Avalon Golf Links in Burlington, Washington State , August golf round - Is Avalon a good golf course to play ?

Avalon Golf Links in Burlington , Washington State

While spending some time in WA I was able to sign up for a couple tournaments in the area with a small private tour. One of the places we will play is a course named Avalon Golf Links in Burlington WA.

I remember that I played there many years ago with a different tournament series, but it has been so long, that I wanted to refresh my memory and play a practice round for the upcoming tournament there.

The day we picked was overcast and I first thought we will run into rain. Since we had a prepaid special through golfnow.com, we did not have much choice and took off about 100 minutes before our scheduled tee off time.

From where we were the driving time showed 60 minutes on our GPS. In order to warm up I wanted to be there a little earlier.

We played on a weekday, which left us with almost no traffic when going up there. With a tee off at 1 40 pm I was a little concerned to get stuck in Everett , WA. However, all went well. From Seattle it is a straight shot up north in Interstate 5 . Take an exit, do a couple turns and you are right there.

When we got there we found that the parking lot was busy but not more than ⅓ full. Everything looked nice and well kept. I found my way to the pro shop to sign up and only had to wait 1 minute before an assistant offered me help. I liked that.

I showed him my print out and he confirmed my rate. Which was 17 $ including cart. A really good rate. Usually you need to add 14 $ to the 17 $ per rider. My mother accompanied us with the hope to be able to ride with us.

I asked the staff member and he told me that it is no problem, but she would have to pay for the full cart fee, 14 $. Coming from Florida I am always shocked when I hear how much they charge for the carts in WA. Although I have no explanation for it, I begin to believe that it is an insurance problem in this state. But , I do not know , so I will not comment further. We still had a good deal going. I bought a yardage guide for 1 $ . It is not exactly anything professional, but helps you to navigate the course. Also we bought 1 large bucket to warm up for which the price was normal as well.

We were told that we can tee off any time, starting with the South course and then continue with the North Course.

Off to the range, which was easy to find and looked pretty ok. Not exactly top , but they had grass tees which I actually prefer. I found 5 targets to shoot for. That helps to warm up with the important clubs.

There was absolutely no wait time on the tee. We drove over there and got of right away.

The tee boxes were all ok. Nothing extra ordinary. Nice and green and mostly flat and well groomed. The fairways also were nicely groomed. Always remember that this is not a high end country club.

The greens were of ok speed. Maybe 9 or so. Nothing compared to the courses I usually play, but all in good shape and rolling nicely.

I really liked the South course. It has challenging holes. Plenty of big old trees which make  some tee shots really interesting. The immediate rough is not to bad. Just stay away from the deep grass. Most I liked the nature setting and the views. This course sits up and you can see over the valley.

In regards to playing ability, the South course offers wide open fairways if you play from the tee box which fits your handicap. I played the green tees for practice and had no problem to navigate the course or reach the greens. My family played the forward tees and they cruised along nicely having fun.

We played this course in roughly 2 hours. Maybe a little under and we did not have to rush. At first there was nobody behind us and it almost felt like we were alone on the course. Later I saw some players on our side, but they never caught up with us.

At the turn we used the restrooms and I thought they were ok. Not overly special, but on that day at that time they were clean, like the rest of the facility which I was able to look at. We did not stay long and did not buy anything in the restaurant.

Again there was nobody at the tee and we browsed right though. The North course I thought was a little different. More trees around you no views, a little more water.  Other than that this side was also in good shape and I was satisfied with tee boxes, fairways and greens.  On this side a beverage cart finally caught up with us. A very friendly young girl offered all kinds of beverages. I had a beer and the price of 2.75 $ was good. She came by another couple times, but I did not get anything else. I liked the fact that she was smiling, watching for golfers who were playing, not pushy and dressed for the occasion.

Again we got done in a good time. All together we spend 4 hours and 15 minutes playing this two sides.

Overall I was pleased with the course, the customer service and the friendliness of the staff. I did not spend much time in the pro shop, but from what I saw, they were stocked decently and the restaurant looked nice too. Little small, but as clean and inviting as the reset of the facility.

