Norski68

At one time, this was a majestic course. Challenging, to be sure, with some tight fairways, elevation changes, and canted greens. Today, the greens were good but they have reseeded fairways and they are unplayable unless you use "winter rules" everywhere. The paths need repair and the whole place needs updating. There was no bar or restaurant. The pro shop was bare, only a cashier behind a plexiglass shield. In time, things may improve but for now I would look elsewhere.

This is a muni so we didn't expect anyone to load our bags on our carts. The man behind the counter was bored and unfriendly. He didn't tell us the keys were in the carts or where the #1 tee was; simply "You can go." Pace of play was good. The fairways were narrow and, for the most part, okay. It was sometimes difficult to tell which way the fairway turned unless you drove forward to the tee box signs which had a schematic of the hole. Greens were slow but consistent and in decent shape. The rough was terrible. No effort was made to pick up leaves or branches; there was nothing but sand and scrub. Someone was burning what smelled like garbage in a pit located in the middle of the front nine. This would not be on my short list for a return round of golf.

Most of the courses in The Villages had poor greens so we drove to Ocala Golf Course and were delighted with our decision. Cost was $30 including cart. Fairways are fairly flat and the greens are overly tricky. Everything was in great shape; the greens were especially good. We finished in less than four hours starting at 2 p.m.

The layout is a little strange with tee boxes and fairways criss-crossing one another. Hard to describe other than to say there is not enough space for 18 holes. The greens were slow but in good shape. One was severely sloped. The fairways were very sparsely covered. Maybe a few less trees would get more sun on the fairways and help the grass grow. It is hilly and has some interesting holes but I cannot recommend it when there are much nicer courses for about the same price in the area.

I don't know who designed this thing but it was incredibly hilly, much more so than the surrounding terrain demands. You had lots of blind shots to fairways and greens. The fairways and greens were in fair, not great shape. The greens were often needlessly difficult in terms of landing areas and severity of slopes. Many fairways were wide or funneled the ball into a valley but I lost track of how many balls ended up on a slope of some kinds. A single digit golfer might enjoy it; we didn't. The fellow in the pro shop was very friendly.

I've played Rio three times in January and each day is windier than the next. Be prepared for tight lies everywhere on the course. The greens are okay except where the waterfowl have fouled up everything. Lots of roll on the fairways. A couple of greens [#17 comes to mind] are sadistically warped. At $35, including cart, it is a bargain. At $45, not so much.

This is a short course from the whites, playing around 6000 yards. The fairways are in poor shape and there are lots of rocks in the bunkers. The greens were okay but a little on the slow side. Fairways are wide. Course winds between houses on every hole. There isn't much scenery. If you pay more than $40 to play, you are wasting your money. Go 30 miles south to a much better course--Emerald Canyon in Parker.

Fairways are wide but look out for balls from adjacent fairways. Greens were slow but okay. Traps had too little sand and too many rocks. Clubhouse has seen better days. Excellent breakfast burritos there. There is a range and a green for pitching practice as well as a separate large putting green. Cost only $22 to walk the flat course where there green-to-teebox distances are short. It is always less windy here than at the courses across the river, i.e. El Rio, Loas Lagos, Huukan, and Laughlin Ranch.

First the positives: Easy to get on. Staff very friendly. Decent putting green and separate area for chipping and short pitches. Electric carts. Played in 3.5 hours. Clubhouse and restaurant looked clean and fairly modern. Cost was very reasonable at $22, including cart.

The negatives: Fairways had many, many bare spots. Lots of rocks in the sand traps and not much sand. Greens were bumpy and slow. Course winds through many houses and crosses streets several times. Driving range consisted of two rubber mats in front of two nets.

FIrst, the positives: No trouble getting a tee time as a single. Lots of palm trees. Hilly terrain and dog legs make for an interesting layout, visually and playing-wise. Fairways and greens did not have many bare spots. Play took slightly over 4 hours.
The cons: Houses line both sides of nearly every fairway. There is almost no view of Lake Havasu or anything else for that matter. The sand traps have rocks in them, LOTS of rocks. If you can hit out of them with your "desert club," okay, but I I would not advise taking a good wedge into one. A handle on one of the rakes was cracked and gave me wonderful fiberglass slivers to remind me of my bunker woes. Worst, the greens were like cement. You have to bump-and-run unless the pin is in the back. The clubhouse really should be replaced, it is that old. The cramped men's bathroom was not clean.