Back9Ben

Back9Ben

Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
Lives
Midlothian, VA
Handicap
5-9
Age
25-34
Gender
Male
Skill
Intermediate
Plays
A few times a week

About

I'm a value based golfer who enjoys the best course conditions and most dynamic layout for the least amount of money. From local munis to bucket-list destinations halfway around the globe, I'm always in search of the next awesome course and a good deal.

Follow me on Twitter @Back9Ben
or Instagram: @back9ben

Review Statistics

Average Rating

4.2
4.2
Total 222 Reviews
3 Featured Reviews

Rating Breakdown

222 Reviews
5 Stars
91
4 Stars
88
3 Stars
37
2 Stars
6
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
206
Not Recommended Courses
15
Helpful Votes Count
139
Not Helpful Votes Count
14
First Review
05/13/2013
Last Review
05/12/2022

Reviews Map

Reviews

4.2

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FarmLinks at Pursell Farms

Played On 05/12/2022
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

Best Value in all of Golf

FarmLinks at Pursell Farms is quite simply, the best value in golf I've ever experienced. From the thoughtfully-designed and approachable course to the warm southern hospitality of the staff, Pursell Farms offers a hugely impressive golf outing for way less than you might expect. I got a Hot Deal for $79 yet I felt more pampered than I have on a course costing thrice as much.

Pursell Farms does the little things that make a big difference: chilled apples for free at the turn, coolers and comfy seats on the golf carts, even GolfLogix-powered green readings for each hole as you approach the putting surface. The staff isn't just friendly, but genuinely helpful, giving you the information you need to start your round off right. The practice facilities are as good as any you'll see, with a great short game green separate from the practice putting green. Range balls? Included of course for you to hit off real grass.

But enough about the small stuff, this course offers some big perks too. Namely, it offers a course that is forgiving off the tee and very much scoreable, but no pushover either. The Hurdzan-Fry design is deliberate in showing you where you can miss and still have a good shot to make par. The greens read relatively easily, just enough slope to see the break on every green and the perfect pace.

The course recently completed a thorough bunker renovation and the result is not only attractive but very playable. Sand is of a nice, heavy consistency and all surfaces are well maintained.

The other big draw is the signature par-3 5th hole, a jaw-dropping spectacle that will truly take your breath away. Other highlights are also par-3s: the 7th and 17th. While a lot of the par-4s run together in my mind, there's no bad holes here and enough variety to warrant plenty of repeat rounds. And at this price, playing here again and again is something every golfer could do, and should.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

Most enjoyable 5+ butt-kicking I’ve ever had by a golf course

Bethpage’s Black course is a beautiful brute of a golf course that starts out throwing haymakers and doesn’t let up the fight till the very last putt. Yet it offers a truly unique public golf experience that anyone fortunate enough to partake won’t soon forget.

The course brings such a high level of lore and prestige with it that it’s paramount for a first-time player of the course to adjust expectations upon arrival. Yes, it has a fancy clock and a cool clubhouse and a famous warning sign. From the back patio the courses (their are five in all) look majestic and meticulously maintained. You may initially wonder how it only costs an out-of-state player $165 to play a U.S. Open and future Ryder Cup host.

But it’s important to remember that this is, in the end, a municipal course, and one that hasn’t always looked so fancy. My first reminder of the course’s true station came at the driver-less driving range, a wedge of land tucked in the property’s corner where you have to wait in line to hit off a mat, aiming at some randomly placed and unmarked flags, while hitting next to a 9-year-old school girl in a penguin Halloween customer. I digress.

On the course, signs of this course being run by a city are also evident. The many, many bunkers on the course are littered with deep footprints. There are neglected ball marks on the greens. The place of play is bordering on Pebble Beach/Sawgrass long (5:22 for my round). Perhaps the hardest adjustment for me was a lack of a practice bunker or chipping area. This means the first few holes are all just a learning experience for how the club interacts with the extremely thick rough and heavy bunker sand.

That’s about all there is to complain about this course though and much, MUCH more to praise it for. For starters, it’s far more beautiful than I expected. Some of the photos I snapped during my round belong on a wall somewhere. This is my first Tillinghast design and I am a huge fan of how he presents holes from the tee. Pure majesty. The par-3 8th is one of my favorite short holes anywhere. Each hole has a unique and thoughtful design, it was absolutely breathtaking to behold.

