This review a little late but short. Out on Friday 10/24 at 1:30, as a single joining an amiable threesome, all playing the silver tees. No issues wit... » More

This review a little late but short. Out on Friday 10/24 at 1:30, as a single joining an amiable threesome, all playing the silver tees. No issues with teeing grounds, fairways were generally fine, a little on the tight side and some thin patches that were scattered about. Rough is hard to grade because not far off the fairway it can be anything from a dirt patch, to cut down, straw-like grass, to varying degrees of thick green stuff. Bunker sand was slightly heavier grade but clean and in good shape. Green surrounds tended to be a little thicker while the lead-up fairway shots tight. Greens were quick and appropriately challenging. On some holes, even a light touch from above the hole would still leave a 6+ foot come back. Once dialed in, I really enjoyed them.

It was the perfect day for Sandpiper. Sunny, warmish day with minimal wind that died down to nothing by the end of the round. Pace was slow at @4.75 hours but left the 17th green with the setting sun splitting the horizon. Finished 18 at dusk. I'm not here often and it was all I could reasonably ask for.
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Made a morning-of tee time for 12:50, Friday 10/10 and went out as one of three singles playing the whites. I've played here more in the last year bec... » More

Made a morning-of tee time for 12:50, Friday 10/10 and went out as one of three singles playing the whites. I've played here more in the last year because it is a go-to for last minute tee times. I'd say the conditions were about what you would expect this time of year. The fairways were mostly decent with coverage, but not without the bare patches you might expect after a long summer and before the rainy season. I wouldn't expect lush here and I was fine with it. The rough had examples of both more lush and more dry areas, but mostly it is not penalizing. I missed any bunkers but my playing partner's limited experience in them indicated firm. The green surrounds were more often greened up and good for chipping. First time in about 25 years I chipped in for birdies twice in a round. Greens were good shape, running at medium pace and minimal pitch marks. The course is very forgiving in its generally flat expansiveness and in that respect lower stress than some. I had a better than average round for me and so came away with few complaints about the course or conditions. Know before you go and I pretty much knew before I went.

As an aside, when reserving my tee time, the site showed only one available, which I took, but when I got there right before my time, they said I'd be playing alone because the threesome didn't show up. Fortunately, by the time they announced me on the first tee a few minute later, they had added couple of names and we went out as a threesome. It turned out to be a good number and the young man and woman were both excellent company. Any inadequacies about the conditions seems incidental and it was one of those rounds where the game and the company came together for a particularly enjoyable round.
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Played as a twosome with my buddy on Thursday 9/11 wit a 2:30 start. At his preference, we played the whites but not much distance between them and th... » More

Played as a twosome with my buddy on Thursday 9/11 wit a 2:30 start. At his preference, we played the whites but not much distance between them and the blues generally. The clippings that were a major issue for Inkybeme1 in the previous review were gone when we played and the overall conditions were good. One consideration is that a handful of the tee boxes have new sod laid over them and those tees were moved forward of the usual teeing grounds — in the case of the par-5 8th hole, somewhat dramatically. That temp tee also made for a seriously tilted surface that was an exception to the rest. So a course that tops out at 5.600 yds played even shorter overall, with holes 8 and 15 especially so. The majority of the tees were good. Fairway conditions were mostly good and usually no issues if you landed there, but there were some overwatered muddy patches distributed over the course that included some fairway. The rough here varies greatly from playable to thick to encroaching wild that can be dirt and/or thick brush. It's one of the challenges here and reinforces the penalty for getting off line on this target course. I was in a bunker and it was OK. Green surrounds were inconsistent as to lie quality but mostly good for short game. Greens themselves were good. Quick enough but not overly so given the contours of some of the greens.

Bottom line, not having been here in a good while, I enjoyed the course, maybe because I got beat up a little less than usual. But between the sodded/temp tees and wet spots, the course is not playing close to peak conditions right now. Good for casual option, but I suggest monitoring until they have activated the re-sodded tees. They should be a nice improvement over the old teeing surface and it's good to see they are making improvements.
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Out Friday 8/29 with a 3:09 start, joined by another single who only played nine and we shared the cart. Overall conditions are good. Tees were green ... » More

Out Friday 8/29 with a 3:09 start, joined by another single who only played nine and we shared the cart. Overall conditions are good. Tees were green and generally level. There were some inconsistencies as to the appearance of some of the fairways, but the hitting surface was good and pretty consistent as to lies. Rough varied as most do, but mostly just off the fairway it was pretty consistent and thick enough to cost you a shot. I was in a couple of bunkers — the sand was on the soft side and reasonably well groomed. Green surrounds were good for short shots, occasionally on the thicker side. Greens were nice — clean, with a good quick pace but not overly much.

The course tops out at around 6,000 yds for the blues, but plays longer. There are enough long par fours in the mix and some of the shorter par fours play longer because you are hitting down into a valley and then uphill to blind greens. The shortest par four is the 291yd third hole that has something of a crowned fairway and plays skinny. Course was busy and pace was slow at something around 4.75 hours. A twosome caught up and joined me at the 15th tee and we were fortunate to be the last group to finish with enough light to see what we were doing. It's not Sandpiper, but is solid and interesting as a muni experience. Walkable if you are fit and so inclined, but with a couple of serious hills in the mix. If uncertain, err on the side of riding. Recommended.
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Impulsively out late Thursday 8/14 joining another single playing the whites with a 4:20 start. It's been a while since I've played here as it is not ... » More

Impulsively out late Thursday 8/14 joining another single playing the whites with a 4:20 start. It's been a while since I've played here as it is not high in my rotation, but very once in a while I revisit it. In reverse order, the greens were in good shape running a quick medium speed. The rest of the course is a mixed bag and I thought overall playable but a little worse for wear. While more OK than not, there are definitely extensive areas of hard pan and even dirt. The worst case is the first hole with an expanse of packed dirt bisecting the fairway a little more than halfway to the green. It's been there at least since my previous visit, and since it's where concert equipment is set up, it doesn't seem like it is going away. A few holes also have rough that is mulched up for what I assume is going to be some sort of reseeding or something. While playable with more good surface than bad, the general feeling is a little overworked, dry and stressed. More than the usual quota of not so great lies. Teeing grounds are fine and the bunkers were firm with the ball tending to perch on top of the sand.

Negatives aside, I still enjoyed myself because it's golf and I am easy. Also, the course was not crowded and we finished 18 at a 3.25 hour pace, which shocked me. We caught the group in front at the fourth tee and they let us play through, but the rest was just going with the pace. When I grabbed the tee time, I thought I'd be cutting the round short in the dark. I can't remember the last time I played 18 in much under 4.5 hours so it felt like a gift. Know before you go. It's playable but I expect better here as to the conditions. With football imminent and the course doubling as a parking lot for events, I wouldn't expect improvement in the near future. I probably won't check it out again until it has seen some post-football rainy season.
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