Tobacco Road Golf Course — Attraction in Sanford

I have to say this course was absolutely incredible! However there were some things I didn't particularly care for either. I have been wanting to play this course for the last 5 years and it seemed like every time I would try to plan a trip something would come up. Well November of 2019 I finally made it happen. Again, I cannot say enough about the actual course! It was everything I thought it would be and more. I do not think there is another course like it...There may be similar courses but this one was special. It blew my mind to think that someone had actually envisioned what we played. As stated previously there were a few things I didn't care for . First being the driving range. It was kind of a disappointment considering the reputation of the course and the price to play the course. I despise hitting off mats but I understand it is necessary sometimes. It was a very mediocre hitting range that you can find at most muni/cheap courses. The putting greens however were fantastic and really some what prepared you for what you were going to face on the course. The second issue was with figuring out the course and how to navigate it. Even with yardage books and iphone apps it was rather difficult to know where you were suppose to hit and where to drive. There were multiple scenarios were cart paths converged and we had no idea which way to go. Both of these issues caused us to take more time than usual to play our shots. Lastly, I will say of all of these the most important is customer service. While we did not experience bad customer service we did not have a great customer experience when dealing with the staff with the exception of the lady at the grill and one of the rangers. A persons body language, smile and tone all have a big effect on the customer experience. Compared to our previous two days at other courses in the region, this experience was a far cry from the other two. Golfers are what keeps the doors open so I think remembering that would go a long way in the future. Regardless of these 3 issues, I will definitely be back down one day to hopefully get some much needed revenge on the hardest course I have ever played!

EDIT - We were not aware that caddies were available....If this is your first time it is a MUST!!! I have played for 20 years and never been so clueless on...

I was up in the area on vacation from Florida and saw the polarizing “love it or hate it” reviews on all platforms. Given the reputation of the course, I had to go see it for myself.

I booked a 10:50am tee time and showed up about an hour and a half early since it was my first time at the course. Inclement weather persisted until about 1:00pm. In the meantime, everybody in the pro shop was extremely helpful with offering possible solutions due to the weather. They offered to simply move my tee time to another day or offer a rain check. Both were reasonable, but I waited out the weather since I drove an hour and a half to the course.

Due to the weather, course conditions were muddy and damp. The day consisted of up to 30ph winds, sheets of rain coming down in the hours before my round, and 45 degree temperatures. Some greens did have puddles in collection areas, but this was to be expected and I made the best of the round. Despite the puddles on some greens, they still rolled perfectly in the drier areas which was very impressive given how much rain came down in the hours before my round.

Simply put, the layout of the course is absolutely genius. You have room off the tee on most holes, but you absolutely need to be on top of your irons and short game to put up a good score. The yardage book in the Tobacco Road app and a 3rd party app used for aerial views of the holes helped tremendously. This is one of the most technical and detail oriented courses I have ever played.

I carded a 7 over 78 and was very impressed with the value I got despite the conditions outside. There’s only so much a course can do to make conditions perfect when the weather is extreme. While my experience may have been different from those who disliked the course or the staff, I suggest those who are thinking about playing here find out for themselves. Thank you to the Tobacco Road staff for helping me make the best out of a situation that...

This morning was my last day in NC, and I concluded it by playing the highly acclaimed Mike Strantz designed Tobacco Road Golf Course. To say this didn't disappoint is an understatement. It was fun and frustrating at the same time. The staff was very hospitable in all encounters. I was paired up with a great family. Mother, father, and son in total 4 in our group.

Course: Let's get the conditions out of the way first. WOW! I wish the previous 2 courses were this dry and firm. There was only a small amount of standing water in 2 waste areas, off the fairway. The greens were on the slower side but just quick enough to kill you on downhill putts. The greens did roll true, and I didn't notice any bouncing of the ball. I had a putt that was easily over 100 feet. Unfortunately, it lipped out, and I had a tap in for par. Everything within 5 yards of the green I putted because it played like a links course on many holes.

The hills will devastate you if you don't play just right. I had a 6 iron i to a Par 5 and ended up 10 feet from a 20-30 foot steep bunker face. I just barely cleared the top and then had to chip onto the green. There's more sand here than all the beaches in florida. It was firm enough to use bounce and get a great amount of spin. I found half of the Fairways on the front and everyone on the backside.

Bring your A game when it comes to wedges and putting. This is where I struggled. Yes, i kept it under 30 putts, but i could have had far fewer.

Final: As anyone who has played this course, I would wholeheartedly...