I played Bellevue twice last week (Wednesday 6/11 and Friday 6/13) and this review covers both days. Greens are running incredibly well for Bellevue right now, medium to quick pace with minimal bumps. I was very happy to not find too many extra ball marks to fix. They'll hold pretty well too, many of my chips into the greens were grabbing a bit better than I expected. Fairways and rough are in very good shape, although I did find a few divots as rewards on a couple of perfect tee shots Wednesday. I only found the greenside bunker in 18 Friday, and it had a good layer of soft sand and was pleasant to play out of. Tee boxes remain the weak spot, many were chewed up a bit and a few also just get zero sunlight so their grass just isn't very healthy. Beverage cart was out and about, and service in the shop and restaurant excellent as well. The place is definitely in great shape and should have a great summer.

Walked West Seattle this morning and enjoyed it quite a bit. I've been meaning to get back out here as it has been a few years, and I'm not sure why I've waited this long. Conditions were pretty good all the way around, even though it was a bit on the cold side with about a 1 club wind that was coming and going. The greens rolled pretty well at a medium quick pace, with a few bumps here and there. Well struck shots would hold, longer clubs for me released a bit. Fairways gave decent roll out, and really nice lies to hit from (except from the old divot I found on my best drive of the day on #9). Rough isn't very long (but still nice and healthy) and not very penalizing. I found the greenside bunker on 16 and it had a good layer of quality sand. Tee boxes had just been punched, but that didn't bother me as you're putting your ball on a tee so I'm happy they're keeping them healthy. I had found a tee time for a single at 8:37, and the guys in the shop bumped me forward to join the twosome that went off at 8:30, and we got around in a solid 4 hours, with the slowish group in front of us letting us play through at the turn. Got a decent lunch in the restaurant afterwards, and experienced really solid customer service everywhere. Definitely need to get this place back in the rotation.

Walked the blue tees this morning at Legion Memorial with a friend, paired up with a couple of other very pleasant singles. Got out about 10 minutes ahead of our 9AM tee time, and got around in about 4:15. Not a lot of waiting on the front, but things slowed down a touch from #12 to the end. No extreme waiting, so all in all very pleasant pace. Overall the course is incredibly dry right now, and playing very firm. Greens are a bit faster than the last time here, and not holding shots really at all. After a few holes I adjusted and started taking a little less club in, and was having success playing for a little extra release. Greens were so firm I never really made a significant pitch mark, and didn't see too many that needed repair. Fairways and rough are very dry as well, giving tons of roll. Even with a few very burnt out spots there was enough grass to give a decent lie to hit from. Tee boxes were generally good, par 3s a bit chewed up as expected. The only bunker I found was just in front of the 18th green, and it had a reasonable amount of soft sand to play from. Marshall was out checking on pace, and customer service in the shop great as always. Hopefully they'll water a bit, as I think we'd like to keep this place in the rotation.

Played my first round of the year yesterday morning at Bellevue (3/30/25) and had a really good time, even though the course is in slightly rough shape. Weather here in western Washington was really quite cold this winter (I had a great ski season) and Bellevue's showing the effects of that. The 4th green's been closed for some time my friends told me, and the 12th green just opened for the first time since late November. Overall greens were very inconsistent speed wise, and very bumpy. The ones like 12 that haven't had any play, or get lots of sun, were pretty nice, and definitely faster and smoother than the others. Fairways and rough were all pretty good here (like always) and I can't comment on the bunkers as I was fortunate enough to not find any of them. Usually they are pretty good. Tee boxes were pretty rough, they probably hadn't been cut in some time and many of them were in pretty bad shape. A few just get no sun whatsoever, and the par 3s aren't very long on this course so those get beat up pretty bad. Our 3 some teed off about 7:15 or 7:20, a few minutes early, and we walked the course in about 3:20 for an awesome pace. Service in the shop and the bar afterward was friendly and excellent as always.

Took the day off work to celebrate my birthday, and walked on to Washington National. I've always liked this course, but it had been quite some time since I'd been here. I'd heard that conditions weren't so great over the last few years, but I'm really happy to say that the place is in great shape right now. Greens were pretty firm, and rolled at a very consistent quick pace. Fairways were really nice to hit from, they always gave a really nice lie. Rough wasn't too long, and not very penalizing. Tee boxes were very nice, minimal divot damage and always flat. If there's a weak spot it would be the bunkers. I found a few of them, and while they do have a decent amount of sand they also have a few too many rocks. Customer service in the shop before the round was excellent, and in the restaurant after the round for lunch as well. The driving range is off mats here, but there's a nice chipping green and practice bunker next to the range that I took advantage of. The putting green next to #1 felt identical to the greens out on the course. Its a bit pricey, but with the Oki card rate that I paid (about $90) I feel that its worth it when you feel like splurging.

