Golf Course Review: Grand Ridge GC

Due to Internet issues from the storms on Friday, this is posted a day late.

This was a last-minute decision to play and review Grand Ridge Golf Club on Thursday afternoon (5/18/2024). I wanted to get the review done before the expected rains came on Friday and Saturday. I was glad I did.

Grand Ridge Golf Club is not a long golf course but it demands accuracy off the tee as many holes require you to hit a shot down the right or left side of the fairway to have a clear shot to a green. The greens are small compared to many other courses and also require distance control to leave yourself a good putt or a chance to get the ball up and down for par. Grand Ridge is a great place to play if you want to work on hitting the ball straighter off the tee and a course to challenge your short-game skills.

Over the past years, Grand Ridge has had its share of challenges. The trees got so large at one point they were losing grass on some of the fairways. A hurricane helped thin that out and now with new ownership in the past few years, they are doing a wonderful job bringing back really good playing conditions and amenities. For example, they are working on a new patio with a firepit that overlooks the first tee and practice putting green.

The staff is always friendly in both the golf shop and the grill. The members are also very welcoming as if they feel a sense of pride that you chose to visit their club. Almost every visit I have a member say hello or on previous occasions, I've been invited to join a group of members if they see I am alone while on the practice putting green.

I didn't go to the driving range but the practice putting green is a great place to first experience the conditions of the golf course. The speed and roll are very true to what you will find on the course. The overall conditions were very good.

Overall Conditions: 4 out of 5

Tee Boxes: 3.5 out of 5

The tees were actually very good. They were full of grass and cut to the same height as being in the fairway. You could just drop the ball on the ground to hit an iron on the par 3 holes and when teeing up a driver you were able to get a consistent height above the grass. The only reason I give them the lower score is that some of the tee boxes were not level. Not horrible but enough to notice and feel under your feet. It wasn't a playability issue but it was noticeable enough on some that it may make you uncomfortable. The other reason is that there was only one tee marker for every color tee on just about every hole. This is more of an aesthetic issue than a playability issue but it also causes an issue of where golfers tee the ball up and how much wear is caused. With only one marker golfers use more of the tee box which can cause more wear outside of the suggested 6-yard width and leaves less room to move the tee boxes to good areas every day. This is more an issue on par 3 holes as golfers take divots

Fairways: 4 out of 5

The fairways just like the tees had plenty of lush grass on them. Perhaps the best I have seen the fairways in some 20 years of playing golf at Grand Ridge. There was a distinct difference between the fairways and rough-cut heights. This frames the fairways very nicely giving golfers a better view of the hole and where to try and hit the ball. The fairways were also cut to a really good height. Not as tight as I personally like them to create more spin but the ball would sit up nicely and allow you to get a good strike on the ball without grass being in the way. They were also low enough and firm enough to get a good bounce and some roll on tee shots. The only issue with the fairways is part of riding on a golf cart. They are somewhat bumpy. It doesn't affect play but some areas are a rough ride if you don't notice and slow down.

Greens: 4 out of 5

The greens were very good. Better than the last time I was here and the best I have seen them in a long time. The greens were firm but also receptive. If you had a half shot without a lot of spin you had to play for a good bounce and some release. However, if you could play a full shot somewhat high the ball would stop fairly quickly. The speed of the greens was great. They were not very fast but at the same time, they were not slow. The speed was just good enough to be careful on downhill putts but you could give uphill putts a good run. The same goes for the smoothness. They were not 100% smooth but very few putts would bounce. Some areas were bumpy but also not so bumpy it knocked a putt offline too badly. The speed and firmness made chip and pitch shots fun. You could play a shot low to run out or you can play a high spin shot and get it to check up.

The rough was a good height, especially around the greens. Not so deep you had trouble finding your golf ball but enough to give you different shot options to play. Just off the fairways, the ball would sit up on the grass or down just enough to play for a flyer. The bunkering did not look great but I can not be 100% honest as I did not play out of one all day. I only noticed one or two that looked like they have been neglected for a few days but again I didn't notice all of them to give an honest opinion.

All in all, I am very impressed at the progress that Grand Ridge is making and the golf course conditions. The rate is good and the course is a definite must-play right now.