Golf question

[Alexandjohn]

HI
We are members of the vacation club and they have an offer on at present for a golf ticket for $50 for the year and you then get discounted golf has anyone ever bought one of these and found it to be good value, or better still has anyone just come back and know what the offers on golf are at present, we are going in two weeeks.

 

[vernon]

At the moment the DVC rates on golf are $89 a round, the "rack rate" is more than $150. The "twilight rate should come in just over $100.

This is the most expensive time of year to play golf. While the DVC memberships would save you money if you played a couple of rounds, it's still relatively expensive golf.

There are a number of much cheaper options if you don't mind driving 20-30 minutes. I could think of 3 or 4 courses that would offer you good golf for less than $60 a round.

I have brought the DVC memebrship in previous years, but I usually made 2 or 3 trips a year and would play a couple of times each trip. I have one currently, but as I live in the area permanantly now I shouldn't have any trouble making it worthwhile. The rates for the slower times of year are much more attractive.

 

[Alexandjohn]

Hi
Thanks for the advice, could you let me know some of the other courses available, we have played some in the area but aleays like to try new ones.

 

[vernon]

I recently played on Highlands Reserve. It's an unusual course for Florida as there are a lot of elevation changes. The course was in good shape and some interesting holes, it was a little slow. Maybe that's because they book tee times too close together, poor course management, or just a VERY slow couple of groups ahead of us. This seems to be one of the cheaper courses for it's quality and it's pretty close to WDW, just off I27. It's a pretty friendly course, only a couple of tight holes, most holes are forgiving if you miss the fairway (often with other fairways running parallel). For a low handicap golfer it's probably a nice warm up course, for a high handicap golfer it gives plenty of chances to score well.

Diamond Back golf course in Haines City is my current favourite. Great rates and a real test of golf. It's quite tight, most of the holes have water,trees or wetlands (AKA swamp) featuring and really tricky greens. What I like most about this course is that it's not, unlike most courses here, built through housing developments, in fact there is only one house seen on the whole course. It has 3 great holes in the finishing four. Take PLENTY of balls because if you miss the fairway, you've probably lost your ball, they do advise you not to go into the woods or wetlands as there are PLENTY of snakes living on the course.

Kissimmee Oaks offers decent priced golf. This is another course through a development, but they have spread the golf out pretty well. This does mean some longish cart rides from green to the next tee, but it seems to help the flow of play. There are some good holes on this course and again tricky greens. Quite a few conservation areas so plenty of wildlife. Again it's a pretty friendly course and it gives plenty of chances to score well.

Stoneygate at Solivita golf course (situated in Poinciana) also offers pretty good value, it is on a retirement community so if you're a big hitter and low handicapper you may want to play off the back tees. The course is set up to be welcoming to senior citizens so from the front tees it's pretty short. A good quality course, nice to look at, some interesting holes and good/tricky greens.

I haven't played the course but have driven through it. Harmony golf course is offering some decent deals at the moment. The main reason being it's a long way out, not many people are living on the development as yet. Very nicely laid out course, they have kept the houses a good way away from the course (from what I could see), it looked in excellent shape and there were very few people on the course. If you don't mind driving (You need to allow at least an hour to get there) it's a very attractive course.

Southern Dunes, this seems to be a little pricey at the moment ($100+ range) , but it is a top quality course. Unusually for central Florida not much water on this course but from it's name you can work out there is PLENTY of sand. IMHO One of the best courses in the area, well worth a visit if you can get a decent rate for a round.

Deer Island, this again is a long drive ( at least 70-80 minutes), but if you want to see lots of local wildlife (AKA gators) this is a good choice. Because it's a little out in the sticks and not on a retirement community, midweek is pretty quiet and the rates usually reflect this. There is water on, I think 15 of 18 holes and in many cases it is cunningly placed to make you really have to think about club selection on the tee.

