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3.7
263 Reviews (263)
5 Stars
53
4 Stars
105
3 Stars
59
2 Stars
25
1 Stars
21
Conditions
3.3
Value
3.8
Layout
4.2
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.2
Amenities
3.9
76.4%
Recommend this course
194 out of 263 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.3
53 Reviews (53)
5 Stars
22
4 Stars
26
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.1
Value
4.3
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.5
Amenities
4.2
StaffFriendliness
4.7
96.2%
Recommend this course
51 out of 53 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.9
81 Reviews (81)
5 Stars
24
4 Stars
37
3 Stars
11
2 Stars
6
1 Stars
3
Conditions
3.6
Value
3.9
Layout
4.3
Pace
4.4
Amenities
3.9
StaffFriendliness
4.5
81.5%
Recommend this course
66 out of 81 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Par 72
Length 7003 yards
Slope 132
Rating 74.0
Book a Tee Time at
Lions Paw
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Course Details

Year Built 1990
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens MiniVerde Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Willard Byrd (1990) Nai Chung Chang (1990)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill, Restaurant

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Most Improved U.S. Golf Courses (2021 #16)

Reviews

3.7
263 Reviews (263)
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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Dissapointment

Coming from Ohio i was told to play the cat courses. We tried Lion's Paw and to be fair it has been raining alot. Crabgrass everywhere, greens in rough shape and grass needs mowed. Looks like a great course at one time......just not right now.7

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/15/2023

We sincerely apologize we fell short of your expectation on your most recent visit. Heavy rain and intense heat in the weeks prior to our visit certainly contributed greatly to the issues you described. Fortunately these conditions are very much temporary and are now improving daily. We are looking forward to a great remainder of 2023 and beyond.

Played On
Reviews 21
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/03/2023

Thank you for the positive review of your visit to Lion's Paw. We truly appreciate your patronage and look forward to seeing you again in the future.

Played On
Reviews 17
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/18/2023

Thank you so much for the nice Four Star review of Lion's Paw. The greens have healed up nicely and getting even better daily. We are looking forward to a great remainder of 2023 and beyond! We hope you will visit us again soon and see our continued progress.

Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Greens were pathetic; but we warned, although not sufficiently. General lack of maintenance, but for $45, you can't expect a lot more in the heat of July.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/06/2023

Thank you for reviewing your visit to Lion's Paw. We appreciate your patronage and your feedback. We deeply apologize we fell short of your expectations on this visit. We are currently undergoing extensive greens renovations to ensure Lion's Paw is in great condition for the remainder of 2023 and beyond. We hope you will visit us again and see our progress and growth.

Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Lost Greens

Pulling up to the putting green, I saw I may be in for a rough day on the greens. We had to do 2 putt max, as there wasn't a single green that was 100% playable with a smooth roll. We (2some) were off first, and played in under 3 hours. 1 hole the sprinklers were on while we attempted to putt. Another hole, the flag wasn't put back into the cup. I mentioned these things, and the greens and the guy working said it was the weathers fault. I live 2 hours from here, and my club has almost perfect greens. So it's not the weather. 10 years ago, this course was terrific but I guess funding has decreased. Panther's Run looked the same.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/06/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review your visit to Lion's Paw Golf Links. We apologize we fell short of your expectations on this visit. The weather certainly did throw us some curve balls this spring. Though Raleigh is only 3.5 hours away, in this region, even a few miles can make a big difference in the weather conditions you receive. Regardless, we apologize we were not in our best condition on this visit. We are currently doing an extensive renovation on these greens and they will once again be in excellent playing condition for our guests for the remainder of 2033 and beyond.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Greens in terrible shape

Did not find out until we arrived that greens were “aerated “. Greens with multiple dead spots, areas of irregular sod, massively inconsistent from hole to hole. Layout is great , management needs to invest in playable greens.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/06/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review your visit to Lion's Paw Golf Links. We apologize you happened to play at a time we were doing some required maintenance to our greens. We did offer our guests a discounted rate for this period and gave them the option to play one of our other courses, if preferred. These conditions are very much temporary and the course will be in very good condition once again in the coming days. We hope you will visit us again and see our continued improvement and progress.

Played On
Reviews 10
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 06/21/2023

Thank you for the very nice Four Star review of Lion's Paw. We really appreciate it and hope you will visit us again soon!

Played On
Reviews 41
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Greens

I would have to tell my friends that the greens are in really bad shape.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 06/02/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review your round at Lion's Paw. We greatly appreciate the nice Four Star review. Several unexpected factors have hampered our greens during the late spring, but with the rapidly improving weather conditions, the condition of the greens will be rapidly improving as well. We are looking forward to the remainder of 2023 and beyond and we hope you will visit us again and see our continued progress. Thanks again.