But of course what really takes your breath away on this course is its difficulty. From deep fairway bunkers to rough that absolutely requires a humble punch out to the sheer length of many holes; this course knows how to beat you up and keep you on the ropes. A crescendo of difficulty awaits you on the back nine with only 13 and 14 offering what could be considered a respite. In the end I managed 14 more shots than I had a week prior at a normal “hard course”, with no appreciable loss in playing ability in between.

Footprint-laden bunkers aside, the course conditions are quite excellent, particularly the famous rough and the beautifully hand-placed fescue. The greens roll so smooth and fast. It was a real treat to putt on them. The fairways looked and played awesome as well.

The staff is absolutely first-rate. I was really impressed with their understated friendliness and attention to detail.

Finally, for $165 this is a great value, if you can get a tee time. Access is an issue (not unlike St. Andrews) but once you’ve secured a coveted spot, the actual cost of the round (and the merchandise, for that matter) is easy to swallow.

Bethpage Black isn’t a course I could enjoy every day or for $250. But it absolutely is a course that can be enjoyed for what it is: the hardest municipal course in the United States. And to that I salute it.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
6d5f281f-ae2b-5b11-903a-06b6e963ba69
Commented on 11/06/2021

It was fun playing this round with Ben, though next time we do this, I'm not breaking in a new driver [this is not a course to do silly things like than on]. Ben's assessment is pretty spot on. Yes, the bunkers, since Covid, have suffered from golfer laziness in terms of raking, but in fairness the sheer size of them makes raking a job unto itself. In the few weeks since we played, the green conditions have improved, but yes, I wish more players took the time to repair their own marks and a few others. I spend a lot of time doing that as I am a regular there. But given the amount of play, the overall shape of the course is magnificent. The rough is legendary for a reason - you'll be hard pressed to find thicker rough anywhere. But good shots can be rewarded. The greens are not super difficult once you get on them, it is truly a tee to green challenge more than a putting challenge [save for a few holes 8, 11, 12, 17]. I'm always happy to bring first timers there to show it off like a proud papa!

The Ranch Golf Club

Played On 10/15/2021
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

A Solid Course All Around

The Ranch offers a good challenge, some fun holes, a great staff, and a decent value for a daily fee course.

The course itself is situated on a great piece of land and takes advantage of the elevation changes and offers some great views. It’s a shame many of those views are spoiled by the ever-increasing number of houses built up against the course property. In fact the 15th green must have been a magical place before its majestic view of the valley below was interrupted by the new homes.

Conditions are good, but not perfect. I was expecting faster greens for this time of year but they were on the slow side and didn’t seem very consistent from one green to another. That said, putts rolled true and the rest of the course was well looked after. I appreciated that they seemed to not over-water the fairways which had plenty of roll to them.

The staff makes a strong effort to be polite, informative, and accommodating and I very much appreciated the sight of a ranger on the course, though pace was still far from brisk. My foursome finished in about 4:55.

The course isn’t overly difficult but you won’t easily shoot a low score here and really have to plan your aggressive shots. Overall I’d definitely come back for another round, though perhaps not worth the 2-hour drive each way.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good

Brattleboro Country Club

Played On 08/11/2021
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

A Solid Introduction to Vermont Public Golf

This was my first time playing a course in the Green Mountain State and It met the high expectations I had for it.

The greens were my favorite part, rolling fast with plenty of undulations to read. Not overly difficult to putt on, but a good challenge. Fairways were cut nice and short as well and overall the course played well. The bunkers weren’t super consistent so I struggled there a bit and there was lots of GUR spots on the course but they seem to be handling the wet weather pretty well.

The classic design of the course suited my eye better than most as there weren’t any fairways that had silly slopes or unfair bounces. It’s a very pretty course with some great valleys too.

Pace of play was very good despite a fully tee sheet. My foursome played in just 3.5 hours.

The carts and cart paths were a bit beat up but that’s to be expected in this area. Overall I would strongly recommend playing here, especially if you can get a twilight rate or walk (there’s some hills but it is a walkable course) to boost the value.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average

Amana Colonies Golf Club

Played On 07/30/2021
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

Design challenges keep the course from being more fun

Amana Colonies offers a promising experience from the clubhouse with little previews of several holes visible all around. The First hole is a fun roller coaster of a ride over the crest of a hill with helping slopes on either side to assist your breakfast ball find the fairway.

But the overly hilly and undulating design from tee to green on nearly every hole can start to wear you down by the back nine. The conditions are lush (I’d actually argue they overwater the course) and they’re several pretty views from the tees if you’re playing well enough to notice.

My biggest complaints are the narrow fairways and (on several holes) the hurting slopes on both sides that don’t give you a bail-out option.

