sorenj

There is nothing wrong with the front nine at Terrace lakes, unless you're comparing it to the back nine. More open and less scenic, the front is a nice warm up as the back - while short - is tight, narrow and not terrible forgiving. Most of the pictures I've loaded (but not all) are of the heavily wooded back nine where, particularly from the blue tees, you simply must hit your drive where you are aiming. Balls venturing into the woods are not likely to come back out.

Having said all that, I really enjoyed this course... so much in fact that, after a quick bite, we went back out for a second round (re-rounds are free other than a cart fee if you have one, which you probably will, more on that later). I played the back much better the second time through, in part because I put my driver away in favor of my 3H. Unlike the front nine, you really can't gain much back there with driver, but you can get into trouble (even on well struck balls... simply by out-driving the fairway, as happened to me on my first pass through #10). I was also helped the second time through by knowing the greens a little. Narrow and sloped at times, knowing the best path to approach them can really save you strokes in your short game.

The course was in pretty good condition overall. The front (more open and a little baked) was - once again - not quite as good as the back. The greens rolled reasonably well for a small public course in the mountains. Terrace doesn't have any bunkers, so those were easy to avoid. The primary defense for this short (the tips are under 6000 yards) course being angles, elevation change and some rather tight windows that place a real premium on accuracy.

Anyone can play and enjoy the front nine; however, the back nine (from the back anyway) could get frustrating for high-mid or high handicappers... there is an opportunity to go through a lot of balls (n.b. it's worth it).

I would say the course is very walkable except for the (and this is not hyperbole) 1/2 mile trek from the 9th green to the 10th tee box. Because of this, the course strongly recommends using a cart. If there is no one else out there, I'd say walk it and enjoy the mid round stroll, but if the tee sheet is full it would be very hard to retain your place "in line" without a cart.

As far as other amenities, we enjoyed out meal there as much as one can in the time of Covid. We stayed in their hotel which I do not recommend unless you're kind into roughing it... it's small and on uneven ground, but was clean and functional. There is a natural spring pool you can use if you stay there as well. It's also worth mentioning that their driving range has a 160 yard carry limit, so you'll have to loosen up your driver on the course.

We found the staff in the pro shop both delightful and very helpful. We also enjoyed the other golfers we met. They were all helpful with the nuances of the course (some of the blue tees are a little hard to find, for example), and just generally nice.

Only a little over a hour from Boise, Terrace Lakes will be on out regular summer rotation going forward and I very much recommend giving it a spin if you have the chance.

I reviewed this course in '17 and everything in that review remains true, but it's been a few years and an update on conditions etc. is never a bad idea.

Currently the course is playing great, without much in the way of pace of play issues. Yesterday we did have a slow group that bogged things down around the 8th hole (for us anyway... they were 5 groups ahead of us I'm told)... anyway, the course proactively got on top of that and by the 11th hole we were going at the pace we wanted again the rest of the way.... all that you can ask for.

As mentioned in other reviews, there are two rather different sides to Shadow; the rolling front nine (that can be a challenge to walk in places because of hills, but is still quite walk-able) and the almost entirely flat back nine featuring doglegs on 5 of the 9 holes.

There are a few holes on the front that can set you up for blind second shots, but only the 5th is really all the dangerous.

It's also worth mentioning that Shadow may have the best, most consistent, bunkers in Boise. I'm never going to say I *like* being in the sand... but I consistently feel I have a good chance - not only to get out, - but also to give myself a chance of a save in these traps.

This is very much on the short list of "don't miss" courses if you're going to be playing in Boise (especially if you're only going to play nine.... the front nine is special if you like a little quirk and scenery in your round!)

I did *not* play the Freedom course from the tips, and I played 7400 yards. From the black tees the par five 5th is 676, from the back it's over 700... Freedom is a long course.

I'm very used to hitting driver and then 9 iron or less into holes. Today I was hitting my 3H and 5i hole after hole (which was kind of a nice change, actually). What's nice about this layout is that the length protects the course well with regard to score; however, it is so open that your mistakes seldom need to cost you more than one stroke.

