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COURSE REVIEW Horseshoe Resort - Highlands Course Ontario, ON
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On September 29, 2009, D of Thornhill (18 handicap) posted:
Played Sept. 27 on LMG RedFlag. Great course; interesting layout with great vistas; really challenges you from the blue tees. Feels like the Carolinas. Narrow tree-lined fairways, elevation changes, traps right where you don't want them...the 13th green should be outlawed! Excellent deal on LMG - too bad it's over an hour from the city.
1
On September 28, 2009, Cheapo (6 handicap) posted:
One of LMG's better ones. Fast greens, tree lined fairways and rolling terrain. Quiet out here too...not as busy as the valley course.
Got to the course early and spent some time on the range. Lots of target greens to aim for. Im glad I got to do some putting also. The practice green was lightning fast and so were the actual greens!
The course has a good layout with some elevation changes and some tight fairways. It was in very good condition from the tees right to the green.
The greens are very fast and I never figured them out. It seemed like if the break is obvious it didn't break much at all and the subtle ones broke like you wouldn't believe and just kept on going. One member of our group had about an 8 foot putt straight uphill that came up about a foot short and then rolled back about 12 feet.
I enjoyed the course very much but I dont think I could putt on these greens too often as much as I like the challenge. They would drive me crazy!!
3
On August 26, 2009, jon of Toronto (16 handicap) posted:
For the amazing price us LMG golfers pay for this course you have to be impressed with what you get. Service was top notch as we arrive took our bags out of the car and went in to check in and to our suprise when we returned our carts where ready clubs already strapped in and ready to go. Course was in amazing shape with tight fairways and long holes, defiantly get your moneys worth. Will for sure be visiting this place again.
4
On August 8, 2009, dennis of Toronto (14 handicap) posted:
great course, tight, excellent condition, greens are great toooo hilly to walk take a cart
5
On August 6, 2009, Big Deal of barrie posted:
great course first time playing very tight difficult course that tests the best of golfers . will definetly play the course again and again
Played this course on tuesday July 21st. What a great course, the layout is awesome. Some really nice scenic holes. The greens were extremely fast and didn't seem to hold when you hit them. Other then that I would definetly golf this course again especially with the LMG rate. Great day on the course.
7
On July 23, 2009, Diznath posted:
Played the Highlands on July 17 and was very satisfied with the course. The clubhouse staff was pretty slow and took way too much time to get my group to the range and then the tee box. The course was in great shape once we got out there and most of the holes posed great challenges. The greens were in good condition and the rough dry and fairly thick. If you can't hit your driver straight consistently then you are up for a long frustrating day on the course. Your score can balloon instantly if you're not careful. Unfortunately the rains came down on the back nine but we played through it albeit slowly and played a dry 17 and 18. Overall playing the Highlands was a fun experience and I will definitely return with the LMG rate.
8
On July 22, 2009, dabduffer posted:
played on july 21 at advance rate. 2nd time playing this year. service great from bag drop, pro shop cart girl and starter. Arrived on time and were allowed to start when ready. Surprise the first hole tees were back to the original tee blocks making it the par 4 instead of the 3 we had played in past. Only one stipulation must use iron of blocks. didn't change score same as. level flat soft tees, soft well manacured fairways with rough thick to test skill with greens rolling true, medium speed and surprise few ball marks. Found two traps both had good sand. Did find greens though some held shots while others did not. A good mixture of 3,4,5's with target golf more on front nine due to houses lining these treed fairways. Back nine more open, feel more difficult then front,with wider fairways but can easily ballon scores quickly. Pace of play could have been better as it appeared a threesome 2groups up with open hole in front was behind. Marshal/starter did come by(4 times) but did not interveene to speed up play. Still managed a 4.5 hour round. Good test of golf well priced for the LMG golfer.
Played here for the first time today, the front nine runs throught the housing development which makes it tight. If you slice or hook, you will be in alot of peoples backyard. Very surprised to see ALOT of houses for sale that back onto the course.
The back nine, from holes eleven to eighteen are really fun to play. The greens were not really fast but the tees and fairways were in good shape. Excellent driving range, good club house for having a beer after a round.
Overall, a good course that is in good shape with a very STRONG back nine. A FUN course to play, hope you get a chance!
