- "Great course"
 Love this course. Its a tough track with elevation changes, narrow fairways, and some tiered greens as well. Lots of bunkers protecting landing areas and some other hazards that make you really contemplate what to hit off the tee. It's a residential course so houses are everywhere but that's become the norm around Charlotte so no big deal. I was ambitious and wanted to walk my round but opted for a cart at the turn...just so hilly and some decent distances between holes. Definitely one of the more challenging courses around town to walk! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Finally made it out to Red Bridge and man is it a different course than anything else in the area. After a par 4 1st, there's a run of 3-5-5-3-5 on the next 5 holes that is definitely unique. You want to find the fairway because the rough is thick and will punish you for your misses. Many greens have mounds surrounding them that will also kick you left or right if you miss...and if you hit the greens they were playing very fast. Water is found throughout the course but I avoided it, and only found 2 bunkers that were very well maintained. Fairways and tee boxes were all in excellent condition as well.
It was a unique and challenging track, but I'm not looking forward to the day that construction is complete on the surrounding homes...many holes will have houses right on top of them (each cart has a warning to not cut the corner on 3 as there's a house right at the dogleg). Took 30 minutes to get there from East Charlotte, so not nearly as far as Eagle Chase...a really easy drive down Albemarle Rd. Everyone out there was nice when we interacted, and I'll definitely return! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Played a solo during a weekday and it was pretty empty which I loved. overall the course was in great shape, particularly the front 9. Some greens had some burn marks on the edges but overall nothing to complain about. The only real complaint was hole 12 was going thru some fairway repair so it went from a 350 yard par 4 (from white tees) to a 60 yard par 3. no warning about it from the club house or anything. will return once course is fully back Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Played this on a whim as my earlier tee time finished up very quickly. Thought I would only play 9 but the course was pretty empty which allowed me to race through. This course was amazing but it is a bit a of a drive. The front 9 eases you into the round with some scoreable par 4's and 5's. The par 3 were very challenging for me as I am new to the game and dont have the yardage for 170+ par 3s. I actually ended up doing a hybrid tee round on the back 9, playing the navy for par 4's and 5's and white tees for the par 3's.
Lots of elevation changes keep you guessing and make you think of your next shot.
Course was in great shape as I imagine it looks pretty new. will definitely be back! Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
 PURE. PURE. PURE. Greens were immaculate, running so fast and true. Holding iron shots as well. Fairways were in such good shape. Zero complaints about the course at all. Deer were everywhere as the town of Tega Cay is well known for, but they don't bother you one bit and add to the scenery. I've played Tega Cay 5-6x now and this is the best shape it's ever been in. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I gotta say it has been years since I've played The Tradition. I remember it being a nice course, and today I forgot just how nice it was. Great public course tucked away not far off both the 85 and 485.
It has a nice mix of challenges and good opportunities for scoring; most of which sadly I did not capitalize on. #1 is probably best with a hybrid or long iron; and then on #3 (if I recall correctly) you have a nice and tempting downhill elevated tee box. It has some junk about 310-320 out that a great drive may be threatened by, but it is probably out of reach for most folks. Still, if you're a big hitter that's something to consider.
The rest of the course is a mix of challenges, uphill approaches, and good scoring opportunities. This may have just become one of my "home courses" to trade time.
The only problem was the sand being a little hard. Their sprinklers seem to dump a lot of water into them; it's not ideal. Yet, the rest of the course was in great shape. Not a lot of pock marks on the greens. They were fast and kind of unfair to missed putts lol. Better have your putting stroke in order when you come here.
Hopefully, I can get back into better scoring the next time because today was hot and dismal scoring wise.... I left a LOT out there. But warmup went so well... LOL Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 The new Mach 1 greens were rolling pretty good and at a decent speed. Quiet a few holes had downed trees due to tree removal but were not in play unless it was a real wayward shot. Fairways were nice and full. Pace of play was SLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOW. My group (3some) waited on every tee except 1 and 10 at least 10 minutes minimum and a couple holes 15 minutes. The course wasn't that busy. We tee'd off @ 10:41 am and finished at 3:20 pm. Can't allow "entitled" golfers to hit 2 tee shots off every tee which both ended up OB most times. This place needs a marshal or 2 to keep things orderly and moving along because it affects everyone else. Overall, besides that I'd definitely go back and play. Hopefully, this course doesn't turn into a "money-grab" and just let golfers do as they please. There are enough of those courses now. Hopeffully this is an isolated situation. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Course is in great shape all around except for a few areas under repair on a couple of greens. Starter is always a pleasure to talk to, the ranger was making his rounds frequently and was also very pleasant, even had a beverage cart come around twice which I don't always see here. A very positive experience except for pace. Took a smidge over 5 hours to get through 18 with no stop at the turn. People were late to early tee times which backs the course up immediately. We were constantly on the heels of the group in front of us while also having the group behind us pushing us as well. Have not had this happen before so hopefully it's an anomaly. Planning on going back soon so we'll see. Definitely worth playing though. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Tradition was in great shape. Greens were surprisingly pure. Real fast and minimal wear or ball marks. This course is surprisingly tight. If you hit your tee shot off-line into the trees, good luck even finding it, the woods are dense. The group lost a decent amount of golf balls. All in all, a good course that is worth playing. You can do a lot worse than Tradition in the Charlotte area. Will for sure play again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First day of reopening at Revival after the greens replacement. Lots of other course work has taken place this summer as well. The greens are typical for new greens, still a little sandy and fairly firm. All 18 look to have taken the new grass well; I could find no issues with them. Elsewhere on the course, the tees and fairways were in the best shape I've ever seen at Revival. Bunkers were well manicured with PLENTY of sand in them. Lots of tree removal has also taken place: The right side of #2, between 12 and 13, between 14, 15, and 16, and to the right of 17 green/behind 8 green. The removal has opened up so much of the course. Hopefully it will help get air flow to the greens and other spots on the course that can get soggy and remain so over long stretches. Some downed trees from recent storms are also present, but not in areas of play. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Course was in good shape even with the lack of rain. They're working on the greens; did some top dressing today (but it's Monday). Lots of pock marks, but nothing irreparable. I think the "play fast" encouragement in general at most courses has distracted most golfers from repairing ball marks, but as slow as it was... meh, come on. Tee boxes are good, and the fairways are in good shape.
Overall, it wasn't busy so we took our time, but played at a good pace. I felt like I turned a corner with my game, but then I fell apart on the back 9.. 42 in and then 55 out...... Should have been an 80s level round. Oops. :D Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Back here on 8/28/23 with my golf buddy Ron.
He heard me talk about this place and had seen the B-Man's guide rating this place as #7 on the top 10 public courses in the CLT area.
It was as good as I remember when I first played it 5/12/22.
We were out at 10a on a Monday morning. It was busy but not slammed.
We hit a few balls off the driving range and a few practice putts.
I noticed they have a designated area for chipping which is new and a welcome addition.
Hole #6 is a Par 3 with an elevated green and quite a drop to the green below. It's 142 yards from the Whites/Gold tees.
It's a beautiful hole with a fantastic view in the background.
Hole #13 is a short Par 4, 217 yards from the Gold.
It runs along a lake on the right and has a banking fairway on the left all the way to the hole. There's a green side bunker on the left approach and water on the right as you approach the green.
A note worthy hole which is a lot of fun and great bird opportunity for a Par 4
Hole # 15 is a monster! I hope you brought your hiking shoes!
It's 321 yards from the Gold and there is barely a level spot in the fairway.
It's banked on the right side and a steep grade you want to avoid.
Within about 100 yards of the green, the elevation increases dramatically so you may not even see the top of the pin.
You will def not see the green until you climb the steep hill to get to green level. It's probably one of the most challenging holes I've ever played.
They course was in excellent condition even though they did a 'lite punch' about 2 weeks ago. It didn't noticeably impact play.
The clubhouse is on the smallish side as they don't have a lot in the way of hot food options. They do have a warmer for hot dogs and a cooler for cold sammies.
At $39 for a Vet rate, I thought it was an excellent value.
It's def not a course you want to walk unless you're preparing for a Triathlon.
If you are not fit, I would not recommend playin the full 18 holes in the high heat and humidity of the summer. You'll be OK with the front 9.
Some of the cart paths have new asphalt since I last played though there are still areas on the front where it's gravel only.
They got quite a bit of rain the day before so the bunkers were a little suspect with packed sand though there was no standing water that I could tell as I was only in one bunker :)
It's in the beautiful rural and rolling Piedmont of NC and very remote which is part of the attraction for me. It's a golf trip you plan and not a 'spontaneous' golf outing for most. It's situated in the foothills of the Uwharrie Mountains which has a peak at High Rock of 1,200 feet so that will give you an idea of the elevation.
From my house in Fort Mill, SC it's 33 miles and a solid hour drive which goes through 'downtown' Monroe.
If your coming from Charlotte, you might do it quicker since you can access off highway 74 and if you take the bypass, you'll avoid a lot of the Monroe traffic. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Teed off at 720 am, unfortunately group at 715 am was so so slow. We had to talk to them and the ranger on course talked to them about pace of play. Ended up being 5 hour round in 100 degree heat. The course tee to green was in great shape, bunkers were very well maintained, but the greens had been punched 5 days prior. Didn't get any warning of that until we saw the starter as we approached the first tee and paying full price hurts when the greens are going to be subpar. Very sandy on most holes. Will probably be real nice in a few weeks. Saw the cart girls 4x on the course which was great and the transfusions inside at the grill hit the spot. I've always loved Carolina Lakes, just an unfortunate group to play behind and the conditions of the greens left a bad taste. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Greens - inconsistent, bare, infiltrated with patches of unwanted grasses, and tons of unrepaired pitch markes.
Greenside - deep bermuda very close to greens, sprinkler head areas with standing water, inconsistent.
Fairways - good
Sandtraps - poorly maintained, clientele seems to refuse to rake
Tee box - good on most, a few bare areas
Staff - good, courteous
Amenities - no beverage cart, water on course
Pace of Play - My group was slow and our pace was not good - had to let two groups through during round and haven't had to do that in many years.
In fairness, there appeared to be a tournament played in the morning and seemed to be a charity event which brings in a wide variety of players so not surprised to see the sand and greens in such bad repair. That being said, bare spots and overall quality was expected to be better. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Sifford is such a great option to get a quick 9 in after work. The course was in great shape, greens were a little long and spongy so putts were rolling very slow. Things are usually pretty packed and the holes are right on top of each other so make sure you set your expectations accordingly. The range gets busy, so it's not guaranteed you'll get a spot to warm up but they short game area is the best around. Have spent many hours over there just pitching/chipping/putting and it doesn't cost a dime.
At $25 for 9 holes riding during the week, Sifford is a fantastic value. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 My first time at River Bend in Shelby, NC and... WOW. I'll start with what I paid – $19!?! I got a Hot Deal on GolfPass but even the rack rate of $35 would have been a steal.
Next: the greens. Immaculate. FAST. Challenging. Simply the best putting surfaces in public golf around Charlotte. Period. End of debate. These Mini-Verde Bermuda greens were so good I will put them up against the best *private* club greens I've played in Charlotte – the likes of Peninsula Club, Trump National and Rolling Hills.
The layout is fun, challenging and diverse. Great mix of elevation changes, doglegs, water hazards, short and long holes. Hole No. 5 is reminiscent of Augusta's Amen Corner par 3 No. 12. It is a short-iron par 3 over water, beautifully framed by the pond and three bunkers in the front and a landscaped hill with flowers behind it.
The number 1 handicap hole is the short but uphill par 4 No. 8 hole. The tee shot is somewhat blind because of the elevation change and is guarded by water left and O.B. right. Your approach shot to the huge, shallow but wide putting surface will also be uphill, over a hazard to a perched green where balls that come up short will roll back down the hill possibly into the water.
The tees, fairways and bunkers (I wasn't actually in one) were all in very good shape, super lush all around. Off the fairway, lies were hit or miss and there were some areas clearly marked as GUR (e.g. right of fairway on No. 13), but that feels like a nitpick considering the greens.
One other less appealing aspect of the course is all of the power lines throughout the course. They can even come into play on some holes. A member of my foursome hit a good tee shot on the par 5 6th hole that struck one of the lines and deflected down on the Red tee box. Of course he got to re-play the shot with no penalty but I've rarely ever seen that happen (e.g. Mooresville and Birkdale also have power lines in play).
The driving range is sandwiched between holes 10 and 11 and it can affect the play of those two holes – i.e. don't go left off the tee on 10 or long on your approach to 11. The chipping and putting green was just as immaculate as the greens on the course. So it's perfect for getting your speed down before you play.
Overall, this course is just an exceptional value. In fact, it's not really close to anything closer to Charlotte. If the 45-60 minute drive gives you pause, I would suggest finding a day when you can play 36. You could play here twice or play a second round at nearby Deer Brook, which is very similar in price and conditions.
Look for River Bend to contend for a spot in my 2024 Top 10 list! Go play it! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Had a fun round at Tradition. Conditions were pretty great, the greens were hard and fast...so hard to stick and challenging putts, but they were in really good shape. Pace of play was pretty slow but the starter gave us warning before teeing off that it was a busy day and to make sure to keep that in mind and have fun. Staff here are always great (we saw the beverage cart 4 times during our round), and love that they have cart coolers. There are some blind driving holes that would benefit from a bell to ring once you're clear, but instead you'll have to drive up a bit to watch for the group in front to clear the landing area before you hit.
I always have a good time here, and this was a first time I've seen it this slow so hopefully that's not a trend. I'll def be back. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 First time at Stonebridge this year. The course is in good shape and should be good for a few more weeks, as they postponed their aerification to the week of 9/11.
While the Bentgrass greens had the expected plethora of ball marks, fixing the ones in my putting line was enough to get a very good roll. I think I noticed only 1 putt in my group bounce offline due to a mark the whole round. The speed was good so I give the course high marks on the greens.
The tees, fairways and bunkers were good too. So overall, the course is in great shape for August.
Having played Stonebridge for 2 decades, I'm still getting used to the not-so-new-anymore routing where the front nine is the old back nine. I miss 5-6-7-8-9 being the finishing stretch of 5 holes. It's one of my favorite collection of consecutive holes around Charlotte. Now you finish on two non-descript par 4 holes. Meh.
I'm also still getting used to all of the houses around the course, especially the back nine on 11-12-13 and 16-17. It's just a little strange and makes me fondly remember the old "Amen" corner behind 16 and around the 17th tee when it was nothing but trees. That said, it hasn't really affected the playability of the course as those areas were always O.B. or lost balls – except maybe right on 11.
I still love holes 5, 7, 10, 13 and 16. And I still hate No. 4. You really have to be precise with your line and distance off the tee or you have no chance to hit the green in regulation on that hole.
Back to the greens, they are all virtually flat. Like seriously, don't try to read break into your putts. 90% of the putts you will have on this course will be dead straight. That significantly lowers the difficulty of this course. So if you keep your tee shots in play, you should be able to post a good score here.
Last thing I'll mention is the price. If you missed the memo, Stonebridge raised their prices back in April this year. So this round (11:18am tee time on a Friday morning) was $70, which did not include range balls. There was also no beverage cart on the course. There's no GPS on the carts either. While the course conditions were very good, for this price, the course loses some value compared to other courses around Charlotte.
I enjoy playing Stonebridge and will be back, just not as frequently as I used to. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Returned to Olde Sycamore on 8/13/23, had last been out here in early June.
The good:
-Was able to get a 7:57 tee time 3 days out. Seems like this is the only course you can do that in Charlotte, probably because they're at a higher price point than everyone else.
-Most of the conditions were great, tee boxes/fairways/bunkers were all in great condition.
-Got through 18 in a hair under 4 hours which is awesome.
-Staff were all friendly, cart guys even dropped a cart behind my car while I went inside to check in.
The bad:
-The greens are in horrible shape. It looks like no one has repaired a ball mark in the 2 months since I last played here. They were also really soft so every shot that hit the green left a large mark which probably contributes to the poor conditions.
-The $100 weekend cost is too high for the conditions of the greens.
