kcraig19

I have always enjoyed this course. There seems to be a new group running the club and they are not as friendly as those in the past. As for the course, it played as normal fairways and greens were good as a whole. But the course has suffered from flooding. There were areas roped off and areas of silt and sand in the fairways. On #11 for example the entire fairway near the green had been flooded and there was at least 60 yards which played as if it was a trap. The base was washed out under the cart path on #17 and you had to steer off toward the green to pass. For now the course is suffering and hopefully they will get it back in shape.

We played the South to North as the west had three groups waiting at the turn and the starter gave us the option to go to the North. We appreciated his concern and compliment the staff as they were great. The south course was extremely wet and they had stone blocks to walk through the water to get to the tee boxes. Can't understand why they would send you out on that nine. Fairways were poor with very little bermuda growth. Roughs were not cared for at all. The bunkers had some standing water but that was not in their control as they do not drain well. However, many of the traps have exposed lining fabric and rocks, very poor shape, nothing to do with weather. I hate to see the course in this condition, it has a great heritage just suffering from lack of care.

The starter put us off the West for pay of the West/North combination of courses. The foursome in front of us was so slow that it took over 5 hours to complete the round. Tis seems to be common for Etowah now. We played a few months ago and it took almost 3 hours to play just the West and we quit and went home. We played at 2:30 pm and expected to be ther late enough to play at a moderate pace.

The Greens were in very good shape, especially on the North Course. The West were good but had so many ball marks that they were not as consistant as the North. I was surprised to find that the fairways had not been cut and were very long. They were not wet, so I was surprised. They have done a lot of work to clean up the course but have not kept up course maintenance.

I can't recommend because the pace is just too slow to be able to enjoy the round.

I am just visiting the area and have found that almost all of the course in the Columbia area have suffered winter kill and black algae. The greenkeeper's I have talked to have all talked about this being the worst winetr conditions in the last ten years. However, when I played Oak Hills, I was delighted to find that their conditions were much better than others in the area. There was a small amount of winter kill on the greens, but for the most part they were completely recovered. Congratulations to the grounds crew. The pace of play was a little slow but I can understand as it is one of the few in the area in good condition and it was a Saturday. The rough a little spotty, clay and rocks many times. However, the bermuda fairways were generous and in very good condition, you should not have to spend much time in the rough. There were enough hazards to require shotmaking and some very pleasant scenery. Certainly a course you should play if you are in the area. The only concern you might have is age and walking ability.

The only negative, I am 65 and even though the course played very fair from the men's tees there is a considerable amount of walking to tee boxes from the cart paths, even for the senior tees. Additionally, there are several places where you have a good walk to slightly elevated greens. Don't be afraid to ask for a Handicap plate if you need it. The course is worth the effort and the staff was extremely friendly and professional.

I played Cobblestone just before a rain storm. It was hot and muggy but the wind had not picked up so it was very enjoyable. I was amazed at the condition of the course. I have been in Columbia visiting for a couple of weeks and the courses played have been in moderate condition at best, with significant winter kill and Black Algae issues. Cobblestone was in excellent condition with only two moderate spots of Black Algae. My congratulations to the grounds crew. The course played moderate with very adequate fairways from the member tees and the layout was exceptional. The course is laid out through an upscale development with the challenges of undulation, water and tree lined fairways. This is truly a course that everyone can enjoy.

I have played the course over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, I have not played much there the past three years because the conditions were so bad that he course was unplayable. However, they have done a great job of getting the course back nto shape, including rebuilding the greens. We had a great time on a cold day. There was very little play so we finished in 3 hours. The greens were smooth and quick. Do note that as most new greens they are very firm and not very receptive. However, with time, airification and top dressing they will improve. It has always been a nice track with some beautiful views and challenging shots both from the tee and into the greens. Welcome Back.

We played today and it was my first time to play the course. I happened to be in Greenville for the day and saw it on Golf Now. The course was in great condition for winter golf. The greens were just uncovered, receptive and putted exceptionally well for early in the season. You better know how to play the grain as they were extremely fast down grain and slow into the grain. The staff was friendly and got us out about 30 minutes ahead of schedule as there were a few open tee times.

The only issue I had was the cart path to fairways. There were several holes which has cart paths on a hill and are played cart path only. It is easy to see that they need to protect the fairway. However, at 63 years of age and needing a hip replacement, it was very difficult to walk down the hills to the fairway and from the path to the greens or tee boxes where stairs were required. For the physically impaired it is hard to play and there is very little they can do about it as there are few options which would let you into these fairways and close to the greens or tee boxes.