The good news is that , other than a few water hazards that are not obvious or at times even visible, it's all pretty much out there in front of you. There are virtually no trees and - short of finding some of that water - there is no excuse to lose a ball. The course is also largely flat, built in the middle of farm territory. This helps with keeping the difficulty from getting completely out of control however there is also almost always wind out at Falcon Crest to deal with.

I gave the course four stars on "course conditions" because the greens were terrific... but many areas of the fairways and tee boxes were in need of some TLC. But again, the greens were outstanding. Also, the bunkers are always playable at FalconCrest and today on the Freedom course was no exception. They aren't fluffy or deep... but they are very consistent and always give you a result commensurate with the quality of your effort (which is all I ever ask for).

Again, the Freedom course is wide open, however that does not mean the fairways are overly large and some landing areas are a bit tight. This was my first time on this course (I play at Falcon Crest often, just never this nine hole gem before) and I'm told the rough can be punitive at times; however, I had no problems playing from it today.

This isn't a course to hit up to improve your scoring average, but if you're a handicap keeper, the difficulty (74.2/140 from the tees I played) will do nice things for your diff.

The service is always great at Falcon Crest and the coronavirus truncated offerings were nevertheless on point today, as always.

It's a bit of a drive from Boise, but the Freedom course (as well as the regular 18 hole course) at Falcon Crest are well worth the trek. Just be sure to bring your big boy/girl clubs if you decide to play Freedom!

I really like that Wolfdancer is a course that pretty much anyone can play and find the appropriate challenge for them. The "Resort" tees are only 5636 with even the quite healthy par 3 fourth a very manageable 153. The "Professional" tees are 7205 (75.7/141). I played the blue "Player" tees (6836/73.8/135). I thought they played a little easier than the rating/slope, which is not to say the course lacked challenge.

I found a good ball placement strategy let me get around the course fairly effectively (5.2 diff in the rain with rental clubs). The group ahead of me, playing more of a "grip it and rip it" strategy, struggled a bit more. There are teeth here, but I found them avoidable if you are willing to leave your ego in the bag... I only hit driver twice, and tee'd off with 3H or 5i most of the day allowing me to avoid the more protected landing areas.

I was a little (pleasantly) surprised by how often I seemed to have a good (flat) lie, despite the contours and rolling hills throughout the course..

It rained the last couple of days and the bunkers were saturated. There's nothing the course could do about that (they were well raked) but it did make my few sand adventures (one fairway, one greenside) a little more interesting than I'd like. While the conditions in the bunkers weren't amazing, I think the placement is quite good, defending the course when the golfer decides to be aggressive but not overly in-play for the conservative player.

The layout of the course was great, featuring some wide open holes with others a bit more tightened up by trees. Some of my golf architecture friends who have issues with trees in play will also have issues with Wolfdancer. A few holes have trees in the fairway and others have them close enough to have a direct effect on play. I've always liked trees in fairways, so this was fine (great, even) for me. The trees on 7 are *very* in play and you really have to pick your landing spot there to have a good approach.

My favorite hole was 11, a short par 4 with all-you-can-eat risk/reward. A creek runs down the left hand side of the dogleg left with the ravine running further and further away from you as it gets closer to the hole. Only 326 from the blues (267 from the white "Member" tees where most people were playing today) the hole is driveable (for some, not me), but you could also lose a lot of balls trying. I took a fairly conservative 3h (224) and was left with just 85 yards and an easy two putt par.

I missed a "mini-golf hole-in-one" by three inches when I pulled my tee shot on the par 3 twelfth left but it caught the bank of the hill, rolled right by the bunker, and almost into the hole. Not the way I'd advise playing it, but It did help me avoid the trouble on the right and post my only birdie of the day.

I thought the greens were good. I had trouble with speed but I think that was more because of the rental putter I was using which I never felt comfortable with over the ball. Even with that I only had one three putt on the day. I felt there was a bit more visually in the putts than was actually present once the ball was in motion. Don't be overly intimidated by these greens, they are quite playable.

