The Golf Club at North Hampton — Local services in Florida

The first clue was the filthy golf carts that had not seen a hose in ages. The second, the grubby ladies room. They had our money, $70 each, so we carried on. Mike the pro shop guy was exceedingly cheerful, despite knowing he was ripping us off. We head to the turf-less range. The shattered yardage marker another neglected repair. Heavy equipment and piles of dirt seem to mean there is some sort of renovation happening that looked promising, however the nasty water from sprinklers running in breezy conditions made the range unpleasant for multiple reasons. Pity the poor employees hand picking balls in the distance. Tommy, the joke telling starter, tells us the course is challenging but fair and sends us on our way. I would say challengingly designed by Arnold Palmer yet so neglected, abused and thus totally unfair to the golfer. The fairways had been spiked though it was hard to tell when. There had been no evidence of cleanup, reseeding, or even watering. No roll to the once lovely undulating fairways which is kinda the point. So unfair. The cart paths are a rutted sand track. The greens were weird, weedy, spongy and no two alike. Even aeration of the greens would have made them easier to play. So again, unfair. We gave up after nine as this course is no longer a test of one’s golf skills, but just a waste of time and money. For a serious golfer, seeing this interesting course, once beautiful, I’m sure, is a travesty. The course website contains pictures of its former glory. I’m sorry I didn’t take pictures of the current appalling condition. The clubhouse, just don’t plan your dream wedding there. I’m angry, I feel deceived, and I recommend you...

January 2023 - Update to the 1 star review posted a year ago. I heard that the course made a number of improvements. I thought I'd go back to see. The course conditions are dramatically improved from a year ago. While they still have some room for improvement, it is in good shape for play. The greens were slow, but understandably so if they're trying to bring them back from where they were last year. A few bare spots on the fairways, but very few compared to last year. Dramatic improvement!

February 2022 - Played here for the first time in a couple of years. I was a member for 5 years back when this course was meticulously maintained and the best track, in my opinion, in North Florida back in the 2012-2016 timeframe. I was shocked at what a goat ranch this course has become. The greens were virtually unputtable. When it is wintertime in north Florida, one must accept that the course conditions aren't going to be the same at the growing season. However, it being winter is no excuse for the deplorable shape the course is presently in.

To make matters worse, a number of strategically placed bunkers were removed. Between the butchering of his design and the course conditions, Arnold Palmer must be spinning in his grave to have his name associated with this course. It is a shame because he designed such a fantastic track.

In fairness, I was given a $10 discount off of the rate I got on the website prior to our round as the pro shop told me the greens were rough, but the discount wasn't an adequate reflection of how rough the greens were.

I can't see a scenario where...

I grew up around golf courses. Been involved with them all my life. I understand the challenges of operating a course, especially grass. A quality course can have up to 50 or more varieties of grass. The only grass that comes in and grows quickly is ones yard grass. When I visited this course it was obvious to me it was in a transition phase. I plan on visiting again the new future to see the results. The entire was very professional and attentive. I ended up having lunch there which was excellent. The course manager came through and, as isy manner, I struck up a vonve station with him. After some pointed questions from me and my comments, he asked if I would like a tour of the course. I immediately said yes and this began an exhaustive running commentary of the challenges and remedies being implemented. I was thrilled to hear his frankness. Not apologetic nor playing blame elsewhere, but thoughtfull and well reasoned explanations. When we move, this may very well be our...