The Ranches Golf Course to put it mildly is a "killer". It's a "killer" in two ways. First of all it is a "killer" golf course meaning that it is a fantastic course with a couple of exceptions. And secondly it will "kill your golf score" if you don't hit the ball straight!
The course is a par 72 links style course that is 7085 yards long from the black tees. The fairways are fairly narrow with very little room for error off the tee. The rough isn't so bad...it's the weeds (I believe they call it "heather grass" in England) that you have to avoid. You have the short grass (good), the rough (not bad) and the weeds (you'll never find your ball!) That's why it's tough to score well at the ranches....if you don't hit the ball straight you probably won't find your ball and will have to take a penalty!
The Greens are tough when they are rolling fast. Most of the greens at the Ranches have quite a bit of break to them. What I find especially true on this course is that speed is more important than aim on these greens. If you misjudge the speed you'll be in for a lot of 3-putts. When the course is in nice shape you won't find many greens that roll as consistent as the Ranches'.
The par 5s are where you can score on this course. Particularly #1, #7, and #13. They are all reachable in two if you hit a good tee shot...or if your a great wedge player you can always lay up and birdie them as well! There are very few par 4s that are birdie holes. #3, #6, and #14 are your best chance for birdie on the 4s. The par 3s are long and difficult. Check this out...#5 and #12 are about 225 yards from the tips. Par is a great score on all of the par 3s.
Amenities
Overall...Not bad! Not extremely good either!
They do have a restaurant in the clubhouse. To tell you the truth I've only eaten there one time. I had a cheeseburger..from what I remember it was okay. They used to have an Australian chef that ran the restaurant...he may still be there...I haven't paid too much attention lately. Nice guy though....he let me borrow his jacket once.
The clubhouse isn't all that great! When I say that it isn't all that great what I mean is that it's kind of small. They have done a very nice job with the limited space that they have. Hey, they have a couch and a nice TV that always has ESPN on so what more could you ask for!! I was told a while back that they were going to build a really nice big clubhouse when the course got more established but that could have been just a rumor.
The bathrooms are nice...the sinks especially...they are those automatic ones that you don't have to touch anything and they give you plenty of space to wash your hands. They have the cool, "self foaming"soap too! And the bathroom is always clean which is always a bonus. Okay I'm writing way too much about the john. But who cares!! Can't a man appreciate a nice clean bathroom!
Oh by the way they do have a great outdoor patio to host lunches after golf tournaments. The staff is also very friendly!
Jay's Recommendation
I would recommend that anyone having more than a 12 handicap only play The Ranches once a year because you'll lose so many balls that you can't afford to play more than once. Everybody else should play it at least once a month to see what it's like to play a "real man's course." The course is a challenge and the greens are great! Just remember to please repair your ball marks!!
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