Lives
Orlando, FL
Age
25-34
Skill
Intermediate
Plays
A few times a week

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.9
3.9
Total 11 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

11 Reviews
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
8
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
11
Not Recommended Courses
0
Helpful Votes Count
0
Not Helpful Votes Count
0
First Review
03/02/2017
Last Review
02/23/2019

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.9
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Rio Pinar Golf

Played On 02/18/2019
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Love this course, hope it stays...

This is one of my favorite courses in Orlando. Challenging, beautiful and unique.

However, lately the conditions have been slowly creeping into bad territory. Tee boxes were under repair during our round, so I can’t speak to those. It’s good that they were re-leveling and re-seeding them. The greens were not as good as they were even a couple months ago when I was last there. Very uneven and bumpy. Small sprouts of some invasive grass were present, as were so threadbare areas. Some traps were 1/2 inch sand over clay mud. Fairways were overall well groomed, if heavily worn. Essentially, it seems the club is tightening purse strings. The pro shop is barren, and they seem short-staffed. I hope the apparent cutting corners isn’t a sign of financial instability, because I really do have a love for this course.

I’m hoping that the issues I saw were just short-term so they can return to their full glory soon.

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

Rio Pinar Golf

Played On 04/06/2018
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average

Dubsdread Golf Course

Played On 03/16/2018
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice course for the money but very very slow

I’ve reviewed this course before, so I’ll summarize by saying that for the money, it’s a decent course. Staff is friendly, range, chipping area and putting greens are well-cared-for. The layout is fun and interesting without being too brutal. Conditions are generally good. Tees can sometimes be a little beat up, but fairways and greens are in decent shape. Greens can sometimes Have several unfixed ball marks,, but that’s more of a statement on some of the clientele.
The biggest gripe I have is with pace. It seems they overbook a bit while also making poor choices for order and allowing people to squeeze in at inopportune times. This can lead to some very long rounds where you not only wait to hit at the tee, but wait for the guys at the tee to hit who are in turn waiting for the guys in front of them. It was extremely common to have 2 or 3 foursomes waiting to hit at the tees. The course is short on the front 9 (several short par fours and a couple par 3s all before your given 400+ from the tournament tees. The first par 5 isn’t till hole 8) so that’s not doing them any favors, but it seems the starter is only exacerbating the issue. Be prepared for 5-6 rounds here during peak season.

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

MetroWest Golf Club

Played On 03/16/2018
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fun course!

This was my first time playin MetroWest.
I am very glad I did! This course for my Friday mid-day tee time was $50. That's an inexpensive price. However, due to conditions, it probably should be closer to $35-40. It's location and proximity to Universal probably adds the extra $10 bucks.

I would still encourage anyone to play MetroWest.

The staff was friendly and eager to help. I was able to check in, get A few items from the shop and some range balls, and be in my cart easily and in good time.

The range was a bit chewed, but offered good target practice. I saw several people doing full practice swings in the regrowing grass way outside ropes for the range. If that's common practice, that'd be why the have a chewed range area. The chipping area offered several different lies and shots to practice, though I didn't spend much time there. The practice green was very accurate and seemed to be taken care of as well as the course greens.

I played this course as a single. Starting out, I was paired with a lovely fellow, and we were supposed to be half of a 4some starting at our tee time. However, It seemed the starter had sent the other half out ~15 mins early. Thus, we remained a pair. We were relisted to 7ish minutes later than our tee time to be placed behind a 3some who was in turn behind a foursome, who was then behind the other half of our tee time. This was my only gripe. There must've been a better way to structure this. Because of this, we waited for almost every shot. This time of year 5 hour rounds are more the morn than the exception, but the starter wasn't helping.

The course itself is great if you tend to struggle off the tee. The fairways are wide and the rough isn't terribly punishing. However, elevation changes and steep slopes into hazards make shot choices still a big part of the game. The tee boxes are somewhat rough. While mostly flat, the grass thoroughly chewed. Interestingly, it was BETTER on the par 3s. It's possible that they are letting one area of the tees get run down to allow them to really give the others a rest. I've heard they are working hard to improve the course, and it shows in other ways, like the fairways.

