The 10 Best Courses to Close in 2022

[Stewart Abramson]

Kyle,


I'm really surprised to hear about work getting done at Highlands Reserve.  I first heard about the course here (in the old days) and made it a regular stop when in the area, playing there  a number of times in the mid 2000's.  I made my first return trip, though, in over 10 years last fall.  It was disappointing seeing the course in such poor conditions, bunkers and waste areas abandoned, neglected mowing lines, poor turf conditions.  I got the impression that the course sat on the delicate tipping point that it needed a significant injection of capital to reverse the ongoing deterioration, but at the same time had absolutely no grounds by which to increase fees or generate revenue.

I don't think the bunkers ever looked or played like they were abandoned. I play there about 6X/year.  The waste areas and rough were in pretty rough shape... mostly weeds, but isn't that okay for rough? Weeds are easier to escape than heather, for example. The closer they got to re-building the greens, the worse the rough got. As Kyle said, it's now in pretty good condition although the new greens are still young and need time to mature. Like Kyle, I am disappointed that they filled in the deep swale in the middle of #7 green. That was fun hole on both the tee shot and approach.


Their tee sheet is usually pretty busy. Greens Fees are still $35-$50 although they will increase between January and March. A good value for the area and on the Arble scale.

[Sean_A]

Kyle,


I'm really surprised to hear about work getting done at Highlands Reserve.  I first heard about the course here (in the old days) and made it a regular stop when in the area, playing there  a number of times in the mid 2000's.  I made my first return trip, though, in over 10 years last fall.  It was disappointing seeing the course in such poor conditions, bunkers and waste areas abandoned, neglected mowing lines, poor turf conditions.  I got the impression that the course sat on the delicate tipping point that it needed a significant injection of capital to reverse the ongoing deterioration, but at the same time had absolutely no grounds by which to increase fees or generate revenue.

Their tee sheet is usually pretty busy. Greens Fees are still $35-$50 although they will increase between January and March. A good value for the area and on the Arble scale.

A good course on good land with some interesting features at 35-50 bucks is the in the wheelhouse of my Happy 100...maybe even get a star if the location is cool. 😎

Ciao

[Mike Sweeney]

Old Times - My introduction to Highlands Reserve was via "Fat Baldy Drummer" on a winter trip from the Home of Golf!


I do think they should have included the World Woods golf courses. It sounds like a total redo of the two courses? I will miss my almost favorite bad logo in golf:

[Marty Bonnar]

Old Times - My introduction to Highlands Reserve was via "Fat Baldy Drummer" on a winter trip from the Home of Golf!


I do think they should have included the World Woods golf courses. It sounds like a total redo of the two courses? I will miss my almost favorite bad logo in golf:

Been thinking about you during this thread, mate. Still got to do the Scotland trip!
 
Cheers,
F.

[Keith Williams]

Kyle,


I'm really surprised to hear about work getting done at Highlands Reserve.  I first heard about the course here (in the old days) and made it a regular stop when in the area, playing there  a number of times in the mid 2000's.  I made my first return trip, though, in over 10 years last fall.  It was disappointing seeing the course in such poor conditions, bunkers and waste areas abandoned, neglected mowing lines, poor turf conditions.  I got the impression that the course sat on the delicate tipping point that it needed a significant injection of capital to reverse the ongoing deterioration, but at the same time had absolutely no grounds by which to increase fees or generate revenue.

I don't think the bunkers ever looked or played like they were abandoned. I play there about 6X/year.  The waste areas and rough were in pretty rough shape... mostly weeds, but isn't that okay for rough? Weeds are easier to escape than heather, for example. The closer they got to re-building the greens, the worse the rough got. As Kyle said, it's now in pretty good condition although the new greens are still young and need time to mature. Like Kyle, I am disappointed that they filled in the deep swale in the middle of #7 green. That was fun hole on both the tee shot and approach.


Their tee sheet is usually pretty busy. Greens Fees are still $35-$50 although they will increase between January and March. A good value for the area and on the Arble scale.

Stewart,


You are obviously out there far more frequently than I am, and it is good to hear the course is making a comeback, but when I played in October '21, it was pretty poor.  Still good bones, but paled in comparison to what it once was.


The bunker short and left of 1 (old 10) was completely gone and grown over, many of the bunkers sprinkled amongst 4, 5 & 6 (and 7 & eight) were in bad shape as well as the entirety of both 9 and 18.  Anyway, I am glad that the course is turning a corner; it deserves more credit than it gets as a fun place to play.

[Kyle Harris]

Kyle,


I'm really surprised to hear about work getting done at Highlands Reserve.  I first heard about the course here (in the old days) and made it a regular stop when in the area, playing there  a number of times in the mid 2000's.  I made my first return trip, though, in over 10 years last fall.  It was disappointing seeing the course in such poor conditions, bunkers and waste areas abandoned, neglected mowing lines, poor turf conditions.  I got the impression that the course sat on the delicate tipping point that it needed a significant injection of capital to reverse the ongoing deterioration, but at the same time had absolutely no grounds by which to increase fees or generate revenue.

I don't think the bunkers ever looked or played like they were abandoned. I play there about 6X/year.  The waste areas and rough were in pretty rough shape... mostly weeds, but isn't that okay for rough? Weeds are easier to escape than heather, for example. The closer they got to re-building the greens, the worse the rough got. As Kyle said, it's now in pretty good condition although the new greens are still young and need time to mature. Like Kyle, I am disappointed that they filled in the deep swale in the middle of #7 green. That was fun hole on both the tee shot and approach.


Their tee sheet is usually pretty busy. Greens Fees are still $35-$50 although they will increase between January and March. A good value for the area and on the Arble scale.

Stewart,


You are obviously out there far more frequently than I am, and it is good to hear the course is making a comeback, but when I played in October '21, it was pretty poor.  Still good bones, but paled in comparison to what it once was.


The bunker short and left of 1 (old 10) was completely gone and grown over, many of the bunkers sprinkled amongst 4, 5 & 6 (and 7 & eight) were in bad shape as well as the entirety of both 9 and 18.  Anyway, I am glad that the course is turning a corner; it deserves more credit than it gets as a fun place to play.

For better or worse they've committed to completely removing some of the bunkers. Makes for some interesting features. They just sodded over the neglect.

They've shrank some of the greens, too. The aforementioned biarritz no longer extends as deep as it once did.


It's still a good throw but a good deal of the whimsy has been removed. I'm not much for the flipped nines, either. The current 11-16 stretch is fantastic, all told.