fmolfetta

This is a pretty nice course. The layout is good. Winds through a forest of pine trees, as the name might suggest. A couple of really nice holes (the down hill par 5 and the closing par 4 stick out), decent conditions. All in all a decent course, solidly 4-stars.

I have been playing this course since it first went public, I believe 3 years ago. As one of only 2 public Seth Raynor designs (and with the other costing several hundred dollars per round), I want this place to succeed so bad. Each year since going public has seen the conditions gradually deteriorate. The prices go up, but the conditions get worse. The fairways have lots of dead patches, crab grass patches, and clover patches. The rough is non-existent in parts. I mean, there's grass there, but it's not "rough," it just slightly longer than the fairway. At on point I had a lie in the rough that was better than any fairway lie I had, as the ball was sitting up perfectly as if on a tee, and not in the way you sometimes get lucky, this was just the nature of this patch of rough. The rough was splotchy in other parts. The greens generally were rolling good and true. On the plus side, it appears they've heard the message about the bunkers and are in the process of replacing the sand throughout. Hopefully they'll take the time to put some love into improving and maintaining conditions throughout the rest of the course to give this Seth Raynor gem the conditions it truly deserves.

This course does not get the love and respect it deserves. I played here several times in the fall and the conditions were pristine. As of my most recent play they weren't quite as pristine, but still very good. There are some issues with the course, i.e. the electric wires that are essentially in play on a couple of tee shots, but by and large this is a fun layout. I think people dislike it because it is narrow, tree-lined, and demands precision. If this is not an issue for you, then I would recommend giving this place a go. Just be forewarned there are ZERO amenities. No range. No cart girl. No snack stand. Nothing. Just some vending machines, so come prepared.

I played this course around the same time last season, and the course was a mess. There were weeds growing out of the fairways, the greens were chopped up and brutal, and the rough was warn down.

What a difference a year makes! The fairways were in excellent condition, the greens were firm, fast, and rolled true. They were as fast and true as any private course I've played. The rough was back. It had a few bad patches, but for the most part it was thick, lush, and punishing, as it should be.

The bunkers are still something of a problem. They're probably about 50% sand and 50% dirt at this point. It wasn't much of an issue though. I was able to get out of the bunkers without a problem (or at least no sand-induced problems...player error is another story haha).

Overall, I'll be back again this year, and I swore last year I'd never go back. Only reason I played it yesterday was for a tournament. But it appears they've turned it around.

I first played this course a number of years ago, and it was in terrible shape. It would have been robbery at any price back then, but certainly at the rates they were charging. Based on speaking with the starter this past round, they hired a new greenskeeper shortly after my last round there, and he truly turned this place around. The conditions are now very good, and much more in line with the rates they are charging.

The staff is very friendly and attentive from the moment you pull up at the bag drop.

The course is a great layout. Lots of fun and unique holes. 1, 9, 10, 18, which all play up to or down from the clubhouse, the highest point on the property, are certainly the most memorable, but other holes similarly do not disappoint. 2, 5, & 17 stand out.

My only gripe, and it's a big one, are the greens. They were in great shape, and rolled very fast, which I usually like. But in this instance, the combination of the green speed, with the severe slopes on every green, and pins cut in incredibly difficult locations on the severe slopes was just incredibly unfair. For instance, on 17 my tee shot was on a line, but landed 10 feet past the hole, so I was putting back down the hill. In so doing, I barely tapped the ball, and it raced 6 feet by. Fine, I was above the hole, punish me. On the come-backer, up hill, my put rolled a few inches past the hole, as I just barely missed right (poor line, again, my fault), and the ball rolled a full foot and a half back below the hole. That is complete and utter nonsense. There were several other examples, but that's the one that really popped my blood vessel since I missed the par (mostly my fault) and because of the accumulation of the extremeness of the greens over the course of the round. The course really needs to be more careful as to where they place pins to ensure they are fairer to players, as opposed to in locations that are almost impossible to hole out.

For my money, this course is the best public facility that's not in the greater AC area. Absolutely remarkable conditions for it being late in the season, and this being a municipal facility. The rates are reasonable ($85 for non residents) for a course of this quality, with such a great design pedigree (Hurdzan & Fry of Erin Hills fame). That said, the design is phenomenal, and would stand on its own merits regardless of whose name was listed as architect. There are a lot of fun, interesting and challenging holes, but the course remains playable for people of all levels (I play with some 25+ handicaps who are over 60, and they enjoy the course from the senior tees. Additionally, in maybe 7 or 8 rounds at this course this season I have never once played in longer than 4.5 hours. This ranges from 7am tee times to 11 am tee times and everything in between. I cannot recommend this course enough.

This was the 4th course I played during a week long vacation in the area. Despite the 3-star rating, this was the best course I played on the week, sadly. The conditions were the best of the week, but were still decidedly average. The course drains very poorly, so if there's been any rain lately, expect cart path only, and wear waterproof shoes. The layout is decent. Playing over and through vineyards is fun. Not much else to say about this course. Just fully average.