Orange County National have two excellent courses, it seems to be pretty pricey, IMHO, at the moment, but again for a serious golfer worth consideration. This course is about 20 minutes drive from WDW.

Ridgewood Lakes, another mid/low priced option. It is on a retirement community, so there is no particular "quiet time" but decent value, reasonable course that won't punish you constantly if you're a little wayward at times. There is water on all 18 holes, but most give you a bail out area.
Falcon's Fire is another top quality facility. Really nice course and you are well looked after from arrival to departure. It is reasonably friendly and does usually offer you "bail outs" on at least one side of the fairway. The quotes I had for this course have been pretty high at the moment, but it certainly is a highend operation.

If you are looking for a playing partner/extra player, give me a call when you're here. If I can fit it in around work I'm more than happy to get out on some of these courses. Diamond Back in particular you'll find a "guide" handy as it doesn't have GPS on the carts and on my recent visits have been all out of yardage/stroke saver booklets. It's a tough enough course without trying to play it blind LOL.

 

[Alexandjohn]

Thanks for this, we have played some of these courses diamond back, highland reserve southern dunes, we quite often pay kissimee bay but it is always nice to play somewhere different. My husband plays of scratch so we tend to like a challenging course for him, that also has a shorter option for me. You would be more than welcome to join us for a game if you are free.

 

[vernon]

Thanks Alex, please drop me a line when you get here and I'll try to be available. Telephone # 863 427 4044.


Editted to add, I've just come back from Ridgewood lakes and it must be one of the most shambolic rounds I've ever experienced.
1) The yardage marker I bought (only $1) has the two 9s reversed. I started off on hole 1, but the yardage chart had this hole as #10. Not really a major problem, as I worked it out after a couple of holes, but when I told the person who sold it to me she said "yes we know" well if you bloody well know how about telling me BEFORE I start the round not after
2) The marshal came chasing down the first hole after us, apparantly it's forbidden to play a four ball having 3 carts (one guy had a passanger along)ok it's their rules, but they started us that way and grouped us that way (we were two singles and a pair) we had to split up which meant we were right up behind the 4 balls in front the whole round. Which leads me to...
3) The groups in front of us were 3 holes behind play and playing REALLY slowly, never waved us through, no more appearances by the mashal to hurry them along (or get them to let us through), which should happen on a well managed course. Poor on behalf of the players and poor management. I understand that at times it takes a while, but IMHO there is no excuse for taking 2,3 or even 4 minutes to clear the green after you finish a hole.
4) Green keeping staff decided to join us for 3 holes. I understand that they need to cut the greens, BUT they need to be considerate of those paying to play. If they go the opposite way to the players (i.e. start at 18 go down to 1) each group will only encounter them on either one green or one tee, not as we did for three consecutive holes. We had the farsical sight of the grass cutter (having buzzed us on the tees) racing down the fairway to beat us to the green. Also the guy kept cutting the green as we played our approach shots and was reving his engine when we were on the tee. In all the years I've played golf I don't think I've ever encounted such ignorant staff on a course.

One or two of these events and I've have just put up with it, but when they are charging $90 rack rate a round ($30 off for a Florida resident) I expect a professional set up and this wasn't up to the mark. JMHO. Words will be had tomorrow with the manager of the course as he was off today.

 

[Alexandjohn]

Hi vernon How did you get on complaining about the course. Also do you know anything about diamond players club and kings ridge. Also what time is it getting dark only have seen some good rates on the net but you cannot tee of until 2pm my husband does not think that we will get round.

 

[vernon]

Didn't get hold of him as I've been out enjoying the weather.

Last week we teed off at 1.25 and it was too dark to see where you were going coming up the 18th. Granted it was a PAINFULLY slow round but I think 2.00 is pushing it, unless there is no one infront of you. It's getting dark about 6.10-6.20 at the moment, it does depend a little on the layout of the course and the direction or the last couple of holes.

Can't help on either of those courses, sorry.