lannertcito

Several weeks ago, I played a most enjoyable weekday round on the consistently best-conditioned track in Broward County. A Saturday morning excursion at PL provided a different experience, however. Three foursomes of tourists in town to celebrate a bachelor party were shoehorned in front of our foursome. These raucous out-of-towners were friendly enough, but they were painfully slow as their skill levels and their revelous pit stops begged for a 4 pm start with many fewer players on the course. Unfortunately, the starter would not allow us to commence our round on No. 10, whose tee box was unoccupied for 15 minutes. Thoroughly teed off, our foursome ended up teeing off 20 minutes late, but we were able to bypass the partying, soon-to-be-sunburned lads who took an extended break after the front nine. The second nine proceeded at a brisker pace, even though we caught up to a slow-footed trio that stretched our round to nearly 4 1/2 hours. As usual, PL was in superb shape with flush fairways, well-repaired divots and ball marks, and verdant, true-running greens. The beverage cart service was the best I've seen in the past six months and took the edge off of the tortoise-paced round. To top it off, the happy hour victuals at the restaurant were as tasty as the service was superb. A sublime ending to a ridiculous beginning....

Yet another former PGA tour stop in Broward County that has suffered dry conditions during high season, this classy track was plagued with mostly sun-cooked, nearly unreadable greens and playable, but hardly lush, fairways. I had to corral the starter to confirm when we could tee off, but otherwise the staff was efficient. Pack of play a bit slow. Unhappily, beverage cart service was limited and the bar grub was nondescript. Unique spectator seating carved into greenside bank on No. 18 must have provided thrilling views when Honda Classic was played at the course in the '80s. Even though the thrill may be gone at Lexi Thompson's home track, upcoming rainy season should freshen up future rounds.

Orangebrook's pair of 18-hole courses have always been a you-get-what-you-pay-for tracks that feature ragged playing conditions, highlighted by their phlegmatically-paced greens. While the greens remained shaggy on the East Course due to drought conditions, the fairways and tee boxes were generally in unexpectedly fine shape. Bunkers were less so, but it didn't matter as I worked on my long game, while blitzing through a solo round in about 2 1/2 hours. There was no beverage cart service, but starter and pro shop were most amiable.

Ongoing drought and heavy winter play have punished the greens on this short, funky track, but the oddity of my round was that the fairways on back nine were in fantastic condition compared to ragged front nine. The greens played better on the second nine, as well. Bunkers ran from concrete hard to relatively soft. Water-heavy course was a tough grind for my Argentine compadre who had never played the course - which is not unusual - but we clipped through the round in about three and-a-half hours. Beverage cart service was good while it lasted. Pro shop staff and starter were predictably proficient.

Drought conditions continue to plague South Florida tracks and this former PGA tour stop from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s was no exception. The fairways and tee boxes on this old-school layout were thin and the rough was full of bare patches. By contrast, the greens were in wonderful condition, save one that was vandalized. The sand traps, in general, were in good shape. For a Friday midday round, the pace of play was excellent. As usual, the pro shop staff and starter were friendly, but beverage cart girl never showed up. While the course's new bar served a tasty burger, beverage prices were too high ($10 for cocktail).

Formerly known as the Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course, this entertaining track built on an Everglades preserve featured a winding, somewhat nondescript, front nine that bordered a residential development followed by a visually spectacular back nine that neatly snaked through a seasonally dry marsh. There was a young diamondback rattler squiggling across the fairway on No. 13, a double dog-legged Par 5 that while not listed as the toughest hole, could have easily qualified as such. Course management and joining up with a person familiar with this rather short, but deceptive, course was most useful as I saved several balls and strokes during a nearly four-hour round played on some of the truest greens in South Florida. Considering near drought conditions, the fast-running fairways were in solid condition, with a bit of bareness on the fringes where several sandhill cranes were hanging out. Because of usual inattentive care from golfers on this heavily-played course, the bunkers were pretty beaten up. The pro staff and cart attendants were professionally polite, but not particularly welcoming. While the cart service was limited, due to late afternoon time slot, the attendant was friendly and efficient. The Dancing Crane restaurant in the spiffy, newly-minted clubhouse is one of the very best in South Florida. And as many courses close in South Florida, it is heartening to know that the city of Palm Beach Gardens, which owns Sandhill Crane, is building a new Par 3 course to complement its 18-hole gem.