If I could give Wolfdancer a 6 star rating for service I would. it started as I got out of my car and never really "let up." Free water bottles before teeing off (and at the turn) didn't hurt either. I only saw the cart gal once (which didn't bother me as I almost never get anything, but some folks might care). One of the things I really liked was that they placed an early emphasis on pace of play, reminding me of their expectations and letting me know I should let people waiting play through (and that others had been told the same in front of me). I got through in just over 3:20 and only waited on the twosome riding in front of me twice (I walked).

About that (walking), the course is quite walkable based on hills etc.; however, there are some rather long stretches between a few holes and walking could potentially cause a pace of play issue later in the day. I went off early and it was never a problem for me (I never saw the guys after me once I got going).

I absolutely recommend giving Wolfdancer a run if you get the chance... I thought it was more than worth the ~30 minutes commute.

This review was going to be all about how this course is walking distance from Waikiki beach and all the big Honolulu hotels and despite being straight forward and benign it still gets lots of play because of location.

Instead, however, my experience centered around the outstanding service and even more impressive player experience. What this course lacks in... well... course... it more than makes up for in, simply put, enjoyment.

Before I take the deep dive into how and why I enjoyed this round so much, lets deal with the course. Ala Wai is flat... super flat. It's also short (only one set of tees, the back/tourney tees aren't even set up unless there is a tourney), straight, and all in front of you. This is absolutely a course were you can put up a score.

The bunkers are... sub-optimal; the good news is that there aren't a ton of them and none of them are poorly placed. You'll only find them with a true miss-hit.

The fairways are exactly what you'd expect from a course that regularly has a page long (or longer) walk-on waiting list before that sun comes up (more on that below), worn. It felt like I hit a third of my approach shots from a divot (or a dent from a healing divot).

The greens were punched the day before I played (and, yes, they do still charge full freight) and as such the putting pace was terrible; but, you could tell that the greens do have a little character when they are running right.

The course has a few mild dog legs, hardly any penalty inducing hazards and one of my favorite features (despite so many other golfers not loving them) a tree in the middle of a fairway.

All in all, the course is a heavily used muni on a really flat piece of land. It's also the only game in town if you are in Waikiki and looking to jump on somewhere without making a bit of a commute (read: at a conference, on vacation with the family, or whatever).

Having said all of that, this was one of the most enjoyable golf outings of my life.... all because of the people involved.

I've had the good fortune of playing with a lot of players in a lot of locations (including several on my 50 states in 50 days junket)... this may very well be the best group of players I've been around. It seemed like every hole was a reunion as players passing on one hole greeted regular playing partners heading the other way.

What was most shocking about this was how little (read: not at all) it effected pace of play. This course is a race track in the morning. We completed our round in 3:07 and were a hole and a half *behind* the group in front of us at the turn... we never saw them again on the back nine. My playing partner said it's like that every morning, play that is fast and furious. (note: I did read somewhere the pace gets slow in the afternoon, so don't expect this all day long)

I play really early whenever I can, and because of that I've played with a lot of "regulars." Sometimes they make you feel like an outsider, sometimes they are nice... the group at Ala Wai makes you feel like you are one of them, and maybe always have been (and just didn't know it).

I was using rental clubs and the driver didn't have a stiff shaft... everything I hit carved its way off to the right, so my playing partner said I could use his (stiff shaft) driver if I wanted... not that big a deal, but nice. Then he gave me a glove because I didn't have one... and then... he gave me a ride back to my hotel after the round so I wouldn't have to walk. That's not all... that's just some of it... and everyone I met was like this.

The starters (both the guy the night before and the guy in the morning when I arrived to play) were terrific, going out of their way to explain how I could get on (when I called the reservation service said the best I could do was play at 10:00... impossible with my schedule) etc.

By the way, here's the secret, if you're willing to get up early, you can almost always walk-on at Ala Wai, you just have to show up really early in the morning to get on the list (which was four pages the day before i played). I showed up at 5:40 and was number 12 on the list. But, the sun came up at 6:00 and I was on the course before 6:30 (and off by 9:30).