Played On
Reviews 1
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Rough Conditions

The greens were in very poor condition. Staff very friendly & accommodating. Course needs a year with no play to survive & begin to once again thrive like in the past.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Lions Paw fun

Enjoyed the round at a lLions Paw. Fantastic staff that was super friendly, honest, and helpful. Although the greens were terrible, the price adjustment helped. They were honest about the condition of the greens up front. I hope the greens improve as the layout, fairways, tees, experience were all great. Thanks for a fun day. I’ll return.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 16
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Neglected Greens!!

Greens were very disappointing in comparison to the rest of the course. Very weedy, Burnt, and bumpy.!! They’re in desperate need of love! Rest of the course was nice, the tee boxes were level and the fairways are in great shape and well. For the price I give it 3/5 stars. First time there would not recommend until greens are repaired.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/16/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review your round at Lion's Paw. We apologize for the condition of the greens. We have been aggressively treating the issues you described and will continue to do so. We fully expect the overall conditions to continue to improve rapidly and for the greens to be in great shape for the summer. We also have a plan in place to use some newly available products to proactively treat these issues and make sure we do not experience a similar situation in the future. We apologize again and hope you will visit us again soon to see our continued progress.

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Surprised

Surprised the greens were in such poor shape for this golf course.

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/16/2023

We apologize we were not at our best during your visit to Lion's Paw. We have been aggressively treating the issues you described and we expect the conditions to continue to improve rapidly now and for the course to be in great shape for the summer. We also have a plan in place to use some newly available products to proactively treat these issues and make sure we do not experience a similar situation in the future. We hope you will visit us again and see our continued progress.

Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

The Paw was alittle tired

Majority of the greens were in poor condition and number a fairways had rough spots.
Beware of looking for balls near the water… yiu might meet a new friend

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Switched to Panthers Run

I wanted to play Lions Paw but a Member tournament took precedent and caused me to be bumped to Panthers Run. A much lower rated course.
This course was in horrible condition. Greens had little or no grass. Bunkers no sand. With gators and snakes abound, it wasn't the safest course either. Restrooms locked code didn't work. Icing on the cake, No Food or Water available.
I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS COURSE TO ANYONE PERIOD.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/16/2023

We apologize you were switched to a different course. I'm not sure of the circumstances on the day you played, but our staff tries to accommodate all of our guests to make sure they have the best overall experience possible. Panther's Run and Lion's Paw are very comparable courses. In fact, Panther's Run is often rated even higher than Lion's Paw in many listings, as it is newer and has some very unique design features. Regardless, we apologize you were not satisfied with your experience and we would like to work with you to help resolve the issue. If you can contact me directly at blong@oceanridge.com, I will work with you to find a solution. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 41
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Put MONEY into the course

These courses have so much potential but the course conditions are so sub-par that it’s not worth the money. Greens were very bumpy, lumps of grass, some greens had little grass, just sprayed with the green stuff. Tight lies were everywhere even in the middle of the fairways. Staff is extremely friendly and courteous which was a plus. Knowing it’s Resort Golf I still wish a Marshall would “speed slow players “ along

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/16/2023

Thank you for taking the time to review your round at Lion's Paw. We apologize we were not at our best during your visit. We have been aggressively treating the issues you described and there has been significant improvement since you played. We expect the conditions to continue to improve rapidly now and for all of the bermuda greens to be in great shape for the summer. We also have a plan in place to use some newly available products to proactively treat these issues and make sure we do not experience a similar situation in the future. We hope you will visit us again and see our continued progress.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 34
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Poor Poor Greens

The whole course needs some TLC, all of the greens are worst that I have played on in 20 years. Staff were very friendly.. Would not recommend this course.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/16/2023

We deeply apologize for the unsatisfactory conditions you described. Lion's Paw was hit by a breakout of Poa Annua this spring, similar to many other bermuda greens courses in our area, and we very aggressively treated this issue with every available viable product. After a couple of weeks, the conditions began to improve considerably, as the Poa began to dissipate. The weak areas left behind on a few of the greens have also bee addressed and the course should be back to 100% in the coming days. We have formulated a plan of action, using some newly available products, to assure we do not experience a similar issues in the future. Hopefully you made your concerns known to the staff on duty, as they are empowered to do whatever necessary to make sure each guest has an ultimately satisfactory experience. If this is not the case, please let me know and we will work with you to rectify this issue. Email me directly at blong@oceanridge.com and we will come up with solution. Thank you and we appreciate your understanding of this unfortunate, but temporary situation.

Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Beautiful Course

Friendly staff. Good condition.. I would highly recommend.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/27/2023

Thank you for the very nice Five Star revieiw of Lion's Paw! We truly appreciate your patronage and look forward to seeing you again soon!

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