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Heritage Harbor might be one of the least expensive courses in the greater Tampa area and I have to say, you wouldn’t know judging by the conditions and overall experience we just had in February 2024.

The driving range is all water which is fun but it can make dialing in yardages a bit challenging. Either way, the grass was in great shape in addition to chipping and putting green.

The course itself was a fun layout, not too difficult but a little quirky in some areas. Plenty of variety though to keep it interesting. The tees and greens were all in fantastic shape. The fairways were a little thin but that didn’t make a huge difference for our round. The gentleman in the shop said that the greens and tees can use reclaimed water from the ponds on the range and course which is why they’re in such good shape. The fairways are not approved to use reclaimed water which is why they aren’t as good. (Hopefully I remembered all that correctly?)

Anyways, pace was great, and we had a good time. I will say for $20, the rentals were cheapest around but they were mostly mix and match sets. One set of irons we had were Ping Eyes (released 1980?) all the way up to our newest club which was a Callaway Rogue driver (2017?). Again, didn’t deter our round but in case you are wondering what you’re renting here.

Overall, this place is a steal of a price and greens that would beat or at least match almost any course in the area.

Besides gambling and seeing shows, Las Vegas has some of the best golf around the country. There are a ton of great options but it can get pricey really fast. (Cmon were in Vegas, of course it’s expensive!) Anyways, just a 20 minute drive from the strip, TPC Las Vegas is an ideal spot for someone looking for a Pga quality course that won’t break the bank.

One thing I love about TPC Vegas is that it’s a true desert course. Meaning if you miss a fairway or green bad enough, you’ll be playing out of rocks and dirt or possibly losing a ball altogether. There’s plenty of elevation changes and no 2 holes are alike. A few downhillers, some blind tee shots, and plenty of variation for any level and style of player. I think I used almost every club in my bag during my round which really speaks to the course design.

A couple of tips: food is moderately priced comparatively to the strip/hotel I stayed at so eating here is highly recommended. Plus the food was great. They had premade hot breakfast burritos which were fantastic for grabbing quickly on our way to the range. Also, all putts break towards the strip which will help some on your round!

Before playing Torrey Pines, I was warned that it is "underwhelming, wasn't worth the money, and that I should play the North course or simply somewhere else." Well I can say now after having played the South course, that I absolutely loved it! I paid $122 which is twilight on a weekday and for a PGA Tour course, it was worth the money.

The views were outstanding. Even on a cloudy day, it was pretty cool to just look out into the Pacific over the magnificent cliffs.

The history of watching Tiger here over the years and then playing those same holes was really cool. I played with a friend who lives locally and makes Torrey his home course and he pointed out many areas where shots that you or I wouldve seen over the years were taken.

It was the fall so conditions weren't the typical overseed like during the Farmers Insurance Open. It had some rough patches around but it didn't really take away from the round. What stood out was how well-maintained the tee boxes and greens were the last week in September. All around, a great day. And don't forget to stop in the pro shop, its massive and has everything!

Spring Meadows best feature seems to be its accessibility, both from the highway and to little Sebago lake. Getting to and from a golf course is something that isn't appreciated enough these days.

Anyways, back to the golf. The grass driving range is really fun as it sits atop a bit of a cliff so balls seem to travel for days. But that's also a disadvantage if youre looking to calibrate distances before your round. The course is a lot of fun with plenty of twists and turns, ups and downs. My favorite hole was the 10th, a downhill dogleg right where you can hit your tee shot (if youre feeling lucky) over the trees and cut off a good 50 yards. My approach was only 200 yards in and made an eagle.

Pace of play wasn't the greatest but it seemed to be only one group that held up everyone so I cant blame the course. Otherwise it was a fantastic day of golf!

Anytime I play a course where my threesome finishes in 3.5 hours for regulation 18 holes makes me love golf even more! Fox Ridge was just that and a whole lot more.

FR is one of the few courses in Maine that has a grass driving range and its situated right across the street from the first tee. The course layout was a lot of fun but challenging if you don't hit your spots off the tee. There were several blind tee shots and certain hazards and doglegs prevent you from hitting a driver on every hole. I enjoyed the variety and up and downs of the rolling hills that the course sits on. With an island green and a few approach shots over the large lake on property, the "wow" factor is ever-present at Fox Ridge.

Atlanta National is a fantastic golf course layout and has some incredible amenities. It boasts quite an expansive practice facility with multiple putting greens. However, the course conditions weren’t exactly what I would consider lined up with the quality of course that this course is. It hosts a Symmetra Tour event each year around the time I played here yet these greens looked like they were still recovering from the most recent aeration. Overall, I enjoyed my round here and I’m hoping to play it again in the future but I know the conditions can be improved in a lot of areas before that next visit.