All in all, this course was always on my list if I was scrambling for a morning tee time on the weekend and everything else was booked. Unfortunately the greens are in such bad shape I'll pass until they get them repaired. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I played TheGrint Tour event here and the course was a great test, as usual. The greens were very, very good – which is the norm here. They were smooth and quick, but not crazy fast. Pin positions were reasonable except maybe for No. 3, where it was in the middle left right at the top of the slope. I think everyone in my group 3-putted.
Tees, fairways, rough and bunkers were fine. No issues. A few holes were cart-path only, which did slow us down a bit. My biggest complaint though was the tall gnarly grass that is just off the fairway on some holes. These areas are not marked with red stakes so if you hit into them it's a lost ball and you have to go back and re-hit (if you didn't hit a provisional). This slowed down many groups in our tournament and made the course artificially difficult, in my opinion.
These areas are prominent and adjacent to the fairway on holes 5, 8, 11, and 17 in particular. I really wish they would mark these areas as hazards to speed up play and make it more obvious what the penalty will be for hitting into them.
This course has a tough closing stretch with the long par 4 17th (including that ball-eating high grass along the left side of the fairway) and the long, narrow, hazard-ridden par 5 18th. My par at 18 felt like a birdie, as it was playing over 560 yards into the wind.
Difficulty aside, this course is a bargain (under $65 weekends) with excellent greens. So it's worth every penny when I play here. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 The more difficult one of the 2 major Ratcliffe courses in my opinion. Fairways and greens had no major issues. A couple of greens could have used a cut but other than that, no complaints. Hole one is by far the most difficult on course. Recommend getting some warm up or stretching in before hand. Lots of elevation changes throughout the course so either club up or club down appropriately. Some of the cart paths are in need of some love but other than that very happy with overall experience. Cooler was taken on course with no issue Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I always loved playing Rocky River, and I still do. This was my first time back in years, and somehow it seemed different. It's amazing how time changes your perception, because it's still the same as it was then.
The greens are in good shape, and they roll true. They are firm, so ball marks are going to be hard to find but I repaired what I could. In fact, I was able to average two putts, and even chipped one in on a penalty hole to save single bogey instead of much worse. Shaved a bunch of strokes off today, but the penalties killed me.
I like the GPS in the carts. :)
Top notch course as usual. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 For $55 on a weekend (Sunday no less) it's a great course. There were some areas that were a little bear on the but mostly not in the fairways. Fairways were firm and in good shape. As hot and relatively dry it has been, the fairways are in as good of shape as I would expect, which I'd say was pretty good.
The greens were super fast and rolled true. Missed putts that were even a touch too fast were punished, but no pock marks to bump the ball around. Impressive to say the least. I started to get in sync with putting later in the round compared to my last round.
The folks there were friendly, so I guess they've improved their customer service. I felt pretty welcome and the starter and ranger were decent folks that got me paired up efficiently and earlier than my booked time.
A note about the range. You'll find it quite a cart drive, but it takes roughly 5 minutes (probably less) from the clubhouse. It's to the right after the cart return heading toward Tee #10. You then bear to the left right before the 10th tee onto a gravel path. You can see it on the satellite, but you'll be driving through spider webs. hehehe
The range appears to be little used, so that's a plus. :D Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Great course and great atmosphere. Greens were punched in early July so they're in great condition now as is the rest of the course. Carts have GPS, score tracking, built in Bluetooth speakers, and coolers provided. Everyone from the pro shop to grill (had an excellent breakfast sandwich too) were super friendly...very much enjoyed my round and will certainly be back. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I really enjoyed the layout. As a new golf who started this summer, the wide open fairways were welcoming. A very long par 3 (hole 17) from white tees (170 yards) was very challenging. Some shorter score-able par 4s are mixed in that help newbies stay in it mentally. Pace was very good and we had our own cooler with no issue. Will be back Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Great conditions. The greens were a tad slower than they were the last time I played here a bit more than a month ago. That was a good thing because the last time they were somewhat solid and I think the aeration obviously worked that out. They're in great shape.
Fairways and Tee Boxes are in the conditions you would expect from a top course. This one is a challenging course. There are a few holes to keep in mind. Keep cart speed in check on down hill paths, as the brakes on their cars are soft.
The aforementioned #2 is indeed a challenge. If anything, you need to aim for the bunker and gently fade it. A straight shot in that direction will not make you pay until you get above 320 yards or so. A straight snot aimed slightly to the right is optimal, but approach with caution as the water is in play.
Another one is #5 that has an island of woods after a steep drop, so keep to the left if at all possible. It takes a 270 yard drive to carry it into the crap. Long hitters are better off with a 3 wood, but a driver on a draw is less likely to be punished. Just not too far left.
#11 is pretty straight forward, but water is in play for your 2nd shot, and a layup is a smarter play. That said, if you want to go for it, pick a little more club and the back side of the green is on a steep uphill, so over strikes won't be punished terribly.
#12 is bloody murder if you miss it anything other than short and slightly left. To the right and it'll bounce out of bounds. To the left and you're hitting it out of the garbage. I missed this one AGAIN today and ended up with a 6. I barely missed O.B. and chunked it out of the weeds with the weed whacker (lob wedge).
#13 is fun or frustrating. It is within reach for long hitters. If taking the chance, the desired path is a fade into the hill so it bounces and feeds into the green. Anything else is 99% going into the water, so you've got to have control; otherwise don't bother. But it's tempting. :D
Other than that, everything else is pretty straight forward. :) It is a fun course, but also very challenging. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Course was in solid shape, but The Divide has a lot of work to do when it comes to customer service. They stack tee times in anticipation of no shows (5 minute intervals), so the first tee was already backed up by 8:30 on a Sunday. Starter is more concerned with being the cooler police than he is with giving pin placements, managing the box, or any other function of his job. When we called the pro shop about slow play, the guy drove out to meet us at the 7th and argued that 2 hours was not slow play when putting on 7. Only saving grace was the back 9 clearing out due to rain so we were able to salvage a 4 1/2 hour round by playing the back 9 in under 2 hours. Unless you want a 5+ hour round and to be yelled at to make sure you don't have a cooler, play elsewhere. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I returned to Tega Cay for the first time in many years. I was impressed.
#1, the greens were excellent throughout both the Carolina Pines and Grande View nines. The Bermuda grass was in great shape and rolled quick and true. Some of the best public access Bermuda greens in the Charlotte area.
#2, the layout is fun. Tons of elevation change and doglegs. Some short holes, both par 5's and par 4's. And several challenging but fair holes, with risk-reward decisions. The Carolina Pines nine definitely has an older, more casual feel to it. The Grande View is in a little better shape and has two challenging holes to bookend the nine.
The price is in line with the value but still steep. $62 for a weekday afternoon is $15 higher than you would have expected to pay a year or so ago.
We happened to play while Ron DeSantis was speaking at the clubhouse (by accident). We could hear him taking questions as we finished up on the last hole. Since we had no place to go, we played the Grande View nine a second time. :-P
Tega Cay also has the Cove nine hole course, which is the more casual nine. The driving range was mats only today and you are hitting off a cliff. So there's no real feel at all for how far you're hitting shots. It's strictly for warming up and grooving your swing. The turnhouse is convenient and well stocked.
Overall, I felt like Tega Cay is right there in the conversation for a Top 10 Charlotte area course, though it's probably just an honorable mention still. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
They had just aerated the greens earlier in the week so they were still not grown back in fully at the time we played. So the greens were less than optimal, but it's just the way it is. I was still able to 2 putt even from reasonable distances, so it wasn't that bad.
The course was strangely damp for 12:45PM and onward, and I don't recall there being any rain in the morning. Although maybe there was an isolated shower. The sand was wet and the fairways had some damp spots. I can only guess they're increasing watering to fend off the heat.
That said, it didn't really impact scoring. My score is all...me....with several holes of just awful play that likely separated me from shooting in the 90s (typical, right?). Had a lot of fun as usual at Red Bridge. I don't recall this course ever really disappointing. It's in 9-10 shape, but the wet sand and damp conditions along with aeration were the reason for the 8.
The aeration is both temporary and necessary. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Not the fanciest public course out there, but they do a really great job maintaining very good playing conditions. A few bare spots are noticeable off the fairways where rough should be, but other than that, greens and fairways are in very good shape. Tee boxes have the normal wear and tear on some of the holes. Always a fun course to play. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Their on-line tee time reservation system works great, they do require a CC to book. Nice to get a Senior discount at $42 bucks with cart for 18 holes.
It was busy but not slammed so the pace of play was very good.
They don't have a dedicated Starter but they announce your start time over a PA system.
It's a scenically beautiful course as it's built around Lake Wright in rural China Grove, NC.
There are elevated tee boxes on the front and back and there is a fair amount of up and down but not excessive like a mountain course.
The tee boxes were well marked and the fairways were wide open on most holes.
There is some trouble on each side for many holes if you're out of the fairway. There were several holes that had blind shots. They have well maintained electric carts all with GPS and video screens that give you good info.
There is a fair amount of water throughout as it wraps around Lake Wright and some smaller ponds are scattered over the length of the course.
Hole #7 is called the War Party. There is water in front of the tee as well as to the left and right of the fairway. It's a 363 yard par 4 from the white tees. It will challenge you.
All of the greens were in excellent condition and rolling true. Not a lot of undulation and most were generous.
For the most part, everything about this course was favorable.
There were just a few things that I was disappointed with.
The driving range was closed for some reason. We never got a clear explanation as to why.
There was only one bathroom on the entire course. There were no water stations and it was in the low 90's and humid. There was no beverage cart so be sure and bring lots of water to stay hydrated.
After playing 18 holes at good pace of about 4.5 hours we all agreed it was a legitimate top 10 course as rated by the BMan and one that offers a lot of value for your money. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played on July 4th. We had a 10:40 tee time (foursome). We started right on time, and we moved at a really good pace. I don't think we waited more than 5 mins on any tee box all day. I'd say 90% of the holes we got there and hit with minimal waiting (1-2 mins). The new greens were just recently verti-cut. Didn't have much factor in speed or accuracy of putts. Fairways were full and pretty plush. Some bunkers needed attention, i.e., 6 inch high weeds around bunker edges. and in middle of some bunkers but that's about it. For the most part the course was good for this time of year. It's been one of my favorite tracks since 2000. Check it out!! Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
There is a lot to like about this course.
It has a mountain course feel as there are a lot of ups and downs with elevated tee boxes and greens.
The course is well maintained in every way.
The tee boxes are all in excellent condition and well marked.
The fairways are wide open and generous.
There are a few that are narrow and you'll be punished for being OB.
Quite a few greenside bunkers and some scattered fairway bunkers.
There is some water with a couple of holes where there is a creek crossing as well as a couple of holes where there is water along the fairway but none that will impede your shot.
The greens are all immaculate and roll well.
They will challenge even the best golfer.
I found the check-in easy and the overall staff was professional and friendly.
The Starter was great with a sense of humor and some good info on bathroom location/access and holes to watch for when you're a first time player.
The electric carts were all clean and in great repair.
There was a beverage cart making regular rounds on the front and back.
They have a great driving range with an elevated tee box that has a dramatic feel and easy to follow your ball flight.
The bar/grill was very nice though I didn't order anything.
I really liked the shady back porch with lots of tables and chairs making great viewing as players roll off 9 & 18.
My favorite hole was #16, a 144 yard par 3 with a pond on the left and one green side bunker to the right.
Just a great overall golf experience that I would highly recommend Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
I am posting this about a month and a half after playing, but I felt I still needed to give Eagle Chase its fair rating. They keep this course in excellent shape. I'll just say that if you're a recreational golfer trying to improve your game, expect this to be an exceptional challenge. It's worth it, though, just for the scenery.
My favorites are #2, #10, and #13. My most hated hole is #12.
#2 is a risk/reward kind of hole, but I like the lure of an elevated box. I'd recommend a 3 wood here if you're better with it than your driver, but a solid driver strike will be rewarded. Frankly, I'd rather play it conservatively. The rewards are uncommon here. LOL
#10 is fun because I almost always bias to the right and almost always get a kick to the shelf before the fairway ends. Then, when I did land it in the mulch, I actually struck a nice iron onto the green. It seems like that hole likes me.....
#13 is another risk/reward lure. Except this one is in full view with a slope toward the water and into the green. A fade off a solid strike with good speed will have a chance at rolling onto the green. 290-295 yards will do it in spite of the posted yardage from the tees. It's just a mis-hit is obviously punished with a penalty.
#12..... Misses are severely punished. Left and you have a difficult downhill chip that needs to drop and stop or it could roll off (and down hill into the crap). Misses right are in that crap, or at least an up-hill chip. The latter is about the best miss scenario other than missing short. Obviously, the water is in play, but frankly is irrelevant since it takes an accurate shot. This hole is cursed for me. LOL
Overall, most of the holes are a mixture of risk/reward and some fair chances at a good scoring hole. Overall, it's a 9-10 type of course, but it is very challenging. The greens tend to be very difficult to hold, and that can be frustrated. Even a skilled golfer needs to be prepared if it is the first time playing Eagle Chase. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course was in very good shape - Greens 9/10; Fairways 8/10, Bunkers 9/10, Tee Boxes 6/10. We were able to get a cheaper internet rate, but it goes through a third party and your card is charged immediately. If you need to cancel or raincheck it has to go through that venor, not Stonebridge. But it did save us about $22 per golfer. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This is one of the top three courses in the Charlotte area in my opinion and again it did not disappoint. Greens were smooth, FIRM and fast. Fairways, bunkers and tee boxes were in good-great shape. I love the layout and love walking this course. Just an FYI, we had a 4:10 tee time and when I booked it online the twilight rate for a cart was $55 and the rate to walk was $60. I called the pro shop to confirm the walking rate was higher than the cart rate, I was told yes it was and I could pay the cart rate and walk instead. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This is purely about the rates.
Ridiculous.
$90 for a good, not great golf course is causing us to look elsewhere.
Just an observation but there were plenty of tee times available last Sunday AM and that is normally sold out. Go look today, there are plenty of tee times available this weekend as well.
The consumer has spoken. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I had stopped playing this course years ago because of the very poor playing conditions and management still charging top dollar. Complete turnaround so far. Greens (which were previously the biggest issue) are back to almost perfect condition. Everything else was in great shape. It was a charity captain's choice event, so the pace a play is not a true representation of a normal round. Will start playing there again if these conditions stay consistent. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
 Rock Barn continues to be my favorite course within an hour of Charlotte – and it stretches that radius to the max as it's located in Conover just west of Statesville. The course is well worth the drive, however, and the price. At $65 for a weekday round and $75 on weekends, Rock Barn is still a great value for what you get.
The Tom Jackson course is the public track but the resort also has a private Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course for members only. Both courses share the same clubhouse and practice area, which are resort quality. The practice putting green is by far the largest I know of in the Carolinas and it allows you to practice those 200-foot putts if you want a fun challenge.
The Jackson course is a par-71 layout that tips out at only 6427 yards. So you may feel it plays short, but your first shot will have to carry 180-200 yards uphill across a hazard to reach the short grass. Several holes feature dramatic elevation changes, both downhill and uphill on tee shots and approaches.
With the shorter length, you get some fun risk-reward choices throughout the round, none more exciting than the 10th hole. This downhill then dogleg left par 5 is one of my favorite public course holes in the area. If you hit a good drive, you should only have 200 or less yards to reach the green. However, that shot will be 90% carry over water! I didn't trust my 210-yard carry and so I laid up to about 80 yards during my round to give myself a birdie putt.
One of the signature stretches is Nos. 5 and 6. No. 5 is a narrow par 4 tee shot with a severely downhill approach to a green that falls off the back into a pond. That same pond surrounds the front and right side of the par 3 No. 6 hole that plays dramatically downhill. And speaking of dramatically downhill, the par 3 9th hole is another long tee shot over a hazard with a 100-foot drop from tee to green.
The back nine closes with a fun stretch from Nos. 15 to 18, again with elevation changes and ponds in play. The closing hole requires an uphill approach shot to one of the largest greens on the course that protects par with a two-tiered, back-to-front steep slope.
