RhodyGrinder

I've played North Hampton 3 times now and I like it better each time I go. First it's convenient for out of towners. It's about 20 minutes north of the airport so you can get there and back and not have to worry about any rush hour traffic. Perfect for sneaking a round in at arrival or before you leave.

Second, it's affordable and fast. I caught the twilight rate twice on my last trip to Jacksonville. Only $25! I played the first day as a single and was able to zip around. The next day I played with a co-worker and we cranked out 9 holes before our flights. The pace was straight out of golf heaven.

Third and most important, it's a fun track. The holes are all really interesting, require some thought, but are never unfair. The first hole is the about the only one that's straight out. The following holes feature bunkers, water, subtle doglegs. You need to plan your shots and pick your clubs, not just smash driver 14 times. It's tons of fun. Rolling ups and downs through out the course are great too. The Golf Club and North Hampton is on my short list in the Jacksonville area.

I got to play the Canyon / Ranch 9's at Steele Canyon while in the area for work. The greens were great and certainly the best part of the course in my opinion. They rolled true without bumps and at a nice pace. The fairways were OK. Much of the grass seemed dormant, especially the rough surrounding some of the greens. I'm from the North East so I'm not completely sure how much of that is from the SoCal drought or time of year.

The layout is nice. There are some neat holes with fun elevation changes, but there are one or two head scratchers as well. Some holes felt like bumper bowling with big sloping sides that kick the ball back towards the fairway. I suppose that's good or bad depending on your game. While there was some trouble on the course, it's easy to take it out of play if you are accurate enough to stay on one side of a hole. Overall I thought it was pretty forgiving.

We paid a $69 twilight rate for non-residents. I was happy to get out somewhere on short notice while we are snowed in at home, but it was a little steep. Residents play for about $20 cheaper, and I feel that's the fair price point for this course. I would not pay the $100 plus for a morning tee time.

This is my third or fourth time playing Lake of Isles and it's been great every time. I typically play in the late fall when rates drop. This was my first "peak season" round and it didn't disappoint.

The round starts with a trip to the range. The balls are clean, you hit off grass, and the flags are exact on their yardages. As it should be at this price point, range use is included in the green fee.

The course conditions are great. Smooth, quick greens and flat tee boxes. In my opinion, Lake of Isles greatest strength is it's layout. The holes fit the landscape perfectly. There are some nice elevation changes and several shots over the lake, none of which are unfair. There are chances to score here if you are willing to roll the dice a bit.

I wish they had a hybrid tee on the score card. There is a big jump from playing 6,000 to 6,700 yards. A 6,300 set would be ideal. White tees on some holes, blue tees on others.

You do get what you pay for here which is a top tier New England course. It's a must play if you are in eastern CT.

What a great track! Things started perfectly when some very friendly cart attendants brought a cart right to my car, loaded me up, and then had it waiting at the range while I paid.

I was very pleased with the layout and course conditions. Tee boxes were grassy and flat. The greens were contoured, but gave you chances to score provided you were on the correct tier. I found the variety of holes to be interesting and things never felt cookie cutter. Really great.

I was visiting Mississippi for a work trip, but the staff made me feel right at home. They even had a great restaurant recommendation for dinner after the round.

My only ding was that I hit a 5some on the back, but they let me play through so no real harm there. I played as a single on a weekday afternoon and played under 4 hours. I felt very satisfied overall and thought the course was well worth its price. I'd recommend The Preserve without hesitation!

Take this course for what it is. It's a very playable layout with good conditions. And that playability was a welcome change after some ego bruising rounds at some other higher slope tracks in town. There were still plenty of fun shots with caries over water, desert washes, and bunkers around the greens. The bailout areas and fairways just seemed more generous. I went for that par 5 in two and hit it!

The staff was friendly and got me lined up with my playing partners (I played as a single). The pace was good too. It was a fun day.

Verrado Founders is a great place to play. Make an effort to make this a part of any Phoenix golf itinerary.

It's a fabulous layout. The course has it all: doglegs left, doglegs right, uphills and down. There was great variety in tee shots where I took clubs from driver thru my hybrid. Approach shots felt the same where there was always something to consider; bunkers, water, the better side of the green for an easier putt. With all of that it felt challenging, but never unfair.

The conditions were great and the staff was attentive and friendly. The clubhouse is gorgeous where the bar was busy at lunch time, but service was quick and the food delicious. Have the rueben!

Here's the bottom line: This course easily rivals ones that charge as much as 3 times in price. I played 6 high end courses on my trip to Phoenix and this takes the cake in value. The guy I played with paid even less that I did. I tried to play it a second time on my last day of the trip! It was that good.

Golf Advisor has it right. This course is best in class. The layout has great hole to hole variety, awesome elevation changes, and excellent conditioning. Of the 6 places I played on my trip to Arizona, I'd say this was the best and most unique layout. And if I could only pick one to play again, this would be it.

I loved that there was hardly a house in sight. Desert golf at it's finest.

Make the drive. It's as simple as that.

If you are staying in the Phoenix area, pay Wickenburg Ranch a visit. I played in March and of the 6 courses I played, including Quintero, Verrado, and We-Ko-Pa this had the nicest greens and fairways. The conditioning was just incredible for any course, public or private. Wickenburg also has bent grass greens which is pretty rare for desert courses. And those greens roll pure and true!

I also thought the value was excellent. I played in the afternoon for $85. That's an incredible peak season deal compared to some of the resorts which get way more play.

I couldn't stay after the round, but the club house and patio look awesome. Tons of outdoor space, fire pits, etc. Looked like a perfect spot for a cold one.

I have played this course twice and loved both times. The course is fair, but still produces interesting set ups, good risk / reward opportunities, some tight shots, and chances to score. It's very well balanced. The layout winds through piles of quarry stone that nicely adds to the landscape.

The pace has always been smooth. Groups are very spaced out. I've never seen a back up and seldom see many other golfers based on how the traffic flows. The staff has always been friendly. The view from the putting green looks out over a nearby lake.

I'd recommend this place without hesitation. It's well worth the price and drive. I come all the way from Rhode Island once a summer. Simply put, it's a little slice of heaven.

Played here this spring in an RIGA event. It was top to bottom fabulous. The greens were like a pool table. The fairways were rolled as well giving plenty of roll off the tee. I really enjoyed the layout. Lots of unique holes. Nothing felt cookie cutter. If you ever get the chance to play, take it. I hope to be back.