LC is one of the finest layouts in the Carolina's evidenced by it's top 15 rating by Golf Magazine (or whoever did rate them) Obviously, they haven't been to the course in quite awhile.
Roughs - Awful - very weedy
Fairways - Awful - weeds everywhere (though lots of bermuda too)
Greens - and here I'm looking for a rating worse than awful. Maybe pathetic???
You can see from the pics lots of crabgrass on the greens. The bent is very stressed and slow. And most of the greens have large patches of bermuda on them which actually putted decent. No one made any putts. Short putts were very tricky - the ball did not roll true at all through the minefield. Shots into the greens plugged if it hit the bent and rolled if it hit the bermuda.
I am so disappointed. A tier 1 course in tier 5 condition. Driving by the other cat courses didn't look too good either. I won't be back for a very long time which is a shame as I truly love this layout. Played it often years ago when it was in prime condition. It's going to take a lot of money and hard work for LC to ever become playable again.
Golf is just an excuse to drink whiskey and smoke cigars
What a shame, I always tried to get my group on Tigers Eye or LC whenever we were down. They were 2 of our favorites & were always in excellent shape. I stopped after 3 rounds in a row over past 2-3 yrs in awful conditions @ TE, last one was May 2019
Breaks my heart to see how bad all the Cats courses have become
We used to play Tiger's Eye almost every year. I love that layout & conditions were always great. & 3 tracks to choose from for replays was a bonus.
I imagine the people who bought homes/memberships back when the courses were always in great shape are furious...I sure would be.
Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.
Truth hurts but it has no agenda. Your pictures speak volumes. What a shame. I agree with you, Leopards Chase is a fantastic design. Is it time to shutter one to save the others?
From all the reports the last few years, it seems as though Cats management is trying to run all the courses into the ground. Such a shame. Property owners must be incensed.
Thanks for the report and pics UGP. A shame about the conditions.
Haven't played any of the Cat courses but I remember how well they were hyped/regarded fifteen years ago.
UGP, did you get the feel it was the beginning of the end for LC?
UGP, did you get the feel it was the beginning of the end for LC?
Don't think the course will go away - too many high end homes being built there - but it may get sold ( or given) to the home owners in the future. A good bet that the 4 courses are deed restricted as golf courses only.
Golf is just an excuse to drink whiskey and smoke cigars
Man I hate that when I first went to MB I thought Tigers Eye was top notch, That was before LC was build. We played all 3 in the early 2000"s. I agree I would hate to have bought one of those nice homes and had the course conditions as of now.
Brownwood Bandit
At least the fairways are greener than last year, thanks to the rain.
The bent greens have suffered every summer. We played it last Oct,
when they had some time to recover and the attention of a new super.
We keep hearing about the owner having problems. If housing/lots aren't
selling, saving $ on course maint won't help much.
Obviously CV has made things worse.
Selling LC would be an option. Any renovation should include new hybrid
greens.
Thanks for your report to further warn others away from the Big Cats.
In winter + spring, Big Cats may be worth Passport rates, but not
package rates.
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The bent greens have suffered every summer.
What bent was there was stressed as I would expect it to be - if that was all that was wrong it would be understandable. Unfortunately there are several other issues.
Golf is just an excuse to drink whiskey and smoke cigars
Truth has to be shared!
And you did it the right way @UGP!
Thank U!
Denis Gilbert
Quebec City, Canada
We played the Cats over the winter months, worse one was Tigers Eye, then Lions Paw, Leopards Chase and Panthers Run, a real shame as the layouts of these courses is very good, many nice holes on each course, but conditioning seems to haunt them continually.
Sad! Pictures say a thousand words, good work UGP.
I remember when they were the advertised as top tier courses.
Let the Big Dawg Bark!!!
The situation is not improving. And it appears that the money and the will are not there for a return to better conditions on these courses.
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
The Tuesday senior league played LC last Tuesday. It was scheduled to play Tiger's Eye this Tuesday but too many of the players said they wouldn't go there due to conditions. That's 40 people not paying. That's 40 tee times that will be difficult to fill by other golfers. I would love to talk to the owner and get his views
Golf is just an excuse to drink whiskey and smoke cigars
