Lives
New Jersey
Handicap
0-4
Age
25-34
Gender
Male
Skill
Advanced
Plays
A few times a week

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.4
3.4
Total 30 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

30 Reviews
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
13
3 Stars
13
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
27
Not Recommended Courses
3
Helpful Votes Count
1
Not Helpful Votes Count
0
First Review
07/31/2017
Last Review
10/16/2023

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.4
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Recommended
Review has

Francis Byrne Golf Course

Played On 10/15/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Windy weather
Walked

Outstanding

Francis Byrne was always an average course at best - one where you'd prefer to play elsewhere but would only play there if you couldn't get a time anywhere else. No longer. The recent renovation has turned this course into a must-play. It seems to me that they rebuilt each and every one of the 18 greens, added new and rebuilt existing bunkers with brand new sand, and revamped some of the fairways/landing areas. They also created brand new 17th and 18th holes, which makes for a great finish. The greens ran a decent speed and the fairways were in great condition for later in the season.

I have never seen such an extensive renovation on a public course. Byrne, formerly just a run of the mill course, is now one of the best public courses in New Jersey, probably in the 7-10 range if I were to rank them.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/19/2023

BrianO, thank you for your kind words! The team has worked very hard to get where we are, and we appreciate golfers like you taking notice. We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another 5-star experience. Thanks for choosing Francis Byrne Golf Course

Seaview - The Bay Course

Played On 07/23/2023
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good, but not worth the money

It's a decent layout - above average I'd call it -- but not worth anywhere near what they charge. The conditions were acceptable, but not great like you would expect for the price you pay. Greens and fairways could all use a trim - fuzzy, unusually "sticky," and slow. Greens were surprisingly bumpy, even though they looked smooth to the naked eye. Tough to make any putts of substantial length and a lot of subtle breaks on the shorter ones.

This course seems very gettable if the wind is down - but if it's blowing, can be very challenging. Many of the holes are straight away, so you have to hit the ball well and on the proper line. The tall fescue grasses and mounds are very thick - nearly impossible to get out of. Beware of the flies. Very annoying and they do bite.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate

Shore Gate Golf Club

Played On 07/23/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Excellent

First time playing here in about 8-9 years. I was initially concerned by some of the reviews, but happy to find out the course is in good shape. Sounds like they had some tough times in 2020 and 2021, but little sign of that today from what I saw.

It's not as great as it was back in the mid 2010's, but it's much better than the condition of the average public course. The green speeds are very quick, as good as you'll find on any public track. That alone makes it worth your while. Fairways good overall, though too many unfilled divots. Shore Gate is one of the best layouts you'll see. Top 3-4 public course in NJ in my opinion.

Only drawback would be the price. If you're in the area once or twice a year, it's worth playing even for $130. If you're from the area, it's tough to justify spending that much to play here multiple times a season, although golf course pricing has seemed to spike out of control all around over the last three years. Much better value if you can get the afternoon rate.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Twisted Dune Golf Club

Played On 07/22/2023
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good layout, could be better

This is a quality, challenging layout ideal for better players. If you're a high handicapper, make sure you play a tee box shorter than what you otherwise might. Unique variety of holes that are visually appealing. A good ball striker will thrive here, while a poor one will have a very frustrating day. There is very little space to miss if you aren't driving is straight. On most holes, anything off the fairway will find some kind of trouble, whether it be a bunker or super thick grass and native vegetation.

The conditions left a lot to be desired. I realize the course must get a lot of play, but the tee boxes were in rough shape and the greens were chewed up. A good speed, but quite bumpy and irregular in the consistency of the grass. Tons of unfilled divots in the fairways.

The weekend afternoon rate of $60 is a decent deal, but I wouldn't pay much more than $75 or $80 given the condition the course is currently in. If they can get the conditions back to a good level, this would be one of the better places to play in NJ.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Crystal Springs Golf Club

Played On 08/21/2022
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Used cart

Not what it used to be

I've always enjoyed the layout at Crystal (except for a couple holes (#8 & #14 come to mind). The conditions are good outside of the awful tee boxes, but the experience isn't what it used to be.

The company/people who run the place have clearly emphasized the "resort" aspect of it, yet it doesn't provide any amenities you'd expect for the elevated prices and the way they market it. Everything about Crystal Springs Resort screams money grab these days. It wasn't always like that. Just look at the absurd prices over at Ballyowen or Wild Turkey, but I digress...