We have been playing here a few times a year for several years. We would make the trip more often but it is 65 miles for us to drive. However, this is a fun course to play and the staff is as good as you will find anywhere. They have a small but adequate range area. Currently, the Bbermuda has not come back completely but it is greening up and there fairways are excellent in season. The greens are recovering well from the chemical burn last year and the redesign of a few of the greens has made the greens more playable. Speaking of the greens, if you play there you know they are normally smooth and fast. With the new grass they are a little slower than normal as they have to protect the new grass. They are probably 10-11 now. Frankly, I am amazed at the job they have done in this short time. Look forward to the Barbeque and Birdies Tournament at the end of the month. Great job Greg.

Cummings Cove is always an enjoyable course. It is relatively short but requires shot making skills. It is always in very good shape and the greens have healed from the Spring Aerification. From the back tees the par 3s define how you will play the course. It should be noted that there are 6 par 3s on the course and they are challenging. The par 5s are reachable but require strong tee shots and fearless second shots, easy birdie, easy double depending on that second shot. There are only a couple of the par 4s where you can play the driver. Overall you will find Cummings Cove to be a very fair course in good condition. It can be easily tamed with aggressive tee shots, but become very difficult if those aggressive tee shots are not true.

Considering winter play the course was in excellent condition. Fairways are excellent and greens are even better. Facilities were exceptional with excellent service and food.

There was no real negative to the course. However, you need to play it once before you concern yourself with scoring. There are an inordinate number of holes where you have no idea of the landing area, even if you have the course yardage book. You have to look out where you think the fairway would be and just trust it. If you are capable of just hitting into an abyss without concern you are usually fine as the fairways are very fair, just not visible from the tee boxes.

Also, for a course that is only 6500 yards, it has several holes where a driver is actually required, unlike most of the courses in the area. There are holes that are shorter and they require shot making skills but have fair landing areas. And the approach shots are varied in lengths and shot making requirements.

Once you have played the course you will be astounded at the assortment of shots required and the pleasure you find in accomplishment. Your pleasure will be enhanced by experiencing some the fastest, smoothest greens you have ever played.

This course was an excellent test of golf. Conditions wee excellent for winter golf. Pristine is probably a slight overstatement, but the alternative of requires attention is not applicable at all. Fairways and greens were both in very good shape. Fairways were dormant bermuda but still in very good shape. Greens were seeded for winter but very smooth and quick. Do not let the development course stigma scare you here as there is significant room between the homes and the course. It is a championship course.

The course played long as it was cold and we were playing the back tees. We found the course to be very challenging but fair. The fairways and specifically, the driving areas allowed for use of driver on many holes. The holes requiring a lay up were tight but very playable. The negative to the course was the inability to look off the tee and see a landing area. There were several holes (especially on the back side) which you could not see the landing area. However, we found obvious targets from the tee which put us into ample landing areas when the shots were hit on most holes. Once you have played the course and know the landing areas there would be no issue as they were very fair. However, there were a couple of holes where you could not see the group in front of you without driving up the path 50 - 100 yards to look down the hill.

We will go back and play again as it was an excellent test requiring distance, shot making and a good short game.

In the mountain area there are no shortages of difficult courses, but most are short, tight and tricked up. Despite all the things I had heard, this course is far from a regular mountain course.

We found the course to be quite challenging but fair. The fairways were dormant bermuda, spotted with 5% - 10% fescue. The greens were large, quick and smooth. For winter golf the course was in moderate shape with the expectation of quick spring recovery as fairways were not over seeded. The review requires either pristine or requires attention which is completely unfair as winter conditions are never pristine when grasses are dormant.

Expect demanding but not unfair tee shots, which even require the use of a driver, to be required. There are several dog legs which favor but do not require shot shaping. The targets from the tees are obvious and there are no hidden obstacles. The par 3's are challenging with good length, the par 5's are only reachable if you are truly long. There were many greenside bunkers which came into play. We found the sand firm and very playable. Greens were firm and quick but receptive to iron play, pitches and chips.

There are not many courses in the area which you can play to work on your game, but here you can. You can see where to hit the shots; there are no hidden hazards and you actually need to hit driver on 10 - 12 holes. This is a change from most mountain courses where you can hit driver 2 or 3 times a round.

If you are looking for a championship layout, this is one of the best I have played in this area. We played from the gold tees which was approximately 7200 yds in West/South combination. Please note there are not 4 sets of tees but 6 sets which should accommodate anyone's ability requirement.