With all that said this is a quality course and a good player can score low as the greens speed and slopes are fair and the consistency of the turf on nearly all shots is very good. I just wish the course offered you more of a breather from uneven lies and intimidating landing spots.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good

TPC Deere Run

Played On 07/29/2021
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

A Real Tour Experience for a Real Bargin

Playing a TPC course is typically not a cheap experience. Their flagship course, Sawgrass is now over $500 a round in peak season. Many other well-known public venues will still cost you over $200

That’s the trump card of TPC Deere Run. It offers everything you’d expect from a TPC venue, including a surprisingly dynamic course for less than $100, making it one of the best values of any course I’ve ever played.

The land on which the course sits is actually quite hilly and is next to a river so you get some great views from the tee box and green side alike. There’s plenty of undulations in the fairways and just enough slope on the greens to keep them interesting though much of the break isn’t readily apparent.

There’s just about every type of hole here and plenty of angles and playing strategies to employ depending on tee and pin location. The ground was softened by a heavy rain just before our round but the course played beautifully nonetheless with relatively fast greens and groomed (if still very firm) bunkers.

They grounds crew take pride in the course as evidenced by the delay in starting our round so they could groom the bunkers and cart path only for most of the round so the fairways weren’t worse for wear. Despite the JDC event having been completed less than a month ago the course has mostly recovered and played really well.

The staff was great all day though the cost of refreshments and merchandise was much more in line with costlier TPC courses, so keep that in mind.

Playing this course reminded me a lot of TPC River Highlands in Connecticut where they have the Travelers, and that’s high praise. You really do get a sense of what the pros face when they play and Deere Run is a great challenge that I look forward to the next time I’m in the area!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent

Finkbine Golf Course

Played On 07/28/2021
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

Premium Course for a Good Price

Finkbine offers a challenging golf experience with immaculate conditions and a premium feel that far exceeded the expectations set by the greens fee.

Though not the most dynamic course design, Finkbine offers a variety of holes and shots. You’ll use every club you have and the greens will challenge your approach strategy.

No matter where on the course you are, you’ll find the conditions to be superb, even in the hot dry Iowan summer of ‘21. The greens were buttery smooth and had all the pace that the slopes would allow. A couple greens even had some breaks that were extreme but there’s room to position yourself away from most of them.

The staff is excellent from the time you pull into the parking lot till the time you leave and the few small touches of customer service they extend really make the experience feel that much better.

I’m from out of town so maybe $60 for a round and a cart on a weekday morning is high but with rising costs of golf in general, I was very pleased with the experience I got for my money.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing

Great Course for Beginners and Casual Rounds

If you're not looking for tournament-level conditions and difficulty, a casual fun round at Airport National is just the ticket for you.

With 27 wide open holes for a good price and decent conditions, there's not much to critique for this style of course. Only one par-5 out of the whole bunch and lots of par-4s that are driveable for the longer hitters, playing here can make your score look great or if you're a newer golfer, it can make the game feel a lot less intimidating.

I was traveling from out of state but wish I had a course like this to take my non serious golfer friends to!

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good

Crotched Mountain Golf Club

Played On 05/28/2021
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Best Value I'll Play All Year

I wanted to provide an update to my review from a couple months ago when the course was still coming out of the winter season. I'm happy to say the conditions have improved very much and after getting a great GolfNow deal for my round today I can confidently say this was the best value for playing golf I'll have all year!

It was my 6th time playing the course over the years and I'm still finding new things to appreciate about it. Many golfers might not love the old-school Donald Ross design with severely sloped fairways and blind tee shots but I find it charming and a lot of fun.

I was also impressed to (just today) notice the course does have a full practice area with a practice bunker and grass tees for the driving range.

My tee time came with cart included but given the cooler weather I decided to walk and it's actually not too bad of a walk considering all the elevation changes. You really get a better sense of the slope to the fairways and the primitive ways in which the course was shaped all those years ago.

As I mentioned before, the conditions were much improved since my last visit with no patchy fairways or rough. My only complaint is I could do with a little less rocks in the bunkers. A pebble here and there is to be expected at this price but the bunkers I was in today were littered with stones both small and large. Also it appears the flagstick on #13 is about to split in half at the bottom.

Anyways, I look forward to my next round here!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Owl's Nest Golf Club

Played On 05/07/2021
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Another Season of Owl's Nest Off to a Good Start

I was lucky enough to be the first golfer of the season to tee off at Owl's Nest after a 80-minute frost delay. My favorite course in New Hampshire remains exactly that and with signs of even more improvements.