For $27, I'll play the East Course every time, even if the pace of play was painfully slow, the golf cart had no GPS and the cart paths were bumpier at times than a Manhattan freeway. No matter. I spent most of the time reminiscing about the tournaments Gleason and Nicklaus were playing at Inverrary 40 years ago on tee boxes and fairways that were lush and plush. Fortunately, when I came out of my reverie, I found the greens for the most part, were in splendid shape and among the fastest in South Florida. Bunkers were fluffy, too. The East Course layout was not particularly memorable, apart from a couple of Par 3's guarded by lakes, but it offered a pleasant way to take advantage of a gloriously sunny afternoon. The pro shop staff and cart attendant, the latter of whom was from Montreal, were very courteous. In fact, Inverrary is a favorite of Quebecois golfers. While there was no cart service, the bartender at the restaurant kept the restaurant open long enough to sell me a delicious turkey and cheese sandwich - another fond memory of Inverrary.

As with so many erstwhile high-end tracks in Broward County threatened by the cancerous growth of developers, Emerald Hills has morphed into a tarnished crown jewel that in the past couple of years has suffered from sub-par maintenance of fairways and tee boxes. The saving grace for my twilight round was the greens, nearly all of which were in fine fettle despite players' customary negligence to repair ball marks on several holes. The bunkers were in good condition, as well, with deep, soft sand. Typical (but still disappointing) for an afternoon round, there was no cart service and by the time I finished at 6:30p, the bar was closed. As always, the pro shop and cart attendant were friendly and efficient. And thanks to the greens, the $40 fee to play one of the finest layouts in South Florida was a bargain for this time of the year. Hopefully, Emerald Hills will not come under the development knife that closed nearby Hillcrest Golf Course last year and may do the same to the Diplomat Golf Course in Hallandale.

I took a good friend of mine to hit the links at Park Ridge today and all he could say during the round was how cool it was to play on a South Florida track with such an unusual layout on a former landfill. There were elevation changes from tee box to tee box, blind shots and tricky, tight holes that demanded careful shot selection. While the fairways and tee boxes were a bit chewed up - as is the case with most area courses this time of year - the greens were in fine shape, thanks to ball marks being expertly maintained. Unsurprisingly, Park Ridge was packed on a Saturday morning, but pace of play was excellent. What elevates this 11 year-old course built by Palm Beach County to a five- star rating was predictably first-rate service from bag attendants, pro shop, and starter to snack bar server and cart girl, who zoomed around the hilly 18 holes like no one I have seen at any other track this winter.

For $40, this afternoon round was a steal as Pembroke Pines-owned course currently is one of the best-conditioned public tracks in Broward County. Like its counterparts, Pembroke Lakes has seen plenty of play this season, yet this entertaining track always seems to be in peak form throughout the year. The tee boxes and fairways were in splendid shape, save a few bare spots on fairways. Greens were a bit fuzzy, but they ran true. Bunkers housed wonderfully soft sand for the most part, but lazy trap maintenance by players left tricky shots from divots and spike marks. Pace of play was pokey at times for a Monday afternoon, though pro shop said track was "wide open." And this is a no-frills course - no cart service and bar closes at 5 pm, which seems a bit early during high season. PL's layout is challenging enough, and while there are no real signature holes, the posh surroundings were compelling - and memorable.

At one time, the certainties of life were death, taxes and Jacaranda being in immaculate condition. Unhappily, times have changed for Jacaranda, at least for its East course. While The East's mostly ample fairways were pristine enough for a candlelight dinner, the less-than-plush greens yielded quick and bumpy sojourns for golf balls that could only be directed to the general location of the holes. All was hardly lost, however. First off, Jacaranda's unusually thin greens were still in better condition than greens at majority of the courses in Broward County. The deep, spacious bunkers surrounding the greens and tee boxes were in solid shape, as well. And with its eye-catching course design, attentive staff, and one of the best 19th holes around, Jacaranda East remains one of the classiest tracks in South Florida. An return to form on the greens will once again make it immaculate.

As winter golf in Broward County grinds on to March, the local tracks have been worn down, due to heavy play, dry weather, and sub-standard maintenance. Bonaventure, a smartly-designed, Joe Lee course, was no exception. Its balding fairways were threadbare in spots and the weed-filled, grass deficient greens called for automatic two-putts. Rakes were unavailable for bunkers that badly needed smoothing over. To top if off, waterfall on signature Par 3 third hole was being examined by repair crew that posed distracting view of the green from the tee box. On the flip side, course staff was professionally polite, pace of play was reasonable and the cart service and snack shack strategically located after front 9 were excellent.

Due to sand topdressing a few days before my round, the greens were as slow as the rude pair of hackers who refused to allowed my colleague and I to play through and finish last seven holes in timely fashion. Otherwise, we cruised through this entertaining, old-school course, thanks to reliably well-manicured fairways and forgiving rough. Lack of on-course cart service and ranger disappointed, as well as overbooked tee times. Still, helpful starter who expertly routed us to back nine first, $50 discounted rate and gorgeous, sun-drenched day, smoothed the edges of a jagged round.

