I always loved Hyde park just because it was such an open layout and you didn’t have to worry about water of every hole like jax beach(even though jax beach is arguably the nicest public course in town now.)

They've also done away with quite a few of the sand traps. 

Bent Creek is the toughest public course I've ever played. If there isn't water involved on a hole, which is most, then dense golf ball-eating woods are all around. If your swing is off, you can easily use up two sleeves of golf balls on a round.

That's interesting you say that about Bent Creek.  That became my go-to course for the last few years, and it's only recently I started to realize, it seems like most of the holes are water on one side, woods on the other.  But I've had my best rounds ever on that course.  I recently shot my best round ever, a 78.  (From the forward tees, not from the back tees.)  They have a nice practice area.    

But the hardest course I've ever played is Sequoyah in North Carolina.  I've played it a few times recently.  It's a very pretty course, but it's a beast.  If you don't hit the fairway, your ball is gone, and if you aren't either on the green or short of the green, your ball is gone.  I lost 8 balls on that course in one round recently.  And I never seem to have a level lie in the fairway.  It's always a sidehill lie, or uphill or downhill lie.  

Mountain golf in North Carolina is very scenic.  You just have to bring a bunch of inexpensive golf balls.  Costco Kirkland balls are about a dollar each.  They're good golf balls.  

Lately I enjoy courses with wide fairways where you can blast away off the tee without worrying so much about losing your ball.  For example, Eagle Landing in Jacksonville.  It's well maintained and has some wide fairways.

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They've also done away with quite a few of the sand traps. 

Bent Creek is the toughest public course I've ever played. If there isn't water involved on a hole, which is most, then dense golf ball-eating woods are all around. If your swing is off, you can easily use up two sleeves of golf balls on a round.

That's interesting you say that about Bent Creek.  That became my go-to course for the last few years, and it's only recently I started to realize, it seems like most of the holes are water on one side, woods on the other.  But I've had my best rounds ever on that course.  I recently shot my best round ever, a 78.  (From the forward tees, not from the back tees.)  They have a nice practice area.    

But the hardest course I've ever played is Sequoyah in North Carolina.  I've played it a few times recently.  It's a very pretty course, but it's a beast.  If you don't hit the fairway, your ball is gone, and if you aren't either on the green or short of the green, your ball is gone.  I lost 8 balls on that course in one round recently.  And I never seem to have a level lie in the fairway.  It's always a sidehill lie, or uphill or downhill lie.  

Mountain golf in North Carolina is very scenic.  You just have to bring a bunch of inexpensive golf balls.  Costco Kirkland balls are about a dollar each.  They're good golf balls.  

Lately I enjoy courses with wide fairways where you can blast away off the tee without worrying so much about losing your ball.  For example, Eagle Landing in Jacksonville.  It's well maintained and has some wide fairways.

You couldn’t have played Bent Creek too recently because they just opened up the greens this past Friday. They’ve been using temporary greens (a hole in the fairway in front of the green) for about 6 months. 

Bent Creek has seen some tough times for the last couple of years. In March of 2021 they ripped up all of the greens, resurfaced and replanted them. The greens turned out beautiful and were opened up in September of that year. The course was doing business like gang busters. On the weekends they struggled to keep enough carts out front.

Then disaster struck a few months later. The greens keeper mixed up some chemicals, did a spray on the test green but did not wait the requisite amount of time to see the results and commenced to spray every green except the chipping practice green. He killed them all. Dead. $600k to refurbish the greens went down the toilet. Of course he was fired and Bent Creek’s business did a nose dive again because people don’t like to play a course without actual greens. They studied the problem for a few months then replanted and nurtured the greens for another 6 months and now they’re back again. It’s been a rough couple of years for them. They’ve lost millions in revenue because of it.

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That's interesting you say that about Bent Creek.  That became my go-to course for the last few years, and it's only recently I started to realize, it seems like most of the holes are water on one side, woods on the other.  But I've had my best rounds ever on that course.  I recently shot my best round ever, a 78.  (From the forward tees, not from the back tees.)  They have a nice practice area.    