Overall, this layout is very memorable and fun to play, which is one of my criteria for the Top 10 list. The course is part of the Rock Barn Resort & Spa and so the amenities (which include a very nice public bar/bistro and a members-only restaurant) are top-notch. Your range balls are included in your round, making the price even better by comparison to other Charlotte courses that charge another $6-$8 for a bucket.
Not to give too much away (the new Top 10 list will be out in a few weeks) but Rock Barn was No. 1 last year for good reasons and not much has changed.
NOTE: the course will be aerated next week. So give it a few weeks to recover. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Good to be back at Red Bridge after almost 2 years. They had some maintenance issues in the summer of ‘21 and so it had been awhile. I still love the layout and a few of the holes stand out as very unique to Charlotte.
I was playing in TheGrint Tour’s two day Spring Sizzler event (Oak Valley was the day 1 course). We were playing the Black tees (just under 6800 yards) and that was a first for me, playing the tips here. I’m not a long hitter so this made it extra challenging for me today.
From the Black tees, several tee shots require a 220-240 yard carry to reach the fairway (!). With houses and backyard fences now guarding the dogleg on the par 5 third hole, it can be a very intimidating tee shot. Speaking of those new housing developments, Out of Bounds stakes now encroach very quickly on the left side of holes 3 and 4.
With the layout featuring five par 3s and five par 5s, it feels fun and score-able (just not from the tips!). A few years ago, they redid the bunkers British Open style on the signature par 3 9th hole and it’s a very picturesque hole now.
The short downhill dogleg right par 4 17th is still my favorite though. Lots of risk reward on both the tee shot and the approach, with a creek and a pond threatening those shots.
The 600+ yard par 5 18th is the longest hole in the Charlotte public golf landscape. From the tips yesterday, the GPS on TheGrint app showed it playing 627 yards (!). After my tee shot got into trouble left forcing me to punch out, I managed to reach the green in *five* but missed my bogey putt. [sigh]
The Bermuda greens were quick and in good shape overall. Although most looked like they had been raked (?) when they were last aerated and most had several old cup scars, they rolled true. A few of my competitors thought they were bumpy but I guess everyone’s mileage varied.
For the price, conditions and the fun factor in this layout, Red Bridge is worth playing and in the top 15 tracks in the area. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
The Divide is trying. I can say that. But it's a work in progress with ways to go. They have an amazing range. And greens and bunkers were for most part solid. They are currently sodding some tee boxes. Everything else needs major work.
I love the layout so I hope it becomes what it has potential for. And it's close to fair for the price.
What we didn't like was zero ranger influence. Our front 9 took 2:10 (fair on Sunday). The back we got stuck behind a couple who was clearly new to golf. That's understandable but they wouldn't let us play through even when we asked, were waiting for par 4s and 5s to clear for long 2nd shots in, etc. Back 9 took over 3 hours. No ranger to police them. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Course was in pretty good shape, greens were a little slow, likely because of all the rain the 24 hours before and the morning dew, got a little faster on the back 9. Some sod and mulch work on the first 4 holes to get rid of a the hard pan has improved the look, still too soon to tell how it will hold up. Always enjoyed this course and grew up playing it, but between reversing the 9s and the weekend price going up to $90, it’s lost its value to me. Trips out here will be less frequent, but still worth playing if you are in the area and don’t mind paying a premium. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Some of the best greens in the area, course always seems to have some drainage issues and some spots that struggle coming out of winter, consequently a lot of areas marked as GUR in the fairways, but outside of the rough spots the course is fine. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Showed up early for an early morning tee time. They're doing a lot of construction/upgrades, but there was no driving range. Many of the bunkers were under construction and were free drop areas. The course drained pretty well, especially after the heavy rain the week we played. Greens rolled well. Had a lot of fun at this course and will drive up to Statesville to play this again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
My first trip back in over a year. Carolina Lakes got a lot of bad reviews last summer when they had issues with their Bentgrass greens. Not only did they suffer in the summer heat as Bentgrass can do sometimes but they had some sort of fungus or disease.
I'm happy to report that the greens are in fine shape with no major issues. The greens were very consistent with good speed (not slick but not slow). I saw very few problems on any green. I wouldn't say they were perfect (I have been spoiled at Longview), but by comparison to say, Olde Sycamore, they were better. I think Edgewater's Bentgrass greens were smoother and quicker, but not by much.
There were a few holes on the back nine that had areas in the fringe and within a few yards around the collar of the green that were dotted with clumps of poa annua - similar to Edgewater. I didn't notice this problem on the front 9.
Tees and fairways were good with a few exceptions. The fairway on the par 5 13th hole (one of the signature holes, I might add) was dotted with burnt out spots, almost like winter kill scars. It was more of an eye sore than a problem that affected play, though it made for a thin, hardpan lie if your ball was sitting directly on one.
I really, really love this layout. It is one of my favorite public tracks in the Charlotte area. I started on the back 9 and was reminded how tough those first few holes on the back really are. The 10th hole is a long dogleg right par 4 that requires a very accurate approach. The 11th hole is a short dogleg right with such a sharp left to right sloping fairway that it is extremely difficult to hold the fairway. The par 3 12th hole requires an all-carry tee shot of at least 135 yards (depending on your tee) to a wide but shallow green. Just some nervy shots to start your round (or rather your back 9).
The stretch of holes 13-16 is picturesque and breathtakingly dramatic. The par 5 13th is reachable with two good swings but the perched green is protected by water on 2 sides. The par 4 14th is a dogleg right that climbs steeply uphill to a large two-tiered green. The short par 4 15th is a driveable dogleg right but you have to challenge the pond and fairway bunker on the right side to get there. The long par 3 16th requires a 160+ yard carry over water and a murderer's row of bunkers protecting the green. Just an exhilarating stretch of holes.
The front nine is similarly fun and varied with elevation changes, hazards, doglegs and tricky greens. My favorite hole on the front is probably No. 9 with bunkers protecting the dogleg right and the opposite side of the fairway. You can't see the green from the tee, but big hitters who can cut the ball left-to-right have a chance to get close with a good drive.
Overall, I was happy to return to Carolina Lakes and play this layout again with greens in good shape. I worry about the Bentgrass surviving the summer after last season, but right now the course is in very good shape.
The course still ranks as one of the more expensive ones in the area ($49 for a twilight weekday round felt pricey), but when conditions are good, it can be worth it. And right now, it is. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I've played this course many times since I retired about 2 years ago.
Especially so since COVID.
This year, I decided to become a member.
As a Senior, I like this course because you really can't get into a lot of trouble.
There are some creek crossings but not too much water comes into play.
Not too many fairway bunkers and not many around the greens.
The fairways are wide open, it's well maintained and a great value overall.
They have a Starter, Friday to Sunday and the pace of play is well maintained.
On a busy day, they have a Marshal who will cruise the course to ensure pace of play. They are always willing to give you an update if it's going to be backed up
The greens are well maintained and they change the pin placements regulalrly.
It's always well staffed and the food is good with lots of options.
You can call ahead from the 9th tee and they will have your food ready at the turn. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Edgewater has always been one of my favorite layouts with excellent Bentgrass greens. Playing yesterday afternoon in a tournament with TheGrint Tour, I can say I still love it and it shows! I shot one of my best rounds of the year with my career lowest putts for 18 holes (25). This review may be a tad biased due to that, but I will be frank about a few things.
The greens were in very good shape overall. While the putting green seemed furry and on the slow side, the greens on the course were quick and rolling true. These greens are very large and while there were one or two with burnout spots, they did not affect play at all.
The one issue that *did* affect some play though was the clumps of poa annua grass just off the greens around the fringes. These were common around most greens and they had not been treated or buzzed with the mower. That meant that if you were a few feet off the green your putt or chip could be bumped off line. For those of you like me who putt from off the green whenever possible, this was especially problematic. I ran into this on at least 2 holes (15 and 18) but saw it affect my playing partners a few times as well.
Tees and fairways were fine. The bunkers were like beach sand. While they were very consistent that way, it was difficult to not hit it heavy each time.
A few comments about the layout. The 1st hole is a medium length par 4 that is steeply downhill and very drive-able for most players if you catch the right bounce. If you catch the wrong bounce, however, you could get lost or deep into trouble. So be careful with that tee shot.
The 7th hole is my nemesis hole here. It is a downhill, then uphill 90-degree dogleg left with a pond guarding the corner and thick trees (and mud) to the right of the cart path if you bail out. I was in the latter this time. Just a very challenging tee shot for players like me who hit a cut.
The 8th hole is a benign looking par 3 with just a bunker front left. However, beware! Any shots right or long will bounce or roll down over the cart path into a drop-off ditch that is not playable. In my opinion, this area should be marked as a lateral (red) hazard but is not. So you are re-teeing if you hit it there. Several other holes have similar woods or marshes and were marked as lateral. This one should be as well. And I'm not just saying that because I made triple bogey here (promise ;-).
10 is a lo-o-o-ong par 4. In my tournament we were playing a mix of the tips and 2nd tee from the back. The tee marker said 419, but into the wind and uphill for the approach, this hole played like 450, 475 today.
I love the closing stretch of 15-18, with the long, downhill par 3 15th, the long par 4 16th, the short, eagle-able par 5 17th (which I've eagled before), and the tough par 4 18th with two large pine trees just in front of the fairway, forcing you to pick a side and then work the ball one way or the other to hit the fairway.
Edgewater still ranks as one of the best public courses within an hour of Charlotte and right now it is in very good shape (the poa clumps, notwithstanding). Read The Review
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- "Great course"
One of my favorite layouts and again it did not disappoint, Bunkers were in excellent condition, just wish there were more of them, kidding of course. Greens were smooth and very firm. Fairways were rock hard and can really use some rain that is predicted for Saturday. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Have returned to play here a couple more times this spring. Not a lot has changed except the bent grass greens were very firm, which I found odd. The course will be closed all summer until post Labor Day for green conversion and they are operating on 16 holes until mid-june when the conversion starts as they are reconfiguring 2 holes currently. It is my hope they alter a couple greens during the renovation. Greens on #6 & #9 need restructuring since many near perfect approach shots, even many putts, end up in the creek or marsh hazard due to their current lack of fringe and slope. Most Fairway grasses this last visit were fine, except for the landing areas on #10 & #14 where ALL the cart traffic is directed. I was hoping for cleaner Golf Carts this year however they were nastier & more grimy than before. Hopefully after all the construction is complete .. next year these things will get the attention they need. Read The Review
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- "Average"
A little disappointed in conditions. The front 9 greens appeared to be recently verticut. The grooves affected your putts, but they left the waste, cut grass on the greens. This made you putting difficult to read putts as the loose grass and the cut lines into the grass.
As always there the tee boxes need plenty of growth. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Been awhile since I've gotten back out here. I used to play this course frequently about 15 years ago or so, but not so much anymore. Olde Sycamore is one of the last holdouts among public courses in Charlotte with Bentgrass greens (Stonebridge, Emerald Lake, Highland Creek, Carolina Lakes are among the others). As greens fees have gone up the past few years, it's been more difficult for Bentgrass courses to compete with the nicer Bermuda ones (e.g. Rocky River, Skybrook, Mooresville, Verdict Ridge, Warrior, etc, etc).
So while I would say Olde Sycamore is in very good shape for Olde Sycamore, it is just middle of the pack for your public golfing dollar. In fact, it's pricey for what you get in comparison to the market. It was $55 for a weekday morning and I've heard from folks that it can push $80-$90 on weekends. That's outrageous, if true.
Back to the conditions, the greens were fine. There were several greens with bare dirt spots but most were near the edges and holes were cut to keep them out of play (No. 11 was the worst example). No ball mark issues for now and the greens were lush. The speed was decent. Not really fast or slow.
Fairways and tees and bunkers were fine. There was some work being done to clear trees and other brush (Hole No. 5) in some places, but we didn't encounter any issues.
Layout-wise, this track is unique. Tons of doglegs and layup tee shots. If you are a long hitter, you don't have to hit driver literally all day, but definitely shouldn't on Nos. 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 15. That's 2/3 of the par 4's and 5's! I remember I used to like that when I didn't hit driver very well. Now though, the course doesn't play to my strengths as much.
The course has a mix of everything with the doglegs, elevation changes, ponds and fountains, creeks and rocks. It plays *very* different from the Gold to the Blue to the White tees.
As for the tough holes... No. 3 is a tricky target tee shot with OB right and trees left and then a valley in the fairway where you want to land a good drive. That leaves you with an uphill approach to well bunkered green. No. 15 is similar on the back nine. Downhill par 4 with the fairway running into a hazard, then a long-ish uphill approach to a big green with bunkers all around.
The par 5's are all gettable though and the par 3's are fairly benign. Generally speaking, if you are swinging well you will get rewarded here.
Overall, this is a fun course to play and it brings back memories for me. So I will return once or twice a year. Now's a good time to play it but don't pay $70+! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
First time playing Red Bridge Golf Club in over 10 years. I was surprised by the build up in the area and the sign on the back door requesting golfers not cut the corner on #3 due to houses.
Course conditions were good. #3 fairway had a burst water pipe which made the fairway about unplayable but that we the only water situation on the course that I saw, which was pretty good considering the downpours we had over the weekend.
Tee boxes were thin on grass at times. Greens were good. Approach shots held the greens well and putts tracked pretty good. Sand traps were average.
It seemed like pace of play was slow but we finished in 4:39 which is only 9 minutes over the posted pace of play. Course was very busy today.
I will go back and play the course again. Very good value for the price. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
RIverBend YMCA is one of the best, I have lived behind the #2 tee box for about five years now, but have played this course for the last 25 years. I think it's in the best shape now that it has ever been in.
Phil (Wallace) and his staff have the course in top shape. If your in the area its worth a day to come out and give this course a play. You will come back.
RT Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The improvements on the course continue. A lot to tell here.
First, the course is closing around June 12th to re-do all of the greens in Mach 1 Bermuda (I think that's the right kind, it was used at Streamsong) with the plan to re-open around Labor Day. Some updates to the clubhouse and driving range are also part of the plan.
In addition, they have been building new tees on several holes (back tee on par-5 18th, new tee to stretch par-3 11th to nearly 220! if you are brave, new tees on 3 open for play). A lot of sod has been put down in places to fill in bad spots and around tees and greens.
All of the tree stumps that were still there a couple of years ago from the removal of hundreds of trees on the parallel holes 12-15 on the back nine have been removed.
And finally, they have begun work on moving the 1st green back behind the pond where it was originally and moving the 8th green back and to the right to a higher spot to avoid the flooding problem the creek on that hole has presented over the years.
This course is a great value and definitely worth the drive to get there. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This continues to move up my list. Everything is coming together. Course knowledge helps on a few of the tee shots. Especially 10, feet here you need to play the tee shot further right than you think it the slanted fairway will push the your drive into the trees. The greens were tiling great, but a little slow. You need to land in the correct areas or you’re three putting. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played Rocky River as part of a Grint Tour event. Greens were in great shape as always, as they are consistently some of the best in Charlotte. There were some areas of the fairways and approaches that were surprisingly in rough shape for Rocky River's standards, with very little grass or some even just bare dirt. Surely will grow in as the season progresses. Round was pretty slow paced at around 5 hours, but that is somewhat expected during tournament play. Overall, still one of the top tracks in Charlotte. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
It was cart path only. Kind of surprising, but there were several areas that still had standing water. The greens were smooth with a few spots of grass growing in them. The traps are need of some upgrade. They were very hard and appear to not have been raked in awhile. This used to be the premier course in Union County. It’s slowly declining. Still a good course at this time. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Got out to Springfield as I make my rounds for the updated Top 10 list (coming in May). This course has never left a great impression on me but I tried again to see if I could come to appreciate it. I made some strides in that direction, but a few things keep this course just outside my Top 10.
The greens are in great shape and I don't remember them not being good. So in that regard, the course is a good value every time out. Almost every one of these Bermuda greens is elevated and sloped or crowned. So they can be very tricky to hold and to putt when they are slick. Today they were quick but not silly fast.
