Razzlejag

Beware- if you book online through GolfNow, it will say that the cart fee is included but it is not. You will have to pay a cart fee at the course which yesterday was $12- per person.

I called GolfNow and they are attempting to correct it. .

I, too, was caught with the $23- cart fee. Worse, I brought a friend and praised Pine Lakes all the way down from Jacksonville. I picked up the extra 46- for the cart but I won't be back. To make matters worse, we had to follow a slow, walking foursome who lived locally and refuse to pay the cart fee (which was always included on a Hot Deal).

Also, while I'm at it, the Hot Deal now requires 2 or 4 golfers so I cannot play as a single. For the total price of >$40-, I'll just play at the Royal or the Shores in St. Augustine and not bother with the travel.

Oh, the course is in pretty bad condition, too,

5 Stars b/c it was February. Course was in winter condition, I drove 60 miles to get there b/c it was a decent day and they were open with carts available. It was great fun, I had a beer in the bar to start and the guys I was paired with had an extra cigar and we shared my bourbon.

Golf course conditions? Who cared. It was a great day.

This is probably the last of the accessible causes in Jacksonville that I've gotten to play. It took a while to get here but it was worth it. I didn't realize the history of the course as it was a PGA tour stop at one time and the great Ben Hogan took an 11 on the par 3 sixth hole.
There is even a plaque commemorating the event on the 6t h tee. In his honor, unintentionally, I too popped a ball into the water. This proves, as I thought, that I am very similar to Ben Hogan.

The course isn't in great shape because it is mid-February but it isn't bad either. The man in the pro shop was happy to discuss the history of the course and point out the list of past champions and to remind me to see the plaque on the 6th hole.

Unfortunately, the old clubhouse is undergoing renovations and I wasn't able to get in there. I surely will be back and will be able to walk where the champions walked.

As for the course, the typical Donald Ross feature of a false front is evident on several greens. Be careful and, on the other hand, try not to be above the pin as it is impossible stop the ball and you can run right off the false front. This makes a very tricky shot to the green where you want to be between the pin and a drop off.

This place is the classic love-hate course for me. There's lots of challenging shots which make it fun but there's lots of frustrating mounds which bounce a good shot into the weeds and into oblivion.

The 17th hole is the only reasonably normal hole on the course. Almost all of the others are an adventure of some sort.

I've been playing this course for almost 25 years, maybe 6-8 times/year and have seen it anywhere close to this bad. The greens are bad but it seems that other courses are going through a similar thing so I don't know.

What stands out to me is the sloppiness of the course and how high the grass is off the fairway. It's difficult to find your ball in there and it just looks bad as well. Very unkempt and unattractive, quite different from what it has traditionally been.

It's a mess, frankly. Cut the grass.

You get what you pay for. It was a nice day to smack around this easy par 3 course but, as the title says, I didn't expect the hills. 1 and 2 go sharply up while 8 and 9 come, yup, sharply down. 3-7 kind of meander up a down to a lesser degree. All tees are elevated and many greens drop off rather strongly so it is more fit for a mountain goat tan me.

All in all, don't go there if you have a bad knee or 2 or any walking difficulty.

Sad to say, but the terrible reviews below are valid, especially the one by lenc52. Pine lakes should do what Halifax did a couple of years ago, rip out all the greens and redo them while putting in temporary greens and charging $25 / 18 holes.

I think I went around Halifax 10 or 12 times that year because at $25 we were still out playing golf and it was well worth it. The course was able to bring in a fair amount of money, I'm sure, even with the repairs going on. Now it's back to full price so I've moved on but that was a great year banging it around Halifax.

It is no doubt expensive to redo greens and who knows what pine lakes financial situation is but maybe they could do nine holes this year, nine holes next year or something. The current approach isn't working.. such a beautiful course too.

Yeah, I like it here. No frills, nobody with an attitude; staff is friendly. Just a good place to play. Be careful of errant shots, though, several fairways border others and shots are sprayed all over the place.

People there are pretty terrific from the Pro Shop folks to the on-course folks like the guy with the pipe and the guy with the dog.