When I left I thought I will say a word to the head professional. But other than his staff, he did not seem to be interested to make eye contact or talk. I left it with that. He might have been busy.

It was a good experience for the price we got. I would not pay more than 40 $ including cart for this course though. As nice as the setting is, the parking availability, the quality of course and practice facility and friendliness of the staff. For more regular play the course would be to far away from Seattle. It seems like it is more used by locals. When we left it was very busy with what looked liked different golf schools and groups.

If you are in the area and have time to drive up there, do it.  But make sure you go on golfnow.com to get some good rates.

The Ritz Carlton Members Club Golf Couse and Resort in Sarasota, Florida

The Ritz Carlton Members Club Golf Course in Sarasota , FL

I consider myself privileged that I was able to play this course many times. Of all exclusive golf clubs I played over my career The Ritz Carlton in Sarasota is one of my favorite tracks and places to practice.

2 weeks ago I was very lucky to play in a Golf Channel Amateur Tour event held at this great golf destination. Although I will not go into the GC AM Tour now, I have to say it was a very nicely organized event. This description of the conditions is based on July 27th 2013.

The Ritz Carlton Members Club golf course is a private course which can only be played by members or resort guests. At times you might be able to play events, charity etc. But in total, whenever you can play, it is a special and exciting event.

When driving on the property you feel like driving into a different natural landscape and world. The way to the club house is nice in itself and, as all of the property, in excellent condition.

Approaching the clubhouse you get a sense of the exclusivity of this club. As seen on the top photo, the clubhouse is a wonderful building which really gives you a feeling of being in a different environment.

First I drove up and dropped my bag. The guys of the bag drop area are on top of things. They are friendly, smile, address you by name ( if they know you or have a starting list ) and do not rush you or give you in anyway a feeling of rushing.

There is plenty of parking available where I parked my car. Whenever you play there, there is golf carts right in front of the pro shop for you to put your things on. You usually then go into the pro shop to pay for your round of golf and get any necessities you might need for your round.

The pro shop is well organized and has a good selection of products. Because you are at The Ritz, you need to expect higher prices for everything. Ask for sales and make sure you get the free stuff, like the divot repair tool, tees, markers which are all available at the counter. That is something nice and I always take a new one, which I then pass on to a friend or playing partner.

After signing in I went straight through to the locker room area. I like to get refreshed and get myself ready for I go out on the range. The locker room area has everything you need. Sun screen and so on. Also fresh cold water with lemons, which I find nice and refreshing. Here you also find the showers for after the round, if you want to shower and change.

From there I am back to my cart and off to the incredible practice area. The practice area is very impressive. They have a huge chipping and pitching green with two bunkers and all kinds  great spots to hit any shot you might encounter around the green. There is a second green for chipping and pitching which is nice to learn about green speed.

So I started with some short pitching shots to warm up and then moved my way to longer shots with my GW. Balls are available for your use and they are all Titleist Pro V I range balls. Which makes your warm up not only a fun thing but also gives you a true sense of the greens and your feel on that day.

Next I did some bunker shots. Those bunkers are truly as they would be on the course. Huge, deep and wonderful shape. I spent about 10 minutes there. The entire short game area is in great shape. From there I moved over to the driving range.

Endless great balls are waiting for you. They have plenty of pins on the range , so you really can do some targeted warm up. It is all grass tees My warm up on that day was only 30 minutes, so I went through my warm up routine. But if you have time, spend some time on your club charting. Those range balls are true golf balls and not range balls like on a regular range, which helps you to get true distances.

I moved on to the huge putting green. This green is fantastic and you can spend hours on it without getting bored. The speed is exactly like on the course, so you are prepared for the round as it should be. The pro shop will give you the measured speed for the day. Do not forget to ask. On this day we had 12.3 , which is tournament speed.

On the range they have cold water for you to drink or take on the round. I have never seen the box empty. Again a sign of how much they care about your well being. By the way, there is a cooler on the cart as well. In that cooler you find water and cool refreshing towels with fruit scents like peach, lemon and others. A nice thing to have on the hot course.