The fairways are wide. The grass is well-mown. However, since it's been incredibly dry for the last month, the grass look a bit weary. No bald spots, just tight, hard lies. But you can see that they are working to get it back into top shape. I didn't see one divot without sand and seed, and for as hard and dry the ground is, I was shocked to see such short grass surviving. The greens we excellent, if a little overplayed. That much is to be expected this time of year in Orlando. I luckily only experienced one bunker while I was there, but the sand was soft and I didn't see any rocks, liners or other bad things. The sand itself looks to be slightly more course than you may see elsewhere, but it hit soft.
The design off the course itself doesn't concern itself with accuracy off the tee as much as encouraging smart shot choices by making huge elevation changes. Holes move as much as 300 yards up or down between tee and green. Flat expanses are placed as rewards for good shots in the right places. It makes coming into the greens and holding them the most challenging part of the game. Personally, I like that.

All in all, this course is different from many I play in this price range. While conditions maybe a slightly below their asking price, it's worthwhile to put this course in your rotation once in a while.

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

Rio Pinar Golf

Played On 02/09/2018
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Best course At this price in the areA

I've played this course many times, and it's consistently satisfying. Well maintained, friendly staff, and great starter and rangers that keep the pace movingly at a decent clip. Even when it's busy, you can get through 18 with 3-4 players in 4-4.5 hours. I credit that to their scheduling, starter and rangers.

The conditions are very good. Fairways are rewarding and kept in reasonable shape given the amount of traffic they see. Greens are the amongst the best I've found in this price range. Layout is challenging and focuses on precision shot-making.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good

Audubon Park Golf Course

Played On 09/10/2017
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser

Always a great time

This course is the best maintained under $50 anywhere near New Orleans. The only thing that keeps it from being a perfect 5 stars is the fact there is no range or chipping area.

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

Rio Pinar Golf

Played On 07/01/2017
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Dollar for dollar, best course in the area

I've played this course several times now, and it's become my "home-away-from-home" course. I've played it at least once on my last 4 trips to Orlando. For the price, it simply can't be beat.

Practice areas: The driving range is actual grass, not matts.The chipping and putting areas are well kept and large enough for several people to use simultaneously. The practice greens are a pretty good average of what you'll find on course, so it's definitely worth it to get a few putts in to zero in on the speed of greens here.

Course conditions: for this price, I haven't found better. It even beats several courses that are more expensive. The tees boxes are generally well kept. They definitely see use, but the grass grows thick on all tee boxes, and there's always available turf to hit from for irons on par 3s. They must work hard to keep them up, because I have always found a level lie fro which to tee off. The fairways are better than you expect from a public course. Since it is a public course, they're not pristine, but they are are well kept and fairway always play like fairways. Again, better than most public courses I've played. Bunkers and wastes drain well and are sanded with great soft sand. You won't find many rocks or shells here. This round was after torrential rain, and there was no casual water that I saw, nor mud in the bunkers. Greens are superb condition, and I saw no bald spots or shagginess anywhere.

The layout can seem a little narrow at first for high handicappers, but it won't crucify you for or being a perfect driver. The challenges here are mostly in the course management, as doglegs and a couple carries across water make shot and club choice key.

It bears repeating that the drainage on this course is exceptional. I played during a week of heavy rain, and the fairways were damp but not mushy. As there are not cart paths, we were able to drive to our ball even after such wet weather.

The staff is excellent, and treats you like a country club member. Not bad for a course that costs less than most in the area.

You should play this course.

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

English Turn Golf & Country Club

Played On 06/08/2017
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Gorgeous and challenging course

This course is extremely well kept. The starter was informative and friendly. The driving area and chipping greens were great. I will say, this course can be challenging, and somehow, I missed the 17th hole altogether while following the cart path, so maybe some additional signage... or I'm just an idiot, lol. I would definitely recommend this course.

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

Timberlane Golf & Recreation

Played On 04/18/2017
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun and challenging course

This was my second time playing Timberlane.and I've enjoyed it both times. This course is quite challenging.

