Nathan5683031

I played this course as part of a shotgun start on a cold Sunday morning. We were delayed a bit because of frost, but that's to be expected when the temperature isn't hardly above freezing. The course was suprisingly green for the start of January and in reasonably good shape. You could tell that they hadn't done much rolling of the greens or maintenance on the fairways (which is understandable with the amount of rain we've had lately and the lateness of the season). There were a few tee boxes with tarps over them and some approaches to the greens that were roped off as ground-under-repair, but overall the course was in solid shape. The layout is absolutely treacherous. You must be solid with your approach shots and must know which side of the fairway to be on to have the best angle to the green. I had the pleasure of playing with some guys who knew the course well and coached me through the angles. The greens have more slopes and breaks than a crumpled piece of paper. They were mostly running quite slow, otherwise they would have been almost comic. I can only imagine what they would be like at tournament speed. But PB is a course you have to know is going to challenge you - so just man-up and play it. I wouldn't recommend it for someone just starting out, as it is as visually an intimidating course as you can find. But overall it is worth playing, especially if you're looking for a pure golf challenge.

I've only played this course 5-6 times in the 15 years I've lived near it, and every time I do, I'm reminded why I stay away. The layout of the course is not bad, but the conditions are always fair and the pace of play is horrid. Despite the signs all around outside the clubhouse and at the 1st and 10th tees, I can't imagine their rounds have ever been under 2:10 per nine. I played this morning just in front of a shotgun start and we took 2:35 for the front and 2:15 for the back. We waited on EVERY shot (except maybe 3 or 4). There was one Marshall driving around, but I never saw him encourage any of the golfers to pick up the pace. When I expressed my frustration with such a long front 9, all he said was, "The back will be faster."

They've obviously put a little money into the course, as the greens were much better than the last time I played there (maybe 2 years ago). But many of the fairways were pretty thin - some even showing the grid lines where they had seeded. And off the fairway is nothing but dirt, weeds and trees/leaves. Some of the bunkers had groomed sand in them, but many were the dirt/mud variety.

Overall, it's a course that could be so much more. The only reason I played there today was the $24 special I found online. And I'd only recommend you play there under the same circumstances.

I was unexpectedly suprised at the improved conditions at Lake Presidential. I played there in late June and was appalled at the terrible conditions - neglected tee boxes, patchy, tread-marked and unkempt fairways, and bumpy greens. It was so bad that I vowed I wouldn't go back unless something drastic changed.

But then I found a deal on GolfNow for $16 (!) and just couldn't pass it up. And I would have paid triple that price for the conditions. The greens were much, much improved, though still a bit slow and bumpy (seemed like they hadn't rolled them in a bit). The fairways were (mostly) filled in and looked like fairways instead of ATV tracks. The tee boxes were still a bit rough in places, but still improved from June. And since they let me get out early and I was playing by myself, I finished in 3 hours.

The layout is fantastic - lots of variety and challenges. The hardest thing is the fairways - there's hardly a level lie anywhere. And many of the holes are tight - you need to find the fairway or you'll be re-teeing. I love the holes that play around the lake - such a beautiful setting. It's still not worth the nearly $100 they want for a summer weekend time and I hate that they're filling every available inch of the property with some kind of housing. But if it keeps trending in the direction it seems to be, this may not be my last round there in the near future.

This is a top-notch course with an amazing clubhouse, staff, and layout. They treat you like a king from the moment you arrive. Free valet parking, friendly locker room attendant, gracious starters; the service was impeccable. There is tons of open room in the fairways, so you can spray the ball and still score, provided your short game is up to the task. Perfectly maintained with a tremendous staff that allowed me to play as a single in front if the first tee time of the day. I was able to cruise around in less than 3 hours while still shooting an 82. Make sure you play to the right flag on all the double greens. Not sure I'd pay the regular price, but at a 60% discount on GolfNow, it made for the perfect morning of golf.