Decisions, Decisions...

[Paulio]

Okay, hopefully you guys can help me out. My friend from NB is coming down this weekend, and I am trying to figure out where to book a tee time. Since this time of the year I am always trying new courses, that I have not played..I am again going to take him somewhere we have both never been. I narrowed it down between: Metcalfe, Cloverdale, Casselview, Poplar Grove, and Chataeu Cartier. My friend is like a 20 handicap, so these courses should be okay for him. Let me know some of your ratings on these courses. That would be great. Thanks.

[hoolio]

Was out at Chateau Cartier a week and a half ago and I was quite dissapointed with their greens. Course itself wasn't in bad shape but even for a round that was free I was disappointed with the course.

I don't know if you've played Renfrew, but its mint right now. Greens are running as true or better than I've ever seen them. Go play Mon-Wed for $30 or $25 after 2 PM. I also hear Pakenham is nice right now.

[guyinottawa]

Can't go wrong with Cloverdale.. forgiving and good for the golf ego...

[bobblehead]

I played the Meadows a few weeks ago and its in great shape. I'm a 20 handicap and enjoy playing the Canadian, Metcalf, Cloverdale, Glen Mar and Emerald Links. I think Poplar Grove is one of the worst courses as far as condition and layout...would not play it again unless I was wearing a hard hat. Its been a couple of years since I played there(so it might have improved) but I would not treat an out of town buddy to a course like that. Stonebridge would be a nice treat.

[NoBack]

Cloverdale by far the better course off your list. Condition wise that is..........

Hope for the wind to pick just before you start and you will nejoy the links style course much more than without the wind.

[guyinottawa]

Emerald links is also good and funny enough, owned by the same people as Cloverdale.

I would avoid the Meadows if it is weekend golf. Or be prepared for 5.5-6 hours of waiting

[NoBack]

I would avoid the Meadows if it is weekend golf. Or be prepared for 5.5-6 hours of waiting

Mind if ask what time do you play on weekends?
I 've played Meadows on weekends for several years and never play more than 4 1/2 hrs tops. We usually can walk it in 3 hours 45 minutes as a foursome. Every weekend ealy morning (6:45 - 7 am).

[owenb]

Cloverdale would be my pick as well..make it an early start to really enjoy before it gets real busy.

[guyinottawa]

Sure if you play at that time then I'm sure you game is quick - but how many in front of you or how many did they send out too soon? Probably none. Also, anyone golfing at that time in the morning is more of a serious golfer in my opinion... I don't think sunday type golfers get up at 5:30 or 6 AM to arrive early like you in order to golf a round...

I tend to golf later in the morning. More mid to late morning at Meadows.
But now I'm a member, so no more of that!

Mind if ask what time do you play on weekends?
I 've played Meadows on weekends for several years and never play more than 4 1/2 hrs tops. We usually can walk it in 3 hours 45 minutes as a foursome. Every weekend ealy morning (6:45 - 7 am).

[Keithsguy]

Cloverdale would be my pick. Played two Saturdays ago, started shortly before 8:00 and played in 4 hours.

[faldo]

Getting a little monotenous but CLOVERDALE is head & shoulders over those other choices.

Have a great weekend.......

[Paulio]

Well, I guess I have played all the better courses in the area, because out of my list it seems that Cloverdale was the only one anybody suggested. Thanks for all the other suggestions as well. Emerald links especially.. one of the best in the area, I try to play that one a few times each year. I have heard that Cloverdale is nice and open to, eh? May suit my buddy's game more than mine. It is like John Daly vs. Fred funk when we play.

[NoBack]

As I said earlier in my post, hope for wind and have a better time.

[broken27]

Well, I guess I have played all the better courses in the area, because out of my list it seems that Cloverdale was the only one anybody suggested. Thanks for all the other suggestions as well. Emerald links especially.. one of the best in the area, I try to play that one a few times each year. I have heard that Cloverdale is nice and open to, eh? May suit my buddy's game more than mine. It is like John Daly vs. Fred funk when we play.

Renfrew, Dragonfly, Loch March, Nation, or Greensmere would be some of the courses I'd recommend.

Dan

[Deep Woods]

Okay, hopefully you guys can help me out. My friend from NB is coming down this weekend, and I am trying to figure out where to book a tee time. Since this time of the year I am always trying new courses, that I have not played..I am again going to take him somewhere we have both never been. I narrowed it down between: Metcalfe, Cloverdale, Casselview, Poplar Grove, and Chataeu Cartier. My friend is like a 20 handicap, so these courses should be okay for him. Let me know some of your ratings on these courses. That would be great. Thanks.

Sorry Paulio, but the reason I didn't respond was cause I'd never recommend poplar grove, cartier, or casselview.

[Paulio]

Yes, I have heard that some of the courses I have never been to must be a good thing. Poplar Grove, Cartier and Casselview are 3 of maybe just a half a dozen courses that I have not played in the area. Thanks for the suggestions. I have never played Refrew, which a few mentions.. but really hope to play there. I will try Cloverdale, and see how that plays. Oh, and broken27, it is crazy.. but I would almost say that those courses you mentioned would be the exactly same ones I'd suggest. Nation has to be one of my fav.