The practice area is a relaxing place and when I was done, I felt calm and ready to go. Simply a great experience.

In tournaments they will call you to the tee. If you play there for fun you just go to the first tee when you are ready around your tee time. No stress. There is not many golfers on this course.

The golf course is in absolute pristine condition at all times. Even after all this rain we had ,it was nice and dry and we could drive on the fairways. Amazing drainage system I must say.

The tee boxes at times look like putting greens. That is how nice they are groomed and cut. Playing the fairways gives you a good lie at any time. This  makes a big difference. After all you are practicing on good lies ( for the most part) on  any driving range.

The rough is tough and deep. So avoid it if  you can and if you are a beginner, either chip it out or even throw it back to the fairway. You do not want to spoil your round trying to move a ball forward from a lie which is tough to be played by any pro.

There is plenty of sand traps on this course and not only are they deceiving when seeing them from the tee box, but they are also huge and many times deep and tough. The good news is , that they are in great shape and not as soft. Which makes it a little easier to get the ball up.

On this day I had no bunker shot for the entire round, which makes it much easier.

Once on the green you need to remember, that we talk about championship greens. So , do not hammer any balls. Even uphill you need to be careful. The ball rolls nicely and fast. Best of all, it is a true roll. That means, that even if there is a little break 2 inches before the hole, you will miss it if not enough speed. That makes this even harder. Just start slow and let the ball roll. You will be amazed how far they go even when only touching them a little bit.

The landscape is amazing as well. This is a natural preserve and it projects peace and serenity. With plenty of water, trees and great wildlife.

View on the a short par 4. Tough little hole but beautiful setting in nature.

If you are not in a tournament, enjoy the landscape and everything around you. But please, if you take pictures, do it in a way that you do not hold up the group behind  you.  Do it fast when it is not your turn or from the next tee box. It is no fun to play behind a group who plays 5 hours.

The wildlife is impressive. Gators, sand cranes, snakes and much more. That being said,  make sure you do not run around in bushes and high grass. A few weeks ago we ran into a huge diamond back rattle snake, which looked beautiful but was huge and not to see us. Also , she is deadly at times. The gators will stay away from you, but watch when you approach water bodies. You do not want to get too close to even the smallest of them.

The sand cranes are pretty and have no fear of any golfer. Sometimes you see them with the new borns and that is a wonderful experience.

Even the water bodies are kept up perfectly. Make sure you respect that.

There is several stations with bathrooms, fresh water and ice. Use them. It is hot and you need the water. Also you do not want to go in the bushes for any WC needs. Remember, there is all kinds of animals living there. If you prefer to drink something else you can purchase beverages like soda, beer and others from the cart which is passing you about 3 times per round, depending on how busy it is. Do not be surprised about pricing. A can of beer is 5 $. That is not exactly a good price, but remember where you are. The cart girls are professional, friendly and treat you like a member. I tip them good and you should as well.

We played a nice and relaxing round. Enjoying the views and the quality of the course. Our playtime was 4 40 minutes. That is a fair time. The heat index was 105, which gave the water which was available at the stations and on some other holes even more valuable.

Overall this golf course is nothing short of being perfect. It is a little long, so play it forward. You will have more fun and not be as stressed. As a beginner that is even more important. Take advantage of all you can get to have as much fun as you can have without loosing many balls.

This is the yardage guide so you can check out the course lay out before you go there. You can buy this one for 8 $ in the pro shop. I did and it not only helped me , but it is also a nice memory.

The Ritz Carlton Members Club Sarasota Golf Course - Yardage guide

After the round we met at the bar and lounge. A great place to be.

The photo shows most of the area and some of the bar itself. It is a very , very nice place to come in, relax and reflect on your round. They serve drinks, beer and also food. Pricing is OK for what you get. It gives you country club feeling. That is how the professionals spend time after and before a round. Take advantage of it if you can. Note: They usually close at 5 pm but ask the pro shop before your round to make sure.

I had some beers after my round. The selection is good. Stella Artois  was on my list but they have all kinds of draft beer and bottled beer. My draft was fresh and cold. The staff in the bar is very friendly and making sure you are happy. I did not try the food, so I can not write about it. But what I saw looked good.