Played today at Trophy Lake for the first time in several years, and really enjoyed myself. Teed off right on time at 6:42 am walking with a buddy and paired up with a very pleasant riding single. We got around in a really fast 3:30. We waited on a couple of holes, but never more than a minute or two, and the group behind us was never pushing. Conditions tee to green are very good here, the fairways are really nice and always giving a good lie. They're firm, but not baked (at least not yet) giving a good amount of roll. Rough isn't very long, but it can be a bit sticky, and a little bit inconsistent in places. You're definitely going to feel the difference between it and the short grass. Greens are very good, they tended to be quick downhill but not rolling out uphill like you might expect. There was also the occasional bump, but nothing too bad. One thing we noticed over the course of the round is that as things warmed up and dried out, grain on the greens could affect a put more than you expected. Tee boxes weren't bad, although a few of them could be in better shape. I found several bunkers today, and while they all did have a decent layer of nicely raked sand, there were also a few too many rocks. I was lucky that none of them were really in play for me, but again I think that was my good fortune.

There's a decent grass range here to warm up on, and the nice, large putting green felt pretty much the same as the greens out on the course. I think they've got a short game area as well, but I didn't have time to check that out. We started so early, and played so fast, that breakfast was still being served in the clubhouse and that was pretty good as well. Trophy's a little bit pricey, and definitely hard to get to as it's on the other side of Puget Sound from Seattle, but if you've got the day to spend and you feel like a treat its definitely worth it.

Played Legion Memorial yesterday (6/1/2024) and had a really nice time. Me and a couple of friends were joined by a very pleasant single, and teed off just a hair behind our 7:15 am tee time. The four of us walked the course in a little over 4 hours, which felt a little bit longer as we were playing behind an rather slow twosome, that couldn't seem to keep up with the foursome in front of them. Conditions were really nice, it rained on us a little bit for the first few holes, but then things dried out and warmed up into a very nice day. Greens are very good, feeling a little slow at the beginning but definitely picking up pace as they dried out. They'll bump here and there, and there are a few too many pitch marks to fix, but not worse than any of the other munis around here. They're not super firm, so shots hold nicely. Fairways and rough are in great shape, giving a good amount of roll and a nice lie to play from. Tee boxes are a bit beat up, we played the whites which definitely see a lot of traffic. I didn't find any bunkers, but my partners hit some really nice shots out of the greenside bunkers so I'd bet they were pretty good. People in the shop and the marshals are all friendly, giving the place a real good vibe. Legion's a great value, and not leaving the rotation any time soon.

Played The Home Course this morning with a couple of friends for the first time this year, and really enjoyed it. Conditions are just as good as I remember, greens are rolling really nicely at a very consistent medium/quick pace. There's a pitch mark to fix here and there, but not nearly as many as most of the places I play. Fairways are awesome, they'll give you plenty of roll and always a good lie to hit from. The rough is in great shape as well, not too long or punishing. If you go way off line, you're in the long grass which is very hit and miss. You could get a good lie, or you might never see that ball again. I found the greenside bunker on #3, and it had a good layer of nice sand, and was well raked. Tee boxes were all flat, and for the most part pretty good. We played the blue/white combo, and you can tell from the wear on those boxes that it is a popular choice. We teed off right on time at 7:36, and I think we got around in right about 4 hours, 3 of us walking behind a couple of foursomes in carts. We waited here and there (nothing worth complaining about) and were never pushed, for a very comfortable pace. Warming up on a really nice grass range is always a treat, plus they've got a nice chipping green with a practice bunker, and two excellent practice putting greens that rolled just like the ones out on the course. Customer service everywhere (pro shop, restaurant, marshals) was excellent as well. You just can't go wrong with this place.

Walked on as a single this morning at Bellevue, and got paired up with a couple of decent guys. Another single caught us and joined up on #5. Conditions here are pretty good right now, although the greens are a tad slow. They were punched a couple of weeks ago and are still a bit bumpy. In another week or two they should be much better as they do look relatively healthy. Fairways are pretty good, offering nice lies to hit from and a decent amount of roll out. The rough is healthy as well, and not very punishing. I didn't find any bunkers today, but they looked good and played really well the last time I was here. Some of the tee boxes are pretty bad, but that's just how it is here as they don't get enough sunlight with all of the trees. Pace was really good, we finished in just under 4 hours, never waiting and never pushed. Service in the pro shop and restaurant excellent as always here. All in all an excellent Sunday morning.

Played the final round of my Florida holiday trip this morning at the Biltmore, a course I've played a few times where I've always enjoyed myself. Today was really good, I was grouped with 3 members, a nice couple and single, with all 4 of us walking in about 4:15. We teed off right on time at just after 9:00. Conditions were very solid, the greens had been watered and sanded but I thought they rolled pretty well at a medium pace. I did have trouble with them as they dried out and the grain really seemed to start taking effect as the round went on. Fairways were in great shape, offering lots of roll and a really nice surface to hit off of. Rough wasn't too much longer, and you could find some bare areas if you strayed very far off line. I found a couple of bunkers, and they were very nice to play from with a decent layer of fine sand over a firm base. Tee boxes were decent for the most part, a few are a little bit chewed up but it was never hard to find a decent spot. Wind was up about 2 clubs worth, so there was plenty of challenge today.