But the hardest course I've ever played is Sequoyah in North Carolina.  I've played it a few times recently.  It's a very pretty course, but it's a beast.  If you don't hit the fairway, your ball is gone, and if you aren't either on the green or short of the green, your ball is gone.  I lost 8 balls on that course in one round recently.  And I never seem to have a level lie in the fairway.  It's always a sidehill lie, or uphill or downhill lie.  

Mountain golf in North Carolina is very scenic.  You just have to bring a bunch of inexpensive golf balls.  Costco Kirkland balls are about a dollar each.  They're good golf balls.  

Lately I enjoy courses with wide fairways where you can blast away off the tee without worrying so much about losing your ball.  For example, Eagle Landing in Jacksonville.  It's well maintained and has some wide fairways.

You couldn’t have played Bent Creek too recently because they just opened up the greens this past Friday. They’ve been using temporary greens (a hole in the fairway in front of the green) for about 6 months. 

Bent Creek has seen some tough times for the last couple of years. In March of 2021 they ripped up all of the greens, resurfaced and replanted them. The greens turned out beautiful and were opened up in September of that year. The course was doing business like gang busters. On the weekends they struggled to keep enough carts out front.

Then disaster struck a few months later. The greens keeper mixed up some chemicals, did a spray on the test green but did not wait the requisite amount of time to see the results and commenced to spray every green except the chipping practice green. He killed them all. Dead. $600k to refurbish the greens went down the toilet. Of course he was fired and Bent Creek’s business did a nose dive again because people don’t like to play a course without actual greens. They studied the problem for a few months then replanted and nurtured the greens for another 6 months and now they’re back again. It’s been a rough couple of years for them. They’ve lost millions in revenue because of it.

Wow.  I had no idea.  I guess I haven't played there as recently as I thought.  Jesus.  What a thing to happen.

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Marty, if you haven’t played Hyde Park in a while you should check them out. The new owners are putting a lot of effort into improving the course. The fairways are improved and the greens are in great shape. There is always some project or another going on somewhere on the course. They haven’t rebuilt the clubhouse yet but I’m sure that’s next.

Used to love it back in the 90's, I played it this past Fathers day, and yes they are putting some effort into it, but overall, it still sucks.  The greens were NOT in great shape when I played it, unless your standard of 'great' and mine differ 'great'ly. Too sandy and too bumpy.

South Hampton is in nice shape this year.  Recommended.

No sand and bumps at all on the greens now. They're in very good shape. They've also done a good job of refurbishing the fairways. I hadn't played there for over a year until about a month ago and I was pleasantly surprised about how things have turned around. The course is pretty soggy because of all the rain. They're doing a lot of excavation around the course to, what looks like to me, address drainage issues. Their arrow is definitely pointing up.

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Used to love it back in the 90's, I played it this past Fathers day, and yes they are putting some effort into it, but overall, it still sucks.  The greens were NOT in great shape when I played it, unless your standard of 'great' and mine differ 'great'ly. Too sandy and too bumpy.

South Hampton is in nice shape this year.  Recommended.

No sand and bumps at all on the greens now. They're in very good shape. They've also done a good job of refurbishing the fairways. I hadn't played there for over a year until about a month ago and I was pleasantly surprised about how things have turned around. The course is pretty soggy because of all the rain. They're doing a lot of excavation around the course to, what looks like to me, address drainage issues. Their arrow is definitely pointing up.

Bent Creek was one of the courses that ‘encouraged’ me to hit right-to-left off of the tee.  It seems like almost all of the water is on the right.  Funny thing now is that I actually have trouble playing a fade.  About the only time the old slice rears its ugly head is if I’m really tired…like on a real hot day, the last four or five holes.

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Well if you’re ever in Fort Worth I know a nice track and we can play for free.  

You're on. 

Umm, do they allow profanity laced outbursts of anger?

How do you think he got his job?

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

You're on. 

Umm, do they allow profanity laced outbursts of anger?

How do you think he got his job?

