the group before but I will say in their defense that they are usually on the course at the less busy times (which seem to be harder and harder to find at National). I have never been held up by them and they are pretty much mannerly to the other golfers. I have never had a problem with them and Dave goes out of his way to make me always feel welcome at his course. I guess I am trying to say that it isn’t widespread and doesn’t seem to be an issue with those that play there regulary.
"Bad, stay away"
Clubhouse is nice. And that's the end of positive things to say Course is in awful shape. Greens are running a 2. Bare spots on several holes. Weeds all throughout greens. Group in front of us took almost 5 hours. Ranger came by once but didn't improve anything.