Built 85 years ago in what was the hinterland of Hollywood, Fl., Orangebrook's pair of very tired, 18-hole East and West courses somehow survive political pressure to be converted into yet another batch of nondescript high-rise condos and traffic-clogged shopping plazas. As a golf course, Orangebrook hangs on because there is a casual, friendly vibe and the price is usually reasonable (especially with an online, winter hot deal) which attracts tons of (mostly) French Canadian golfers in the winter and locals in the summer. Unhappily, the East Course I played was plagued with splotchy fairways, weathered greens, and tee boxes pocked with sand-packed divots. Many of the tee boxes were moved up, which shortened the track considerably and made it much easier to score on holes where water came into play. The East Course layout was largely wide and uninspiring, save for a half dozen holes where water and trees posed an aesthetically interesting challenge. The staff was courteous, but unbelievably, on a very busy Monday afternoon, there was no cart service, an egregious oversight since the clubhouse was not conveniently located near the course and there was no on-course snack bar. On the plus side, our foursome cruised through a packed course in a shade over four hours. Nonetheless....In spite of the predictably, mediocre course conditions and no cart service, I still was able to work on my French and on my game in a je ne sais quoi, enjoyable fashion. That combo was worth the price of admission.

Considering the atypically cool, wet weather in recent weeks, this venerable, old-school track near the Miami airport was in tolerably decent shape. The fair-rolling greens were in good condition, but the fairways and tee boxes were a bit chewed up. The pro shop was kind enough to alert my friend and I to an upcoming tournament, so we beat the rush and blitzed through 18 holes in a most enjoyable 2 hours and 45 minutes. For those who have not played The Springs, the course can be deceptively tough with lengthy Par 4's and elevated greens surrounded by strategically-placed sand traps. On the other hand, there is very little water to contend with, the ball was rolling on the firm turf, and the track is pretty wide open.

After finishing our round, we headed to the new clubhouse watering hole, a spiffy sports bar/restaurant ringed by overhead TV monitors that is much larger than the cozy confines of its predecessor. Like the opening night of a glitched-filled theatrical production, several staffers tried to repair a variety of service/tech issues that reduced barside service from mildly annoying to comically inept. I'm sure the service will improve, as will the weather - and the golf course.

Unseasonably cool, wet weather in past few weeks may be culprit for unusually sub-standard condition of venerable, deceptively tough track. The greens and fairways, in particular, were splotchy brown or bare in many spots. Several greens were so pocked by unrepaired ball marks that putting was a futile exercise. Most of the sand traps protecting the greens were concrete hard. Nonetheless, this fairly tight course that snakes through a variety of ponds, lakes and canals was packed and play was slow until several groups dropped out, due to rainy weather. Would once again play this quirky, fun course when dry and warm weather returns. Course staff was friendly, as always.

Site for first SFPGA outing this year was a splendid track whose pristine tee boxes and fairways housed an intriguing layout filled with a surprising array of deceptively tough doglegs, numerous sand traps in tricky locations and several ponds unexpectedly lurking beyond view. On the other hand, conditions of sandy, recently punched greens did not match up to rest of course and golf carts did not feature GPS yardage tracker. Range, chipping green and putting green were fine, staff was friendly and courteous, and food/beverage was tasty. Will definitely circle back when greens return to form.

After years of neglect, this venerable, old-school municipal course has been significantly upgraded with fast, true-rolling greens, fluffy sand traps, and well-manicured fairways. There is not much water or rough to deal with, but Par-4's and nearly all of Par 3's are long and elevated greens are often guarded by well-placed bunkers. A great track for beginners and high handicap players as the course is pretty wide open. Tee boxes needs a bit of sprucing and distance markers are sometimes tough to locate in the fairway. Pro shop and snack bar/dining room staff is very friendly and the food is tasty. Old timers at the snack bar provide interesting historical tidbits about this historic course and Miami Springs, which remains a most pleasant little enclave nestled inside of Miami's urban sprawl. With so few course options in Miami-Dade county, Miami Springs provides the best bang for the buck.

Played on an extremely blustery day, which toughened angular, water-laden layout rimmed with occasionally thick rough. Slickish greens were a bit worn, but otherwise course was in fine condition. Non-water holes provided relief from otherwise challenging course that featured a few fairways and greens bordered by unexpected protusions of water. Be sure to consult GPS map. Staff was friendly, efficient, and the pub food was tasty. Free range balls a nice plus.