But with all of that said, the course can be tricky with a handful of blind tee shots. Course knowledge is critical on those holes. Pete Dye really loves his railroad ties and island/peninsula greens. Those were the prettiest holes of the course but can be intimidating nonetheless. If you get a chance to play this private course, don’t pass it up. It’s a fun test!

White Columns is part of the Clubcorp family but is considered a “premier” course. This means it’s a little more private and is not associated with a second “home” course for members. But anyways, aside from the recently punched but recovering greens, the course is in fantastic shape. I’ve never seen Bermuda grass that has come in this early in the spring. No other course in the Atlanta area (that I’m aware of) looks like this the first week of April.

The course layout is a lot of fun but gets tight in some areas. Being able to play target golf is crucial to scoring low here. The greens aren’t too undulating so if you can find fairways, you can give yourself lots of birdie chances. The best hole on the course is the downhill 17 over a small creek. It’s a huge drop off from the tee box and is terribly difficult to find the right distance.

It was a windy day in southern Myrtle beach on Pawleys island when we were privileged to play the Private Debordieu course. This is an old school style course that winds through a beautiful neighborhood and partly along the marsh. The greens had struggled from the previous winters ice but you can tell once the warmer weather comes, these will be in pristine shape. I was told the greens have a sub-air system, so you know this is a first class facility that puts Golf as a priority for its members. The layout is fair and does slightly favor a draw player for the right handed player. But anyone can score well here if you strike the ball well. Putting is probably the most important part of this course. The subtleties within the contours of each green can be tough to read so take a few more practice putts before you begin. The clubhouse is absolutely beautiful so enjoy a post round meal if you can.

I’ve played a handful of TPC courses over the years and TPC Myrtle Beach is the quality of golf course that you should come to expect at a TPC property. The staff is very welcoming and want you to feel like a member. I had a few questions but they were answered before I could even ask them!

The practice facilities are stellar! The driving range is flat and has lots of flags to hit to. The chipping green is a great place to hone in your short game before a round. The course itself was entirely overseeded. The rough, the fairways, greens, all of it was a lush dark green color. Which is a nice change because most coastal courses use Bermuda which is dead and brown in the winter months. With that said, the rough is deep and difficult to hit out of so finding fairways need to be a premium here. The greens are firm and fast and have some false fronts and undulations so take careful shots into greens or you’ll quickly find your ball has rolled off the green. Overall, an awesome experience at a beautiful TPC facility. If you get a chance, take the time to play this course. You won’t regret it!

Olde Atlanta is part of the Clubcorp group of golf courses and gets A LOT of play. It is very crowded most days and pace of play is typically not great. The frost delay and shotgun start backed up tee times which didn’t help things either. Frost isn’t the courses fault but the foursome in front of us all tee-ed off from the tips and struggled to find the fairways on every hole. Pace of play should start with the Marshall or pro asking groups to play the tees of their ability. The tips should be restricted unless proof of single digit handicap. We watched this group in front of us search in the woods on every par 4 and 5 for balls and rarely did we see anyone hit greens in regulation.

The course is in average condition, the greens are fairly quick but very bumpy. The fairways will obviously be very nice once the Bermuda comes in for spring. Overall, this is a tough course and can yield some high scores!

Reunion is a fail-safe course in the area that I get to play regularly. Their prices for what you’re getting is always good. On this particular day, it was a bit wet and CPO from the rain over the weekend but the course drains well and we didn’t have any issues. The shining star of the day were the greens. Absolutely perfect. They rolled so true and smooth and were faster than I’ve seen them in a while.

My only (tiny) issue with the course is the range. If they could overseed or do something with the range to make it more playable, it would be much improved. I couldn’t find any patch of grass to hit a ball off of. I know it’s the winter so it’ll get better as the grass grows in but the balls are just as bad, just buy new ones! Anyways, it doesn’t deter me from enjoying the course but hoping that they can improve on that end!

Always fun to play reunion, we will be back!

Wow. Haven’t played the UGA club since last year and they have made great strides improving their greens for 2018. They were rolling around at least a 10 or 11 and were so smooth. The rest of the course is in fine condition as expected with the dead Bermuda everywhere else. The greens were the best part of the course today and I only wish they would overseed more of the course since they did an excellent job. I love coming to play here and I’ll be back soon!

Bears Best is always in good condition no matter what time of year. They’ve overseeded the greens for winter so they continue to roll true and fairly quick. Bears Best used to overseed the fairways and tee boxes during the winter a few years back. And they were one of the only courses in the area that did and I think it used to be a big draw for the course. Hoping that they’ll overseed the course again in coming years but nonetheless, Bears is always well-kept and a fun layout. Still one of the better higher end options in the Atlanta area.