The course conditions were good for Opening Day, with nice, fast greens and freshly mowed grass everywhere There were the usual soggy spots on a couple holes but nothing really to complain about.

The course is in the middle of redoing some tee boxes. They've completed the 13th's and are now working on the 10th where all the tees have been moved over to the forward tee box. They've also added more cart path or redone existing cart paths on several holes.

With it being Opening Day and there being an unexpected frost delay, there was some struggles with communication by the staff early on but overall everyone there is very friendly and courteous. Even the maintenance crew was noticeably excited about the return of golf to Owl's Nest.

I look forward to coming back again and again to see the continued improvements to the course!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Canterbury Woods Country Club

Played On 05/07/2021
3.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Conditions Appear to be Improving

*NOTE: my rating of course conditions does not account for current green aerification which was just done 4 days ago*

I had meant to play Canterbury Woods last year when I moved back to NH but the view of the 12th hole from the interstate was appalling. After reading another review on this site noting that the course had water access issues and has been focusing on the more crucial parts of the course I decided it would be worth my time to come check it out, especially since (from afar) things appeared to have greened up a bit.

Indeed, there is more green grass growing in all the fairways now but you're more likely than not to get an uneven lie if you drive it in the fairway so I recommend giving yourself a realistic lie on each hole.

True to reports, the greens and tee boxes look and play much better and the bunkers are in fantastic shape. But there are plenty of courses in the area and other parts of the state that have better conditions overall so I hope things continue to improve here.

The layout here is a highlight with fantastic elevation changes (walk 18 here at your own risk) and dynamic design that make the round far more enjoyable than it otherwise would be. My only complaint is that there are many holes with blind landing zones for your tee shots and no bells to ring to signal to the group behind that all is clear. This would really help pace of play which suffers a bit because of it.

The staff was friendly enough though I was surprised to see no beverage cart out on a beautiful Friday afternoon, especially with no water coolers on the course.

I paid $45 for my round with a cart due to an aerification special. Not bad, but again I plan to wait until the conditions improve more to come back again. I trust that will be the case.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Red Tail Golf Club

Played On 05/03/2021
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Conditions Show Promise, Worthy Of Eye-Popping Layout

This was my first time playing Red Tail but even with it being among the higher-priced public courses near me, I'll be back for seconds for sure.

The course layout is fantastic. Elevated tees and gorgeous fairway shapes greet you at nearly every hole. The Brian Silva design strikes an impressive balance of not being overly deceptive and tricked up for first-time players while offering plenty of replay value with different angles, options, and tee boxes that make subsequent rounds play very differently.

Looking at the most recent reviews it appears Red Tail has struggled with keeping the course conditions up to the level demanded by the price. I paid $80 for the round and it's true the course conditions aren't quite as good as, say, Butterbrook, but there were clear signs that the course is addressing those issues with freshly laid sod on many holes and a few ground-under-repair spots.

The greens were still recovering from aeration, another 2 weeks is likely needed before they return to normal service. I had no complaints with the tee boxes, rough, or bunkers which were all in fine shape for this time of year.

Having an early-morning tee time meant I didn't see much of the staff but those I did encounter were pleasant and the maintenance crew do all they can to not interfere.

I'm sure the greens fees will creep back up over $100 as the course conditions reach their prime. Hopefully this year those conditions will continue to be worth the price of admission.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate

Shattuck, The

Played On 04/14/2021
3.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Under New Management, Hoping For Better Playability Going Forward

If you've read my previous review on here or follow me on Twitter you know that I'm not a fan of the Shattuck's extremely difficult and often frustrating design. That said, my most recent round brought out some highlights and reasons for hope that the golfing experience will improve.

I'll start with the course conditions which were a bit of a mixed bag. The greens were the best part of the course. Though there were not fully grown in, putts ran smoothly and relatively quickly for this time of year. The amount of slope in them made for some challenging but fair putts and it as satisfying to make a few long ones.

I was also impressed with the fairways being cut nice and short, not at all shaggy like some other courses I've played recently. That said, there were some uneven lies as not all the grass has grown in there either. It's still early in the season so I would expect it to be noticeably better as the season progresses.

I was able to avoid most of the bunkers on the course (the only hazards I escaped all morning) but they appeared to be well maintained as well. The rough and tee boxes were just ok, again, could end up better as the grass grows more.