The dormant Bermuda fairways make this course play hard and fast. With all of the slopes and elevation changes, your ball can bounce or roll out of play quickly. That can be very frustrating and make the course play very difficult at times. Several holes play severely uphill, making them play much longer than the yardage (and several par 4's are already over 400 yards from the Blue tees).
So, from a layout perspective, this course is very challenging. From a conditions perspective, outside of the near-perfect greens, the tees, fairways and rough were just okay. Thin, sometimes bare dirt lies. A few fairways had patches of weed grass throughout. The course is using the Cart Path Only rule until May. On a dry afternoon, that was no fun. That also meant the fairways were dotted with unfixed divots.
The rate was only $40 for a weekday afternoon (2:30pm) and that felt like a good value. Checking a few other courses online showed $50-$62 rates for the same time.
My primary reason for not ranking Springfield higher is that there are very few memorable holes. The long dogleg left par 4 No. 9 is probably the signature hole (it would be a great finishing hole).
I rate Springfield as one of the better but not best public courses in the area. The price puts it in the value half of the courses in the area. With very good greens, Springfield is definitely worth playing. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Mooresville continues to be one of the best values in the area. $34 for a weekday afternoon is very good, especially given the conditions/amenities. So my 4.5 star rating is based on the price and the greens more than anything. Speaking of, the Bermuda greens were near perfect. Slick and smooth. The fairways were extremely wet and muddy and it was cart path only. So to be honest, it's not the best draining course around town (especially hole 1).
Pace of play was solid despite the cart rule, though we had a twosome and single in the two groups directly behind our foursome. Seems like the twosome and single should have paired up so they wouldn't be waiting on us, but to each his own. By the back 9 we were waiting on almost every hole. High school matches were teeing off No. 1 when we made the turn and I believe the course let a group out in front of us on No. 10. So that slowed us down a tad, but it wasn't brutally slow.
I did not notice any significant changes to the course since last season. We played the tips and given the wet conditions, several holes played very long. I seemed to shoot about the same score I would normally expect. So I was kinda surprised that it didn't seem brutally difficult from back there (6800+ yards).
I do like the diversity of the layout. Some folks don't like the back 9, but not me. I appreciate the full 18. There's a great mix of easy/difficult holes and risk/reward. Some holes seem quirky (Nos. 4, 13, and 16). Others are just difficult (Nos. 5, 11, 17, 18). But overall, I really like this course. It will once again rank highly in my Top 10 list. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Played Sapona for the first time in early March. Course knowledge is everything on this course, as there are lots of tee shots that end up in blind landing areas or where fairways run out and you need to hit less than driver. Driver is not needed on several of the front nine holes, as hazards or doglegs make it a risky play. The course was in good shape for early Spring, and according to their member newsletter, work is constantly ongoing to make even more improvements. The day I played there were 3 holes that were CPO, even though it wasn't wet, but this illustrates their desire to make improvements that are lasting. There is water on several holes sometimes in the form of creeks, occasionally in the form of ponds. The tees and greens were in good shape with the dormat grass. Greens were in great shape. The practice area is good, and the staff is friendly. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I’m starting to get a little disappointed in Monroe. Being the course I grew up with and knowing its potential, they’ve let the conditions drop the last couple of years. The fairways are struggling to keep any grass and there’s several worn areas where the water has come through.
The greens were slower than normal, but rolled nicely.
It is still a course I recommend playing. Hopefully, they will put more money and effort to regaining their he condition from a couple years ago. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Trending in the wrong direction. Greens were fine, bunkers were decent, and the TopTracer range is nice. Rest of the course is in bad shape. Not worth close to the $70 rack rate. The range was also full which allowed no warm up prior to round. Pace of play was surprisingly slow for carts on fairways. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played Warrior this afternoon in warm but blustery conditions. The course is in good shape currently, with a few projects underway to improve the course even more. They are making improvements to the driving range area. They are also in the process of removing trees in areas that may not necessarily be in play, but are areas where a lot of tee shots end up. This will allow for faster pace of play and the chance of playing a recovery shot as opposed to a lost ball. The one big project underway is the renovation and repositioning of the bunkers on the par 3 6th hole. The two large bunkers that were on the front left of the green have been removed. In their place will be two smaller bunkers that are directly in front of the green, as well as a small pot bunker to the left of the green.
As for the rest of the course, the greens are in great shape, and roll faster than anything else in the area. Teeboxes are a little beat up, but they are moving tee markers around to utilize better areas of turf. Fairways are in good shape, and you get good roll on the dormant grass. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Still a very nice course. It was cart path only. Not as pristine as it used to be, but a very good municipal course. The greens were slower than usual, but rolled true. I recommend this course to anyone. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I was disappointed. We were instructed cart path only. I asked the started why since there was minimal water around the course. He said their carts wouldn’t hold up charges for a full 18 holes. They were trying to save the batteries. Buy new carts!!!
The course itself was in ok shape. The greens were on the slower side, but rolled nicely. A little overpriced in comparison to other area courses. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The course was in really good condition. Greens were excellent, albeit hard due to the winter temperature. A few of the sand traps needed some attention as were still suffering from the previous day's rain. All in all the course was really good for a January round. Pace of play wasn't bad at all even though we were stacked up a bit due to the frost delay. And no one chooses which course to play based on the cart paths, but holy cow are those paths in bad shape - make sure your bags are strapped in tight!
Would I go back, for sure. The layout is fun, with some very challenging holes, but not so hard that even a mid/high handicap can't enjoy a round.
The price of a round has really increased, presumably since the addition of the covered TopTracer technology bays recently added. Those were definitely cool, but you'd think for the price they're charging for range balls (you can use the tracer technology for no additional charge when you get a bucket of practice balls, though only half of the bays have the tech installed currently) would more than cover their recent tech spend.. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Fun layout and the zoysia greens are solid. Little firm as they are new and it's been cold. Practice facilities are solid as well.
Fairways and bunkers are what you would expect for this time of year and all the rain.
Areas around the tees, fairways, and greens have some pretty significiant issues but if they can improve upon these in the spring this might get back into a regular course for our group.
It was cart path only so giving the pace of play a bit of a break but even so it was brutal. We teed off just after Noon and barely finished before sunset. Lots of log jam on last 4-5 holes. (To be fair group in front of us was playing it back and we didn't see a drive go over 220) Read The Review
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- "Below average"
The Divide has a lot of work to do to get back to it's roots. The majority of the tee boxes are ruined and all sand/dirt. Most of the cart paths need full replacement and they are charging way too much for what this course is. For $70, i expected them to spend more time and effort on making all aspects of the course nice. All they did was replace the greens(which they should have done a long time ago) and add a Top Tracer range and that still doesn't justify the cost of the round. I know Charlotte golf has almost doubled in price during Covid, but it should reflect the quality of the course, and not just because people are willing to pay. I love the layout of the course, but i wont return due to the lack of maintenance and the cost. Read The Review
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- "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"
Played Eagle Chase for the first time yesterday. I had heard about the elevation changes, but I wasn't expecting as much as I saw. If you're a straight hitter, you'll have no problems here. If not, plan on losing balls. The Bermuda rough can be brutal, and if you get in the thick stuff, good like even finding your ball. The layout is spectacular. Can be difficult but fair. The greens were a little slow for me, but they were smooth and true. The undulations in the greens were problematic for me, but it will take quite a few rounds to figure them out. The staff was very friendly a professional. I had read some complaints about the marshals, but didn't even see one all day. On the drive out to the course, it's quite a nice drive through the NC country side. My wife jokingly said "wow, this is in the middle of nowhere". I said, "I know, and I think the zip code is EIEIO". Looking forward to coming back soon! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played in TheGrint Tour's season opening event yesterday at Sapona and the greens were immaculate! I mean, they played like artificial turf. Every green, Nos. 1-18, would not make a mark even with a wedge shot. Yet, the greens would hold shots. They were firm and fast but did not produce hard bounces.
These Zoysia greens are the toughest, fastest I've played all year. They were legit 13+ on the stimpmeter. And with the slopes and undulations, several pins were 10/10 difficulty. I saw a 4-putt and a 5-putt in my group. I had several 3-putts. They roll true, but if you struggle with putting, I wouldn't recommend playing Sapona.
Outside of the greens, fairways and bunkers were in good shape (though I was in several with bad rake jobs). The sand is that heavy stuff that takes one swipe with a rake to smooth out, too. The tee boxes were just okay and hard to get a long tee into.
The course is very challenging with tree-lined, hilly terrain throughout. This time of year you will have some trouble finding balls in the leaves off the fairway. Knowing the course or having a good GPS app like TheGrint will help tremendously. You need to know where fairways run out or what yardage you need to carry certain hazards.
To give you some context on the difficulty of the course, my flight of players with handicaps ranging from 4.0-7.9 played from a mix of the Blue and Green tees (~6400yds). The winning score in my flight was 81 (+10) and I tied for 3rd with an 86 (+15).
Sapona is a semi-private course. So it's open for public play at very reasonable rates. Only about 45-60 minutes up I-85 from Charlotte, too. It's worth the drive and money if you are up for a challenge! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing here since 2020. Course was in great shape, greens were fast and smooth, fairways were lush and the bunkers were in great shape as well. I love the layout, no houses in sight, at times on certain holes you feel like you're out in the country. Pace of play could have been better, it was ~ 4 hrs and 40 mins and we caught the twosome ahead of us on every tee box and the twosome behind us watched us tee off on every hole. ONly saw the marshal once on the front 9. We will definitely be back, one of if not the best course in the Charlotte area. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Tee boxes - above average
Fairways - excellent
Greens - below average
Played the course more times than I can count in the last 5 years. The greens were the best the crew can make them, but more than half of them have dead spots. They put the flags in the best spots, but there was no avoiding the dead spots.
Tough for bent grass greens to survive the summers down here. I hope they change to hybrid Bermuda like much of the area has I’ve the years. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
 First time playing in a year and what a treat.Te course was in the best shape that I have ever seen it.Tee boxes good,real sand in traps,and the greens were perfect with no issues at all.The fairways were plush and the rough was actually-well rough,not too high but thick and consistent.
My only downside was that there was a significant rate increase in July which makes the senior rate of $44 M-Thur.and $80 for everyone on weekends,not such a good deal for us fixed income,senior citizens that must drive nearly an hour to play.However,with the conditions and layout,it is probably worth the price. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Really enjoyed the layout. Plenty of challenge for all levels of play. Tee boxes are the best I have seen in the area. Fairways were good. Rough was actually rough, lol. If you were not in the fairway it was a penalty and I really like that. The course actually makes you think about what shot to hit, driver was not always the correct choice. Bunkers in excellent shape and placed so they are in play no matter what tee you use. Greens were soft, some crab grass and bare spots, which is really the only detraction I can give this course. Range was nice and putting/chipping area was nice. Well worth the money. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Tee boxes and fairways are in good/great shape. But the greens are the worst in the area I have seen all year. A combination of weed and crabgrass infested PLUS dead and dirt patches. And at $70 (plus a fuel surcharge?!? that makes it $75), it will be off my list for a while. We showed up a bit early to our 10am Sunday tee time to hit a few range balls. If you know the course, you know that one tee is just next to the range. We should have known when no groups went off the tee between our 9:15a arrival and our tee... on a Sunday. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Conditions were terrific. I would have liked slightly plusher tee boxes to allow for turf-tees, which were not an option. Fairways were in excellent condition. Very forgiving. Not tight. Greens were faster than most other public's I've played recently, but not too quick (maybe 25% faster).
There are some really hard par 4's on this course (long) - especially the front where water is in play. The par 3's were fairly long too.
If it weren't for the heat and walking, I'd have loved it. But by the back 9, I was roasting and soaked. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
recently aerated, slow, fuzzy, lumpy and inconsistent. but that wasn't the big issue. a number of greens had significant die-off. worst i have seen.
tee boxes were in better shape than Emerald, for example.
Fairways were AOK.
I plan to give it a couple of months for the greens to recover from the Summer onslaught before returning again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Course is in excellent shape. Aeration scars still slightly visible, but greens rolled smooth, were consistent, and pretty fast. Played ball down all day and never had a bad lie in fairway. Traps well maintained. Tee boxes in good shape with normal wear. Course was set up very difficult from green markers, which were pushed back next to black on several holes, and most pins were 5 paces from an edge. Pace of play generally good at 4+15 on a hot day. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Fairways were in good shape. Greens were also in pretty good good shape, although they were extremely slow. Course may be cutting down on mowing/rolling the greens because of the heat. About a third of the tee boxes were really chewed up. There were a handful of bunkers that were unplayable, either from erosion from rain or standing water. If I had paid more for my round I would have been disappointed. The new driving range when it is up an running looks awesome. (They are installing trackman) Read The Review
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- "Average"
Grasses on the course are currently great (although slightly thin & compacted in several fairways on the back 9 due to 80% of the carts following the same track). NOBODY here follows the 90deg rule and prob 35% still park on Tee Boxes. As noted in a prior review, course conditions are not the current issue at ROaks. It’s the totally unstructured operation of the place. Every visit we have to sort thru the carts to find any that actually have Sand in the Divot Bottles, and or, no sticky residue from prior use. The clientele currently using River Oaks is all over the board. Due to its troubling history but current great course conditions you’ll find a wide Range of Folks playing here. One group will be wearing sleeveless Wife Beater Tee Shirts, cut-off Jeans with 20 yr old tennis shoes while the next group very well dressed. You’ll find a new $70,000 Truck parked next to a 40 year old delapidated one with 2 Giant ‘Don’t Tread on Me” Flags sticking of of the Bed. Guess that’s where some of the Dogs I’ve seen on the course in Carts rode on their way to the course! River Oaks has reached a transition period to where it needs to decide which direction it wishes to pursue. With very little effort RO could be come a Nice Golf Club. Adding Water & A Bathroom on the course, repairing several dangerous delapidated cart Bridges, keeping the Clubhouse Restroom presentable, replacing the 3 unusable/broken ceiling fans on the back patio, maintaining the Cart Fleet and enforcing several common Industry Course Rules would go a long way in upgrading the place! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Sifford is in good shape, no issues to report. Greens were consistent and cut to medium speed. Fairways were solid. As always here, if you get off the fairway, wide left or right, your lies can be dicey, with bare dirt or rocks and tree roots. I play a regular 9 hole game on late afternoon weekdays with a few friends and Sifford is a great place for that. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
It was a wet morning. Greens were super slow and lumpy (not true). Needed a mow badly. But conditions were good. Quite a lit of ground under repair and some standing water on some par 3s.
But for the money, a surprisingly good round.
Course itself is very forgiving of tee shot errors except on a couple of holes (#6 for example).
I would play it again. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Eagle Chase has gotten even better over the past year. They've completed the bunker renovations and they are excellent now. And glory be! They repaved cart paths throughout the course! I've been complaining about broken cart paths and recommending that you don't even use them for years. They finally fixed them!
There are 3 covered pavilions next to the clubhouse now, including one with tables and stools for gatherings and events. It's a great place to settle bets after the round over beers. I was disappointed they didn't have any hot dogs on this Sunday. So just pre-packaged sandwiches as far as food.
The fairways and greens were in fine shape. The greens were consistently good throughout. Typical speed not lightning fast.
The rate was $54 for a weekend morning. That's at least $20-$30 less than other top tier public courses around Charlotte. This course and Deer Brook are the best courses for your money locally.
Living uptown, Eagle Chase is now a good 50-60 minutes for me but I will continue to go back every chance I get. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 Have been playing here on & off for nearly 40 yrs. I’ve found it very hard to top… especially if you like golfing where it’s calm, clean, & neat with decent patrons around you. Much like the town of Maiden itself, Glen Oaks is a nice, relaxed family oriented facility where prices are reasonable. It’s actually a better bargain than all of its neighboring courses.. especially ones in the Statesville direction. The facilities here are top notch.., the clubhouse is relatively brand new as are the Golf Carts which are always spotless! Like many older courses that started small and evolved Glen Oaks has a few odd holes for sure… however I consider that to be ‘character’. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This was my first round back at Waterford in many years. I had heard good things about conditions recently and they were in fact pretty good, especially the greens. The Bermuda greens were all in good shape, pretty consistent and fairly quick. The size, slopes and undulations in the greens make them challenging to putt but in my experience they roll true.
