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Cheval Golf and Athletic Club
Played On 08/21/2015Wet, wet, wet ...
This course is unplayable when wet. Balls land in the fairway, plug and disappear. I lost four that way today. Chipping and pitching off wet, muddy grass is an adventure. The greens were in good shape but it's getting to the green that's the problem. Carts have GPS but if you can't drive to your ball on the fairway, what's the point? Also, the course winds through a residential community and some holes are as much as 1/4 mile apart. You'll be spending way too much time just riding around from hole to hole. There's water just about everywhere. You're bound to hear noise from mowing, construction and so on. Not sure it's worth the bother even when dry. Better play TPC Tampa Bay or Fox Hollow.
East Bay Golf Club
Played On 10/18/2014confusing with shaggy greens
Most courses have enough trees or other markers to indicate the fairway off the tee. Not always the case at East Bay. You can easily hit to the wrong fairway or hit to the wrong side of the fairway on a dogleg, of which there are too many, and be completely blocked to the green. Water comes into play but it's not always easy to tell where and how far. The course has to be played several times just to know where to hit the ball. As to conditions, the greens were shaggy and bumpy for the entire round. Because the grass was so grainy and players dragged their feet, it was mess trying to putt. Fairways were shaggy as well as wet = fat shots. Tees were also shaggy. Bermuda is very slippery to begin with; when it's high you can easily lose your footing and hit it in strange places because you lost your balance. There's one hole, #10, that is just plain silly. From the back tees your view is partially obstructed by high reeds and there are also overhanging tree branches staring you in the face. You have a ridiculously small window thru which you're supposed to hit a hook. Sorry to be sounding so negative but this course can be a bear the first time. They have to do something about mowing those greens. Am I going back? Not on a weekend. I like to play a lot faster. But the Golf Now price certainly was right.
Lansbrook Golf Club
Played On 12/6/2013conditions improving
I played Lansbrook last summer and found the conditions to be rather poor overall. Glad to see management decided to spend some money and get the course to where it should be. It's not there yet but it's a lot better. The only issue I have is rudeness on the part of some players, who will not wait and hit into you before you're out of range. I came close a couple of times to getting smacked. All's well that ends well. Will definitely go back for another try. Great layout; plays longer than it says on the card because it's so flat; also tight in many places so you have to be careful.
Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club
Played On 11/11/2013short and tight, challenging and fun
Length is around 5,500 yards played from the blues. Lots of bunkers and quite a few blind shots. Water in play on some holes but not an issue. Gotta put the ball on the right side of the fairway to have a clear shot at the green. Took me a while to get comfortable with not hitting driver on par 4s, though next time I'll get the big dog out sooner. Greens mostly slope back to front and are quick, so you have to be careful. I'm definitely going back to see if I can do better than +3. The bonus for me was seeing Chi Chi himself in the clubhouse, who was there for the charity tournament held at the course every year. He looked the same, wearing that famous hat with a bandanna. Very cool.
Clearwater Country Club
Played On 11/6/2013noisy, crowded ...
My first time on the course, which seemed to be bordered on all sides by street traffic = nonstop noise. There are even railroad tracks running thru the course. As I was putting on a green near the tracks, a locomotive whistle went off! The carts are not electric, more noise. Quite a few holes run parallel to each other so you will have to be careful you don't get smacked. I almost was. Lots of hackers out there -- more than usual. There are several forced carries to the green over ... stuff. That said, the greens were in good shape and conditions in general were good. Friendly staff. Incidentally, scorecard yardages are off. The course plays much longer -- I don't hit my driver 180 yards!
Tarpon Woods Golf Club
Played On 5/17/2013Mostly a dirt track
The course has good layout but conditions are TERRIBLE. Tees have virtually no grass on them and many fairways are basically sand with a thin layer of crabgrass on top. The day I played the greens were aerified and very bumpy but there was no warning of that fact online. Management needs to spend money on overseeding otherwise the course will burn out over the summer and turn into dirt everywhere, which would be a shame.
Waterlefe Golf & River Club
Played On 5/14/2013strange, annoying layout
Players should keep in mind that the course was built to sell homes, which are all around = a distraction when you're trying to find targets. In several places the course designer ran out of land and made up a hole. There are good holes but also a bunch of silly ones, e.g., a short par 5 where the second shot is a ... pitching wedge! Water is everywhere + wild vegetation blocking the view + blind shots. All in all, an annoying layout. I hit plenty of greens but got nothing to drop because the greens were grainy and slow. Another course I'll only be playing once.
Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club
Played On 4/19/2013one of the best in the tampa/st. pete area
Playing conditions are excellent all around, which is unusual for a public course that gets this much play. There's not a single bad or weak hole. Water comes into play in quite a few places but it's not that big a deal except maybe if you play from the tips as I did. The course has tight holes as well as open ones so the player gets a breather. Many of the greens are elevated, making correct clubbing a challenge. The greens are medium-fast and putts hold the line. Pin locations are indicated on the cart to facilitate shots to the green. There is an excellent grass driving range. Play this course a dozen or so times to get a feel for the ebb and flow of its holes and where the scoring opportunities are and where you have to be careful. Suggestion to management: Those of us who would like to play more but find the cost a bit pricey would benefit from a yearly fee paid up front, allowing unlimited play. My second suggestion would be to allow walking in the afternoon, say, after 2 PM. The course is flat and easy to walk.
Wentworth Golf Club
Played On 9/9/2012housing everywhere, poor design, wet conditions.
The main problem is the absence of clear targets off the tee, other than someone's chimney, living room, and such. Very annoying 18 holes. Where's the golf course is what I kept wondering. There's not a single memorable hole. The course has a bunch of poorly designed holes waiting to trap the first-time golfer, including water in silly places. another course I'll be crossing off the list.
Confused....next time for your enjoyment utilize the info provided by the GPS unit on cart that has complete hole graphics and pro tips. Also course layout on the back of the scorecard and of course the granite tee signs on each tee. The course layout is very traditional and multiple dog legs provide challenge as you pointed out. As for shaggy conditions after 17 inches of rain since the third week of Sept, no doubt it has been difficult for the maint crew............many area courses were completely closed multiple days due to the extreme flooded conditions. Good news is cooler, dryer weather has arrived!
Confused.....please use the course information next time for a more enjoyable round. GPS unit on cart with complete hole graphics as well as layout on score card and granite tee signs on each tee. The course is a traditional layout with several dog legs and yes it's challenging. As for shaggy conditions, with 17 in rain in Sept and early Oct most clubs experienced many days where conditions were too wet to even open. Thank goodness we are entering our cool dry season!