Shallow Creek, pretty much empty every day
 

I moved here in October of last year but didn't play golf here for the first several months. Starting last month I started playing every couple of days. I always play at Shallow Creek because it is by far the closest to my house (its a 5 minute cart ride; Southern oaks, the next closets is 15 minutes by cart). What I have noticed is that the course is nearly empty. I show up between 12 and 1, after the rates go down with no tee time. I always get out right away within a few minutes. There are very few people on the course. Lately I have just been doing nine holes, because of other commitments, but it only takes about 1 hour.

Are all the courses empty at this time of year? Or is it just Shallow Creek.?

From my experience, this time of year, most people play golf in the morning or evening. That includes championship, executive, and pitch and putts. It is too hot to play in the middle of the day.

SC
 

It was super busy after 3:00 but after they punched the greens about a week ago it slowed way down after 3:00. Was pretty much wide open between 12 and 3pm before they did the greens.

Shadeless.

No place to get out of the sun.

Took Shallow off the rotation list a month ago.

I'll only play there November-March. The alternative is to bring sunblock SPF 1,000,000

The lack of shade doesn't bother me in the slightest. I am wearing sunscreen and riding in a cart. And I am playing nine holes in an hour....little or no waiting. Sounds like I'm going to have the place to myself for a while. Good deal!

Just don't get sick or hurt yourself while playing, you could lie there awhile.

Very true.
Even if an ambassador sees you, they will probably jus drive by.
They ain't what they use to be.

:gc:

Also, only a par 70, a very long ride, and priced the same as Palmer. Not a good relative value. That being said, if I venture that far south, I’d much rather play The Creek than The Oaks. At least I’m not paying a premium to play along power lines and the turnpike, with no shade.

Not my experience. I find the biggest slow down in play is overly chatty ambassadors.

Huh, there's another strike against that course.

Its the shortest ride if you are way down south. The par 70 is not so bad per se, it is the low rating and low slope. Its a handicap killer. I am an 18 index. I'll shoot 84 from the blue tees at Shallow Creek and my handicap will go up! I have to make 81 or 82 to stay even.

The course just has no character. I guess its somewhat better than just going and hitting balls at the range but only slightly. Maybe in 5-7 years when some vegetation grows in.

Well its 12:45. Time to go play golf at my characterless, shadeless course. Life is tough here in the villages.

We play 8am, any Championship during summer heat. Money isn’t a problem compared to heat stroke

That is smart. I would do that too if I had friends. Maybe eventually.

No neighbors?
Your village doesn’t have a social club?

Sad, to not have friends……….

Our Tuesday/ Saturday Afternoon Group has played 12 months out of the year in the afternoon wave for over 25 years. It gets a little toasty in July and early August when the heat index rises above 110, but very doable. It's cooler in the morning but much more humid as a rule, and the boys don't like that extra humidity or the extra $9 it cost. I have heard there is little to no shade on Shallow Creek. We have those lithium battery fans, cooling towels, extra water and Gatorade. We have shrunk this summer to two foursomes. Our snowbirds start coming back in September and October, much nicer weather.

Book as a single and make friends.

As my daddy would say, no balls, no glory.
Shade is overrated.
I’m from New England. Lived in Georgia for 3 years before here in TV.
I don’t know what everyone is complaining about. Georgia summer is actually ’worse’ than here. My wife agrees.
I don’t care where you are in the U.S. Summers are hot and humid. Get over that. With 230 pools at our disposal in TV, none of us have anything to whine about.

I agree with you. An 87-year-old golfer with heat stroke might not.

Just shallow creek, but others are less busy.

The new Woodlands (curious name) course will suffer the same dilemma when it opens. While they have kept a few majestic live oaks, the course will basically be baking in stark sunshine. Some years of maturing will certainly help. But, no complaints here. What other community in the USA provides over 60 golf courses to choose from? Options are a good thing.

The courses are always empty here in the summer on hot afternoons.

Enjoy it while you can! It’s nice that you have found a spot that works for you when it is not appealing to others. In general, I think in the summer months you can probably get on most courses easily at high noon. Not many people are going to find that attractive.

I read where some sun blocks may cause or increase cancer risks? what ever they put in to it to push it to million maybe the bad stuff? :shocked:

Let’s see after you been down here few years see it whining starts? Older get more heat affect most people. I came from Oklahoma you can raise level few degrees above Georgia. Agree once it hits Close to 100 or more hot is hot. But, humidity can be outrageous here by 9:30 am and sun heavy on back IMO.

Lead :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Oxybenzone :eclipsee_gold_cup:

Seeking out shade isn’t necessarily about avoiding heat and humidity. As we age, it’s more about not wanting to look like a dried prune, not having to play wack-a-mole with suspicious looking sun spots every time we visit the dermatologist, and not wanting to hear the word melanoma come out of the dermatologists mouth.

I am thinking of running for commissioner on a platform of lets cover the entire course so we can play in shade. It will be retractable during the winter months.

There will be just a slight adjustment in greens fees to cover this cost.

Not necessary, just don’t build courses in wide open areas with no trees that are lined with a turnpike and power lines. It’s not rocket science.

The comments here are all good news. Seems like Shallow Creek is going to stay wide open in the afternoons for the rest of the summer.

The shade business is overblown. Shade only matters if you are waiting. No course has much shade in the fairways or over the greens. The shade, on courses with it, is over the cart paths, next to the tee boxes or along the edges of the fairways. Your find a tree to park under while you wait for others to hit. If you aren't waiting, there is not much opportunity to park in the shade.

Plus, very few are walking on the championship courses. I have lugged my bag 18 holes on a 100 degree day, its hot bordering on dangerous....no more. But, if you are in a cart you have a roof, and you are wearing a hat, and sunscreen and probably sun sleeves. To me its not that big a deal. But whatever, I am glad lots of people need shade to play, it makes it all the more uncrowded.

If I'm the developer that is exactly where I would put the golf courses. Better that then trying to sell houses in those locations.

BTW, as I am sure you know, Oakmont, an Iconic course on the PGA tour has the Pennsylvania turnpike running right through the middle of it, and has power lines on the course that are not just an eyesore, they can be hit by balls. And its not the only one. So its not like the villages is unique.

Yep, for that time of day most courses aren’tbusy.