[schotzyb]

Since there has been so much talk about the courses conditions latel,I thought I would resurrect this old thread. Beartrack started a thread about the executive courses green conditions and it got hijacked to everything else . This old thread can be for the Championship courses if you like. I am playing Cane Garden tomorrow and I will posts it's condition afterwards.

[ajbrown]

This will be very subjective to one's experience(s), but could be fun. I played Jacaranda to Allamanda yesterday (only 4 holes on Allamanda due to rain )

My rating:
1 - being I would go in and ask for my money back
5 - Would not come back unless I had no choices.
10 - being a PGA Tour championship course played the week a tournament in town.

Most of my rating is about the greens. I am not too picky about fairways as long as whatever grass is there is short.

IMO Cane was a 7, which is acceptable to me this winter as I do believe weather matters and am providing some slack.

Are the greens pristine? No, and a few pin placements were in the worst conditioned part of the green. The placer could have been better by moving 6-8 feet in either direction without changing the characteristics of the hole.

Did I miss a putt because the greens? No and I missed plenty

I will go back there without issue.

[BB14616]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

This will be very subjective to one's experience(s), but could be fun. I played Jacaranda to Allamanda yesterday (only 4 holes on Allamanda due to rain )

My rating:
1 - being I would go in and ask for my money back
5 - Would not come back unless I had no choices.
10 - being a PGA Tour championship course played the week a tournament in town.

Most of my rating is about the greens. I am not too picky about fairways as long as whatever grass is there is short.

IMO Cane was a 7, which is acceptable to me this winter as I do believe weather matters and am providing some slack.

Are the greens pristine? No, and a few pin placements were in the worst conditioned part of the green. The placer could have been better by moving 6-8 feet in either direction without changing the characteristics of the hole.

Did I miss a putt because the greens? No and I missed plenty

I will go back there without issue.

I agree. Of the championship courses I've played lately, Cane is about the best other than Lopez. I played Mallory last week, Caroline to Virginia. Would give it about a 6. Greens had a lot of rough areas, pretty bumpy, and fairways were splotchy. Bunkers didn't seem to have enough sand in them, or they needed to be raked deeper. It wouldn't be my choice to play there again for awhile. Hacienda has been about a 7. The greens were decent, fairways needed work. If you get off the fairways you can run into areas with little or no grass. Lopez was about and 8. Most greens were very good and fairways good. One bad bunker full of stones. Lopez practice green is pretty rough, but on the course the greens were better. Orange Blossm I'd give a 2. Awful, just awful. Greeens and fairways were bad, not enough sand in bunkers, areas with no grass at all just dust.

If you are concerned about the golf course conditions, I contacted the District Board (on golfthevillages.com) a few days ago and the email went out to all the members, asking them who to contact regarding golf course conditions. Most of the members got back to me and told me to contact Country Club Administration at 753-3396 and they would be able to point me in the right direction. Mr. Basso is at that number, and is the Golf Opoerations Manager of the Villages, and works closely with each facilities manager. I suggest that all of us who have concerns, let Mr. Basso know, so they cannot say that people are satisfied.

[schotzyb]

As stated earlier we (a foursome) played Cane Garden today and to say the least, I was pleasantly surprised. The greens were in good shape with only a couple showing thin grass in a couple of spots. Pristine, no but good for the amount of play they are getting now and the time of year and weather conditions we are subject to. My only quetion is, if Cane Garden can provide us with a course in this codition, then why can't they all?

Originally Posted by ajbrown

This will be very subjective to one's experience(s), but could be fun. I played Jacaranda to Allamanda yesterday (only 4 holes on Allamanda due to rain )

My rating:
1 - being I would go in and ask for my money back
5 - Would not come back unless I had no choices.
10 - being a PGA Tour championship course played the week a tournament in town.

Most of my rating is about the greens. I am not too picky about fairways as long as whatever grass is there is short.

IMO Cane was a 7, which is acceptable to me this winter as I do believe weather matters and am providing some slack.

Are the greens pristine? No, and a few pin placements were in the worst conditioned part of the green. The placer could have been better by moving 6-8 feet in either direction without changing the characteristics of the hole.

Did I miss a putt because the greens? No and I missed plenty

I will go back there without issue.

Thank you for this post.I have guests coming next week and really would appreciate feedback from people playing the championship courses.Thanks again!!

[Pturner]

Ever the silver lining person, I just surprised myself and spotted a dark cloud:

If they improve all the greens and fairways before I get back in April, I'll have to find another excuse.

[schotzyb]

Played Havana early this morning. Frost delay until 8:30 so greens were unable to be mowed which is understandable. All in all the greens were in good shape. Slow due to the longer grass but very few bare spots. Fairways were "spotty" at best.

[canuk69]

Play a few courses outside the Villages and you will see what decent Greens should be like. With the Ammenity Fees we pay I can't imagine why we can't get better quality.

[chuckster]

Originally Posted by canuk69

Play a few courses outside the Villages and you will see what decent Greens should be like. With the Ammenity Fees we pay I can't imagine why we can't get better quality.

Have done just that and have have found some in good, not excellent condition and others that were not good bordering on poor in AND outside the villages. Incidentally amenity fees only cover Exec. courses, Green fees support Championship courses.

Been here for 6 years and this has been the worst year for weather conditions hostile to course conditions both in AND outside the villages. Soon (April/May) the weather changes for the better (warmer) and growing conditions will improve. Also more t-times available.

[ajbrown]

Played Havana Sunday. Kilimanjaro to Kenya, I put it in the same category as Cane, 7 of 10, very playable....

The weather on the other hand I put at 5 of 10 for 'almost March' in FL. Does anyone have a number we can call to make sure someone is aware of the issue ?

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

Played Havana Sunday. Kilimanjaro to Kenya, I put it in the same category as Cane, 7 of 10, very playable....

The weather on the other hand I put at 5 of 10 for 'almost March' in FL. Does anyone have a number we can call to make sure someone is aware of the issue ?

Not sure of the number, but it's in the phone book under Punxsutawney Phil. His phone, hell. I'd like to ring his neck!

[kwachowski]

Played Orange Blossom on 2/28 and the greens were sparse and bumpy, fairways were thin. I think the cold weather has hurt the course

[schotzyb]

Played Tierra Del Sol today and all in all i was in fairly good condition(a 7 on a scale of 1-10) Greens were slow; had not been cut due to heavy rain.One thing worthy of mention is that #4 fairway was in terrible shape. Heavy blotches of what appeared to be diseased grass. Looked like massive divots.

[schotzyb]

Played Hacienda Hills today and found it in very good condition cosidering the weather we have been stuck with lately. Greens were as good as any I have played here in The Villages the last couple of months . On a negative note , I did think some of the pin placements were in some very precarious spots making even a two footer an adventure.

[golf2140]

Originally Posted by schotzyb

Played Hacienda Hills today and found it in very good condition cosidering the weather we have been stuck with lately. Greens were as good as any I have played here in The Villages the last couple of months . On a negative note , I did think some of the pin placements were in some very precarious spots making even a two footer an adventure.

I agree about the conditions. I played the same rotation today with three gentlemen.