I found out after my round that the course is under new management and even before knowing that, it was apparent that improvements to the course are underway. I saw quite a few freshly cut tree stumps. I don't the course well enough to know how much this will help the course's playability but I hope those efforts will continue. There are several areas on either side of fairways that I think could be changed to help wayward shots find their way back to the fairway or at least be findable and hittable.

The staff I encountered were very friendly as were a few members I ran into while playing. I got the sense the members here have embraced the course's high degree of difficulty and found ways to manage the course's many forced carries and penalty areas. For those playing here for the first time, I recommend playing with the least-expensive balls you can find (that you'll be ok with losing) and play up a tee if your driver isn't very accurate.

With the widespread increase in greens fees in the area, I was pleased that a weekday morning round here was a reasonable $39 to walk and the course is a fairly easy walk and extremely pleasant with the scenery.

I look forward to coming back and playing here, words I never thought I'd say given my historical attitude towards this course's design. But I'm willing to keep an open mind that under better management the course will find a way to work its charm on me. It's certainly done the same for many others.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Virginia's Best Golf Resort

Having played Omni Homestead and Kingsmill earlier in the year, I recently visited Primland to round out the top golf resorts in the Old Dominion. From the jaw-dropping views to the incredible conditions and fantastic staff, this was a special experience that I will always remember.

As a fan of mountain-stye golf, I have been looking forward to playing the Highland Course for several years now. It's not a course that's easily in my budget but I knew it would be worth the cost to play on such a lovely property.

The views were even better than I expected. Some of them were truly breathtaking and going in the autumn with the fall foliage made it all the better. The course, clubhouse, and the rest of the property was wrapped in an auburn glow that made the whole place shine.

The course itself will challenge even the best golfers. It's best to bring your "A" game here. Having played another course the day before that has been ranked in the top 10 most difficult in the nation I can tell you this one was even more challenging! It helps if you play the right tees though, I didn't and definitely paid the the price for it.

The conditions of the course were superior to any public course I've played in Virginia. Everything from tee to green and all around was absolutely immaculate. The tee box grass is cut so low and tightly I had to double check that I wasn't still on the green from the last hole, they're that good!

The course layout took full advantage of the many majestic views of the the surrounding Blue Ridge mountains. The par-3s were my favorite, especially the par-3 8th. The course offers a variety of holes, each with its own unique challenge.

By far the best thing about Primland is the staff and their unparalleled level of service. I've never met such an extensive, friendly, accommodating, attentive, and detailed group of course operators in the 160 courses I've played, both public and private. The starter, Jeff, was the best I've ever experienced as his warm greeting and detailed introduction put me at ease and definitely contributed to my enjoyment there.

Four short hours of golfing bliss is not enough for me here. Primland isn't the kind of resort you dash in, play, and then take off. You need to soak it all in. You need to experience the lodging, the food, the activities and so much more.

I plan to come back and stay on site when my wallet recovers from what has been a truly fantastic year of golf for me, punctuated at the end by this amazing and exceptional venue and course!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Tot Hill Farm Golf Club

Played On 10/16/2020
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

A Mike Strantz Gem and North Carolina's Best Value Public Course

Tot Hill Farm offers a roller coaster level of fun for a cost far less than other public courses in central NC.

Designed by the famed Mike Strantz, Tot Hill Farm incorporates a course layout that is totally unique and wildly enjoyable. From blind shots and giant slopes to perhaps the most beautiful collection of par-3s I've ever played, this course offers so much for a very reasonable price.

This course's reputation as being one of the toughest courses in the country shouldn't scare you off. With a little course knowledge even a mid-handicapper can score well here and nearly any golfer can have fun even if their scorecard doesn't look the best at the end.

If there's one place to critique, the course conditions could be a bit better but they aren't bad by any stretch. They get the important things right: the greens roll smoothly and look great, the bunkers are well taken care of, and there's no issues on the tee boxes or on the fairway. It's just a little rough around the edges, but for what you're paying the course easily overperforms!

I can't wait to come back and play this course again and again, it really is THAT good!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Crotched Mountain Golf Club

Played On 09/18/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Still a Fun Course Despite Disappointing Conditions

Crotched Mtn GC offers a gem of a design at a very friendly rate that's a good value if you don't mind the shabby conditions.

I just moved back to New Hampshire so I'm not sure how the conditions here compare to others in the area but there were several areas of either burnt out or diseased grass on fairways and greens that somewhat hindered the playability of this fantastic Donald Ross layout.

Players will be challenged with the old-school design with severally sloped fairways and greens in this mountain golf setting.