Tee box conditions were just okay, fairways were fine but some had rough spots, bunkers were good, but oh boy, the rough! Perhaps it was because of the U.S. Open last week, but the Bermuda rough had not been mowed throughout the course, even around the greens, which made those shots very penalizing. In some cases, you had to walk right near your ball to find it because they tended to settle down in the grass to where you could barely see the top of the ball.
The one thing I remembered about this layout that is still true – it's very easy to lose golf balls here. Every hole feels tight and sloped, with trees, brush, creeks, rocks and other unplayable areas awaiting errant shots – many of which are blind. Several guys in my group hit seemingly good shots that bounded into trouble anyway. The "rub of the green" was evident throughout our round and it felt very British Open-esque.
There are some fun holes in this layout with risk-reward choices to make. So if you know the risk (because you've played here before or have a GPS phone app like TheGrint), then it's cool to try for the reward on some of those shots. The par 5's on the back 9 along with some of the short par 4's were my favorite holes.
Pace of play was not good. Our group had a 1:10 tee time and times were running about 10-15 minutes behind when we started. We finished just after 6:00, a shade under 5 hours.
While the price was great ($56) considering the condition of the greens and course overall, I won't be in a hurry to come back and play Waterford again. With so much trouble on every hole, it can be a frustrating round of golf. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Had to get back out to Stonebridge since I had been hearing good things. First off a conditions update. Greens were in good shape though I noticed the slowness of the Bentgrass more this round since my last round was on Cramer Mountain's lightning quick Bermuda. Tough comparison and while the difference is exaggerated since Cramer is private, it illustrates what a public Bentgrass course is up against. It is difficult to keep these greens firm and fast during the heat of the summer, which for Charlotte lasts pretty much late May to early September. It was difficult to get the ball to the hole, especially from just off the green even thru just a few feet of fringe. A few of my putts were bumped off line by old ball marks. So, all in all, I have to give the greens a B-minus. A couple even had some sizable bare spots that almost looked like vandalism or maintenance mistakes (No. 8 in particular).
The tee boxes, fairways and bunkers were all in good shape and I didn't notice any other issues that affected play. As reported in April, they've flipped the nines to improve pace of play. A source told me rounds are 12-15 minutes faster with the nines flipped. While I appreciate that improvement, I sure miss the Nos. 5 through 9 being the closing stretch. It's the best part of the course, bordering the large pond and featuring risk-reward choices on every hole.
Since my last visit, the course has undergone another significant change, with developers finally clearing land to build more houses around several holes. The clearing has changed sight lines and aesthetics (arguably not for the better). This has changed the surroundings on No. 2 (left fairway and green side), No. 3 (left fairway), No. 10 (right fairway), No. 13 (right fairway), No. 16 (left fairway, now out of bounds), and No. 17 (left fairway). So far, it's just clearing and marking of lots. Once construction starts, expect significant intrusions and distractions to what was once a fairly peaceful round of golf.
Stonebridge has one of the best practice areas and staff of teachers in the Charlotte area, led by GM and PGA Master Professional Nick Jacobi. The range servant accepts credit cards and Apple Pay. So it's easy to get a bucket of balls for the range or the short game area. You can now check in online when you get to the course. So you don't have to wait in the pro shop. That was nice.
Finally, I have to mention the price. The online reservation said $75. That did not include taxes or the $2 reservation fee per golfer that the reserver has to pay when booking. You get the fee back as a credit assuming your group checks in, but we're talking $82 for a Saturday late morning tee time. On a value scale here in Charlotte, Stonebridge falls somewhere in the middle. It's not the worst (I'm looking at you, Olde Sycamore, and your $97 weekend rate), but it's nowhere near the value of Rock Barn, Mooresville, or Deer Brook.
I'd keep my eye on these reviews to see how the greens hold up this summer and I would suggest finding an afternoon time or weekday to play this course at a better rate. Read The Review
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- "Average"
This COURSE has a long (often rocky) history, now called River Oaks it has continued to improve each year under current ownership. Condition wise it can now compete with many of the other Public courses in the area. The primary issue at RO is now not the course conditions as much as it is everything else. For many years this course was a goat track due to bankruptcy and ownership changes. During these down times the only patrons using it were lower income golfers or new golfers just looking to get on a course. Current ownership (approx 10 yrs) has brought the course and the clubhouse back, however the general environment of the place and its clientele has not been elevated to a level resembling a higher-end or nicer golf club. It operates on a skeleton staff… Thus many things suffer.. including dirty carts, dirty or unorganized facilities (ie. bathroom) and little to no monitoring of the course nor cart management on the course. The Maintenance Superintendent is one of the hardest working guys you’ll find, ownership leaves the majority of decisions up to him, however he too is short handed. Many areas of the course struggle due to cart traffic with little to no cart controls. Too many patrons drive on to Tee Boxes and park greenside, ignoring cart paths. These actions are the primary issues for compacted grass & soil in areas that harm your game the most. As for the course layout… it’s an enjoyable course that has been altered several times. IMHO hole#10 needs a bulldozer taken to it (and the extremely rocky hillside cart path leaving the primary Tees is ridiculous). The landing area for drives on this hole is severely steep, given that the cart path dumps all cart into the center of this fairway conditions can be rock hard. Several of my near perfect drives have landed near the 100 yard marker but ended up rolling backwards down the hill some 50 to 75 yards into several rough areas or holes. These compacted areas can be found on numerous holes and approaches. River Oaks can be an enjoyable golf outing, and as mentioned earlier the grasses on the course have reached a level rivaling any Public course. This place could very easily become a Top Course, however it never will until Staff & Ownership understand what’s required to be a Top Course with Quality Facilities, Clean Carts, Respectful/Knowledgeable Patrons, and more restrictive course rules found on Higher-end Courses. River Oaks… Give it a try.. I’ll bet up find it interesting if nothing else. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Golf course was in decent shape. Greens were nice but slow and inconsistent in terms of speed from green to green. Collars on some of the greens were chewed up and there were some places that were ground under repair. My groups biggest complaint was pace of play. Our tee time was 10:30 and we were told on the putting green that they were “at least” 30 mins behind. We teed off around 11 and we’re told to expect a 5.5 hour round of golf even though there were rangers on the course. I understand a 4.5 hour round but 5.5-6 hours to play is unacceptable. If you go, try being one of the first groups off to avoid the all day round of golf. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Background: First time in 5 years posting a review; 6 month's since playing following a year of health issues; and 3 years since last (recorded) play at Skybrook.
Observations: Addition of two, new restrooms on the course is a BIG improvement; trap's and bunker's conditions (previously a failing grade for the course) are very much improved with no obvious problems; and changing the Green Tee locations on some of the holes (lengthening in all cases) increased the challenge, but not unfairly, for this senior golfer.
All-in-all, I agree with, and support, B-Man's recent elevation of Skybrook in Charlotte's top 10 rankings. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I arrived at 940am for a 1040am tee time. There are no markings on the three buildings that share the same address on the GPS.
The Club House is the building with the 3 flags flying in front.
You drive around behind this building for the bag drop. There will be an attendant who will provide your cart and load your bag and direct you to the back door of the Pro Shop.
I made my way down to the driving range and began to hit some balls which are included in the $75 green fee which also includes the cart.
I made my way to the #1 hole which was not marked.
The carts have GPS so it did say 'Jackson' and hole #1 even though there is no yardage marker on the 1st hole
I was told there would be a starter named Grant to check me in and confirming my pairing, there was no starter.
I waited a few minutes and saw another cart coming down the path.
I introduced myself and it was Ted & Carmen. A local couple who had played the course several times.
They explained the GPS operation on the cart and impressed upon me the importance of staying within distance parameters of the greens. If you go too far, you'll hear a loud beep and text on the GPS screen instructing you to 'put your cart in reverse back to the cart path' Happy to be paired with some locals who explained this as the cart attendant never said a word nor did anyone at the Pro Shop on check in.
For the most part the course is top tier for a public course, The tee boxes are well marked and in very good condition. The fairways were not so great. Very sparse with grass in areas, it's been a while since they had some rain and it showed.
The greens were in really good condition, they are mostly large and very undulating creating challenges.
Most every green is gudarded by at least one bunker
There are ponds on many holes but no creeks
My favorite hole was The Signature #6 a Par 3. From an elevated tee box you look down 150 yards to the pin. There is a massive pond on the right and trees guarding on the left. There are 3 large bunkers on the left side which slope down the to the green.
I nailed my tee shot, my red Callaway sailed beautifully and landed on the green and bounced a little before stopping about 25 feet from the cup.
The round took about 4 hours total. We called ahead to order food on the 9th tee box & food was ready in the bar/restaurant when we arrived.
At $75 it's more than I would normally pay for a public and non-resort type course. I will have to think long and hard about another 1.5 hour trip here from Fort Mill, SC but it's #1 on the B-Man's ranking of the top 10 courses so it's now checked off! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
It's a hike to get to this course from the Charlotte area, but it's well maintained, affordable and pace of play is excellent. Aside from the fairways being mowed a little too short and the bunkers having more dirt than sand, I would definitely play here more regularly. Fairway width is very forgiving. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
The last time I played this course was in 1999. It was somewhat new at the time and built on re-claimed property from a land fill.
I was most impressed by the driving range and practice area for chipping and putting. Nearly every course I have gone to in the CLT area is challenged to keep real grass growing on the driving range tees but not this place.
Over all this course is about what you would expect for a Charlotte area public course. The tee boxes are in decent shape, the fairways are spotty with grass that needs water and scattered bare spots. The cart paths are a disaster. Broken concrete and MIA in many cases, at times you're on gravel.
Sometimes a challenge getting on the correct cart path from green to tee, the paths are not well marked.
What I found exceptional was the condition of the greens. Not a single bare spot on any of the 18 greens. all well cut and rolling true.
There are quite a few blind shots, up hills and severe dog legs. There is a fair amount of water and you'll be punished for missing the fairways.
If you're distracted by the sound of gunfire, you might want to avoid this course as there is a nearby gun range.
I played 18 holes with a cart for $34.00 bucks with the Perks + plan.
Even though they have a dining room and kitchen, it remains closed due to COVID. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Only my 2nd round at this course, but both times I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the condition the course is in. Fairways in great shape and the greens rolled true. Tee boxes are the only thing that need some love as they look to have had a lot of play. Fun/attackable layout that is pretty forgiving from the tee box. Staff was friendly and helpful, but would love to see a better clubhouse and food options. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played Sunday in TheGrintTour's Classic at Mooresville. Overall, the course was in great shape. The greens were typically immaculate, rolling quick and true – watch out for some of the pin positions near slopes! Tee boxes and fairways were lush and green, except for signs of heavy play. I did end up in one sand-filled fairway divot and a few of the par 3 tee boxes were divot minefields. Bunkers were in good shape and I didn't notice any maintenance issues throughout the course.
My only *complaint* is the inconsistent markings of hazard areas. In a tournament, you have to play things very strictly. If an area of high grass or marsh is not marked Red, you have to play it as a lost ball if you don't find it or unplayable if you do find it but don't have a shot. This made the course play very difficult. I went through scorecards and probably 2/3 of the field had at least an 8 or worse – there was even a 13! I lost a couple of balls in the high grass, which comes into play on many holes: #1, #5, #8, #11, #13, #15, #16, #17, #18. Several of those are not marked as Red hazards. This slowed play tremendously and led to those high scores.
The other difficult aspects of this course are the long, forced carries from the tee on several holes: #1, #8, #10, #11, #16. In some cases, those carries are 175-200 yards to safely reach the fairway from the White Men's tees. So, by no means is this a course I would bring a beginner or high handicapper to play.
If your game is in good shape and you can putt slick, Bermuda greens well, you will like this course. It's kept in great shape and has top-notch amenities, including an excellent practice area. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Green were in excellent shape. Fairways were in good shape. Dirt/clay bunkers - not ideal. Driving range area needs a lot of love . For a true muni course, very much worth the price compared to other courses with either the same or even worse conditions. Will start playing there more often.....probably will save me a couple hundred dollars over the summer. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I've been reading about the B-Man's Guide to the 'Top 10 Public Courses' in the Charlotte area and this course came in ranked as #7.
If you've got some 'wind shield time' take a minute and download the 'Taking Dead Aim' Podcast and listen to the B-Man and Charlie Nance talk about the 'Top 10'.
It's a long haul from Fort Mill, SC. It took me an hour to get there and the return trip was and hour and one half. Can you say commitment?
When you get there you'll be rewarded. This is in the 'country' and that's part of the charm. Especially if you go during the week. I felt relaxed and not rushed. It was a slow Thursday, maybe because the weather forecast was not the best. It never did rain so I had no one in front or behind me so I played a very relaxed round in 4 hours.
I had a 110p tee time and I got there early and hit a small bucket for $6 bucks. They have a nice driving range and distance poles give you good aims and marks for your range finder. There is also a large practice putt area and a chipping area with a bunker.
The Clubhouse Pro and Instructor is a guy named Matt who is straight to the point and very knowledgable. I was concerned about the possibility of rain and he assured me there would be an option for a raincheck no matter how many holes I played.
The course is in really good condition for the most part. The Zoysia greens are large and roll very fast. There are a few holes where you simply can't see the flag or the green from the fairway.
The tee boxes are well marked and in great condition. There are some Par 3's that offer elevated greens and many of the Par 4's are accessible.
There are just a few little nits I have and I'm not going to make a big deal because overall this course is a great value for the money.
I'm not one of those golfers that can't hit off a fairway with no grass. There is grass but it's short.
The cart paths will be a challenge There are many stretches where there is no paved path, it's all gravel.
There were several holes where there was ground under repair close in around the greens.
I like the elevation changes. Its on a beautiful piece of land. There is a fair amount of water & on a couple of holes it will challenge your strategy for risk/reward. There are a few fairway bunkers but they are not in play for the most part. Same for the green side bunkers. In fact it looks like they have removed some of them and allowed grass to grow in.
This is definitely not a course you want to walk. In many cases there is quite a distance from the green to the next tee and there is a lot of up and down hills.
There is a small club house & they do have some food and hot dogs. They
have several well stocked coolers with a mix of beer's and sodas.
They offer a Veteran discount so I got in 18 holes for just $35.00, just a great value. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I would highly recommend making and advance tee time or using their on-line website.
They are understaffed and will you will be lucky if anyone picks up the phone at 7am or thereabouts when they clubhouse opens.
I had an 8:16a tee time on 5/5/22 - Cinco De Mayo.
I got paired with Hunter & Eva a couple who started playing during COVID.
They had played the course several times before so they had good local knowledge. There are some blind shots off the tee.
The Senior tee's give you no real advantage on some holes and on others significant advantage.
They have a driving range but it's obvious they don't rotate the teeing area to keep the grass fresh. A small bucket is $6 bucks. There is a fair sized practice putting area.
There were bare spots in the fairway. The tee boxes were all in good shape and marked well. The greens were rolling a bit slow and for the most part were in good condition with just a few with bare spots. The fairways are very open on most holes. There are fairway bunkers on nearly every hole and green side bunkers scattered throughout. If you go out of bounds you will be penalized severely because of heavy overgrowth and steep drop offs.
I liked the front 9 much better. There is a fair amount of water and on 2 holes you hit over water on Par 3's which is fun.
The clubhouse is busy and there was only one guy there when I played. He was working the register, answering the phones and serving food.
They do have a porta-pots on each side. They have a nice covered picnic area with lots of tables if you decide to host a tournament.
My biggest problem with this course was hole #9 (Editor's note: this is actually hole #18).
The fairway close to the green is adjacent to the driving range. You will see dozens of balls in the fairway on the right side. If you land your drive over on that side 'good luck'. Stay on the left side of the fairway or use something other than a white ball. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I had a 757am tee time on Mon 5/2/22. It rained the night before which was great because we've not had rain in several weeks.
I made my tee time the evening before with Roy who is the grounds superintendent. When I arrived he brought my cart around.