No range balls available - the ball dispenser was empty and nobody was working to fill it. Attendants at check in did the absolute bare minimum. Empty water coolers on the course. No beverage cart. Tee boxes that looked like the surface of the moon. Carts that sound terrible and drive slow. Course set up was inconsistent - some holes were tipped out, most were not and the tee markers were lined up in succession about 10-15 yards apart on a few par 3's. Very lazy course setup and it looks like they are de-emphasizing the black tees (scorecard was 6,500 yards, not 6,800 + like it used to be). Then you have the pace of play, which was horrendous. Waiting on every single shot and no ranger anywhere. We didn't see a single employee after the starter.

My advice: play the course if you really want to, but don't expect much and make sure you get a good deal. It's not worth more than $65 in my opinion. It's a unique and very challenging layout, but nothing more than that. Management should go back to making it all about the golf and less about the resort nonsense, as it was years ago. It's a good golf course for better players. If you're a beginner, a 10+ handicap or you expect first class amenities, this isn't the course for you.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

TPC Myrtle Beach

Played On 11/15/2021
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Cold weather
Used cart

Living off the TPC name

The layout/design here is very good, but the conditions leave a lot to be desired. The course was soaked, yet it has rained only once in Myrtle Beach over the last 10 days or so (and not since mid last week). Reading some previous reviews, it seems they have an issue with the sprinkler system. I honestly thought the grounds crew left the sprinklers running too long while out on the course today, it was that wet. As a result, no roll on the fairways.

The greens were average in every sense of the word. Some better than others but the general theme was SLOW. They looked faster than they ran. Smooth for the most part, but you really had to hammer putts to get them to the hole. For a TPC course, I'd expect better. Probably running an 8 on the stimp if I had to guess. Fine for a public course, but not for what is supposed to be a top notch resort style course.

All in all, a very average course. The maintenance should be far better than it is, but it's not bad if you can play here for a fair price. Anything more than $70 is too much for this course in its current condition.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Green Knoll Golf Course

Played On 10/10/2021
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Fairly Easy
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Interesting course

Nice open layout but watch for the fescue/high grass around the greens. Greens were in good condition and ran at a decent speed. Bunkers didn't look in the best condition and the fairway and rough looked like they missed a few days of maintenance. Kind of shaggy in the fairways but not a huge deal. This is a good course and would be outstanding with a little more attention to detail.

Course can play long, especially if the wind is up and in to you. Play the appropriate tee boxes for your level.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Crystal Springs Golf Club

Played On 11/08/2020
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great course, but a money grab

I have played Crystal Springs many times. For all the headaches it causes you because of its difficulty, it's still fun to play. The conditions were great, greens were perfectly smooth and fairly quick. I always recommend it, but remember that you'll very likely shoot higher than you do elsewhere.

With all that said, this day felt like a money grab. $70 is too much for Crystal Springs. Tee times are packed 10 minutes apart which hurts pace of play. Many of the tees were way up so the course was not playing it's true yardage. On some holes the tips, blue and white tees were all grouped together. Just an absolute joke of a course setup. Felt like it was silly season out there, except with premium pricing.

No ball washers or water coolers and they still had the stupid metal piece in the holes. Aren't we over this by now? Nobody is getting the virus from touching a flag stick, hole, ball washer or water cooler that sit exposed to UV rays all day long.

If you're going to reduce amenities and not make it feel normal, you can't be charging a premium. The prices NJ courses are charging for a round of golf this year are absurd. I haven't played many of my favorites because of this and I won't be back to Crystal/Wild Turkey/Ballyowen until they bring their pricing back down to a reasonable level.

Conditions Excellent
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Berkshire Valley Golf Course

Played On 10/17/2020
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Overpriced and awful pace of play

Berkshire is the best conditioned course in the Morris County system (except for the bunkers). That said, it is overpriced. There is no way a county course should be charging RESIDENTS $72 or $61 (their weekend rates). Those are rates a non-resident should pay.

Pace of play is another HUGE issue here. Our group went off on time, but by the third hole there was a huge backup. The rest of the way around we were waiting on every tee shot and every approach shot without a ranger in site. Really disgraceful management. By the time we finished the seventh hole, two and a half hours had elapsed. That is a poor pace for nine holes and absolutely awful for seven. In the end, our 18-hole round took five hours and 10 minutes and had to play the last two holes in very limited light (18 was basically dark). Thankfully a couple groups in front of us left and that allowed it to speed up a bit coming in. When you book a tee time for 1:30 and the sunset is around 6:15, you don't think you'll have any problem finishing the round because that's a still awful 4:45 pace. Even worse, we called the pro shop in the middle of the round to ask them to get a ranger out and reposition groups. They said a ranger was out there (we never saw any) taking care of the "problem" groups. Even worse, they said to skip ahead to 15 or 16 because it should be open. Given all the issues, we certainly didn't trust that and didn't want to get even more out of position.