The staff is always courteous and helpful. The carts are in better shape than most clubs in this price range. The practice facilities are well-kept and chipping and putting offers plenty of variety to warm up several types of shots.

The course conditions are above average for this price range. The fairways are essentially immaculate, the rough and bunkers are well-kept. The greens are at about 90%. Only one hole had serious green issues. The last time I was out, they were well-mowed and not too dry or wet. this time, they were a little wet, but not unbearably so.

All in all, it's a good course for a great price, especially on hot deal.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great value for the money

For me, this course is in the top three value-for-the-money here in New Orleans. The staff is always knowledgeable and friendly. The practice facilities are above average. My only complaint is that the driving range is limited to irons. It is, however, included in the cost of your round. The chipping area and putting area are well-kept and have enough variables to allow you to practice a large variety. The carts are maintained well, but the speed regulators are set a little slow for my tastes.

Course conditions are about what one would expect from a course in this price range that's open to the public. Fairways are well mowed and divots are kept filled. Green can be a little patchy sometimes. Bunkers are unfortunately a low point. Drainage is bad in the bunkers leading to about 30% having large pools of water. About 50% of those without water are filled with very rocky dirt. Not sand, dirt. But, for the price, I expected something to be off, and of all the things that outdoor be wrong, bunkers would be my preference. Shouldn't be hitting into them anyway.

The course has some varied elements, and is more challenging than most in the area at this price range. The views are pleasant, and I find I pull every club at least once a round.

All in all, I'd say it's worth a play. Or two... or five...

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/10/2017

@SlowHandPoet, thank you for your kind words and constructive criticisms. We wouldn't be anywhere without the feedback from our members and patrons like yourself. Hope to see you back out here soon!

Brett

Joseph M. Bartholomew Golf Course

Played On 03/01/2017
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Every time I play here, it's good - just good

Let me start by saying I play this course as much if not more than I play any other in New Orleans. I have only had two bad experiences, and they are described below, but overall the course is nice and CHEAP!!

The staff is friendly, if distant. They are never rude, but a smile is somewhat rare. The food at the kitchen is good, but be prepared to wait up to 30 mins for a club sandwich, even on slow days.

The course conditions are ... ok. Tee boxes are sound always. The fairways seem to always hover around 85% in repair. It seems that whoever is contracted for big-scale maintenance isn't familiar with golf course work. When I was out last, a worker drove a heavy digger THROUGH THE WET FAIRWAY I was playing, leaving massively deep tracks through the center of the fairway. There was a short, dry route around that area. It seems he just wasn't mindful. The greens are never in great shape. There are various grasses growing and on a few greens, even bald spot to contend with.

Now, there is one thingy that I will head with this:

WARNING WARNING WARNING
On two separate occasions I have been out finishing a round at about 4-4:30 and have had young adults (16-20ish?) walking in to the course from the adjacent neighborhood, apparently heading for the park on the other side. This in itself it's really a bother, but often these kids will PICK UP BALLS as they walk through the course. My group and I have lost a total of three balls, and have had five picked up. On the first occasion, as one kid was picking up his third ball from our group, my friend caught him in the act and got the two back from his pockets.
On the second occasion, I watched them get picked up, but as they were headed across the street I hollered to them and someone who I'm guessing is their mom came out on the porch of the house across the street. "Can I help you?" She asked. I explained that I think the kids entering her house through the side yard had picked up some balls in play by mistake and we'd like them back. "I didn't see any balls around here. Now, go on." With that proclamation she turned in and shut the door. My friends and I were furious. Balls are pricey, but the real issue was that part of what we pay for in golf is peace and room to play. We didn't get that. At all. We did explain to girl in the office as best we could, but I don't know what they can do.

After all that long-windedness about the down side of this course, let me say I WOULD PLAY THIS COURSE AGAIN. It is one of the least expensive places to play north of the river, and overall my experiences have been positive the 8 or 9 times I've played this course. It can offer a pretty decent challenge. Players and staff are all easy going, if indifferent. And the off-roading your ball will do can be seen as an interesting challenge. I encourage you to try this course if you haven't, it could grow on you.

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