Trying to take my dad for a birthday round this weekend. We’ve never been to either. Anyone played these recently? For reference he plays weekly about a 15 handicap. I’m happy breaking 100.
Thanks in advance!
Hello all,
I started playing again last year after 35 years away. I'm 59 and retired at the end of last year and looking to play as often as I can.
I have broken 100 recently and make it to the range weekly and trying to play at least weekly as well. I wanted to ask the members who currently play or have played in their local Spark Leagues what they thought of the experience and if they would do it again or no, why not?
Going to Asheville for the weekend willing to drive 1.5 hours looking at golf courses.
I heard Springdale was great for the price
Sequoyah National was booked out
Considering high Hampton (worth the $275?)
Any other recommendations for well kept courses with good views?
I'm looking for an inexpensive driving range, and possibly some good bang for the buck lessons. I've searched a bit, but a lot of what I am finding seems like it could be dated info.
I'm a new golfer, played 4 18s and a 9 hole back out in Washington state. I live right by Hedingham and am not sure if I should go there or what better options I have. I don't care about electronic tracing. I have historically had a horrendous slice with my driver (like over the houses next to the course) that I finally had started making some progress on before moving. I do find myself in Cary and Chapel Hill once a week or so each.
I've got two annual golf rounds coming up soon and I'd like to check in and hit some balls so I am not totally cold
I know this isn't exactly a fresh topic, but I finally got out to Finley to play the redesign and walked away feeling ... underwhelmed. My dad and I used to play Finley a couple of times a year from about 2000 to 2020 or so. I would say it was my favorite course in the Triangle, I loved the layout, obviously it was always in great shape, just top notch experience every time for a reasonable rate, especially during the week.
For various reasons, we haven't made it back out in the last couple of years, not the least of which is the price and availability of tee times on the weekends now. Dad booked a tee time for 2:00 Thursday and said we were going, I was really excited. We thought the new layout felt forced, the redesigns on most of the green to be too gimmicky, and walked away thinking this no longer felt like a college championship course.
The new starting holes just feel weird, especially 4. Iron off the tee, wedge in to the green, pin was tucked front right, and without being able to see the slope, I landed the ball within 10 feet of the pin and watched it bounce hard left about 15 yards away. In hindsight, I would have hit the ball past the pin to try the hold the flat area behind it and taken a 15-20 footer back. It just felt gimmicky, I can't think of another word for it. And it felt like every green now has a giant ridge in it that makes the pin inaccessible from at least half the surface. I know that's by design, and I know that makes the course harder, but it just felt so different from what I remember about Finley. The number of blind approaches and hidden slopes, especially on the new front nine, made it difficult to trust the shots I was hitting.
Shot 40 on the front (par 34), 36 on the back, and I figure that's because apart from new green slopes, the back is largely untouched by the redesign and I was more comfortable. It's also probably a bit easier on the approaches.
The greens were also quite dried out (I know, drought and hot summer) to the point that every cup had a patch of dead turf behind the grain that was falling into the cup. They've obviously aerated and sanded recently, but I found it odd they had left the holes in place that long so that every single one looked like that.
Am I just overreacting to change? I'm curious to hear your thoughts about the redesign and whether you like it more or less than the old layout. Is it a fair challenge to you, and is it more conducive to college tourneys if you play it tipped out (I obviously didn't).
Have lived in the triangle area and other parts of this state for well over 30 years at this point. I am curious if any of y'all know why Raleigh and/or wake county in general never seemed to have ever developed a municipal golf course? Although they are all pretty crappy, Mecklenburg had 4 when I lived there a bit over 10 years ago. Most if not all of those courses were built on old landfills. A number of other towns and cities in this state have municipal courses. High Point has two, which are both pretty decent actually. Greensboro has Bryan Park, which is a legitimately nice 36 hole course. Albeit, Bryan Park's development had a lot more to do with the Bryan Foundation rather than the city of Greensboro. Likewise, Wilmington has a municipal course. As does Asheville, Wilson, Asheboro, Sanford, and Mooresville. Most cities and counties the size of Wake County, especially in areas where golf is very popular, have municipal courses. It's just very odd that we don't have one in Wake County. I would imagine the reason is something related to city and county politics or something of the like. I guess one could argue that RGA is the equivalent of Raleigh's municipal course, but it's technically not one. Moreover, I am really just lamenting the lack of options and the elimination of all the cheaper courses in the region over the last 30 years. I long for the days of the availability of Wil Mar and Cheviot Hills, or even south wake county's crooked creek. We do still have Brevofield way up near falls lake, and for those that enjoy a good time, Garner "country club" or even the old 401 Golf Par 3 course. It's a damn shame that property is sitting there vacant. We can't even have a solid, cheap driving range around these parts anymore. Rambling here a bit obviously, but I am genuinely curious why this area never developed a muni.
Hit 'em straight, dudes.
Hey all - just starting to get into the game (18+9 holes played so far) and am looking to try and find a group to play more in the Cary area. Super novice, unsure what clubs to select, using loaners, etc.
If anyone would be willing to invite a new player I'd be happy to join with the goal of learning more while trying my best not to slow anyone down.
Mid 30s - game dev, don't drink but don't care if you do, can usually play in the mornings before meetings start ~1pm.
My wife and I are considering options at Prestonwood and Macgregor Downs. We live near downtown Raleigh/Person Street, so without traffic, Macgregor is 21 minutes away, while Prestonwood is 26 minutes. RCC is the closest option (5min) but a bit expensive for us (both 31yrs old). Both of us golf, and we have a newborn. Considering these factors, what is the recommended distance to truly maximize the benefits of having a membership at one of these locations?
Is it me or is there a low turn out for this event this week\weekend at least from TV viewing? Has anybody else ever gone to it, and is it a good event to attend? Or is it low attendance due to big names already in FedEx cup?
I'm heading to Williamsburg in a few weeks and would like to fit in a mid-week round. I'm looking at either Williamsburg National (Yorktown or Jamestown) or Golden Horseshoe (Green only, Gold is out of budget for this trip). We settled on these due to cost & proximity to our lodging.
Has anyone played any of those courses recently, and can you make a recommendation for any above the others? Course conditions, difficulty for mid-handicapper seniors (1 female golfer), and other considerations?
Thanks for any tips!
After 25 years I’m finally moving out of NC (my childhood course was TPC Knight’s Play). I’ve played most everything public in the area except these. Which one should I try to make happen in the next couple weeks (due to the move I can only afford time/money on one)
Has anyone had work done on their clubs at Hillandale? The head on my 6 iron is starting to come loose. I just need the head removed and new epoxy applied, so an easy fix. Would prefer to support Hillandale over golf galaxy!