There are a lot of great places to play in Hawaii, and if you're coming here specifically for golf it is very unlikely you are going to hit up Ala Wai. However, if you find yourself in Waikiki with a few hours to kill in the morning and want an incredibly fun and friendly experience (that won't take very long at all) an early morning round here can be very enjoyable (and still get you back to the hotel in time to head to the beach with the fam).

Jug Mountain Ranch is not really one of those courses you're going to decide to go play at the last minute. Nestled in the mountain foothills and plains between Boise and McCall Idaho it's a bit of a drive from anywhere (although, vacationing in McCall, it's only about a 20 minute drive).

Jug starts you out with one of their best holes, at least from the tee box. Nearly 100 feet of elevation drop from the tee box to the fairway below really offers a beautiful way to start the day. Do be careful, that elevation change matters and my 3w off the tee went 260 yards to the front edge of the fairway. Beyond that is a creek, so maybe hold off on the driver if you're a big hitter (no worries... there are plenty of opportunities to use it here).

The course was in terrific condition, especially for late Summer, with good clean tee boxes and fairways and smooth, relatively fast greens.

Speaking of those greens, if you do not put your shot within about 15 feet of the hole, you should expect to contend with a ridge of some kind on your lag putt. Thinking back I don't think I had a single straight, flat putt of 15 feet or more. These greens simply have a lot of contour to them and, while not overly punitive, will test your green reading skills if you want to be close for your second putt.

I think this course plays to it's rating and is a good test of your all around golf game. I found the back nine a little tougher than the front, but that may have more to do with my driver being a little more erratic back there. The course protects itself well with distance, elevation changes and a few strategically placed bunkers. I didn't find any of the traps, but was close enough to several to recognize they are well placed and in play.

My favorite part of this course were the par 5's. Two of which feature relatively straight forward, but uphill tee shots while the other two test you with somewhat blind and doglegged first shots. On number 7, for example, it's entirely possible to overshoot the fairway (I did it) before it jogs off to parts unseen to the right. The biggest of hitters could play it straight, but you'd need to get all of the ball (see pic). sixteen also dog legs to the right, but is a great place to dust off your fade. If you can carry the bunker (225ish) and get it to run to the right you can get some extra yards going downhill and make the green accessible (I didn't succeed at this). Your second shot on 16 can be tricky depending on the lie as much of the fairway is a relatively steep downhill... I paid the price for this on my second shot.

I think the one thing I wasn't thrilled with were the par 3's. They weren't terrible by any stretch, but I only used two clubs on the full set of them and I do tend to like a little more variety in these holes.

On a positive note, however, the par four's gave me a real opportunity to use more of those mid-range clubs than most courses do, so they didn't get dusty in the bag. The 443 (from the blue tees) 6th is a fun example. With Split blue tees, you can either take on a 200ish carry over wetlands (and really, you need to carry a good 240 to make the corner and have an approach) through a slot framed by tall trees, or opt for the straight line tee box on the other side of the wetlands. Even a relatively perfect drive is going to leave you 180+ (and in most cases closer to 200 yards) for your second shot.

The pace of play was fine. I teed off mid-day on a holiday weekend in a resort town and got around in 4:14. We waited on a lot of shots, but that was more a function of our speed than anything else. Just over 4 hours is quite reasonable given when and where we were playing.

The staff was great, friendly and welcoming and the "cheat sheet" they gave us (no yardage books here) was quite helpful on some of the blind shots you encounter.

It's probably worth noting that the first restroom is between the 9th and 10th holes (you come by the same facility again between 13 and 14). Between 5 and 6 there is a sign indicating there is a restroom at the practice facility across the street, but I cannot imagine heading over there and thinking you'd hold your place on the course, it's just a little too far away.

My wife and I both left the course saying we'll absolutely make the 2 hour drive from Boise play again (probably soon), and if you get the chance I'd advise giving Jug Mountain a run yourself.