Greg runs the Pro Shop and checked me in. He said they were having a Tournament for fallen 9/11 NYPD Firefighter, Steven Coakley so they had only let 2 other twosomes on before me and the guy they paired me with named Alex.
Fortunately he had played there before and was able to give me some guidance on several holes. There are some blind shots and severe dog legs.
You do travel across neighborhood roads and houses line the fairways but don't come into play unless you misshit your ball.
Over all I really liked the course for it's wide-open fairways and the layout.
There are several severe dog legs on the front and maybe two on the back. There is one hole on the front where the green is shared by two different holes one going and one returning.
The best features are the accessible Par 3's. On the front you have 131 yards and 88 yards and on the back 86 and 86. There are prominent signs marking each hole and provide the yardage from all 5 tee locations.
There is a fair amount of water from small ponds. On several holes you must negotiate a creek that seems to criss cross many holes on the front & back.
They use a lot of bunkers, mostly fairway bunkers and when there are green side bunkers they aren't going to threaten too much.
The greens and tee boxes are in excellent condition. The Senior tee's provide significant advantage on all except a couple of holes. The greens are large for the most part and not a lot of undulation. Today they were rolling true and all seemed to be in excellent condition.
We were able to complete 18 holes in about 4.25 hours which includes a food stop & bio break at the turn. There was no one in front or back of us so we had a great pace of play throughout the 18 holes.
They have a very large driving range and credit card operated ball dispenser.
They have a good sized practice putting area by the driving range and a separate chipping area. The carts was clean and in great condition.
When you check-in they tell you to note the bathroom door codes on the receipt, There is one on each side at 5 & 13.
The parking lot is very large and they have cart attendants to help with your bag and give you the layout of the course. I had a turkey and swiss at the turn which I thought was pricey at $9 bucks. They serve hot dogs but they were not cooked or heated. The sandwich was just so so and they serve it in an open basket with chips. It would have been nice if it had been wrapped since most people are going to be eating in the cart as they continue play.
I highly recommend this course for it's overall quality and value. A senior rate at $40 bucks Monday to Thursday is very reasonable for a course of this caliber. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Very solid experience at Rocky River. Bermuda is still waking up in the fairways, so they played hard and fast, but I played the ball down and had good lies all day. Aprons are well tended. Tee boxes are somewhat beat up, which is why the course gets a score of 8 instead of 9 or 10. Bunkers were raked and in good condition. Greens were exceptional -- really smooth, beautiful, consistent surfaces -- among the very best greens in the area, including those at high-end private clubs. Pace of play was excellent -- 4 hours on a Sunday morning. Driving range was closed due to race activities. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I tend to rotate my golf on 5 to 8 area courses. Have played here around 3 times per month for the past 10 months. There has been a lot of labor put into the course in recent months and years.. and last late summer the fairways were pretty good. The layout of the course is different for sure with several strange holes. Having played here quite a bit this spring the #1 issue with the course is wear & tear. Never played any course in my 55 yrs that is less monitored! Folks park within 3 yards of numerous greens and park on many tee boxes! The place has less cart control than any course I have ever played! Due to this the ground is compacted and any grass in these areas is struggling! The bent grass greens are pretty good.. but many are very slick. Approach shots that land softly on the greens can end-up 10 yrs off the greens due to the above mentioned issues! The course has lots of potential, if only it had more & thicker grass! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
One of the better public courses I've played recently. Greens were slick and rolled true. A few of the tee boxes were somewhat beat up given all the play (tee sheet always fills up!), but that's easy to forgive. The value you get for the green fees is still one of the best in the CLT area for public courses IMO. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Not worth the ~50min drive if you live in Charlotte. While I thought the layout of the course was interesting, the overall conditions weren't great. Beat up tee boxes, some patch rough and fairways, etc. The par 3 8th hole is currently using a temp green cut into an adjacent hill. They recently punched and sanded their greens fwiw. Likely won't be going back anytime soon. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This was my first time going back to Olde Sycamore in few years. A few greens are still recovering from being punched a month or so ago, but overall they rolled fine, just a little on the slow side. Might be better to go out in another week or two. While I enjoy the layout of the course, I always tend to get hung up on price. IMO they tend to be on the pricier side for green fees in CLT and I don't think overall course conditions warrant the price tag. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Sifford has gotten more crowded and I think that has put more stress on course conditions. I've seen the course in better shape. Greens quick but bumpy. The Bermuda here seems to be more fickle because of those bumps. Just not as smooth as some of the other nice Bermuda greens in the area. For some reason, a few of the back tee boxes were closed, which made the course play unusually short. In particular, this was the case on holes 2 and 6. There were areas under repair but I didn't notice any major changes since my last round here. They've almost finished the repair of the bridge between #1 and #9.
One other thing I didn't care for was how closely mown the "rough" was around the greens. With many of the greens crowned or elevated, approaches and chips that either didn't quite make the putting surface or ran through would not stop rolling until they settled well off the green and down the hills. I noticed this especially on #4 where I was chipping from the right side and my ball rolled through the green down the left side and across the cart path. And then similarly on #8 where my playing partner was pitching from below the left side of the green and his ball hit the green but rolled off the front, missing the bunker and rolling all the way down the hill and across the cart path! It's kinda weird to me how the conditions and vibe here at Sifford can feel beginner/amateur/easy, yet shots around the greens can play so difficult, requiring the precise accuracy and touch of a pro.
I like Sifford and it's generally priced for what you get, but conditions are just okay right now. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
Go play Rock Barn. You won't regret it. It's a good 50-minute drive up Hwy 16 from Charlotte (you'll pass Verdict Ridge on your way), but you will be well rewarded for making the trip. The club feels like a resort with 36 holes (the Jones course is private, however), a spa, tennis courts, pool, and a couple of restaurants onsite. Range balls are included in your fee – which, at $65 for a weekend round, is still a great value compared to the $75+ rates at a few courses in Charlotte. The club features the largest practice putting green I've ever seen. So if you need to practice those 100-foot putts, Rock Barn will be your jam.
The Jackson Course is the public track but it is kept in great condition. The Bentgrass greens were in great shape and rolled quick and true. A few of the greens can be really tough due to the slopes – during our round, the pins on 11, 13 and 18 were treacherous. The course plays short, giving you many chances to hit less than driver off the tee. Risk-reward choices abound, but none more tricky than the par 5 10th hole – where even the layup makes you consider how much of the water-guarded dogleg to bite off.
The par 6th hole is one of the signature holes with a long downhill carry over water. During our round, it played as nearly a 190-yard shot with a stiff wind in our face. Bogey won this hole in our group.
I love playing here when I get a chance to make the drive. As the days get longer, it'd be a good one to pair with Verdict Ridge or River Oaks for a 36-hole marathon. I highly recommend the hot dog at the Fresh Chef cafe in the clubhouse at the turn and the chicken quesadillas afterward.
Last thing – see my note in the Forum about aeration dates. Rock Barn will aerate the Jackson course on April 11th. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Still one of my faves. The layout, the scenery and the greens will keep this in my Top 10. In the meantime, they have made some improvements and have some in progress that will make it even better. They are halfway through a bunker renovation with the front 9 completed and the back 9 nearly done. For now, several holes on the back have bunkers marked as Ground Under Repair until they are able to fill them in with sand – this made for a hilarious shot by one of my playing partners where he tried to chip over the left greenside bunker on 13, duffed it, bounced off the concrete bunker bottom and onto the green :-D. The bunkers that are done are niiice. Full, fluffy white sand has replaced the old, washed out red dirt bunkers. This will be an excellent upgrade.
They've also reshaped and enlarged a few of them. Case in point, the aforementioned left greenside bunker on the driveable par 4 13th now extends across the front of the green. This will block a ball from rolling up onto the green, but it will also save balls from taking the left to right slope and rolling into the water. So I'd call it a good change.
They've laid new sod around some of the greens and new bunkers as well. They have also dug up the pond to the right of the par 3 6th hole to put in better drainage I'm guessing. This won't change the hole but might improve the aesthetics when they are done.
The Zoysia greens have matured now and they are able to keep them smooth and fast. Downhill putts – and you will have many on these greens – can be scary fast. They are in great shape.
Eagle Chase used to be this hidden gem out in the Union County pastures, but with its beauty and excellent greens, word has gotten out. The course is more crowded now and the rates are going up (now $60 for a prime weekend tee time). Still, it is worth the drive and the money! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 My first time out at Deer Brook and I loved the layout. It's scenic, with several elevated spots where you can see several holes at once (I love courses like that, a la Eagle Chase). It's challenging with elevation changes, fast, tiered greens, and water in play on 3 of the last 5 holes. For my round, the greens were in good shape and rolling great. It was crazy windy (30-40mph gusts at times) so that made the course play harder – though it allowed me to nearly drive the first green with the wind at my back. The aesthetics take a minor hit with lots of holes framed by power lines but at least they don't buzz like the ones at Birkdale. Otherwise, I loved the layout. It felt very wide open and straightforward with only a few exceptions where the landing areas were narrow and bordered by OB or hazards. The par 3's are all tricky with most requiring a long carry. The closing 2 holes offer great risk-reward with the short par 5 17th requiring a 2nd or 3rd shot to carry a large pond and the long par 4 18th requiring a similar carry over water for your approach. Even though I suffered from some difficult putts due to the slopes, I enjoyed the challenging greens and I am sure they are even tougher when the green speeds are ratcheted up. Speaking of the greens, Deer Brook is one of the last public courses in the area with Bentgrass greens. So if you prefer them over Bermuda, Deer Brook is a great course for you. I had lunch and drinks at Mulligan's on the covered patio watching March Madness before my round. It's a great spot with a wide variety of menu items. Overall, I had a great first visit and will be back a few times a year now that I know what I'm missing. Read The Review
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- "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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- "Great course"
Skybrook is one of my favorite layouts in the area and I've played it a ton over the years. The improvements to the whole experience with the clubhouse upgrades in particular as well as the Bermuda greens make it worth the higher price of golf in Charlotte nowadays. On this day, we were cart path only and the fairways were indeed still a bit muddy. The walking to and from the cart made for a longer round but we were still able to finish before sunset after teeing off at 1:30. The greens were all in good shape, not super fast but a good true roll helping my group to hole some decent length putts. I still struggle with the 3rd hole and the 10th hole due to the trouble on both sides of the tee shot. The closing stretch 15-18 is one of my favorites in all of Charlotte public golf. Once Spring hits and the dormant fairways and rough come back to life, Skybrook is set for a great season. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Rocky River was in great shape. The Bermuda greens were in near-perfect shape. Not crazy slick but quick and true. The grass is all still dormant for another couple of months, but plays well. We were cart-path only on a couple of holes (the golf cart GPS notifies you and restricts the cart) but 90 degrees on most after some rains the day before. So not too bad. They have cleared brush and trees on several holes. For example, on the par 4 7th hole, my approach landed short just in front of the green, which is normally an unplayable hazard. That has been cleared now and I was able to play from it. The layout here is still unique to Charlotte and fun to play. That giant American flag at the speedway is visible in the background of the closing holes and is a cool feature. Rocky River will remain in the Top 5 when my updated list comes out next month! This round I even got to meet Floyd Gragg, the namesake of that giant boulder in the middle of the 3rd fairway. He was ranger'ing the day we played and so I chatted with him and posted a photo (check my Instagram). Great guy and big name in Charlotte golf history. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 I thought I would provide an update for Lincoln Country Club (LCC). The original nine, now the back nine, was opened in 1946, and the cart paths were cement and mostly away from tree roots. The front nine was opened in about 1993 with asphalt paths close to tree roots in many areas. The cart paths have needed work, and I'm happy to say that the front nine has completely new asphalt, and a few areas on the back nine have new asphalt as well. This makes for a much more enjoyable experience even for me being mainly a walker.
The course is in good shape, with the Diamond Zoysia greens being full. The greens are dormant now and dyed for the winter months. I prefer the increased speed of the greens when they are dormant.
There is a housing project between holes 1 and 2 that is slowly being completed. This has been a less than attractive area of the course and completion will be welcomed. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played TTCC for the first time in a while this week. Course was in great shape with only isolated issues here or there. New ownership in 2021, and it shows. Carts are new, range balls are new TP5 Pix. Their green redo from a couple of years ago has really paid off. Greens were in great shape, and quick! Tees, fairways, and bunkers were all similarly well conditioned. They are building a housing development between the 11th and 14th holes, so the back nine isn't as isolated as it once was. Work is also progressing on the widening of 73 from Albemarle out to Lake Tillery, which will make the drive easier. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Played here several times this fall. Pretty nice course with good points & some bad. The Bent grass greens were great especially since bent grass has become harder to find in recent years.. thus making River Oaks even more special. As for the course layout… ‘interesting’ might be the word to describe this place. The holes really don’t have a constant flow or feel given some are tree lined and attractive yet most of the back 9 has no such feel. Didn’t particularly care for holes 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, & 18. One thing I noticed each visit is that nobody seems to rake the sand traps and numerous golfer drive right up to the edge of the greens. The clubhouse is basic no frills however it’s elevated back deck offers a great view of the course. 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"
Played here often on 2021. Interesting layout for sure, as it been altered numerous times since first opened. Many of these alterations have ruined the flow of the course. After plating the first 7 holes you’ll think you have found a gem of a course as they are attractive and normal… after that the layout and visuals go downhill fast. Hole #9 has been converted from the original par 3 to a strange par 4. In recent years the new owner has removed thousands of trees (on the holes without houses) and this makes the visuals drastically different than on the holes where he could not. Holes 15 thru 18 now all sorta run together in the low valley near the creek (that floods every couple years). This part of the course in no way resembles the balance of the course. I would have loved to seen the place back when it had the tree lined fairways.
As for conditions… nice bent grass greens that are very slow in the summer and like kitchen floor fast in the winter. Fairway grass has really improved this year and now is about as good as you’ll find in the area.
The practice area is also sorta strange as the Range Tee is highly elevated vs the landing areas. No way to judge your distance. Practice green is nice however cramped so no areas to practice chipping. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time here in about a year and was not disappointed. Course was in great shape and the greens were the fastest , smoothest I've putted on this year. I really love the layout and it's definitely in my top ten Charlotte area courses. My only complaint, yes it's pace of play, was that we saw no one in front of us on the the first 9 and then had to wait for two foursomes on every hole on the back. A little under 2 hrs on the front and a little over 2 1/2 hours on the back and my threesome walked. Not sure if the pro shop sent these groups off on the back ahead of us or what. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This course was in the best shape I have ever seen it.The fairways were lush,the tee boxes good,and the greens the best of any I've played this year.This last point was the news.Tillery has always seemed to have issues with their greens,even after replacing them within the last two years.The greens today were perfect and cut very fast.Also in the past carts weren't allowed in the parking lot ,but today they were actually delivered to the lots for you.
I know they had a consultant working with them for a while and the results were really good.One of them I believe was Jeff Austin,the former GM at the private Irish Creek Club in Kannapolis. 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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- "Great course"
Deer Brook is a very nice, great value. Worth the drive from Fort Mill. I belong to a club and course, my home course is penalizing if you get crooked. I played White Tees which is about 6400-6500 yards. On almost every hole, you can be a little crooked and still have reasonable play to green. Other than 18, even longer par 4's did not seem to play long. Greens were bit slow but in excellent shape. Nice fairways. Would definitely play at Deer Brook again. I played front with another guy then back by myself. Was easily on pace for round under 3 hours until I ran into slow threesome on 15 :-) Read The Review
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- "Average"
Meh. A crowded Sunday morning as expected. Not a real welcoming vibe with what I assume is a more "regular" crowd. Decent driving range and putting green. Course was shaggy in many areas with greens being the exception and in good shape. Overall, an ok course, but many better tracks in the area. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I normally love this course and have only positive things to say. I played here 3 days in a row (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) of this weekend and feel their rates were a bit steep for what you got.
