Lives
Maui, HI
Age
35-44
Gender
Male
Skill
Advanced
Plays
A few times a week

Review Statistics

Average Rating

2.5
2.5
Total 4 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

4 Reviews
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
1
Recommended Courses
1
Not Recommended Courses
3
Helpful Votes Count
1
Not Helpful Votes Count
2
First Review
03/07/2019
Last Review
04/21/2019

Reviews Map

Reviews

2.5
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First time playing this course
Recommended
Review has
2.0
First Time Playing

Overpriced and Disappointing

I live on Maui and took advantage of the opportunity to play this course as I was on Oahu for a visit. A friend had told me this was the best course on Oahu. For that, it was a massive disappointment, especially considering the price.

I must add that we played on a day with a lot of wind. And I’m talking about hitting a wedge 175+ yards downwind and hitting a driver less than 175 upwind, kind of day. I am used to playing in wind from Maui, but this was something else. And the course layout only partially seems to support that. Many holes are nestled into the trees making it impossible to judge the impact of the wind once the ball gets above the tree line. I don’t remember having hit this many good shots that were severely punished, ever! I suppose it might be easier once you know the course, but that is a bad characteristic for a resort course, IMO.

And the sand! Oh my god, the “sand”. This course is practically on the beach yet you can’t find any sand to fill the bunkers?!? Almost comically horrible.

Greens are very slow. Maybe that is personal preference, but I would like then to be faster. I was also constantly fooled into thinking they’d break more. Maybe that’s just me.

The scenery was also disappointing. Doesn’t feel like Hawai’i at all, especially when compared to courses like the Wailea courses, that go through palm trees and lava, and offer awesome views everywhere. Here, you see the ocean once. And you play through a bunch of shrubs and can’t see out. And some of the stuff neighboring the course is downright depressing.

Overall, everything at Turtle Bay seems slightly old and off. Some things remind me of municipal courses. The hotel reminds me of an old summer camp. I guess it was nice once, but it is now badly in need of renovation.

It was also odd that it looked like they had very few openings (1 player here and 2 players there, sort of thing), but when we got there, there were very few people. Makes you wonder if they try to make the course appear busier.

I would play the course again, but only on a less windy day and for less money. The way this went, it just isn’t worth it. But I can see that the layout is interesting. Maybe I’ll come back for a tournament one day. But I wouldn’t take anyone there, especially not at full price.

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

Augusta Pines Golf Club

Played On 03/16/2019
1.0
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

What happened to this course?!?

Wow. I played Augusta Pines Golf Club in Houston/Spring today. I always used to like this course and thought of it as a pretty nice and upscale course in the area. Not AAA, but still very good and worth the money. But man! Either things there have changed, or I have.

For one, the pace of play is horrible, and nobody seems to care. Over 5 hours for a round (I could have literally played two rounds in the same time, had I been allowed to play at my own pace). The first time I waited was the second shot on the first hole. And not just for a minute either.

The course is also in horrible shape. I guess it's March in Texas, but I was still surprised. It was "rough and cart path only". I get the cart-path only rule, but "you can drive in the rough"?!? Strange. If you find yourself up the wrong side of the hole on a par 5, you end up having to drive almost all the way back to the tee box on some holes before you can make it back to the cart path. Hmmm...

Also, while I get that the cart-path-only rule is necessary at times, they should at least tell you that this is the case before you pay. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to spend close to a hundred bucks on this mess. Slow pace. Cart-path only. Horrible course conditions. That's just a bit too much, all in all.

Also, it seems that some of the amenities have gone downhill considerably. You go into a restroom and there is broken stuff. Garbage bags used to wrap up broken toilet bowls, and by the look of it, that's been there for months. I also think it is strange when you see a course of this price category have old carts without a GPS. Sure, not all courses need carts with GPS, but then you can't compete in this price category. (And I think I played at a twilight rate no less... we certainly played into the twilight, considering the awful pace... the last 3 holes took darn near an hour).

Maybe they will get their act back together for the summer season, but man! I am not sure I will be back to check any time soon. :-( #disappointed

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Bali Hai Golf Club

Played On 03/07/2019
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Not horribly, but still disappointing

The pace of play was awful, and nobody really seems to care about it. In addition we had the unfortunate luck to be paired with disrespectful co-players. Not the course’s fault (so I’m still giving it three stars rather than one) but it makes the pace issue far worse.

The course is ok and it’s fun to play a dessert course if you don’t do that often. But at the same time, there are only a handful of truly memorable holes. In fact, while playing, I felt I played the same holes a few times. So not all that much character, but it’s still a nice course.

The condition of the course was disappointing. Tee boxes were rough, so they keep the grass there as long as in the rough. Odd. The fairways are pretty hard and not in great shape. Not horrible, and maybe I’m spoiled, but certainly not as good as I would expect for the money you pay. Greens were so-so. Fast, but bumpy, which makes for a frustrating combination, even though I normally like fast greens. I was also surprised there was no driving range. You just warm up in a cage. Disappointing for this level of course.

Would I play it again? Maybe. But not for the price we paid. Our experience was quite bad, but I think one could have a fun time on this course too.

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

Chimera Golf Club

Played On 03/09/2019
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Fun little course, a bit slow

I was positively surprised. This is a fun little course I’d be happy to play again any day. The only complaint i have is pace of play.

The greens were in very good condition. Fairways pretty decent too. A bit in the hard side, but it’s a dessert course, after all. I just noticed that the tee boxes are in a bit of a rough shape, but it’s def playable. I know I am spoiled (living in Hawaii, I always see golf courses that are in mint condition all year) but this was more than satisfying to me.

The layout is fun and has some memorable holes. I would even say that the course had more memorable holes than Bali Hai, which we played two days ago and was far more expensive and in worse shape.

So this is not your super high-end experience, but I’ll orobably be back the next time I’m in Vegas.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
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Commented on 01/15/2020

Thanks for your comment! We're happy to hear you had a nice time and enjoyed our course! Hope to see you again soon!

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