We had hot dogs which was part of the tournament deal. The hot dogs were OK. Honestly, considering where we were at I was disappointed on how they were presented, cooked and what came with it. On the other hand , I know that the GC AM Tour budget is not huge. Still, to advertise the grill they could do a better job.

Grill room area which is next to the lounge and bar area. Great place for small events.

After the round you drop your bag at the drop area again, where the nice guys clean it and hold it for you until you drive up with the car again.

So, after being done with the bar. Relaxing in the nice leather chairs etc. I picked up my car and drove up to the bag drop area. My bag was ready and clean and they put it in the car. I gave 5 $. That is a reasonable amount. But that is up to you. You can give 10 $ and have friends who give 20 $. I think , it is also a matter of your financial status. You do not have to worry. Those guys are thankful for 1 $ or for 20 $ and will not treat you any different whatever you give them.

I have to say. The Ritz Carlton Members Golf Course in Sarasota is a very high quality golf course, clubhouse and range. No doubt, that this is a true championship course on which at any time a PGA event could be played and many mini tours and other events are being played.

If you have a chance, do not turn it down. Getting on this course is tough. If you are invited for a 50 $ round, do it. Tournament? Sign up. Whatever chance you get.  The only other way to play is to be a registered hotel guest. Right now I read that you then can play for free ( but there was a time when you  had to pay some fee to play even staying in the hotel)

Check for hotel rates. But I am sure that it still is a pretty high price if you just want to play some golf :).

I know , that whenever I get an opportunity, I will be back and enjoy this wonderful course and clubhouse.

Picture Gallery of Ritz Carlton Members Club Sarasota

 

 

A scorecard and hole by hole description will follow soon. As always I update reviews and write comments about events. Feel free to comment about your experiences.

The Links Golf Course at Greenfield Plantation in Bradenton , Florida - How good is the golf course and what does it cost to play

Being part of many skins game groups gives me the opportunity to play all over the area on a regular basis. With high expectations I was anticipating a nice match at Waterlefe about 3 weeks ago, just to find out that our match was moved to the Links at Greenfield Plantation.

At first I was not too excited about the change, but then I remembered that I played this  golf course about 3 years ago with a friend and thought that this will bring back some great memories and I can check on the course and how it developed. After all, I am a golf nut and like to be up to date.

I arrived about 1 hour before my tee time because I wanted to check in and war up for a few on the driving range.

First I dropped of my bag and a very friendly young guy took care of it. Putting it on a cart and telling me where to find my cart when I am ready. I liked that he was very friendly and did not give me the feeling that he wants to get big tips or so.

View from the area where you pick up your cart.

Next I went into the clubhouse. It is not exactly a big or noble clubhouse. But it was clean, organized and I liked the lay out. I immediately went into the pro-shop to pay my green fee.

Main entrance to clubhouse.

I was pleasantly surprised that I only had to pay 19 $ plus tax for the round and I added some balls for a couple of dollars. When asking for the driving range I first was told , that the  original range was closed and that they have three mats right behind the clubhouse from where I  could hit balls into the water.

But when I came down to my golf cart the cart boy told me that there is a range a little out there and I need to drive there with the cart. I followed his instructions and about 10 minutes later I actually arrived there. The trip to the range was very beautiful. Birds and lots of nice landscape.

It was a range with water balls and they were in good shape. Good warm up. We even had a gator in the lake we were hitting into.

After a short warm up I was ready to go and found my group. They have a nice putting green. Large size and in good shape.

I will keep the course review short and clear.

The tee boxes were ok. Probably saw better times. But they worked out and you could find flat spots on almost all of them.

Typical tee box

The fairways were ok but would need some work and update. Also I do not think they actually mowed the fairways on that day. They are wide open for the most part, which makes this course enjoyable for all kinds of players with different handicaps.

The greens were slow and were not cut on that day as well. Overall they were ok and green with some having some issues. We could putt but at times you just did not know how fast it will be and where the ball will go.

Photo of green, did not take photos on the course

The landscape was nice but all the water bodies need some update and work. They are nice but I do not think they are taken care of all the time.

