Overall: 3 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 4
Pace of Play: 3
Layout: 3.5

Los Lagos. Translation: The Lakes. Of the three municipal courses in San Jose, I feel Los Lagos has the most character.

Los Lagos is situated in East San Jose. Location matters, and in this case, it matters to many local golfers who have less money than the country club type. And I love it. I love when golf is accessible and unpretentious. You see lots of blue collar folks working on their game at the range (even late into the evening…the range closes at 8:30pm and it’s lighted, double decker). You see First Tee Program kids taking their classes. You see many local high schools playing their tournaments here. Los Lagos also lets you reserve online 9-holes anytime. Perfect for people with busy schedules or if you just want to take your junior golfer out.

The unfortunate thing is that every so often, the City of San Jose questions the need of Los Lagos and there are often Council meetings to determine it’s future…to turn it to residential homes or to turn it to a park or soccer field. So far, Los Lagos has withstood these challenges. If you’re a citizen of San Jose, always place your vote. I certainly have.

Ok, back to the course. It’s a par 68. But, don’t let that fool you. There are many holes where shot selection matter and also strategic landing spots on the greens. The greens are no joke. Often the “lagos” are in play. There is a fun par 4 where you can drive over a large lake, as well as a long par 3 right over another lake.

Another thing you’ll notice is that the course is very very lush. This may be surprising because California is in a constant drought. The rough is lush green, fairways with no brown patches, and greens are in relatively good condition…especially considering it’s a muni course.

As for pace of play, it depends. When the course is full, it’s slow as you would expect. Lots of beginners are working on their game. But have patience. We were all beginners at some stage of our golf journey. However, I find the course seldomly packed. And when that’s the case, I’ve finished 9 holes in 1.5 hrs and 18 in 3.5 hours easily.

Overall: 4 (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional)
Conditions: 3
Pace of Play: 4
Layout: 3.5

Address:
442 Tobacco Rd, Sanford, NC 27332

Ranked 55 in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses in America. Tobacco Road is one famous course. It’s also ranked in the top 50 in terms of golf architecture & design. Given this, I was excited to squeeze this round during a business trip to South Carolina.

The course is was designed by Mike Strantz and it sits onto of a former tobacco farm. Strantz said the course would be “something not only spectacular, but also unique.” After playing the course, this course is without a doubt unique.

First things first, don’t forget your golf app or buy a course yardage guide. You will definitely need it. This course has the most blind approach shots that I’ve ever experienced! If I counted right, I think there were 5 totally blind shots. I would also highly recommend you play with someone who knows the course. Of course, I played it with a bunch of newbies and it was quiet a challenge. If you live in Silicon Valley and South Bay, this course reminds me of The Ranch Golf Course in San Jose…but Tobacco Road is even more challenging, if you can believe that. There is reason why Golf Digest also ranked this course #10 Toughest Courses in America in 2017.

Another “unique” feature of this course is that there are NO BUNKERS. That’s right. No bunkers. The starter even told me that I should feel free to take a practice swing in the sand and also ground my club. Anything sand you see on the course is a natural waste area. Being able to ground you club may sound good, but not really. The waste area conditions were very bad. If you hit one of these fairway waste areas, be ready to take your medicine and just try to get out. Don’t try to do anything fancy, or you’ll pay the price (I certainly did). Also, anything that seems like a green side bunker, is not a green side bunker. How can you tell? Well, there are absolutely no rakes on the course, and when you step into the sand, you’ll realize it’s crazy hard packed. Some of these green side waste areas are absolutely horrific. It’s more like a canyon with huge tractor tire markings inside. I also experienced having to hit my ball in a par-3 green side waste area, and anything long would enter a lake on the other side of the green. All I can say, good luck and my prayers are with you.

The greens were large and surprisingly slow. I also found that you need to pick your landing spots well on these greens or you risk a 3 putt.

Overall, the layout is absolutely memorable. A very unique course for sure. However, as a first-timer on the course, I candidly didn’t enjoy the round. The blind approach shots to the green were very frustrating, especially if you hit a great drive and second shot. If I played the course again, I think I’d enjoy it more. Would I play it again and pay another $130 green fee? I don’t think so. I think playing the course once is plenty for me, and I’d rather apply the $130 to a round at Pinehurst or Pine Needles. Two other courses on the ultimate bucket list.