Several greens have massive dead areas (bentgrass died). I was also a bit miffed by being charged a $25 rider fee when my girlfriend came out with me on Sunday (Though they gave me a cart to myself on Monday as a single with no fee). For a course I probably play 40 times a year, this rubs me a bit. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I LOVE this golf course! For the price you will not find much better conditions elsewhere. Fairways are nice and full, rough is certainly healthy, greens look great (hardly any blemishes aside from some bare spots on the outer edge of the green which rarely affect you.) The layout is hands down my favorite in the area! So many scoring opportunities with the par 5's! In my opinion you will not find a better maintained, more enjoyable round of golf anywhere else in this area at that price. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Back at Emerald Lake for the first time since Memorial Day weekend. The greens are starting to get their late summer softness, which leads to many, many ballmarks and sometimes bumpy putts. So they are not as good as they were in early summer. However, I'd say they are in much better shape for this time of year than in years' past. The speed was decent but not fast at all. The tees and fairways were fine, no issues to note. The disappointing aspect of the course conditions right now are the bunkers. Several -- especially the ones on the par 5 5th hole -- were overgrown with grass and weeds. I was shocked. My playing partner lost a ball in a fairway bunker on that hole due to the overgrowth. Just a severe lack of attention and care to a basic aspect of course maintenance. There were a few more bunkers on other holes with grass (e.g. par 3 16th greenside bunker) and some that just had not been raked or maintained. Given the price ($72) and the condition of the rest of the course, I don't understand why these bunkers were neglected. I did see the GM and the superintendent riding around the course but did not get a chance to ask them about the bunkers. While Emerald Lake has made great strides from previous seasons with their Bent grass greens and course improvements, I was disappointed with this round. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing the course. From what I understand they just completely replaced the greens and did some major landscaping (removing trees primarily). I would have never guessed this past Sunday was the first weekend since they re-opened because the greens look amazing! A little grainy and slow, but roll true and no bald spots / crab grass. Fairways looked great, rough is super thick lol, tee boxes were good for the most part but some could use a trim. The layout is tight, but manageable for your average golfer, be prepared to put the driver away more than once. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Played early morning,3rd group out.The fairways were in good shape for the most part,some of the tees (played senior) were a little beat up.The greens however were pretty bad.They were reseeded about 1-1 1/2 years ago and were pretty good until a couple months ago.There are some that appear to be dying with bad areas everywhere.They resodded #5 par 3 last month and the new green looks to be dying.The greens that are good have numerous pitch marks that were unrepaired. The traps are usually raked well , and the layout is good ,but the green issues have me playing elsewhere for a time.There are other Salisbury courses that are better now. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing here in about a year and again I was not disappointed. Fairways, tee boxes and greens were in great shape. I think the greens are still bent grass and they were kind of soft so had to repair a lot of ball marks. They rolled pretty smooth but were definitely slower than Waterford, the course I play weekly. Staff was friendly as always and they had a ranger out keeping an eye on the pace of play. Definitely a top ten course in the area. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Finally got to play here! Pricey but overall worth the expense. Tees were really beat up. Fairways in spectacular shape. Played the ball down. Greens were moderately fast, especially down grain. The actual cups were horrible! Everyone of them had severe burnt out edges at least on one side. This in itself made me wish I had not been charged such a high green fee. I would guess that cups had not been moved in at least a few days or who ever was cutting cups just didn’t do their job. Anyway, the management should have known about the cup situation and reacted. The practice area was fabulous. Plenty of grass and top notch balls. The routing of the course is the strangest I’ve seen in all my years of golfing. I did not ever feel any continuity. Due in large part to the lengthy criss cross travels between holes. Although course directions were adequate it still didn’t provide that feeling of a course theme. No doubt about it, there were 18 really good holes of golf. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
So just let me preface this review real quick…Emerald Lake has unfortunately been one of my least favorite places to play through the years. From layout to conditions it’s sucked for many, many years. But I got invited to play there last week, so I went.
I knew something was up immediately when I saw the maintenance crew topdressing tees. And then when I got to the course I knew things had completely changed out there. Their bent grass greens are 2 feet faster and have much better coverage than Pine Island’s private CC greens. Sure…the first bounce is nonexistent but their green’s speed is much faster than you’d expect from any place in the summer with bent grass greens. Just fix a couple ball marks and any putt is makeable out there.
The fairways were flawless. I still can’t believe I’m saying this about EL. Playing it down…I didn’t have the first bad lie. Even the holes that notoriously flood were completely dry and in the same shape as the rest of the course. And the fact that they’re topdressing tees let’s me know somebody gives a hoot out there.
Couldn’t have been more surprised by Emerald Lake. Definitely worth playing if you’ve written this course off in the past!!! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Better than good, but not perfect. Fairways are like carpet. It's just a real pretty course from the tee box. Greens were recently aerated but roll true and are not slow and not overly fast. Another week and they should be perfect. Traps had sand but many look liked they just suffered from a pretty bad storm. Rakes were out, but looks like not many are using them. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Considering the greens are brand new you really can not beat the quality of this course for the price! Course has serious potential. I love the layout. The front 9 is fairly straight forward, what you see is what you get. The back 9, however, is a different animal entirely! Course management is a must on the back 9! Overall it is a great value at $37. Staff has really worked hard to bring this course back from the dead. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
One of my favorite courses and it did not disappoint. Tee boxes, fairways, bunkers and greens were all in great shape. I believe the greens are still bent grass and rolled smooth but were a little slower compared to other courses I've played recently. Can't wait to play here again. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Saw they re-seeded the fairways and greens so I figured I'd give it a shot. Still your typical run of the mill municipal course. Very serviceable. Greens were extremely slow, but I'm assuming that's because they haven't rolled them at all since they re-seeded. Hopefully they pick up speed as they grow in. Other than that, course was in really good shape. Had a foursome with a younger kid in front of us, but still kept pace. Wouldn't mind going here again to get some work in. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This course is perfect now. The fairways are really lush, you don't have to move your ball at all to find grass. The greens are great, they roll super and the players are fixing the ball marks really well. I only found about 10 to fix on all 18 greens. They greens were super receptive to good shots. The ball stopped or backed up. I loved it. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Great shape. Fairways, greens and tee boxes are darn near perfect, although the greens are a bit slower than they look. Bent Grass so they may be not pushing them as we head into the hottest part of the year. Noticed the same thing at Glen Oaks last week. They've taken out hundreds of trees, really opening things up. There are still thin and bare areas due to this, but not where it counts. $33 and paid a $17 cart fee for a second round...36 holes in 4.5 hours. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played here for the first time 6/19/2021. We drove an hour and half (90 miles) to play there. We had a 9:20 tee time. Course was everything we were told it would be. Course was in great condition, great greens. Lots of elevation change through out the course, $53 for Saturday morning tee time was great for being near the Charlotte area. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Mooresville is in great shape right now as many local courses are hitting their prime conditions. And that goes for everything, tees, fairways, greens, bunkers. There were only a few sporadic issues with some bare, washed out areas around some of the greens (#11, #15, #18) - I suggest playing them as GUR. The greens were typical TifEagle Bermuda – fast downhill and slow, breaking more uphill. They gave me fits as I had at least 5 lipouts in 18 holes. The grain grabs the ball as your putts slow down and they break away from the hole. So not my favorite Bermuda greens, but your mileage may vary. The only other thing of note is the clearing / construction work being done around holes 6 and 8. Not sure what is being built there but it will certainly change the aesthetics of those holes 6-8. Right now it's just mounds of orange dirt. For me, the front 9 plays easier than the back, though overall this can be a tough track. The closing 3 hole stretch of 16 (short par 4 but a difficult tee shot), 17 (long par 4 with OB on both sides and a large sloped green) and 18 (long narrow par 5 guarded by OB left, hazard right and fairway bunkers in the layup zone) is one of the more difficult in town. For the money and the amenities (incl. a nice practice area and large clubhouse/restaurant), Mooresville is still one of the nicer places to play around Charlotte. Read The Review
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- "Best of the best"
2nd time playing at Fort Mill, and it is slowly creeping up my rankings. Tee to green, the course was in great shape, and the greens were in mint condition and rolling true. The layout is nothing extravagant, but very enjoyable with a good variety of different holes. I enjoy the old school feel of the Donald Ross designed front 9, with a couple of tricky elevated greens that test your short game. The back 9 presents a nice change of scenery, with the picturesque, downhill par-5 16th being the highlight for me. It is on the more expensive side for Charlotte, which has kept me away in the past, but I think I will be more likely to pay up to play here or look for weekday/twilight deals going forward. Read The Review
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- "Average"
I've played at Red Bridge three times. I enjoy the layout - it's a nice mix of target golf and some holes where you can really rip it. It's out in the middle of nowhere, but the staff is friendly and it's very reasonably priced. Fairways and rough were in fine condition. The tee boxes were a little shaky. The greens on the other hand had some serious problems. I've never seen them like that. There was very little grass. Mostly sand and incredibly bumpy. They must be having some issues. Still think it's a fun course and worth going out there if you haven't played it. Might wait a couple months. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played a GolfWeek Amateur Tour event at Lancaster this weekend, which is about the only time I make it down to play this course. That's a shame, too, because I really like this classic Donald Ross track (it's over 85 years old!). The Bermuda grass greens are typically in great shape and they are vintage Donald Ross. Very challenging. Right now, a few of the greens have some issues around the edges and collars, with bare spots that have been filled in with sand to repair them. On a few holes, these spots came into play requiring relief (holes #2 and #7) for chip shots just off the putting surface. Tees, fairways and bunkers were good. This course can be sneaky tough. The first few holes run adjacent and give you tons of room off the tee, but the uphill approaches on #1 and #3 can be difficult to judge to large sloped greens. The par 5's are all reachable in two but they defend par well with hazards (#2), O.B. (#5), blind, uphill second shots (#14) or trees guarding the dogleg (#16). Ponds make the par 4 6th and par 3 7th holes challenging as well. And #17 continues to give me fits. This downhill dogleg left par 4 requires a layup tee shot (unless you are comfortable hitting a long, accurate draw off the tee) and then a long downhill approach shot to a green guarded by bunkers and a rocky ditch. Overall, I really like the layout and the conditions, along with the price. I just wish it was closer! Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Skybrook is in great shape. Bermuda is still waking up in fairways and rough but looks like it will pop out full soon. Greens were very nice, as always - smooth, full, consistent. Course is very well maintained. Post-round lunch at the clubhouse restaurant was great. More people out, but pace of play was fine. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
 First time playing here in several years. The greens were good, still some signs of recent aeration, but putted pretty smooth. Tee boxes, bunkers and fairways were in good shape. I love the layout of this course, it was one of, if not my favorite Charlotte area course until it fell on hard times. Hope the bent grass greens can hold up to summer weather here in the Carolinas. Not sure why they didn't go to Bermuda greens like everyone else seems to be. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Beginning with the shop staff, Kate and Bob, they were outstanding. The course was in really good shape. Fairways had a good stand of grass and it was almost perfect for playing the ball down. The bunkers all had good sand amounts. Rakes were plentiful. The greens were smooth and moderately quick. It looks to me that they could be really quick. Pace of play was consistent. Saw the ranger three times. Overall I would say that playing here was most enjoyable and worth the drive. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Fairways were Ok, I again had a lot of tight lies, but Ok. The greens were horrible. Something has happened to them. It was like putting over a jigsaw puzzle the way the ball hopped and bounced. A lot of them were half dead ?? Oh well, on to another course next week. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
We had a 12:00pm tee time for Sunday afternoon, got there early and the starter kindly let us go off 30 minutes before our tee time. It was a sunny but windy day on the course. Greens were in good condition for this time of year. I don't think they have punched yet so if you are planning to play there i would call ahead to see if they have or are going to punch them soon. Fairways were in decent shape, some starting to green up and just need those warmer 70 degree temps at night before they really take off. Bunkers were hit or miss. Some tees still thin and they will come back once growing season starts. The course was busy but pace of play was right on time being a Sunday afternoon. Definitely worth playing and a friendly staff as well. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Back at Monroe where the greens are still just about perfect. They are quick and tricky, but not crazy fast as I've seen 'em before here. They are the best part of the course. The rest of the conditions were not that impressive for April. Fairways were just okay, fairly thin. Rough was erratic -- in some places it was bare and thin, in others it was overgrown with weeds. The lies around the greens, sometimes just 5 or 10 yards off, were sometimes not good. For the price and with near perfect greens, Monroe is always worth playing. I'm wondering how it will fare this year, with PGA Master Pro Nick Jacobi having left for Stonebridge. I'm sure I'll be back this summer. 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"
This course is a bit of a hike from Charlotte, but definitely worth the trip a couple of times every year. Fun mix of challenging and scoreable holes. Jackson Course was wet from all of the rain earlier this week, and it showed in the fairways and tee boxes in spots. The greens were in solid shape and rolled true. $55 on a Saturday morning is about as good as it gets in the area. $25 replay rate makes for an affordable 36 hole day as well. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The major problem with this course previously was the poor conditions of the cart paths in some areas, with tree roots having raised the asphalt. I am glad to see that this has been addressed. The bad areas of cart paths have been removed and replaced by smooth packed gravel/dirt. The course is great, with Diamond Zoysia greens and no bad spots. The greens are a good challenge, with most putts having some break. The holes are unique, making the layout enjoyable to play. I saw one guy with a walking cart, but this would be a difficult course to walk due to elevation changes. The clubhouse is basic with no frills. I highly recommend this course. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This was another GolfWeek Am Tour tourney round - so the pace was typically slower than normal. Carts were 90 degrees (yay) except for a few holes. Greens were in great shape, fairly quick and true, no issues. Bunkers are full of fluffy sand. The starter actually warned us to watch for balls landing in the bunkers because they were known to bury and disappear. We didn't have any problems, but the fluffy sand is definitely a change from other courses that have more hardpan or dirt than sand. Tees and fairways were thin and not great, but playable. Definitely still in winter shape. With the greens good, though, the conditions were fine and a little better than most. This is still one of my favorite layouts for scoring. The front nine begins and ends with two short par 4s and the par 5 17th can play shorter than the par 4 15th. The par 3's are difficult, however, especially #16 which can play over 200 yards to a perched green with a steep fall off left and bunker short. I didn't have a great day but I enjoyed the challenge and will be back again this season. Reminder: this is a great choice for a 36 hole day because you can hop over to the nearby Donald Ross track, Lancaster Golf Club, for a second 18 holes. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Played Saturday 3/6/2021, we had a 10:12 AM tee time. First time here and drove down from Hickory to play this track. The course was still really wet in most places on front 9, pace of play was not the best, parking lot was packed when we finally finished at almost 3 PM. Greens are decent, but I have played on faster mini-verde greens and these were not that quick. If you've never played it is worth playing but that is the last time we pay $55.00 to play this course in those conditions. Better options at that price point elsewhere. I know $55 on a Saturday morning is cheap for Charlotte golf, just couldn't believe it was still so wet on most of the holes on the front 9 with 5 days of no rain prior. All the staff we encountered was really nice and helpful. They have a great grill for breakfast/lunch sandwiches before or at the turn. May try again in the summer. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
This course is unique to me in that it charges a premium rate, but delivers sub par conditions consistently. Most tee boxes were soaking wet, which is understandable, but the tees were located in the wettest spot. Not even an attempt to get them at drier spots. The greens are a shame, as they let the poa overtake them last year and they are incredibly bumpy on over half of them. you can strike it beautifully, but not make man birdies because you can not trust a line. Fairways were wet, but decent. Bunkers were all wet, but not standing water which is nice with the amount of rain we have had. Overall, its a decent course if you live in the area and can get a good deal on golf now, but otherwise, I would stick to Eagle Chase or something else in the area. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Based on other recent reviews, I'd say Carolina Lakes is in good shape, given the extremely wet weather of the past 2 months. Greens were in good shape, rolling quick and true with a few exceptions. On some greens that had a few bumpy spots, the pins were placed far enough away that I didn't experience or witness any bad rolls. The tees and fairways were not as good, with some poa annua affecting several holes. I was playing in a tournament (which explains the 5+ hour round) and we were playing lift-clean-place. So those poa annua spots didn't affect play. Bunkers (and there are a million on this course) were in good shape, with no standing water. The layout here is a still a favorite of mine, with tons of risk/reward holes and large, sloped greens that test your approach shot accuracy and your putting. This course will be in my annual Top 10 list once again. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Extremely wet course (obviously). If its rained in the past 3-4 days at all, think twice about this course because its going to be cart path only and incredibly soggy. That being said, the course itself was in good shape. I like Tradition because you know what you are going to get. An average/above average public course with decent greens and some wear/tear in other spots, but playable nonetheless. If it dries out some, this place will be fun this summer. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
 Due to the amount of rain lately, the course could best be described as soggy. First hole was extremely wet to the point of being almost unplayable. Greens were browned out and had not been dyed. Tee boxes were mostly sand with sparce grass. Course played longer than distances on the score card due to the wet conditions. I'll try it again when we have a week of dry weather. Read The Review
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- "Bad, stay away"
Stay away from this course until they get their stuff together. Greens were borderline unplayable, if they had grass. Sunset Hills has better greens. The course was soaked. Tee boxes were awful- most had no grass and were soaked. To charge $55 for a round on these conditions is laughable. Just don’t play here right now. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Greens were fa-a-a-st! When I play during the warmer months, the greens are usually lush and play like thick carpet. At this time of year, they are dormant and slick. Downhill putts were treacherous! The course has dried out so no issues in the fairways or bunkers. $40 for a holiday Monday was a great deal. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Nice course. Greens were in excellent shape, rolled fast and true. I like all of the elevation changes. Course was a bit wet but not unexpected and not a negative. Pace of play was good. If you don't mind all of elevation changes, would be relatively easy course to walk. I really like the layout. Read The Review
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- "Below average"
Normally I love Carolina Lakes but yesterday left a bad taste in my mouth.