Bottom line: Nice fairways and quick greens. Awful pace of play and awful bunkers, they're literally just dirt and stone in many of them. The starter even said take the ball out of the bunkers if you land in one! (LOL)

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate

Craig Wood Golf & Country Club

Played On 09/04/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Great Course

First time playing here in 10 years and it's even better than it was back then. Used to play it every summer during a short vacation and I don't remember the greens being as good as they are now or as challenging. They're quick and true with lots of slope. You have to be below the hole to score. Course is a fun layout -- wide open on the front and tighter on the back with some tree lined holes.

If you're in the Lake Placid area, this is a must play. If I was a local, I'd play it every day if I could.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate

Saranac Inn Golf & Country Club

Played On 09/02/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Outstanding

This course is a hidden gem, located in the woods about 20 minutes west of Saranac Lake. It is well worth the drive as the conditions are outstanding. Quick, challenging greens and smooth fairways/tee boxes. Layout is fun and scoreable if you're hitting it well. Not overly long. A bunch of well designed holes and a good mix of formidable holes and some shorter ones. Don't be discouraged by the shoddy old motel and old clubhouse. This course is well worth playing.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Great Course

Bethpage Black is an outstanding layout. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars was because of the conditions. Had played it for the first time last year and thought the conditions were better then. This time the fairways were chewed up a bit, lots of unfilled divots and some drainage issues. The greens were quick, but not lightning speed as I would have expected. Noticeably more unrepaired ball marks than last time I played.

It appeared that maintenance had taken a few days off from cutting the grass. I don't mind high rough, it's supposed to penalize you. But the fairways and greens were a bit fuzzy and the aprons/fringe around the greens was not well maintained at all.

I'll be back for sure as it's one of the best layouts in the country, but for what they charge you'd think they'd spend a little more time making sure the conditions were worthy of the price.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Wild Turkey Golf Club

Played On 08/16/2020
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Used cart

Mixed Bag

Wild Turkey is a fun course to play, but there are two areas where they need a lot of improvement:

1) Pace of play - wasn't horrendous, but it wasn't good. By the third hole there was already a back up as our group pulled up to the tee and the group in front was standing around the beverage cart and had yet to tee off despite the group in front of them already well ahead. We didn't see a ranger throughout the entire round, so it's clear that Crystal Springs/Wild Turkey does not care about enforcing pace of play.

2) Greens - they were quick, but you had to doge what seemed like hundreds of ball marks on every single green. I know they get a lot of play, but it's really a shame that they allow their course to get chewed up like that. This is on the golfers too of course, but the staff made no mention to replace/fill divots or repair ball marks on the greens.

Having played this course a number of times in the past, they always seem to be plagued by the same issues. It's worth playing, but only if you can get a price below $70 or $75. What they normally charge is frankly outrageous. This course is not worth $100. I do recommend playing it, but make sure you get a fair price and you need to expect a slow round, especially on the weekend.

FYI, they started aerating the greens behind us as we were finishing our round so I'd advise staying away for 2-3 weeks. They also have the silly permanent holes where the ball will not fall into the cup all the way, despite being outside where virus transmission is little to none and the virus not being a major problem in NJ at this time.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate

Spook Rock Golf Course

Played On 07/25/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Walked

Excellent Course

First time playing here. Excellent conditions, an above average public course for sure. Old style, tree lined layout with plenty of doglegs. Very score-able course if you're hitting it straight, but the greens are a bit tricky and you can get in trouble if you're not accurate off the tee. I will be back.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Fox Hollow Golf Club

Played On 05/02/2020
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Subpar Conditions

I have played Fox Hollow many times before. While it was a perfect weather day, the course conditions left a lot to be desired. The greens still had aerification holes and were sandy in spots. They also did not cut the greens, so they were very slow. You could actually see and feel the blades of grass growing far above the normal height of grass on greens. In addition, the fairways and rough had not been cut. It's almost as if they took the week off. You'd think given this was essentially "opening day" in New Jersey, they would have had the course in tip top shape. That wasn't the case.

They also had the blue tees moved up to the white tees, so everyone was hitting from the same box. Disappointing given the course is already fairly short even from the blues. Given NJ courses have been closed to play for 6 weeks but maintenance has been allowed, I was shocked to see the aerification holes. They should have aerated a month ago in early April while nobody was playing. Pace of play was not an issue given the restrictions on courses by NJ government.