...this is your course. The layout is incredibly difficult, and presents a mental challenge to be solved. Every shot presents options. The conditions however left much to be desired. Just tons of dead patches all over the course. Lots of soggy areas too. Greens were good, not great. Expected better conditions for the price.

I don't even know if I'd let my goats graze in these fields. The layout has some fun holes, but the tee boxes were very chewed up, the fairways were mostly crab grass, other assorted weeds, or worn/burnt out spots, and the greens were bumpy and pock marked. Would not play at any price given the the plethora of options on the mainland. The only benefit to this course is it was down the road from the beach house I was staying in.

There are a lot of pricey public courses in the area, but McCullough's is not one of them. But don't let the cheaper rates fool you, this is an excellent course. The holes consist of replicas of famous links golf holes from around the world. The signature hole is a version of the famous "Lido hole" designed by the famed Alistair McKenzie for a design contest, and ultimately in the plans for the original Lido Golf Club (not the new Lido Golf Club that still exists, which also contains a version of the famed hole), but never built. The Conditions were above-average relative to some of the other courses in the area, and coupled with the price, made this a very good value.

Start with the positive. This is a very good course. The layout is fantastic. A good challenge without being too difficult. That said, the price (they charge $100 w/o a special deal on the weekends) is more expensive than most other "very good" courses and makes this place completely not worth it (compare to nearby Neshanic or High Bridge Hills). And that's not to say I would never spend $100+ on a round of golf, but if I am spending $100 or more, I expect pristine, country-club-like conditions (Neshanic delivered last weekend, haven't played High Bridge this year but conditions usually great). This was not that. The greens looked like no one, player or staff, had ever fixed a ball mark. The greens were also incredibly slow. The fairways were mostly good, but had a lot of terrible burnt/flooded out patches. Additional gripe, the cart paths need to be totally re-done. Pot holes and huge bumps all over do a number on your back. All-in-all just not the type of conditions you'd expect for a course at the top of the public price range.

This course was in bad shape. Fairways all chewed up, burnt out patches of rough and fairway abound.

Aside from conditions, the greens were just patently unfair. Some did not roll true, many bounces. They also contain many severe slopes, and to make matters worse they keep them at freaking US Open speed. I had a pin high putt on one hole that I aimed 4 feet left. It got almost to hole high with slight break, but then made a 90 degree turn right, rolled past the hole by about 6 inches, and continued to roll another 20 feet off the green. This was the most extreme example, but there were countless other unfair pin locations where well-placed approaches go rolling in every direction. I watched a 5-yard chip shot, well struck with height proceed to roll 80 ft off the back of a green.

Just absolute insanity. I will never be playing there again, and I can't believe I wasted my time.

Since moving to Jersey at the start of the golf season, this is one of the best courses I've played. An incredibly fun, interesting, challenging layout. Every tee shot, and many 2nd or 3rd shots, present multiple options. Definitely a thinking man's course. The first five holes are incredible, playing high up on a ridge overlooking the other 13 holes. And even the the latter 13 holes play on flatter ground, they are still incredibly unique and interesting. The course was in perfect condition but for the geese pooping all over and literally tearing up the fairway with their beaks (I guess there's food under there?). Still, despite that one complaint, I can't recommends this course enough from a golf perspective.

Paid full freight as a non-resident on a Saturday morning. This course is committing robbery for $80 (with cart). I won't be back at that price. The course had a ho-hum layout, with only a couple interesting holes. It was in good enough shape, the greens rolled true, if a little slow, but otherwise nothing to write home about.

Pace of play was tough again. I was part of a tournament, so that probably slowed play some, so I'll give a pass on that this time. I will say though, I think the natural grass areas slow play down too. Probably not much to be done about that without the course losing its character. But the greens are still not in good shape. Very slow and bumpy this time around. The fairways were in nice shape, as was the rough and tees. And I certainly love the unique and challenging layout, but they gotta get those greens right before I'd consider shelling out their asking price again.

My family comes here every year for a golf weekend. The staff and owners could not be more pleasant and welcoming.

The course is an absolute hidden gem. Carved off the side of the mountain by the owners over the course of many years, it was not designed by a professional golf architect, which means it has delightful quirks, and lots of character. No two holes are alike, and the mountain setting adds a degree of difficulty. The Course plays from 7100 yards at the tips (Black) to 6000 at the forward men's tees (White), with an intermediate tee at approximately 6600 (Blue). There's additional forward tees for seniors (Gold) and women (Red), as well as a tee for juniors/beginners (Yellow).

The conditions are usually spectauclar. This year, they left a little to be desired. The greens were in their usual great shape, firm and fast, and the rough was mostly lush and penal, but the fairways were not as good as they had been in the past. This year, for the first time, the fairways had patches of crab grass throughout. Not the end of the world. Itdidn't affect my shots too much, but it isn't ideal either.