Course was water logged and fairways were littered with massive divots. Tee boxes were inconsistent. Some were green and long, some brown and muddy. Greens were just ok.
No starter out there and range was closed.
But they still charged full price even through the condition of the course was pretty terrible.
What ever happened to Winter rates to reflect the conditions. Not great value at all. I recommend staying away until spring unless you want to drop $70 to play in below average conditions Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Carolina Lakes is one of if not my favorite public course in the Charlotte area. I find it to be a very visually appealing course, and I usually play pretty well here. Practice area is average and the people in the clubhouse aren't particularly friendly, but it doesn't bother me. As other reviews have mentioned, lots of bunkers (every single hole), but particularly on #1, 2, 9, and 11 where some might consider them excessive. All four par 3's have water in play, but none are overly long. Fairways are wide and fair, but if you miss them you're going to be in the woods more often than not. Houses come into play on a few holes, but aren't a big issue. Six other holes also have water, ranging from small creeks across the fairways to lakes along the majority of the hole (par 5 #6th). Rough is not particularly penal in my opinion, usually cut fairly low. Definitely lots of fun risk/reward holes where you can go for birdies or lay up and play for par. Greens vary widely in size and slope. A number of the large ones have two or even three tiers that can be quite difficult. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
First time playing here since August 2019 and the course did not disappoint. Greens were perfect, smooth and fast. Fairways were dormant but in good/great shape. First time in forever I didn't land in a bunker but they looked to be in great shape. I really love this course just wished it was closer , it was almost and hour drive from Ft Mill. My only issue today was no one except for me and my neighbor wore masks in the pro shop. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
One of Charlotte's hidden gems. For $45 on the weekend you will be hard pressed to find a better course for the price. It is in my top 5 public courses to play. Only downside is the drive. One hour from Charlotte. Maybe more depending on where you live.
Driving range: Average
Chipping area: Sloping/great condition.
Putting green: Right next to tee #1. Big enough.
Course: You will use every club in your bag. Elevations, doglegs, good mix of big fairways and narrow as well. Tree lined and very beautiful. This course never disappoints. Depending on where pins are located, this course can present many challenges on the greens. Bring your A game putting.
Clubhouse: Very friendly staff. Good size dining area and has a wrap-around balcony that overlooks the 18th green for a 19th hole beverage and entertainment.
Highly recommend. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
Played here Saturday in a 2 man scramble event and the course was in very good shape. Greens were smooth and fast , fairways were plush, tee boxes and bunkers in good shape. The weather was perfect and I really like this layout just wish I had played better, oh well. 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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- "Great course"
Only played here once before the renovations and that was 15+ years ago. The course is in fantastic shape with incredibly fast and smooth greens. I love the layout , the front a little more than the back. The pace of play was ~4 hrs and never had to wait. My only issue was when I called to book last week I mentioned that their website said cart path only during "winter months". I asked when that would be and they replied in a couple of weeks. It was cart path only yesterday. Don't think we had any rain since last Wednesday and if I had known that I would have brought my push cart and walked. Again great layout and conditions, friendly staff , I will be back but I will call ahead to check on cart path only restrictions. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Nice course, like the greens. But pace of play was initially abysmal. I think it was more group(s) we were stuck behind. Group of 3 in front to over 40 mins to get to third tee, just pick up! Then they let us play through and played next 2 holes at fast pace to only run into next group who was equally slow. So, to play front 9 took us 3 hours. Fortunately, we passed that group on 9/10 and finished back in 90 mins. That pace of play ruins the experience.
Also, 90 degree rule --- the cart paths are back breakers :-)
But, it is not at all close to me and I like Edgewater, Springfield much better. Read The Review
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- "Average"
My neighbor and I were the first to tee off at 7:40 and were finished by 11 so pace of play was not an issue as it was in my last two reviews. This was one of the first courses I played when I first moved here 25 years ago and it was our home course when we played in the Charlotte Golf League in 2000? I love the layout , the links style front and the parkland style back are so different. My only complaint was the condition of the greens. They were being mowed ahead of us and were still incredibly slow and many had bare spots, #13 and 15 were in the worst shape. I thought I had read on this website that this course was going to be shut down to be re-routed to make maintenance easier. Not sure if this is still going to happen but I hope they go with new greens too, Bermuda instead of Bent . Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
So this is like cheating because I'm partial to Waterford as this is my practice course and I walk it a lot, but as some one who has played this course over the years and seen it evolved, it's definitely one of my favorites. There has been a lot of $$$ invested in Waterford, especially over the past two years and it is in pristine condition (not that it wasn't before). Unfortunately they do not allow walking on the weekends anymore but it's a great layout with beautiful views on some holes of the Catawba river (hole # 2, par 5). Like I said I'm partial to this course as I know where to hit the ball to stay out of trouble but the course is always challenging! If you are in the Rock Hill area (right over the border) give this course a go you will not be disappointed. By the way the staff are aces in my book and Ty the GM is the man!!!! Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
Edgewater is one of my favorite course and again I really enjoyed it today. I wasn't aware that they had just aerated the greens 12 days ago and they were still very soft and not very smooth, had to repair alot of ball marks. My neighbor and I teed off at 10:30 we another twosome, great guys, and played the front 9 in ~ 2 hrs. They had only signed up for 9 so we played the back as a twosome and that 9 took 2 hrs and 40 minutes. We had a lot of holes with one group on the green, one in the fairway and two groups on the tee. We never saw the ranger on the back 9. The weather was beautiful so I really shouldn't complain. Again one of my favorite courses , cant wait for the greens to heal. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
 Hate to hear this course is going away, despite not being my favorite however it's right around the corner from home and does offer a lot of challenging holes. I play this course a handful of times a year (usually for tournaments, really good venue for tournaments!). Had a really fun time with my group and the course was in excellent shape, greens a tad slow which is unusually for the Ballantyne Resort Course. The rough was extremely challenging which means if you don't hit the fairway you will pay, not a bad thing just makes the challenge more fun or for some golfers, tougher. Pin placements for a Thursday were interesting, literally some holes had pin placement 5 feet from the edge of the green which made for an interesting day. All in all a great course and it will be missed, hopefully I'll grab another round or two in before they shut down. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
I cannot remember the last time I played Rocky River(15 years?) but it was always a must play course. The course was in great shape in spite of all the rain we had last weekend and it was cart path only. My neighbor and I were paired with a regular golfer at Rocky River and he gave us good advice the whole round , a great guy. I love the layout , I hit the boulder on #3 !, and the views of the surrounding holes and terrain from the tee boxes were awesome. Again why hadn't I played here in that many years?! My only complaint was the pace of play. We teed off a little early to get ahead of a large group of very young golfers and we were playing at a < 4 hour pace until #9 when we caught up with a twosome that were walking. From that point forward it was at least a 5 minute wait on every tee box. We saw the ranger quite a few time and on the back 9 he commented on the slow pace but based on our 12 noon tee time he stated that we were still going to finish within their recommended time frame. We finished at 4:15 so 4 1/2 hours to play. It's definitely walkable so I'll will be back with my push cart. Again a great layout in great shape. 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"
This course is on everyones tops list and is considered one of the top places to play in the Charlotte Metro area.
I've heard so much about it over the years and my Son plays here regularly and says it's his favorite.
Today, me, Ben, Jason B & James D played 18 holes on a Tuesday early afternoon. After two days of rain on Sat & Sun from Hurricane Delta it was still quite wet in areas which affected your fairway shots and pace of play since it was cart path only. It took us about 4 1/2 hours to play 18.
This is a resort style course and is upscale though still public. The property has been sold to a developer and eventually it will be gone.
The ProShop is attached to the hotel so they don't allow you to take the gas carts into the parking lot. You drop your bag, then park and go downstairs to the ProShop to check in. They have a starter so you'll need your receipt. At the ProShop they assign you a cart and give you a card which you hang on your cart with your Tee Time. Everyone I came in contact with was nice and professional.
Once you leave the ProShop you follow the cart path to the practice area where they have a driving range as well as a chipping and putting area.
There is a large open air pavilion which has a full bar and food as well as bathrooms.
From here you check in with the Starter who will direct you to the 1st Tee and get you off on time. There is a huge clock next to the first tee in sight of the practice area so everyone can keep up with the time with a quick glance.
The course is very nice, it's fairly wide open with the usual out of bound areas but for the most part the fairways are wide. There are 5 Par 3's.
Thats right FIVE par 3's. Two on the front and three on the back.
There are four Tee's and most play from the Whites and the Seniors play the Green tees.
All the Par 3's are fun and accessible. My favorite hole is #18 which offers an elevated tee with a clear view of the green sitting right in front of the hotel. There are green side bunkers on the right alongside water & water fountain and the distance from the White tee's is 350 yards. Jason & Ben both hit beautiful drives and Jason barely edging Ben out with about a 340 yard drive.
It's interesting that the 9th hole doesn't bring you back to the club house. There is another small bar/restaurant at the turn where you can get a beverage some food and take a bio break,
I really like this course overall and the way it plays. The water is not going to create a lot of problems and the bunkers are designed to compliment the course and not make it too risky. The tees boxes are well maintained, the fairways are great and the greens are well kept and roll true. Not too many un-repaired ball marks as on so many courses.
The downside of being in such a developed area is you have Interstate 485 right on you so you hear the traffic on the back 9 with the sirens and horns. There is also a lot of construction going on all around the course so don't be surprised to hear a saw start up as you get set for your putt.
As in most things you get what you pay for. This course is a little pricer than most. I got on with the GolfNow app for $58 bucks.
I would recommend this course no matter your skill level. Especially if you have out of town quests in to entertain or just want to enjoy a day outside with friends and family with easy access to cold beverages and food. Read The Review
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- "Average"
Wow, this is such a long course, just a shade over 7,000 yards from the white tees!
Really surprised at the length of this course since this is in a Del Web 55+ community. They do have green tees which are closer but almost near the red ladies tees.
I played on a Monday and it had rained on Sat & Sun so the course was still a bit soggy. Because of this I almost had the course to myself. There were just a few other golfers who started on the front and they started me on the back so I have no one in front or behind me.
Overall the course is in great condition, the fairways, greens and tee boxes are in good shape. It seems there are always those few who refuse to repair their divot marks on the greens. It's such a shame since it ruins the putt line of all who follow.
It was cart path only because of the rain and it's such a long course so it made my round almost a 4 1/2 hour extravaganza.
The staff is great, the gas carts run well and are in great shape. They let you take the carts into the parking lot to get your clubs.
They have several bathrooms scattered throughout the course.
It winds through the large neighborhood and would be extremely difficult to walk.
It's scenically beautiful and I saw several deer, rabbits, red tail hawks and squirrels as I motored along the cart path.
There are a few holes that are severe doglegs which create a blind shot.
There is some water and quite a few fairway bunkers and green side bunkers. There is a lot of elevation change so you get some great vistas but the challenge that goes with it. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
This is one time of my favorites. Anytime I can give my driver a break I'm in heaven!!!! This course was in excellent condition and the greens were lightning fast! Well maintained and manicured. Don't be fooled this course will sneak up on you, especially the "back 9" but overall it's a great course and I look forward to my next round there. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I was feeling a little intimidated about playing this course after reading a lot of reviews on various web sites. Especially about the amount of water
and the severe doglegs.
I found none of that to be true. I guess it's all relative right? Water does come into play on #8 which is a 115 yard par 3 over water. The balance of the water they refer to are either ponds that run alongside the fairway or creeks you may encounter that cross the fairway.
Overall this is a very nice course and plays very well. The Fairways and Greens are in great shape for the most part. On hole #16 there is a strip of new sod that runs all the way across the green.
For the most par the tee boxes were all green and in good shape. There were a few that were bare with little grass.
It's very scenic and quiet, lots of wildlife and the fairways are wide open with strategic bunkers on most holes.
It was 10/8/20 and the high was 85 but it was sunny and a nice breeze and just a perfect day for golf in the Carolinas!
They have 2 driving ranges and a practice putting green.
The Staff was very friendly and helpful.
It was $35 bucks to ride 18 for the Senior rate which is a great value for a course of this caliber.
The carts are electric and all in good repair. They won't let you take the cart into the parking lot so it's best to drop your bag and then park.
I would recommend this course. Read The Review
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- "Worth playing"
I've been reading some good reviews about the upgrades to this course, including the addition of the Diamond Zoysia greens so it's been on my list of courses to play.
Today it got checked off. I had a 12n Tuesday tee time and the weather was perfect for golf. When I got there at 11am to hit some balls off the driving range, I learned it was closed for some repairs. The Pro Shop guy said I could go ahead and start if I was ready so I did.
This course plays very well. The fairways are in great shape and the course is wide open for the most part. There are some narrow fairways but maybe just a couple. There are just a few holes that leave you with a blind shot on the doglegs.
I've never played on Diamond Zoysia so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Just about a month in to the install and they still have a ways to go.
It's almost like playing on green and silver sand with a little grass thrown in. It was very difficult to get a read on your putts.
I especially liked the Par 3's on both sides, very accessible and set up nicely.
I especially liked #18 which they consider their 'signature' hole. Which is 524 yards from the White tees. You have to go over a little creek to a landing area and then over a little pond to the green. It's visually appealing and wide open with all the water.
There were several tee boxes that were in pool repair and in some cases just no grass at all, just bare dirt. That was disappointing to see.
They get $32 riding for a Sr during the week which isn't bad.
Their carts are gas and they keep them all clean and are following COVID guidelines. All the Staff I came in contact with were friendly and professional. Shout out to Gary who gave me some guidelines on some of the holes.
I would highly recommend this course. Read The Review
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- "Great course"
The last time I played this course was 22 years ago in a Father & Son Tournament.
It's changed quite a lot since then and fortunately for the better.
The greens, tee boxes and fairways are all in great condition.
I got paired up with Bob & Haydon who had played before so I got some good guidance on the blind shots.
Overall this is an exceptional Municipal Golf Course that has easy access off I-77. Ona sunny October Friday, we were able to go 9 holes in right at 2 hours. Just a perfect day for golf.
I especially like hole #8 which is a dog leg right that plays about 300 yards. I was able to get on in two and had an eagle putt.
The fairways are open and there is very little water and most holes are straight forward with just a couple of holes that are blind shots.
I will definitely be playing this course again, at $23 bucks riding @ Sr rate, it's hard to beat.
The carts are in fair shape and I understand the clubhouse was been newly rebuilt. There is nice driving range, practice putt area and chipping area as well.
This is the home of the First Tee in the Charlotte area. Read The Review
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