Our group played after 3 PM so we got the discounted rate of $49. That value was okay since it's still a nice course, but I would have been very upset had I played before 3 PM and paid $89 to play a course that wasn't in great shape.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/11/2020

Hi, I'm not looking for a refund and never asked for one. The course was playable and the value was fair/okay all things considered. What I said was if I had played earlier and paid the $89 fee, I would have been unhappy. For that amount of money one would expect, at the very least, above average conditions, no matter any extenuating circumstances.

I get that you're frustrated by the restrictions put in place by the NJ governor. They clearly were devised by someone who doesn't play golf and didn't think about the impact on the industry. I think most golfers and people who work in the industry know most of these restrictions are unnecessary.

The bottom line is you have a nice course that I always recommend. It just wasn't in as good of shape on that day as I've seen in the past. That's all.

Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/06/2020

I'm sorry that the course was not up to your expectations. Normally I abide by the mantra that the customer is always right, but frankly I have to ask "You must be kidding"?

First, we just had three inches of rain Thursday into Friday and could not get the mowers out as normal.

However, more importantly, for the last 6 weeks our normal staff of 20 at the club was down to three people. Think about that for a minute. Do you think for the $49 you paid, we would be able to be fully staffed up with zero dollars coming in, coming out of the winter season in March, before grass even starts to grow? Are you living in the same world as most of us?

Maybe you normally play the county owned courses where taxpayers pay all the bills and they don't have to operate in the real world or at the other end of the spectrum, the member-owned clubs where they charge their members $10k - $20k, kept the staff on the entire time and may still assess their members for the lost revenues.

As for the greens, we had guests play last week who belonged to other clubs such as as Baltusrol, Trump and Mountain Ridge who tracked me down to compliment us on the green conditions. And they pay much more than $49 at their clubs.

Please fee free to call me at 908-586-4361 and I'll Venmo you the $49.

I am sorry for my rancor, but being a business owner forced to close and then reopen at only 25% capacity (mandated by the state - where NY and PA can have foursomes) can put anyone in a bad mood.

Great Bear Golf Club

Played On 08/25/2019
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Solid Course

First time playing this course after having heard about it for a few years. The layout is very good. Not much water at all but each hole presents its challenges. A few blind tee shots, especially early on the front nine. The layout demands you shape the ball in either direction if you want to score well. There are classic Nicklaus left to right doglegs, but also some holes where you have to draw the ball.

Fairways and greens are in good shape with the greens being sneaky quick despite the ball marks and high foot traffic. Fairways are generous but most of the holes narrow as you get closer to the green. Depending on the pin positions, you have to be very precise with your iron shots to avoid trouble around the greens.

Only complaint is pace of play. It was horrendous, five and a half hours. The rangers came by a few times but did nothing, which I don't understand. On the fifth hole a good pace came to a halt as there were three groups on the tee. Absolutely ridiculous. From then on it was very slow. The group in front of us had a guy who could barely hit the ball. He had no business being on a golf course, let alone one as difficult as this one.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Rutgers University Golf Course

Played On 08/04/2019
2.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Walked

Disappointing

Used to play this course a lot in years past, but not so much recently. The greens are the biggest challenge here as it's a fairly short and straightforward layout otherwise. The good news is the greens were in decent shape (except for the ball marks, but that's not unique to this course). Fairways and tee boxes were horrendous. By far the worst course conditions I've seen this spring and summer at any course in the area. Lots of burn out areas and ugly crab grass. Doesn't say much for Rutgers U's turf management program.

It's playable, but not worth what they charge given the current conditions. Go somewhere else until they figure out how to keep the course in good condition.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/19/2019

Hi, Brian. Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We have projects ongoing to and the current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Rutgers University Golf Course. We hope to see you again soon.

Quail Brook Golf Course

Played On 05/18/2019
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Good but...

It was a perfect weather day and the course was in good shape overall. However, the greens were shaggy and slow which was disappointing. It's almost as if they didn't cut them fora few days. I've played this course a bunch of times before and this was the slowest I've ever seen the greens. Usually they are pretty quick, which is what I prefer.

This is still a very nice public golf course that's good for every kind of player. Challenging enough yet score-able for better players and very fair for higher handicappers.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate

High Bridge Hills Golf Club

Played On 07/04/2018
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Good Conditions

Course conditions were very good. Greens roll pretty good for a public course, although there are pitch marks everywhere. I really don't understand why people don't repair them, but High Bridge certainly isn't alone in facing this issue.

I was a bit disappointed that the 17th hole is now a par 4, making the course a par 70. That was always a good hole as a par 5 and now a very tough par 4 for the average player.

High Bridge is always a good local option. Fair price, good conditions.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
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