[broken27]

Yes, I have heard that some of the courses I have never been to must be a good thing. Poplar Grove, Cartier and Casselview are 3 of maybe just a half a dozen courses that I have not played in the area. Thanks for the suggestions. I have never played Refrew, which a few mentions.. but really hope to play there. I will try Cloverdale, and see how that plays. Oh, and broken27, it is crazy.. but I would almost say that those courses you mentioned would be the exactly same ones I'd suggest. Nation has to be one of my fav.

If you like Nation, and haven't played at Mont Cascades, you may want to give that a try. It's a mountain course, so plenty of elevation changes, despite a strangely low slope rating (not sure how they come up with those...).

Dan

[Ruskie]

If you like Nation, and haven't played at Mont Cascades, you may want to give that a try. It's a mountain course, so plenty of elevation changes, despite a strangely low slope rating (not sure how they come up with those...).

Dan

Slope rating has nothing to do with elevation changes (well, almost nothing). It's a measure of how much more difficult a course would be to worse players compared to good ones. Do a search in the archives, there's been plenty of discussion on that topic.

Cheers,
Krolik.

[Deep Woods]

If you like Nation, and haven't played at Mont Cascades, you may want to give that a try. It's a mountain course, so plenty of elevation changes,

If you do play cascades, take advantage of their great "rent a cart for the back nine only" deal. The back nine is a totally different course in terms of hills...

[broken27]

If you do play cascades, take advantage of their great "rent a cart for the back nine only" deal. The back nine is a totally different course in terms of hills...

Yeah, especially that stretch between 11 and 12. That's a long walk.....

Still, a great fun course to play IMO.

Dan

[Geee]

Yeah, especially that stretch between 11 and 12. That's a long walk.....

Still, a great fun course to play IMO.

Dan

That one isn't too bad, for me the last part is worst. Going up 16, then 17 and then up to the 18 is a leg killer!!!!!

J-F

[leftylucas]

Okay, hopefully you guys can help me out. My friend from NB is coming down this weekend, and I am trying to figure out where to book a tee time. Since this time of the year I am always trying new courses, that I have not played..I am again going to take him somewhere we have both never been. I narrowed it down between: Metcalfe, Cloverdale, Casselview, Poplar Grove, and Chataeu Cartier. My friend is like a 20 handicap, so these courses should be okay for him. Let me know some of your ratings on these courses. That would be great. Thanks.

Hey, well Casselview's greens had alot of winter damage and have yet to recover. I heard on this forum that Pakenham is in absolute wonderful shape. Chateau cartier's greens are also very bad. Hope this helps.

[NoBack]

That one isn't too bad, for me the last part is worst. Going up 16, then 17 and then up to the 18 is a leg killer!!!!!

newbie.
You do know you dont have to carry those 2 dozen balls in your bag dont you?

Btw.......... how are the greens doing?

[Farzin]

Chateau cartier's greens are also very bad. Hope this helps.

I played Chateau cartier's this morning and greens were very nice,

[broken27]

I played Chateau cartier's this morning and greens were very nice,

I played Cartier after our Royal Papineau event a few weeks back and found the greens were in excellent condition.

Dan

[leftylucas]

I played Cartier after our Royal Papineau event a few weeks back and found the greens were in excellent condition.

Dan

Sorry if I mislead anyone about Chateau cartier's greens, I asked a firend who had played there aand that's what he told me. Then again he is real prankster. :blush

[broken27]

Slope rating has nothing to do with elevation changes (well, almost nothing). It's a measure of how much more difficult a course would be to worse players compared to good ones. Do a search in the archives, there's been plenty of discussion on that topic.

Cheers,
Krolik.

Okay, so there's a slope # and a rating # on most scorecards. Would imagine that rating had more to do with how people would score on a particular course, and slope would have to do with greens and elevation changes. Spare me the hassle of going through a billion posts, and give me the short version. It doesn't really matter I suppose, but I plan on taking a golf vacation sometime in the near future, and knowing what those numbers mean would be helpful as I love hilly courses.

Dan

[Big_duck]

Okay, so there's a slope # and a rating # on most scorecards. Would imagine that rating had more to do with how people would score on a particular course, and slope would have to do with greens and elevation changes. Spare me the hassle of going through a billion posts, and give me the short version. It doesn't really matter I suppose, but I plan on taking a golf vacation sometime in the near future, and knowing what those numbers mean would be helpful as I love hilly courses.

Dan

Short succinct to the point and not 100% accurate non-technical answer:

Rating: What a low handicapper should expect to shoot.

Slope: What a high handicapper should expect to shoot.

[Colby]

Okay, so there's a slope # and a rating # on most scorecards. Would imagine that rating had more to do with how people would score on a particular course, and slope would have to do with greens and elevation changes. Spare me the hassle of going through a billion posts, and give me the short version. It doesn't really matter I suppose, but I plan on taking a golf vacation sometime in the near future, and knowing what those numbers mean would be helpful as I love hilly courses.

Dan

Dan,

RCGA Course Rating - the evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for scratch golfers under normal course and weather conditions expressed as number of strokes (e.g. 72.5).

RCGA Slope Rating - the evaluation of the relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers compared to the difficulty of the course for scratch golfers. The lowest Slope Rating is 55 and the highest 155. A course of standard playing difficulty will have a Slope Rating of 113.

Other good places to read:

http://www.leaderboard.com/abcs.htm
http://teeingitup.com/ontario/to-slope-ratings.htm

[broken27]

Firstly, thanks guys for the explanations. Secondly, Colby, that's a hilarious signature!!



Dan