Landscape view Links of Greenfield Plantation

Besides the landscape you will find homes of different sizes along the golf course.

In all, The Links at Greenfield Plantation are ok for the price of 19 $. But they should not charge any more because you can play excellent country clubs  of much better  quality for the same price and sometimes less.

In terms of beverage cart. It was nice to see it come by at least 3 times in one round and the prices were fantastic. 2 $ for a beer and any other drink. Reasonable priced and cold. The beverage cart girl was friendly and nice. The clothing was not exactly country club style, but ok.

After the round we all met in the clubhouse again for comparing scores and for a cold beer.  The little lounge area is actually cozy and they even have a little bar area. There is draft beer and soft drinks. Not sure about the food. But they did have hot dogs. I did not order one, but saw another player have one. The dogs looked ok, but the condiments were sad. Looked like in a gas station just with much less things to pick from. The price was 3.50 $. Too much for what the lady offered.

The beer was cold and tasted  good. The price was also ok. The lady behind the counter could use some energy and a few smiles. She did not look very excited to be there and when giving her a tip she did not say a word. So , no tip next time.

Used the bathrooms on the way out. They were clean. There was lockers and everything is pretty old and would need some update. But most important to me was , that the place was clean.

Overall, I had a good time, liked the course for the price, found it all clean and friendly. Not a course which I would play often. But if a match will be played there I would be going if I have not other tournament or game going.

If you find a good deal online, a website or find a coupon  or  want to try something  new  go and play the course. I heard they are working getting it back in shape and up to date. When I stop by there again , I will write updates as they come.

Last here is the score card of the course.  

Visit their website for more info.

Official website The Links of Greenfield Plantation

Golf FUEL Energy and Focus Shot - my personal experience - short review

Picture of Golf FUEL Energy and Focus shot. A short text describing my first and only experience with this product.

If there is one thing for sure, it is the fact, that there is plenty of energy drinks, vitamin drinks, supplement drinks, refuel drinks and so on and so on on the market today.

Companies cater to literally every sport there is and even to some activities which in some peoples eyes are not even considered sport ( which that is always in the eye of the beholder).

I have used, sold and promoted such drinks over the past 10 years and was able to gain great knowledge in that matter. Although I am neither a doctor nor a certified specialist I think I gained a certain amount of expertise in that matter. Also I learned, that many people rather do not like when companies get into too much detail explaining them why a product works. It is the fact that it might work which is important.

When I write reviews about a product of this kind, I will not judge the ingredients and certainly not if a product is working or not. What I will do, is tell about my experience.

The Golf sport experienced many changes of the past 20 years and one of them is, that professional golfers seem to get better shape all the time. Not all of them, but more and more. They work out, run and feed their bodies with all kinds of products.

About 1 year ago I played in a tournament and in my gift bag I found 2 small  bottles of a product called Golf Fuel.

I had never heard of it and found the name interesting. The bottle pretty much looks like 5 hour energy, giving the impression that we have an energy drink at hand.

That is what it is. It promotes energy and focus. Although I looked at the label, the two nicest facts I found were that there is no sugar in it and we have 0 calories. I liked that. But I did not pay any further attention and the two bottles landed on a shelf.  I did however look up the focus shot later on the website. Take a look at the ingredients of the energy and focus shot.

Golf FUEL Energy and Focus Shot Official webpage

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Then I was getting ready for a tournament and there I saw my two Golf Fuel bottles standing to be used. So I took one with me to the course in order to give it a try.

I drank the bottle about 5 minutes before I was supposed to tee off.

It said berry on the bottle and it pretty much tasted like it. Other then that the taste was not impressive and not memorable.

At first I did not feel anything and I figured, that the drink will start doing its job half an hour or so into the round. But I did not have to wait that long.

After the first hole I felt like my body was racing. I felt hot and started sweating. It seemed to have such an impact, that one of my partners in my group asked me if I am OK. Although I felt like my heart was racing, I had cold sweat and my pulse seem to take off , I said I feel fine and continued.

