philstopfan

Most disappointing courses are not the overpriced ones but rather the ones where a potentially terrific golf course is marred by apparent lack of effort and/or attention to detail. The course was very wet but that is just golf. Poor schematics, lack of signage, incorrect yardages, and, according to FSGA/GHIN, incorrect CR/Slope & scorecards...*that* was what made the course near unplayable. We didn't even mind gallivanting on foot hundreds of yards due to cart path only, only to be accosted by an extremely abrasive Ranger who no exaggeration, got on us for putting half a tire on already muddy, flattened grass.

One of us plays to a ~8 from the tips, had played the course many times, and *still* we sometimes had no idea where we were going or what the orientation of junk/hazards was. With the huge elevation changes, it was one blind shot after another. It also does not help to post ballwashers and schematics 75 yards past the second set of tees.

This could be a great muni with minimal investment and some effort. It's a real shame.

This is what happens at a good golf course when everything is cut to the bone during off-season. I actually liked the course, but between the conditions, lack of signage/yard markers, and terrible customer service, it was a big disappointment. From the get-go it was like the place had been abandoned. I looked around the bag drop for somebody, but after ten minutes I just humped my bag into the pro shop. I made light of it, but the counter guy seemed irritated to be there and was rude and standoffish. After the round, again there was no one around, so I just policed up my cart and left.
Now everyone's maintenance budget is cut during the summer, but here it was so evident, again it looked abandoned. Unkempt areas around the clubhouse, landscaping clearly not done in a while, bumpy (not punched, which I can live with; it's that time of year)greens scalped with debris strewn over them, carry your own rake (what if you are in a group and both of you are in bunkers on opposite sides of the fairway?). The range was tiny, had clearly not been picked in a long time, and was missing both flags and yardages.
The course is long (6500 from the whites) but not hard...except there is no signage, no schematics, not even a stick figure to include hole direction. If you look around for a few minutes, you might find an overgrown brick with a "150" on it, but without a laser finder you are on your own. One par three the yardage was clearly at least thirty yards off. The lack of signage made it difficult to get around.
Was looking forward to playing here and wish I could report otherwise, but it's a real shame to see a good golf course neglected.

I liked this course so much much I came back the following day even though weather was lousy. I have played at and seen a lot of courses in my two years here, and for the money, this is the best experience around. This is the time to play, though. During season it's a whole 'nother story.

Real good play for summer greens fees--great play when you are willing to go out on really hot, humid, thunderstorm days. Friendly staff. Pretty good range. Greens were real slow and looked like still healing from being punched. Sand in bunkers extremely heavy with sharp, tall lips.

This is an easy, fun course, but you need to either bring a range finder or someone who knows the yardages real well. The markers are very hard to find and the paint almost gone. The schematics on the scorecard are minimalist and none on the markers by the ball washer. Probably hit 8-10 shots that hit the top of the apron as I didn't know the yardage. Tee boxes are not flat and you have to really examine them before you choose a play. There are several sharp dogleg rights with major trees that a fade or cut is almost mandatory, and you either have to hit ball below your feet or go way back. Listing all this here as the QT section only has 150 characters.

I would call this, basically, a 4/5 muni-type course.

I'm just astonished this course is available, in the shape that it's in, for the greens fees, and it's not packed full of cargo-shorts, "mashed potatoes" and leave-cigarette-butts-in-divot-boxes types, all too familiar in this area. I'd played here before, and this time brought a buddy. The guy in the pro shop was so polished and friendly I took out a summer membership on the spot.

The golf course is so good that even with the greens punched it was a great play. Great variety, classy, tee boxes level (my pet peeve, tee boxes that aren't level), nice range, good practice balls, plenty of ice, beautiful back nine. We had the course to ourselves on a hot, humid late Memorial Day afternoon, and it was fantastic. The only glitch was the cart guy directing us to "have the carts in by 8" after we played the front nine in 1:45 (again, with punched greens).

As much as I love this course, I would say it's best for serious, mature golfers. It's not just a matter of physical ability; you need to think your way around the golf course, and if you look at the CR/slope from the whites and think it's going to be easy, you are sorely mistaken. Any ball that even rolls into the junk at close range is gone. There's maybe two holes that are no-brainer driver, and if you don't have a go-to 3-5 wood, hybrid or long iron off some of the par-4s, you are going to struggle. But even so, you could just enjoy the course. Out of the way, quiet, peaceful.
I believe while you can't mention names here, I can say that the only other golf course I like as much in the area has green fees double this. Great job, folks.

This course in its present state is unplayable unless you had someone with you highly familiar with the course, a range finder, a GPS with software containing the course layout, and a forecaddie. After that it would be merely challenging. The greens are bald to the equivalent of a 15 stimp. The tee boxes are not level and are either sand or crabgrass--difficult to hit anything but driver, and with any wind hitting driver is not an option. There is virtually no rough. The junk is so wild and close to the fairway you will never find your ball if you're not in the fairway. I've played Pete Dye courses and held my own but this was ridiculous.

I had heard the fairways were tight and it was about a 2-club wind when I played. I didn't know you have no course schematics except a minimalist graphic that showed the orientation of the hole with an arrow. I didn't know that on some holes more than half the hole would be blocked in a blind tee shot on one side and OB stakes two feet from the fairway on the left. If you can hit a 300+ high draw into the middle of the landing area consistently, I guess that's not a problem.

After losing five or six balls, hitting a perfect fade on a dogleg right that I never found, and a 290+ yard drive that was headed straight for the green that I never found, I packed it up.

The course ratings must have been done a very, very long time ago.

There are many courses in this area that are fun, challenging, and user-friendly, same price point.

Finally, it is a real pain to get here.

Unusual golf course as it is borderline muni maintenance-wise (greens were scalped to baldness, punched, thatch everywhere, normal putting impossible, lumpy tee boxes) but still a great place to get away from it all and have fun. In the late afternoon it was really nice out even in mid-August. Had the course mostly to ourselves with a 3:45 tee time.

Off the beaten track and decent scenery, less than a dollar per hole is a great deal and a welcome relief from the snotty, 8-minute per hole pace of play mediocre courses for which Florida is famous. This and the Florida Club are the best deals around.

The title says it all. No course I have seen between Stuart and PSL that comes even close. Highly recommend late afternoon tee times.

Do not be fooled by the yardages on the short par-4s. The course plays like a poor man's Pete Dye, which is both a compliment and a warning. The short par 4s are tough even at 325-375 yards, the par 3s require a long iron that can hold the green, and the par-5s are birdie holes only if you know your way around. I played from the tips, but the next tees aren't much easier...

The greens are in awesome condition as the snowbirds just left--last course I played all the tee boxes were punched and the greens growing thatch on old cups. If you are GIR, you should make par or better.

Final word: unless you have supreme confidence in your driver, be aware that this course will decimate you if you are off the grid from the tee. Companion hazards/O.B. stakes on every hole. Bring extra balls.

Enjoy!

Being from out of town, it was hard playing a course that was not only mountainous, but almost unmarked. There were poles indicating the hole, but sometimes you didn't even know where to go on the cart path. With no course layout, it is tough to do course management. 75% of my non-tee shots were blind, and you could never see the pin until you were within 150 yards. If this course had water hazards, no one except maybe members would ever break 100. Greens were in excellent condition--once you found them!