Played there Wed. July 8/09 (for free on a red flag and points!) Course was in good shape. The greens were in really good shape. I was surprised how dry the course was considering that we haven't had hot weather yet. Must have good drainage. My only negative was that I had to go out on my own. Played 16 holes without seeing another person on the course. I started at 1:45pm. Not an easy tract. I can't remember losing so many balls in a long time, but, still had a good time.
This is a track not to be challenged by those golfers who cannot under any circumsstances hit it straight once in a while. Too tight with sloping fairways that drop off to nowhere for the average Joe.
12
On June 14, 2009, COACH of ST. CATHARINES (13 handicap) posted:
Great service from the moment of arrival to the end of the round. The greens were cut very long and therefore were somewhat slow, however, this didn't detract from an excellent day..Thanks guys and gals..
13
On June 8, 2009, dabduffer posted:
Played the highlands friday past. Very busy due to tournament on the valley course which along with over booking or for our time booking two consecutive tee times and showing up with 3 in front of us resulted in waiting on most holes, a 5.5 hour round after a delay in starting. . The saving factor 4 LMG golfers there to enjoy the day which we did. Thanks bill, wayne & graham. The course was in good to great condition with the fairways green and the rough although short was thick and penalized the wayward shots. Greens ran true and were fast with some on the front nine coming back to condition as seen by the multi colours. A mixed bag of great to not so great sand conditions but still playable. Pick the tees suitable to your level of play and the course is great fun too play and score well. Smart serve not apparant on this day.
14
On May 17, 2009, dave of Toronto (12 handicap) posted:
This always a challenging course, usually pretty windy with lots of hills and lots of trouble to get into, this is a great course to play because it is not too busy, if you haven't played the highlands then give it a try and bring more than 1 sleeve of balls!
Krisoff and I played this course yesterday. We arrived early and they gave us a better tee time. The course is in Excellent condition like always. The service is Great as well, the young lady brought us the golf cart. The course layout is always challenging, no easy rounds at HorseShoe. The fairways and greens were in Excellent conditon. Be careful of the speed of the greens though, very tricky at times. It would be easy to make a 3 putt, as we learned yesterday. If your balls head out of bounds, watch out 4 posion ivory, we seen some spots of them. If you haven't played this course yet, give it a try and thank me later then. I will always say Yes to Horseshoe. Enjoy the golf season Everyone!
16
On April 6, 2009, JCaughill of Oakville (11 handicap) posted:
I have loved this course for a decade, even when it was just nine holes. We own a timeshare across the street so I play it whenever we are on vacation. Rarely have I seen a slow round there. One example of the good service came last summer when we were rained out on the ninth hole and received a rain check for the full 18. The entire course is always in good shape. One outstanding value is the Adult and child rate of $25 after 6:00. That is a great way to introduce new players to the game at a reasonable price. I would say that other than number one all the holes are very pleasing to the eye. The required fence on one takes away from the hole but on the other hand having played without the fence it does ease some tension. The front nine is the easier of the two and you need to make a decent score there because the back side will eat you up. Holes 11 through 15 are probably the toughest stretch of holes that I have played. Come through them with a par or two and no doubles and your day is complete.
Nice course, but a little pricey for what it is. Tighter, tree-lined holes on the front and then more open on the back. Scenic and hilly. Wooden deck for a patio, but the view is nice. We had a frost delay of over an hour, so it made for a longer day than expected.
18
On October 11, 2008, inkpenners of whitby (14 handicap) posted:
First 6 holes really tight with the houses. From #11 to the finish is outstanding. Course was in fantastic condition. Most are right now with all the rain in 2008.Got the fall rate $70/w cart. Would play again for that price.
19
On October 10, 2008, Mike of Toronto (12 handicap) posted:
First time at this course, took my dad out and we both enjoyed it alot. Weather was beautiful, the wind made the easy shots challenging and the greens were well kept and rolled true. A very challenging course, narrow and precise. The staff were warm and pleasant and with a semi-complimentary range and putting green right outside the clubhouse i was happy. People were friendly with the exception of one pompous regular who refered to the after two crowd as "a-holes"...being as my time was 2:16pm I felt like showing him what his looks like but refrained. Then he led his group to sneak a bud in line in front of us on the first tee when we weren't looking because he didn't want to wait on the 10th. You'll know the guy if he comes around..the typical type that we've all seen at most courses, thinks he has more rights than others. Other than that, the play was smooth and the course was a great one that I will be sure to make out to play one more time before the end of the season. Full recommendation from me for this one...have fun out there!
