3.5 - 4 stars
PROS
- Excellent conditions, def top 5 in New England as far as public courses go. Fairway's mint, greens on the quicker side which is perfect. (Trap were horrible, tons of fairways traps also,more on that under CONS below)
- Great electric arts with GPS screen
- Driving range both grass and mat tees, sand trap/chipping green, also separate putting green behind 1st tee. (balls were an issue, see cons below)
- Great layout, not many blind shots. Challenging but not as open as you may think based on the website. Front 9 more open, back 9 more target golf, elevated. After the first cut, the rough is not to wide then goes into fescue. Beware, many many fairway traps (also a con below)
- Great customer service from club house to restaurant to starter.
CONS
- $35 for a golf cart? Greens fees $135 Fri-Sun but cart not included that is an extra $35. So $170 to drive. It not yet at PineHills level as far as "member for a day" facilities/restaurant/clubhouse. Pinehills is $160 all included.
- $170 to play but range balls not included? Waverly Oaks, Crosswinds, PineHIlls, Redtail, Blacksotne National all are same rate or less and carts and range balls all in one price and have better clubhouses.
- SAND TRAPS ARE HORRIBLE. Too many rocks. Chipped 2 wedges in 3 areas on my wedge denting the grooves. Traps are miserable. I am a good bunker player but the issue with all the traps both fairway and green is the LACK OF SAND. There is about an inch of sand then its hard as rock compacted dirt under. there is no splash out as typical bunkers. if you don't hit near the ball first the grind on your wedge will just hit the hard ground, skid and send the ball. Traps as a whole were all horrible to play out of. I would not go back for this reason as the course is loaded with many many fairway traps also. Sift your traps better and add sand.
- Rental clubs. For a $170 course their rental clubs were the basic $300 full set in a box you buy like Wilson/strata or some other no name.
- Driving range. mix of random balls found on course. For $170 course you think they would have dedicated rangeballs of all the same type like 90% of the the higher end level course Fox Run is trying to be. Practice can be very inconsistent if your hitting a diff compression and cover balls on each shot. (spin, flight, distance)
- No organized food/drink at the turn. Want to grab a dog or burger, you have to order at the restaurant separate from the clubhouse and it the same wait time as if you were sitting at the bar to eat.
- Friday afternoon tee time and saw a beverage cart twice.
- No ball cleaners, no water on course.
- For the price they charge no cooler on carts
- Calcutta's restaurant. Average frozen thin burger, with no taste. Great customer service though. Everyone was so nice and happy.
CONCLUSION
Overall great course, great conditions (except the traps), great greens, putting was great, which in all is how they justify their price. I drove up there for a 2 days trip to specifically play this course ( I do recommend staying at Jackson Gorge Village). But I would make the trip to play Fox Rung again. I have to replace 2 wedges now due tot he rocks denting the grooves on the face which is most annoying and while higher end conditions, $170 isn't worth it given the other issues noted above. (you will be in a lot of traps as there are many in the fairways.)