alharborne

From the minute you arrive (in fact, from the minute you go on the website) you can tell this course is not what it once was.... It's a $75 layout in $30 condition - so good on them for only charging ~$30, even at the weekends. Whole course was softer than I expected (lots of mud balls) but greens were rolling nicely as long as you avoided the patches being treated. Played the East, and no weak holes, and a lot of very good ones - including a strong set of par 3s. But tees and fairways are pretty woolly, and there are some scruffy areas (particularly the cart paths). Nice to play a Florida course where the trees are as big a feature as water. Bunkering is excellent, but some of them aren't in great condition. Cool to see the Nicklaus plaque, but certainly not in tour condition any more. However, if you're not looking for a luxurious resort experience, and want to play a great layout for a cheap price, it is highly recommended.

This is a good layout with some excellent holes (3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15 - and 18 is one of the toughest finishes in the area). The course condition lets it down a bit - most of the tees, bunkers and greens were pretty scruffy - but it is cheaper than most other courses, so that is understandable. Twilight rate is excellent value ($25). However, the cheap green fees mean that both times I have played it has been slow with a group in front who could barely get the ball in the air, and had no idea about letting faster groups through. And there was no-one around trying to keep up the pace of play. Fortunately I was at the back of the field so I could take my time, but as it was getting dark I had to skip a hole to drive past them to play the last couple. Be nice to have a marshal on the course or remind groups about letting faster groups through when they pay their green fee.

I have played Emerald Hills a couple of times, and it is pretty good value - although make sure you book a time online, even if (like me) you are just playing a twilight single. The price is much higher if you just walk in, which I haven't experienced anywhere else.

The course is well laid out, and there are a couple of stretches of holes (5-7, 12-15, 18) that are very memorable. The rest of the holes are good too - except 4, which is pretty silly. Greens are usually pretty good (they had just been aerated when I played the second time), but the tees are pretty woolly. Fairways are ok but always seem to be soft, so the course plays longer than the yardage suggests - don't be tempted to try it off those emerald tees!!

Can be quieter than other nearby courses, which is nice for a quick game. But as others have reported, it is poor that there is nowhere to fill a water bottle on the course.