Pace of play was a little slow due to walkers but that's understandable. You do have to be a little careful with stray shots as holes can be close to each other, specifically your 6th tee drive wandering out into the 7th hole fairway and tee area. Again, that's fairly typical here in New England.

The recent reviews really rip this place and I think it's a little undeserved, especially given what the staff has done with the greens in the last 2 years. They've brought the greens from unplayable to mostly OK. Yes. there are sanded spots and bare spots here and there, just move your ball. We did that whenever necessary and nobody had a problem.

The course itself is great, terrific layout and the restaurant area is excellent.

All this being said, however, I have one serious (to me) complaint. Their policy of combining GolfNow singles into one cart is not acceptable. Given the whole Covid thing, this is a ridiculous policy, regardless of vax status. I play single once a week and have stopped going there b/c of this. I don't mind playing with strangers but same cart? No way, I'll play somewhere else.

Amazing that I have not played here before the last couple of weeks (I have been there 4 times now in those 2 weeks). Everything is good about this place, especially the people who work there. Starters/Rangers Steve and Don were (and the other 2 guys, didn't get your names).
I had a terrific sandwich inside after one round, too, and the lady there was very nice as was the one who checked me in.
The course- terrific. Greens are fast and fun, I like that the course is pretty wide open and you can just pound the heck out if it. Also like that you have to think out a lot of shots to keep out of trouble.
Kind of slow play was my only negative but it makes you take your time and enjoy the ride.

I get down here 6-8 times a year and it's always fun. I went back and read reviews here for the last 2 years and I think I agree with almost all of them. Yes, the clubhouse is old, the men's bathroom is beyond description; yes, the course is interesting and the greens can be hairy, yes, the people there are beyond nice...they are incomparable. It's all in what you expect and what you want. The guy in a 2020 review who said something like, "...if you just want to slap the ball around and have fun, then this is a good place" was dead right. Isn't that what golf is?

If you're expecting World Golf Village conditions, then you should go there (and spend $160- for your round and a chilled apple), if you want to slap the ball around, have a couple of beers and not worry much about what you scored (or paid), head on down to The Oaks. No, it isn't great but it's well worth the ride, IMO.

We booked a Hot Deal though GolfNow and were told that we had to pay an additional $20- each for the cart. I tried to explain that the cart was included in the GolfNow rate but to no avail.
They demanded to see on the receipt I had from GN where it said that the cart was included but the GN Email receipt does not mention the cart. I showed them the Hot Deal for the next day on the app (showing the the cart was included) but they just said no.
We paid the 20- each since we'd traveled an hour to get there.
Oh, the course was nice and we enjoyed it overall but don't think we're going back after that. They should know what they are offering and then honor it.

It is obviously worthwhile to read reviews of a course before booking but I don't understand why such an important fact or problem like temporary greens isn't more prominently stated when going through the booking process.

That being said, for $25 or so you get to drive around a beautiful area, have a couple of beers, smoke a cigar, hit 70 or 80 golf shots and get some fresh air (except for the cigar).

I can only imagine what this place was back in its heyday as now it is very tired...from the parking lot to the building to the course itself.

That being said, you're out on a beautiful day driving a little gas-powered cart around and hitting a golf ball while drinking a beer or two and smoking a cigar.. all for pretty short money. What's not to like?

The course is pretty good but the staff is absolutely great from the guy in the pro shop to the bar staff to the maintenance crew... all friendly.

As mentioned, bring a few extra golf balls maybe some of those old top flights and Wilson's that have been hanging around. You will use them.

I decided to make the 2.5 hour drive to this course and it was well worth the effort. The 8th and 17th holes alone made it a great course but there were many other memorable holes.

When I finished, the sun was setting over the marsh affording the most spectacular views, Just beautiful. I put my clubs into the car, changed my shoes and decided to use the facilities before starting the long drive back. As I walked up the several stairs to the clubhouse, two of the members on the deck stood, said hello and asked if I had enjoyed my round.

We chatted for several minutes and the sincerity of their hospitality was obvious and greatly appreciated. I can't wait to get back there.

I didn't know what to expect, first time there. Course was nice, greens fast, no bare spots...personnel do an excellent job there.

Course is pretty wide open, you can swing away.

I had high expectations and they were met. Absolutely would play her again.