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Reviews
Serenoa Golf Club
Played On 08/25/2019Difficult Time Of Year
The course was sopping wet, grass was high. greens were terribly slow and pock marked from plugging.Bunkers were mud, not sand.
We had to skip 2 holes, two ladies playing slow, and a young couple "learning" with one set of clubs between them.
Sad to see this course in this kinda shape, but I assume it will get better when the rain/flooding ends.
There was still some fun mingling with the wildlife on the course.
Misty Creek Country Club
Played On 07/27/2018One Of The Most Interesting Courses
Always an enjoyable round. One of the few courses I get excited about for all that it offers. Great staff, great sandwiches, reasonably priced, too. Challenging holes may be difficult for some, water carries, bunkers, hills, trees, more than usual. You learn to hits targets, this isn't a drive long and pitch up kind of course. You will use a lot of clubs to get to the greens. Some of the most consistent greens you will find, but the undulations will take you down if you aren't good at calculating movement on the ups, downs, turns, and grain.
You get your money's worth here, and it's wonderful.
The River Club
Played On 04/25/2018Fun Round, Good Value
It's hard to beat the value of this course. Because it's an older course you can expect some flaws, like inconsistent greens and dry tee boxes on certain holes. It appears they are improving the cart paths and the paths to the tee boxes on particular holes. They offer a very nice driving range and practice green. The beverage cart visiting twice was a real plus, too. I always seem to meet some nice folks to play with, so this makes for a fun round of golf.
Serenoa Golf Club
Played On 04/11/2018One Of The Better Courses I've Played In The Area
For an older course it was in good shape. Water on 17 of 18 holes, the housing is well away from the course, and there were several challenging holes.
Lots of positives about this course, very few negatives. Gas powered carts and no GPS were somewhat surprising for the area. Some of the tee boxes were dry/worn, but it is the dry season. Greens were a bit inconsistent. Doglegs and water across fairways made it interesting. Pace was excellent till we got to the last 4 holes. Liked the food from the food cart, and the complementary beverage was a huge plus.
Be aware the wildlife is abundant, and the birds are stealthy , AGGRESSIVE thieves. The lakeside deck at the 19th is as nice as I have ever experienced. I can't wait to return, overall great experience!
The River Club
Played On 04/02/2018Affordable
This course becomes affordable "off season", April thru October. In season it's a tad expensive for what it is. An older course showing it's age, kept up enough to keep it playable.
Lots of water and vegetation force you to keep the ball on the fairways. Some tee boxes were dry as were all the fairways. It's that time of year, but the greens were surprisingly near perfect. Cart paths are broken concrete in many spots, the carts were nice and the GPS was a plus.
The course is well used by players of all levels, so expect a lot of wear and tear. There are several gators that frolic about the streams and ponds, birds are everywhere. Bring your camera.
Overall it's a fun course for the average golfer, decent amenities, and affordable off season rates.
Bent Tree Country Club
Played On 02/04/2018I want this course to be a 5 star
I wish I could give this course a 5 star review, but having played several other courses in the area over the past 10 months, I cannot.
The tee boxes were rough sand/dirt, very sparse grass on many holes. Greens ran like concrete, and the turf on and off the fairways was barely moist for 1/4 inch depth, then rock hard. Oddly, there was standing water and mud in some places. The housing is very close to the fairways on some holes, and the slopes from the fairways to the water just suck balls into the many lakes. The bunkers are challenging, as well. Cart paths were rough.
I suppose you could get used to playing here, and like it a lot, but my partners that day were decent players, and they complained. I just played thru the conditions.
As I mentioned above, there are nicer courses for the same money. I can't say I would be happy paying full price here.
A huge plus was the food and beverage cart, and friendly staff.
The River Club
Played On 01/05/2018Casual Round
I play here twice a month or more.It's a well worn course, but very playable for my style of play. Keep it straight and you shouldn't have an issue.
This is not a manicured course. The tee boxes can be a tad worn, and this particular day there were tens of ball marks on the greens. I can't blame the management for most of the wear and tear, it's the players who refuse to repair divots and ball marks.
Greens may be slow for some, frog hair is narrow(3ft). Fairways are a bit narrow and undulating, there are hills throughout . Water, sand and numerous doglegs make the course challenging.
Long drives between holes, and you will walk YARDS to tee boxes on certain holes. If you can't hit straight, you WILL lose a few balls, and you WILL be playing with odd angled lies in the hills.
