Gmation

OK, the reviews you have read regarding the course are spot-on!

My wife and I had the pleasure to play this course for the first time yesterday (4-13-2021).

Bryan (either the owner or Golf Pro) was a VERY nice guy and helped us to navigate the course with tips and directions.

The outside staff were very friendly as well but a bit talkative (hee-hee) which I didn't really mind as there was no one in sight behind us.

With that being said, we were schedule as the second tee spot with a foursome ahead of us. The foursome ahead extended us the invitation to tee off ahead of them since we were just two. We gladly accepted and turned out to be a good gift and decision as we never saw them again.

My wife and I ran into a little trouble on the course but we kept well ahead of the group behind us.

Now regarding the course...........

WhoooooooBOY! Those greens are fast and undulating/slope. I was fully aware that they would be fast but it took me practically nine holes to finally find the feel to leave myself a second putt within 6 feet or less.

I would STRONGLY recommend that you go up a club for your approach shots and try to either land on the fringe or as much below the hole on the green as you can.

Ashton HILLS is a good name for the course but I would rename it to Ashton Sand&Hills. They is a lot of sand traps out there. As of this post, some of them are pretty muddy that I refused to hit out of while other are combed nicely and are soft/fluffy which made it easy to get your wedge under.

The tee boxes and fairways were all manicured nicely as were those Fast nasty greens.

The homes were a bit close to the course around some starting fairway points but nothing that will distract your game.

Now "IF" I were to ding the course one star "WHICH I WON'T", that would be I saw no porta-potties/restroom on the front nine and only one on the back. In fairness, it is possible that I may have missed them if they do exists. If you are a woman playing, I suggest you empty your bladder before you tee off. If you are a man, "It's Great To Be The KING!" (How sexist is that - please don't take offense, I am just being silly there).

I have a standing rematch with the greens on the front nine, so I do plan to avenge myself.

As I was leaving the ninth green, I looked back and said "I'll be back for you!" The green confidently replied back "You can come out here if you want to, we'll be here and we got something for you".

The ambiance is that of a good public course.

The sand is hard (might be because of the weather)
The greens were beat-up around the fringe.

I paid $96 and some change for me and my wife but felt that didn't match the experience.

I don't mind paying over $100 for a round for one as we have a Golf savings account for just the occasion.

I believe the prices may have been inflated due to the season of northerners migrating south to continue to play golf during the winters months in the USA.

The staff was just so-so. There was an elderly gentlemen that found it difficult to return my greeting as he barely lift his head and gave me a soft nod.

Now that was like bizzaro world because the golf patrons were extremely nice which is usually the opposite on a course. I guess we all were just thankful to be out on the course during this pandemic season.

I would play this course again and recommend it to a friend if the fee is less than $30 and I am in the area as I won't make a special trip to play it.

I rated the course fairly easily but that is NEVER an accurate rating if you don't shoot par or under (which I did not). HOWEVER, the course is definitely manageable and makes for an excellent round and even practice round.

There's little trouble on the course
The sand is a bit hard
The tee boxes and fairways are nice
Greens appear to roll true

EVERYONE is SOOOOOO friendly there (Staff AND PATRONS) However there was a gaggle. flock or whatever you call turkey vultures that were really mean.

I hit my ball over into that area and didn't realize they were there until I started to drive my cart into the area, only to have the gang leader run toward me in a fit as if to say "Oh so, you're the punk who just hit that ball into my pod".

I just quickly turned and drove away which seemed to appease him/her and took a penalty drop in the fairway as they looked on. (about 8 of them that stood about 3 feet high.)

They have a decent driving range that I didn't use. It doesn't look deep and bomber could probably consistently put the golf balls into the trees/woods.

The putting green was ok and not as in good shape as the greens on the course.

The only suggestion I would make to the owners is to simply use a sign that points which direction to take from hole 8 to 9 and also a sign from 9 to ten.

The cart path layout was well thought out.

I will definitely play this course again when I am in the area.

Oh one last thing! I was pleasantly surprised to see a LOT of ladies on the course which was a delight and some of them girls could really hit that ball.

I was there with my wife and she was like "I can take her":

I paid about $65 and some change over 18 holes for the two of us.

This is my second time playing this course.

Like my first review, this course is the BEST PUBLIC course I have ever played and I have played a few of them.

It is the ONLY course (Publis, semi-private or private) that provide you with a complimentary HotDog, Chips and a drink when they aerate the greens which they were in the process of doing on this day.

I am giving GolfNow the 3Star because the course shut down the front nine and was only allowing play on the back which meant we had little choice but to play the back twice.

The clubhouse said there was a red-Alert notice on GolfNow that said they were aerating the greens and that the front nine would be closed. I acknowledge that I knew of the green maintenance and had no problem putting on the greens but overlooked the part about just one track being available for play.

I went back to GOlfNOw and the notice is indeed there in fine print under Tee-Time Notes that you have to DIG for.

GolfNow could have EASILY made the Red color Alert a hyperlink or pop-up box to display that information because HAD I realized that, I would NOT have play for that reason alone.

The course is just over an hour from my home so not playing was not really an option to consider.

I hope GOlfNow will read this review and make that modification.

As for the course, you will NOT be disappointed.

For the record my final cost was $44 with tax and GolfNow fee. The regular price is about $61 plus tax and GolfNow fee. Do keep in mind that my rating is for THIS day 8-3-2020 only and I suspect on another day I can easily give them a 5Star review across the board.

I didn't want to leave a review because I knew it would not be complimentary, nonetheless; the desk staff was rude (which is unusual). The patron (local members) were obnoxious to visitors/outsiders or interlopers.

The club sent out public invites to play their THREE courses for a low price only to limit visitors to just two nines as oppose to all three nines.

I was there with my wife who is a fairly good golfer. She can't hit the ball far but she does keep it in the fairway (she's a bogey golfer).

The starter looked at her as if to say "oh-boy, I hope she doesn't hold people up" as the course was crowded and the tee times were about 8 minutes apart which is insane.

Now it is worth noting that we actually played this course for the first and last time in 2019 but the reviewable date won't go back that far and yet I kept getting these noticed to review the course.

Happy now?!