Well it’s the middle of January so all the Bermuda grass is dead but the weather was better than perfect! The course didn’t overseed the greens so instead they’ve painted the dead Bermuda greens this turquoise-green color. They rolled the greens enough where it’s fairly fast but the dead grass just leads to rough surfaces so there aren’t many putts that roll true. Providence is a great course when the warmer months come and the conditions are more ideal. Right now, it feels like an unmaintained municipal course. If you need a cheap place to play and course conditions aren’t as important to you, then providence is your pick for January and February!

I’ve been playing royal lakes for a few years and it’s always been one of the go-to options in the northeast metro Atlanta area. This trip was no exception. Really a great layout with plenty of variety. Due to the recent winter weather, the greens are a bit slow and bumpy but they look like they’ll be in good shape once the spring weather starts to set in. Royal doesn’t overseed or paint so everything is brown at the moment which is normal for most courses in Georgia right now. (With the exception of the greens themselves). Always a good experience here at royal and I will continue to come back!

Atlanta National is one of many great golf courses in Milton, Georgia. I’d argue that Milton is one of the best cities to be a golfer in Georgia. That being said, Atlanta National might be the best all around course. The clubhouse is massive and absolutely beautiful. It has everything you want in a clubhouse; large locker room, bar and restaurant, and wel stocked pro shop with friendly staff. The practice facilities are second to none. A double sided driving range with multiple putting greens and chipping areas to really hone your game makes you appreciate the club before you even begin your round.

The course itself is in above average condition for January. You know this course will look beautiful come spring. Pete dye designed the course but I didn’t realize it until we came to the par-4 14th and saw his signature angled railroad ties running down the entire right side of the fairway. Despite the typical Pete dye design difficulty, the layout is very manageable and a lot of fun. If you don’t think so, just ask the ladies on the Symmetra Tour who play an event here every year!

Waterfall CC is a private golf community in the North Georgia mountains running alongside Lake Burton. It is one of the finest maintained golf courses I have been able to play this year. The bent grass fairways, greens, and tee boxes were all immaculate while the views were also stunning. There are quite a few well-known members here, including Alabama head coach Nick Saban. In fact, the Feherty episode with Nick was filmed on this golf course.

Everything about this course screams 1st class private golf community. The cart guys were welcoming and helpful, the pro shop was more than attentive to all of our needs, and even the golf carts had those extra-cushioned leather seats to make the ride a bit more enjoyable. Before heading out to warm-up, we grabbed a complimentary cookie and sweet tea, which was a very nice touch inside the clubhouse.

The driving range is more of a "chipping range" since you can only hit shots inside 140 yards. But there are a handful of hitting bays with nets to warm-up your full shots which was completely sufficient.

The entire course is bent grass which makes the greens extremely smooth and very fast. The fairway bent grass is a little tough to handle. It seemed to be weaker than normal Georgia Bermuda grass courses. In a way, it seemed anytime you struck the ground, you will take a decent size divot. Again, nothing that decreased our experience but definitely had to be a little more precise on your ball striking. The layout was really fun and with the elevation, especially on #2, it makes for an exciting round and all-around incredible experience.

Gary Players course at Westin Mission Hills is a playable course with challenges on every hole. What I love about what Player did here though is giving each golfer options. Even though many of the tee shots seemed tight, there always was an alternative place to hit your ball. It had its holes that made it tough but overall, it was very fair. This course seemed more favorable to someone who cut the ball but moving the ball either way will work for low scores here. The wind can be a huge factor due to the course being more exposed. If it’s windy, watch out! Overall, a great course, plenty of challenge but enough playability for every level of golfer!

Pete Dyes course at the Westin Mission Hills Resort is an excellent public course that challenges every golfer of every level. There are holes that are open and more playable while a few are quite challenging and definitely require strategic ball placement. The greens were in okay shape, nothing that blew me away but it didn’t really affect our enjoyment of the day. I know it’s tough to cut down the greens and roll them effectively during the hotter months in the desert so playing in the “winter” is probably a slightly better experience. Otherwise, a great course with plenty of challenges for all skill levels!

Pete Dye is a great course designer but also seems to want to make you love him or hate him throughout your round. The Pete Dye Challenge course at Mission Hills Country Club is a very difficult course. It challenges the best players and separates the good golfers from the great ones. Dyes classic use of moguls and water make this course intimidating but very memorable as well. At least half of the par-4 and par-5s have water down the left side of the fairway, with only one hole that has water on the right. The moguls and rolling mounds force you to aim for the fairway and if you miss, you could be severely punished. If you enjoy a challenge, PDC at MHCC is right for you, but be prepared to swallow your pride, take your medicine and shoot a slightly higher score as Pete Dye takes you on a beautiful course through the desert!