This feeling held on for another 2 holes. At that point I started drinking lots of water and I actually though I will withdraw from my round. But my sense told me that this feeling was not entirely based on the drink.

So after the 5th hole the rush I was experiencing was gone and I felt normal again. While  

playing in that state of mind I literally lost the round and needless to say I was not happy with the result Golf FUEL gave me.

When you look at the website, you find plenty of info about the product, the ingredients and all kinds of claims. However in my mind Golf FUEL does not help anyone to do anything. When reading about success stories the Placebo Effect comes to mind. There is simply nothing special about this product.

I will not say, that it might not help another player. Golf FUEL might be the right thing for someone. But for what I experienced I will say that I would not spend 1 $ to buy this specific product.  It did not help me to focus, be energized or anything else for that matter. I felt like my heart was racing, I was sweating and almost shaking. So no Golf Fuel for me anymore.

Snohomish County Golf Course in Snohomish, WA - short review

When writing about golf courses or practice facilities I differ between a short review and a in depth review. A short review being a short text describing my experience at my visit as well as some observations. This will be good enough to give an overview and to make a decision if the course, place or facility will be visited. I also will include the official link of every location at the bottom of the text so readers can take a closer look.

Club house and kiosk                           Fairway and landscape

A Short review ofa  round of golf on Snohomish Golf Course in July 2012

Monday July 2nd 2012 we decided to go and play a round of golf as a family and after over 10 years, Snohomish Golf Course sounded really good. I remembered this course for its natural lay out and for not being too busy. When I say natural lay out, I am talking about how they perfectly fit this course into nature as it is in this area. Without altering much of the original landscape.

We looked it up on the website, which was easy  to navigate and called to get a tee time. But there was no need for tee times at that point. Snohomish Golf Course is about 25 minutes from Mill Creek , WA which is 18 miles north of Seattle. The ride to the course is nice by itself if you take the back routes. Great views of the mountains and the terrain. It will put you in a relaxed state of mind before going on the course.

We found it easily by following our GPS system. Arriving we parked our car and signed in in the pro-shop. The rates are a little high when I think about golfing in Florida. You pay green fee and cart fee separate, which makes it about 34 to 40 USD a player. This is a little much I must say. However, they offer senior discounts and we had a coupon from Pro Golf Discount after shopping there.(so I highly recommend to check for coupons online, at stores or check the tee time booking websites). That saved us some good money. The fact that my mother , who was not playing, had to pay the same cart fee as the players was not very positive and highly unusual. But, we could live with that.
 

We found our carts, which looked decent and were able to tee off right away. Already on the first hole I noticed that the course was in good condition. Nicely groomed and taken care of from fairways to rough and even around trees and other locations along each hole.

The greens were slow, but looked nice as well. Big difference to many greens in Florida, as some of the courses are simply dried out. Also the tee boxes were nice and green even if not always even.

The location of the course is wonderful. In the middle of our wonderful nature with many old and big trees, some ponds and flowers. When you walk the course, you really feel as being part of your surroundings and of nature. No doubt, that you will relax being out there ( if you do not let your game get in the way.

I really liked the pace of play although we had groups in front of us and behind us. It was not slow at all and  I believe that was partly because it is a long course and most of the players I saw, were walking.

When you look at the course online you might think it is too long for beginners and that there is not much room. But fact is, that this course is great for very good players as a challenge and great for beginners as it is with few difficult bunkers, hazards or out of bounds.

My partners loved the fact to play the entire round with 1 ball ! So no loss at all. I really liked the length of the blue tees. So I could practice for the next tournament and they had a great time.

After the round we had a hot dog, some fries and onion rings. Hot dogs were good, home cut fries tasted good but it was a small portion and the onion rings were ok. Just remember, that it is a little kiosk, not a restaurant.

Overall, this course is a nice course for an afternoon round. Great nature setting. Old trees. Nicely groomed and taken care of. Prices are ok, however the cart fee is too high It is a little hilly for walking, so make sure you can handle a long walk before you decide to do so.

Whenever we are back up there and get a chance we will stop by again and play a friendly round.

Check out their website for current rates, events and other info

Official site of Snohomish Golf Course