I play Spurwing once a year in a corporate event, but I've never thought to review it before... go figure. As a result I have fewer pictures to share than usual.

I like this course, and as a private facility it is very well maintained. For the most part it's pretty straight forward golf and how much defense it offers against par depends on where you tee it up. It's plenty long from the tips, and several holes are set up to protect against average to big hitters with narrowing fairways and bunkers in the landing zones. If; however, you play the member (brown) tees and drive the ball in the 250 range you will likely out-punt the courses coverage on many holes and land in a safer widening fairway... depending on the challenge you want, choose your tees carefully (the pro-shop has a useful yardage book that can help with this).

I mentioned some surprises and that yardage book could come in handy here as well. There are a few holes on the back nine with a creek running through them that is often not obvious or even visible as you prepare to take your shot. I've seen several great looking shots disappear to the players dismay because of an unseen hazard.

The signature hole (which I do have a picture of because I came about 6 inches from acing it this time out) is a great elevated tee par three that plays a little longer than the elevation change might indicate. Gauging the drop and the wind can be tricky. For what it's worth my almost-ace was an 8 iron from 181... which would normally be a hard 7 or an easy 6 for me, so about a club and a half that day.

The only hole I ever hear complaints about is 14, which is a challenge at best and tricked out at worst. There are two ponds and a "perfect" drive (I hit a 245 yard 3w to position "A"... it's a 285 carry to take on the first pond) still leaves a roughly 200 carry over water to the green. I've played with several people who simply play it as a par five and layup in front of the second pond regardless of where their drive winds up.

The service at Spurwing has been great year after year and the food is always great. The course is always in great condition when I've played as well. I can't speak to pace of play since I only play there in corporate events, but I've played very few private clubs with pace issues, so I imagine the same to be true here.

If you get a chance, I'd certainly give Spurwing a run.

MPCC (Shore) is a terrific course that you should absolutely play if you get the chance. A couple things to know...

Firstly, It is a somewhat traditional club and sticks to it's rules pretty closely. Things like having your phone out on the course (except for the occasional picture), changing your shoes anywhere other than the locker room, or wearing shorts, are not going to be on your agenda.

Secondly, they have a youth on the course caddie program that is terrific and I can't recommend it enough. We had two of the youth caddies in our group and both were good. You aren't going to get what you might as far as local knowledge from a regular professional caddie; however, you are doing something for the game and helping get youth engaged etc. It's more than worth it in my opinion.

The course conditions were fantastic when I played, and the layout was a terrific match. The course isn't super long, playing at 6478 (72.2/130) form the black tees I used (still less than 7000 from the tips) but uses angles and well placed bunkers (as well as a *lot* of more natural sand areas) to protect par.

For the most part the course isn't overly-punitive for a slightly mishit ball; however, a really bad shot can send you back the the tee box and really put a dent in your scorecard. It's a fair course, but you'll absolutely know how well you played looking at your score after the round.

Everyone I met at MPCC was terrific and it had more of a family vibe than a stuff club feel (despite the rules mentioned above), I really enjoyed all of my interactions and all of the service aspects here.

From a purely "wow" perspective, it's hard to beat the par three 11th hole (the one hole we did play the back tees). Standing between two rock formations on an elevated green firing about 190/195 to a green with the Pacific as your backdrop. My 7i was a little long, so don''t let the distance fool you.

I also really like both #8 and #15, both examples of the course letting the terrain keep you honest while being just beautiful holes. With large doglegs, offering a generous landing area for a 3w or other "layup" club but a risk reward Driver shot available, it's just fun golf.

I found the bunkers, the rough, and especially the greens very playable here. Again, unless you really lose a ball in the grass (which requires a pretty bad shot in most places) you can recover.

As a private club pace of play was great, we finished in a perfectly leisurely 3:44 without ever feeling rushed at all. Obviously not everyone can play here, but if you get the chance you should leap at it. It's a great, not overly stressful, walk that you're sure to remember (very fondly).