20
On September 10, 2008, Dave of Barrie (14 handicap) posted:
I was able to play the Highlands this past weekend on a rainy Sunday morning. Despite the terrible weather I enjoyed my round at this sometimes tight and a good test of golf course. It was also nice to get out there early and finish my round in 3 hours. The course is in good shape. Greens were running fast and true even while being wet. As mentioned the course can be very tight at times and there are a number of holes with doglegs. On a few holes if your tee shot is not long enough the tight fairways will not allow you to have a view or chance of getting home in two.
If you hit the ball straight with average or greater distance then this is great test of golf with a good assortment of challenging golf holes.
I was there too early in the morning to be able to fully evaluate the service of the club but, I was able to get off quickly.
At 60.00 this is a good value. I would find it hard to pay more to play this course again.
21
On August 7, 2008, Dolbear of Barrie (11 handicap) posted:
WOW, what an awesome course that is in fantastic shape. Fairways are like carpet to hit off of, greens roll beautifully. Tee's are flat which is nice, with the exception of #1 Black with rolls. Some extraordinary views (LONG PAR 5 forget hole #) but a massive par 5 to reach (good luck for birdie). Again, prefer playing this course to almost any other in barrie area. Great driving range to start your round. Greens roll true which is good. Have to make some great shots to keep yourself in play. Challenging, beautiful, value for $ all make it a worthwhile experience.
22
On July 24, 2008, Rapper of Toronto (14 handicap) posted:
Played the "Red Flag" rate on Monday....AMAZING. Amazing condition, and some tough holes to go along with it. Love hole #11.
Too bad I don't live up in the area, or I'd be playing the Highlands all the time.
That is the most accurate word I can think of to describe my experience this past weekend at Horseshoe Resort Highlands course. I don't know where to start with the accolades; perhaps with the super friendly staff? These guys look like they just want to be there and are happy to chat it up with anyone who'll smile back.
The course started off with a fairly cozy feeling par four surrounded by homes that had me worried....for only about 5 minutes though. This track opened up to, or should I say winded secludedly through some beautiful old growth forest with fantastic shapes to so many holes. The conditioning of everything from tee boxes through to the greens was astounding for a course I was able to play for a measly $60 with the LMG rate. I haven't played a course in this great of condition anywhere this year or last.
Due to the low number of golfers I was even allowed to play as a single for the first time in recent memory and was dumbfounded with the etiquette of the golfers that day. I easily played through 8 generous groups who were more than happy to have me slide through as they enjoyed their own pace of play. I haven't had 8 groups let me play through in the last 8 years of golf around the GTA. Along my route I noticed how each and every green seemed to have no other ball marks but mine present when I arrived and each bunker was raked like a pro. The golfers who play here KNOW how to appreciate a great golf course and leave it the way they found it!
It was not until 16 that I met anyone other than a fine gentleman or Lady. I approached the tee just as the last of a foursome was teeing and politely asked if I could play through. The response by the last on the teebox was a cheery "Of Course!" so I proceeded to the tee but when I got up there a rather rotund gentleman rasped from his cart "You're not going anywhere anyway." and sped down the empty fairway of the par 5 where the next group was just leaving the green. This is the same man I just witnessed rounding the collar of the previous green riding his cart; the twenty yard walk from the path to the green apparently being too much for him.
I waited until they were out of range before teeing off but after my second shot and still no look back from the group I picked up my ball and went on the to the next hole (which was empty in front of me). I caught up with the next group on the 18th tee and they happily waived me through to finish my round well inside of three hours.
Sadly the one disgruntled golfer did put me off a bit but when I took a deep breath and reflected on everything else I witnessed that day I smiled and was happy I made the trip to Horseshoe Valley.
Next trip I bringing some buddies and when I move to Barrie I'll play this course regularly for sure. If you get the chance please try this track out and even if you're unlucky enough to run into any greenside driving grouches you'll still love the day you spent playing the Highlands course
Played Sept. 27 on LMG RedFlag. Great course; interesting layout with great vistas; really challenges you from the blue tees. Feels like the Carolinas. Narrow tree-lined fairways, elevation changes, traps right where you don't want them...the 13th green should be outlawed! Excellent deal on LMG - too bad it's over an hour from the city.