I always enjoy this course, it was designed by Donald Ross back in the 1920's, and I think the layout is just awesome. Its a great walk, with houses only around the outer edges of the property. There also aren't very many holes that run parallel to each other, it really took a great deal of imagination to come up with this routing. The rack rate for the visitors from out of town is very steep though, so I must say I'm not sure the value is there. I had great time today, but I think if I lived in the neighborhood I'd be saving this one for special occasions.

Round 2 of my Florida swing happened at Osprey Point this morning, where I played the Hawk/Falcon combo, teeing off just a few minutes ahead of my 7:28 tee time and getting around in just about 4 hours, walking with 3 locals. This was another course I'd been looking forward to trying, and it did not disappoint.

Greens looked terrible, but actually rolled really well at a solid medium/quick pace. If people did a better job repairing ball marks, it would go a long way to making them look a bit better. I was quite surprised at how rarely I saw my ball bounce. They are definitely a bit on the firm side, playing for a little release worked really well for me. Fairways were nearly perfect, with tee shots rolling out nicely and always giving a good lie in the short grass. Rough wasn't too long, but long enough to make me work a little bit when I found it. Tee boxes were very nice, always level and clean. One of my partners did say that the bunkers are the weak spot of the course, being inconsistent. I was lucky enough to not find any of them today so I can't speak from experience. The range was closed early in the morning, so while I didn't get to hit any balls ahead of the round I did take advantage of their short game area, which is very nice. The huge practice putting green is also excellent, speed there seemed to me to match the course's greens very well.

I could tell I was in the right place when I arrived at the starter's desk and he commented how jealous he was of me being able to walk and carry my bag. I know walking's my quirk, but it felt so nice to be part of walking foursome, on a course that's laid out really well for it. The course has a great mix of short, medium, and long 4s, good variety of 3s, and a couple of 5s that are reachable if you're hitting it long and straight. I'm playing 4 times on this trip, and while I had 3 courses in mind I wasn't sure where the 4th round would be. Immediately after the round I went ahead and got another tee time here, I had such a good time I've got to do it again.

Spending the holidays in the Miami area with family, and played my first round of the trip this morning at Miami Lakes (formerly known as Shula's). I really wanted to like this course, but I just didn't have as much fun as I'd hoped I would. The course itself is pretty good, but I found the customer service just not quite up to it.

The greens here are really nice, they had a few poorly repaired pitch marks but in general rolled really well, at a medium/fast pace. Most of them are a bit elevated, making for some interesting shots around them. Nothing unfair, but nothing really easy either. Fairways were pretty good, and rough not too much higher making it not much of a penalty. Tee boxes were very beat up, and bunkers not maintained very well at all. The design is pretty interesting, the front nine is pretty straightforward with a few dog legs here and there, while the back nine has water all over the place, in play on almost every hole. Wind was up, varying between 1 or 2 club's worth which made for several really tough shots.

As I'm writing this review, I almost want to play it again because there's just so much potential here. But I just don't think I can. I'd called on the phone a few days ago to book the tee time, and confirm that I could walk (which is allowed all day during the week, according to their website). When I arrived, my tee time apparently hadn't actually been booked. The woman in the pro shop was able to fit me in and verify that I could walk, I just had to wait about an extra 30 minutes. I went over to the range to hit balls, and hit a small bucket off of what was one of the worst mats I've ever had to use. I noticed later that they would have let me use the grass area, but honestly that didn't look very good either. I went back to the putting green (which was very nice) and worked on that and a little bit of chipping as well.

About 10 minutes before my time, I walked over to the 1st tee to check in with the starter, and I arrived there before the 3 some I was grouped with. The starter then essentially demanded I go out in front of them since I was walking, implying that I'd be holding up play and he had a bunch of leagues going out behind me. I wanted to argue the point, but I decided to let it go. I was a bit bummed as I'd never played here, and kind of wanted some company to help watch shots with the low morning sun, get a little local knowledge, etc. I stewed about it as I played the front 9 as slow as I could in order to not push the 4 in front of me, and found myself getting over it by the time I made the turn. As I made the turn, I wanted to go into the pro shop and grab a beverage to carry for the back 9, but there was about 6 guys waiting in line to check in, and only the 1 woman at the counter to take care of them. Restaurant was closed, so I gave up on that and walked over to the 10th tee to find a new threesome there teeing off in front of me. I played behind them for a few holes, waiting on every shot, and getting pushed by a group behind me as well. Thankfully they let me through on #14, and I finished the round at a normal pace. If things were being run at the start a bit better, and I could actually book a tee time, I'd go back. But I'm not so sure I'll take the chance, knowing there's a bunch of other really nice places to play around here.