I'll begin with the worst: the conditions were positively atrocious. The greens were among the worst I've played anywhere, all season, with huge black mud/fungus splotches all over most of the greens. It made putting very difficult. The layout itself is average, at best. There's a couple of memorable holes that run along the creek in the middle of the course (12 & 14), as well as a great uphill par 3 (15). Otherwise the holes are a mixture of ho-hum and repetitive par 4s, and gimmicky holes, i.e. the 4th and the 10th are almost identical holes requiring a 200-230 yard drive, before making a 90 degree right hand turn to hit a 100-50 yard pitch shot straight up the hill. The 6th hole is pure gimmick, measuring approximately 140 yards, but playing about 110, way downhill, to the tiniest green on the course, fronted by water, and surround on the other sides by woods. The 9th is similarly gimmicky, requiring only a 220 shot that plays like 190 down the hill, before making a 90 degree dog leg to the green.

Positives: the price was right. The course was about what one would expect for being charged $37 on a weekday. The staff was generally friendly. The service in the bar for lunch was a little slow, but the food was decent.

I'll put this caveat out there: I played on the hottest day of the year.

That said, I don't think that really taints my view of the course at all. The layout was fantastic, if you like more modern links style courses, you will love this course. The rolling terrain made for some lovely views. The course provided enough of a challenge, with decisions to be made on many of the tee boxes, and generally well-guarded greens. The second half of the Lake course provides some particularly challenging holes (6-9).

My two qualms about the conditions, in order of severity:

1) The greens were atrocious, and definitely not up to par for a course that's supposedly one of the best public courses in the state. The greens were very soft, very slow, very chewed up (as if no one had repaired a ball mark) and wildly inconsistent speeds. I was severely disappointed in the greens. All of the above conditions made putting extremely frustrating, when it didn't need to be. Not what was expected from a course that hosted a USGA Pub Links championship.

2) The entire course was soft. I'm not sure if this was due to excessive watering because of the heat. But I doubt it was, because I didn't see any evidence of it on the course (i.e. at most courses on hot days, you see the grounds crew out there turning sprinklers on and off or hosing down greens and tees as necessary, which wasn't the case here). It started on the grass driving range, (having one would usually be a plus), where I couldn't get a good footing, and when I thought I had a good footing, my feet would slip and slide during my swing. My stance ended up chewing up the driving range as much as my clubs did. That should not happen absent extreme rain. And on the course, on the tees and fairways, it was more of the same. This led to many errant shots. Once again, I was very disappointed.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this course. I usually like to try every course twice before I completely write it off, but I was very disappointed this time out.

This course is by far the second best NYC course after the new Trump Ferry Point. I love the layout, a classic RTJ design. The greens are incredibly difficult, and make an otherwise average difficulty layout, much more challenging. You need to ensure you are in the right spot on every green, so it takes a few loops around the course before you can really master it. And even with proper approach placement, the greens run fast and true, and contain a lot of break. 2 putts is never guaranteed on most greens.

If there's one thing that can be said, it's that the rough is patchy in spots. You're just as likely to find hard pan as you are to find lush rough. This makes life a little easier, since rough should be the courses biggest defense--mostly the wind blowing your ball off line, away from the narrow fairways and into the rough (it's a relatively flat layout, with few fairway bunkers, and water coming into play on 1 hole). The new fescue mounding that has been installed, and is continuing to be installed certainly makes errant shots a little more penal, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Notably the "rough" between the 3rd and 4th holes, which is nothing but deadpan and weeds.

Pace of play can be an issue, but even on weekends, I usually finish around 5 hours, which isn't bad considering other city courses (nearby Dyker, Pelham & Split Rock in the Bronx), can run you 6 hours on a weekend.

I had heard nothing but positive things about Twisted Dune, so I was very excited to get out and play it. I teed off at around 2:45pm as a single. I flew threw the first three holes, but after that it was a disaster. Sure, you could expect to wait on holes as a single catching up to a group in front of you, however, on every hole after #3, when I got to the tee box, there was a foursome on the green, a foursome in the fairway, and a foursome and the twosome in front of me on the tee box. Talk about an absolute disaster...

As to the course conditions, they were, for the most part, average. The tee boxes and fairways were mostly pretty good. On the plus side, the dunes, and rugged look were very unique, and I did enjoy that aspect of the course. It certainly created a unique challenge for errant shots.

However, where I had the biggest problem with this course was the greens. The greens were terrible. They were chewed up. No one had repaired their ball marks, they were soft, and the grass on them was long. The combination of the softness and long grass meant you could see the footprints of everyone that came before you that day. It also meant the greens were slow as molasses. I know it's a public course, but when I'm paying $79 at 2:45pm in the afternoon, and the course has the gall to charge $99 in peak hours (before noon) I expected a little bit better on the quality and speed of the greens. I don't mind paying that much if the course is worth it. This course was not worth it in my opinion.