The driving range is good, the pitch and putt is adequate. Cart path is mostly concrete but ragged in sections. Houses are close to the fairways/greens in spots. I haven't tried the 19th hole yet, but it looks like a sports bar above the pro shop. You must load you own bags, and parking is a distance from the pro shop. This entire setup may be difficult for handicapped players, you get a workout even with a cart. One of my favorite courses in the region, great value.
Esplanade Golf & Country Club at Lakewood Ranch
Played On 01/01/2018Luxurious Fun.
I jumped on the opportunity to play a rather expensive course at a big discount. I certainly wasn't disappointed or surprised by the quality of the facilities or the amenities.
The weather was cold and windy, but I've played in much worse conditions. The course was very impressive, gorgeous tee boxes, fairways, landscaping, cart paths, and greens. I had never before seen the frog hair extended for so many feet off the greens.
I can honestly say this course took 5-10 strokes off of my usual game. Not that it was easy, there was plenty of H2O, sand, undulating greens and long carries, but almost every lie was playable. This was the most FUN round I've ever played, because I felt like I was able to play MY game to the best of my ability.
I could get used to playing here regularly, but it IS pricey. The staff could not have been nicer, and the 19th hole was accommodating despite the bad weather/lack of customers. If you wanted a special event round, or wanted to gift someone special a round of golf, I can tell you the recipient(s) will thank you for a great round.
If you have not played this course, you need to. I cannot imagine anyone at any lever of play that wouldn't appreciate this facility.
FWIW, the facility is not on a GPS map, so call for directions, AND, you may need to program the course itself into a GPS(GolfBuddy) device before you visit.
The River Club
Played On 12/29/2017Great Value
I really like the River Club. It's not a high end course, but it's comfortable. I've played several times with several very different partners, and everyone seems to have a different take on the course. It's an older course that winds thru a neighborhood, houses close to the fairways, long drives from hole to hole on sidewalks and streets, often on rough terrain and ragged concrete cart paths.
Plenty of water with sloping fairways toward the water, multiple hills with huge and numerous bunkers. If you play the middle of the fairways, you'll never see these obstacles. If you get off the fairways, expect extra strokes, odd lies, lost balls, and sand.
The staff is friendly enough, older gentlemen, and they are very accommodating on getting you on the course in short order. Carts offer GPS. there are two driving ranges and a great pitch and putt area.
Today the course was a bit rough IMO, some tees were dry and sandy, fairways and greens were chewed up more than usual.
For MY style of play this is a forgiving course, there always seems to be a way to recover, and the warts aren't a big deal. I've played with very good players and they complained a lot. I get the impression this course sees a lot of play, and not everyone who plays minds their etiquette. I haven't found a better value in the area, this is my preferred course.
The Groves Golf Course
Played On 04/19/2017Very Impressed!
Considering the near drought conditions of the region, this course was quite green and enjoyably playable. Nine par threes offers a short, but fun course. Undulating fairways and greens are extremely challenging, with enough water and sand to turn a hole into a double bogie+. The slowest greens I ever experienced, must be cut high due to the drought(?). I think it made the greens more playable, with fewer divots, and I actually thought they were excellent with properly cut frog hair and approaches. Accurate, short irons are a must. Hybrids seem to play well, too.
The staff could not have been more helpful. They were quick, efficient, and professional in every way.
I was impressed with the overall prices, good parking, and even the cigar selection. The beer/snack cart added a luxury feel to the experience.
The driving range location was "different", and the cart path a tad confusing in spots, but well maintained.
If you want a quick, fun, challenging round, this is the place. I'll be back to sharpen my short game and relax.
Bent Tree Country Club
Played On 03/17/2017Water Everywhere
Narrow fairways, lots of water and sand, ground is rock hard, greens were fast, tee boxes beat up and cart paths often dirt/sand. If you play fairway golf you will do well. If you don't, bring plenty of balls and expect to play poorly. Several tricky doglegs, and a par three over 100 yds of water, yikes!
Great electric carts, drinking water on several holes, extra friendly staff, courteous players, too. Layout was relatively safe despite several holes side by side. Some elevation changes and anything hit near the water will be in the water, you better be accurate around the greens. Greens were hard(no divots), fast, and bumpy. Maybe this is what Florida courses are like, I don't know, I'm from PA.
I'll play this course again, it's fun and challenging for my skill set and my wallet.