[BLEEP] you you [BLEEP] [BLEEP].

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The signs say 90 degree rule, maggot!

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Somewhat related, I was out on the course for no more than five minutes yesterday and a guy hits a ball that bounces on the cart path next to me a caroms off of my cart…without saying a word.  He could see I was pissed and as I drive by him he says “I lost it.”, which was [BLEEP] because I could see him following the ball.  

I told him to yell fore  ‘if he wasn’t sure’…despite what I really wanted to say to him.

I can’t believe how few times people actually yell fore when a ball is coming your way.  I ALWAYS do even if there is only a chance the ball might be heading towards someone.  I have no doubt I’m eventually going to get hit.  I’m not so sure I’ll remain polite if that does happen and they don’t let me know the ball is coming my way.

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I’ve never been hit by a ball but I’m told it hurts.There’s been only one time I’ve been close to getting hit. I was getting ready to hit out of the rough, naturally, when I heard a thump about two feet behind me. I look over into the next fairway and a group of teenagers where yelling apologies. One had his hands on his head like he was expecting the ball to hit me. That probably would have hurt.

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I never yell fore.. Makes the game much more exciting..

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I’ve never been hit by a ball but I’m told it hurts.There’s been only one time I’ve been close to getting hit. I was getting ready to hit out of the rough, naturally, when I heard a thump about two feet behind me. I look over into the next fairway and a group of teenagers where yelling apologies. One had his hands on his head like he was expecting the ball to hit me. That probably would have hurt.

Never yelled or been hit, but fondly remember the time as teenagers a friend and I were at the range. We're both swingin away, I hear the familiar whoosh, clack, of his swing, immediately followed by "LOOKOUTLOOKOUTLOOKOUTLOOKOUTLOOKOUTLOOKOUT!!" And my friend's club is helicoptering to the ground a tee or two away. He walks over, apologizes to others for the commotion as he picks up his club (thankfully noone was hit), walks to the clubhouse and exits a minute or two later with a shiny new glove.

Is there a more appropriate warning to use when the potential target is not a few hundred yards ahead of you?

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Somewhat related, I was out on the course for no more than five minutes yesterday and a guy hits a ball that bounces on the cart path next to me a caroms off of my cart…without saying a word.  He could see I was pissed and as I drive by him he says “I lost it.”, which was [BLEEP] because I could see him following the ball.  

I told him to yell fore  ‘if he wasn’t sure’…despite what I really wanted to say to him.

I can’t believe how few times people actually yell fore when a ball is coming your way.  I ALWAYS do even if there is only a chance the ball might be heading towards someone.  I have no doubt I’m eventually going to get hit.  I’m not so sure I’ll remain polite if that does happen and they don’t let me know the ball is coming my way.

I honestly wonder how many people even know anymore about yelling FORE, or even what it means. Would they even look up to acknowledge that a ball might be screaming at their head at 100 mph? According to the research I did, it was a way to warn the caddie of the party you were hitting towards to be on the lookout for a wayward shot. The yell then was FORECADDIE. I'm just as good with 'look out', 'heads up', or 'Avast, Ye Mateys', but unless you/re at some golf course named Pirate Cove in Barbados, that last one might not make any sense.

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"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

The signs say 90 degree rule, maggot!

Isn't it always over 90 degrees out there?

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Somewhat related, I was out on the course for no more than five minutes yesterday and a guy hits a ball that bounces on the cart path next to me a caroms off of my cart…without saying a word.  He could see I was pissed and as I drive by him he says “I lost it.”, which was [BLEEP] because I could see him following the ball.  

I told him to yell fore  ‘if he wasn’t sure’…despite what I really wanted to say to him.

I can’t believe how few times people actually yell fore when a ball is coming your way.  I ALWAYS do even if there is only a chance the ball might be heading towards someone.  I have no doubt I’m eventually going to get hit.  I’m not so sure I’ll remain polite if that does happen and they don’t let me know the ball is coming my way.