The staff was friendly and the $22 walking afternoon rate is hard to beat. I look forward to coming back, hopefully with some improved conditions.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

University Ridge Golf Course

Played On 09/01/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

One of the Better Collegiate Public Golf Courses

University Ridge offers a great challenge, impeccable conditions, and a fair price. It's easy to see why it's the pride of Wisconsin college golf courses.

From the carpet-like fairways and smooth greens to the well-maintained bunkers, tees and rough, URGC raises the bar on course conditions. It was a joy to play on and the weather on this day was perfect.

The design offers a variety of holes and shots, making the course a fair challenge and really encourages you back to improve on your missed opportunities. It's not overly flashy or gimmicky, just a straightforward and well-executed RTJ Jr. design.

The price reflects the course and its conditions but is far from overpriced. If I lived in the area this is a course I would treat myself to at least once or twice every year.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

A Funky, Challenging Short Course

Need to kill time while onsite at Sand Valley? Probably not but the Sandbox is worth 2 hours of your time. The 17 par-3 holes all play shorter than 150 yards and yet you'll struggle to score better here than at just about any other short course you've played.

From mind-boggling slopes to extra firm surfaces, The Sandbox is best enjoyed as a casual round to have fun and not for scoring well. Many of the pins are in impossible locations and the best way to play each hole is often the most indirect way with a club you'd never normally consider (arguably the best way to play the course is with just three clubs: a putter, a sand wedge, and a short iron).

However you choose to play the course, just make sure you don't leave Sand Valley without playing it, you won't regret it.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

A Top 5 Bucket List Course

There are few golf courses I've played that ellicit an emotion other than just "this is a great golf course" or "I'm having a lot of fun out here". There's a handful of them that raise that emotion to another level, to an almost spiritual nirvana. I'm talking about that feeling of "I wish I could stay here forever" kind of thing. Tobacco Road, Gamble Sands, and now Mammoth Dunes is added to that list (along with its sister course, Sand Valley).

Like Gamble Sands (central Washington), Mammoth Dunes is a David McLay-Kidd design and incorporates some of my very favorite golf course features. It's very much a links-style course with very firm fairways and greens that reward you for creativity and strategic play. Aiming for the center of fairways and at the pins on the greens isn't the best way to play here. The design pushes you to think outside the (tee) box and look left, right, front, and back of where you think the target landing spot is because often times the best option is one of those.

There are so many incredible holes throughout the course and amongst the group of 16 that I played with, each golfer had their own favorites. For me the highlights were the par-4 6th with the horseshoe green, the par-3 13th that is nestled in the ridge, and of course the driveable par-4 14th.

The course conditions are world-class (as you'd expect for the price) and it's a lot of fun to experience the tough, firm, fescue turf. You just don't get this kind of golfing experience hardly anywhere else in the US.

The price is, well, it's daunting to say the least. I think this will be my last $200+ round I ever play and it's not because this course doesn't deserve the price tag--it very much does. But I played poorly and paying $50/hour to play poorly just doesn't sit well with a "budget golfer" like me. This is a tough course and I think I could better endure some rough play when it's in that $110-165 range.

Even still, this is a fantastic course and a one-of-a-kind experience. Every golfer should play here at least once.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Links at Lawsonia Golf Course

Played On 08/30/2020
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

A Unique Midwestern Golf Experience For Less

Playing the Links at Lawsonia can ellicit all sorts of reactions. For some, it can be a spiritual golf awakening. For others, it can feel like a tricked up plot of prairie land. For me, it was just exceptional golf at an exceptional value.

The theme of Lawsonia is the bunkering and accompanied raised greens. And much like a Star Wars film you either love it and want more (and get more) of it or you don't. Unlike the sci-fi movies, it may take you a few holes to decide which side of the deep, oblong sand trap and steep-sided greens your opinion falls.

The "Boxcar" hole is many golfers' favorite, the par-3 7th with the steepest bank I've ever climbed up to a green. My other favorites were the roley-poley par-5 13th and the beautifully sculpted par-4 17th. I wasn't a huge fan of the blind tee shots right off the bat on #1 and #2, but it's a minor critique to an otherwise awesome layout. There's a great variety of holes and shots to play and the course will keep you entertained round after round.

I played the course as part of a 16-player group and the staff handled our event with friendliness and professionalism. They even extended us an invitation to play as much as we could in the waning light of the evening in a 10-player super-scramble. It was perhaps the highlight of our entire 4-day trip to Wisconsin!

For those looking for a unique golf experience but not wanting to break the bank, look no further than Lawsonia. It will not disappoint!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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