I honestly wonder how many people even know anymore about yelling FORE, or even what it means.  Would they even look up to acknowledge that a ball might be screaming at their head at 100 mph? According to the research I did, it was a way to warn the caddie of the party you were hitting towards to be on the lookout for a wayward shot.  The yell then was FORECADDIE.  I'm just as good with 'look out', 'heads up', or 'Avast, Ye Mateys', but unless you/re at some golf course named Pirate Cove in Barbados, that last one might not make any sense.

Fore…one syllable.  

A) If you’re dumb enough to look up rather then cover up, that’s your fault.

B) if you don’t know what fore means when you’re out on a golf course, you shouldn’t be out there.

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Somewhat related, I was out on the course for no more than five minutes yesterday and a guy hits a ball that bounces on the cart path next to me a caroms off of my cart…without saying a word.  He could see I was pissed and as I drive by him he says “I lost it.”, which was [BLEEP] because I could see him following the ball.  

I told him to yell fore  ‘if he wasn’t sure’…despite what I really wanted to say to him.

I can’t believe how few times people actually yell fore when a ball is coming your way.  I ALWAYS do even if there is only a chance the ball might be heading towards someone.  I have no doubt I’m eventually going to get hit.  I’m not so sure I’ll remain polite if that does happen and they don’t let me know the ball is coming my way.

I honestly wonder how many people even know anymore about yelling FORE, or even what it means.  Would they even look up to acknowledge that a ball might be screaming at their head at 100 mph? According to the research I did, it was a way to warn the caddie of the party you were hitting towards to be on the lookout for a wayward shot.  The yell then was FORECADDIE.  I'm just as good with 'look out', 'heads up', or 'Avast, Ye Mateys', but unless you/re at some golf course named Pirate Cove in Barbados, that last one might not make any sense.

I’ve played a pirate cove before.  Great putting!  I got 3 hole in ones! Great course for us golfers working on our putting game. Only had to yell “fore” twice.  Tough course!

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I honestly wonder how many people even know anymore about yelling FORE, or even what it means.  Would they even look up to acknowledge that a ball might be screaming at their head at 100 mph? According to the research I did, it was a way to warn the caddie of the party you were hitting towards to be on the lookout for a wayward shot.  The yell then was FORECADDIE.  I'm just as good with 'look out', 'heads up', or 'Avast, Ye Mateys', but unless you/re at some golf course named Pirate Cove in Barbados, that last one might not make any sense.

I’ve played a pirate cove before.  Great putting!  I got 3 hole in ones! Great course for us golfers working on our putting game. Only had to yell “fore” twice.  Tough course!

The windmill gets me every time too.

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When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

I’ve played a pirate cove before.  Great putting!  I got 3 hole in ones! Great course for us golfers working on our putting game. Only had to yell “fore” twice.  Tough course!

The windmill gets me every time too.

Like, why do we need to bring timing into this?  My shot was good!  [BLEEP] that Lebrun James wannabe dunk stuffin’ fool!  Only 3 arms on that mill now.  You’re welcome.

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Used to love it back in the 90's, I played it this past Fathers day, and yes they are putting some effort into it, but overall, it still sucks.  The greens were NOT in great shape when I played it, unless your standard of 'great' and mine differ 'great'ly. Too sandy and too bumpy.

South Hampton is in nice shape this year.  Recommended.

No sand and bumps at all on the greens now. They're in very good shape. They've also done a good job of refurbishing the fairways. I hadn't played there for over a year until about a month ago and I was pleasantly surprised about how things have turned around. The course is pretty soggy because of all the rain. They're doing a lot of excavation around the course to, what looks like to me, address drainage issues. Their arrow is definitely pointing up.

That's good to hear; it's such a nice track with a lot of history. I'll try it again when it gets a little cooler outside. Def can't beat the price.

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"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

My neighbor could mow his lawn in half the time if he would use a push mower. Instead, he insists on using a riding mower too large for the yard. I have to listen to the roar of this thing as he continually stops to move things or maneuver around and back and forth for the next pass. He spends more energy getting on and off the mower and cranking on the wheel than he would by simply pushing.

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