Marion Lake Golf Club

This has got to be the absolute worst golf course I have ever played in my 24 years of golfing. The fairways are Bermuda, but very thin and lies were horrible. I always play as it lies, and I felt like I was plowing the garden all day.
The layout of the course is very confusing for the first time player: lack of signage as to where some of the next holes are, some backtracking from green to next tee box (green at 2 to tee at 3, where you have to cross train tracks, and green at 5 to tee at 6) which can lead to some serous congestion, and a shared fairway for holes 14 and 15. And because #6 isn't well defined, I pulled my tee shot over into #5 fairway and a group behind us had the audacity to pick my ball up and put it in their pocket. When I confronted them, they said they never saw my ball.
Oh, and the kicker is we had to wait for about 5 minutes for a train to pass through after hole #7 before we could get to #8 tee, another example of not a well planned layout. Also, you have to cross the road to get to the back nine, and cars come flying over the hill so don't dilly dally around when crossing!
The only good thing I can say about this course is the view from the green at #17. You're looking over Lake James at the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, one of the prettiest backdrops to a hole I've ever seen. Too bad it was wasted on such a horrible course. Even though I managed to beat it around for a 75, I won't ever go back and play this course even if they let me play for free.

This is a nice short track sitting just below the mountains and the lake. Lots of elevation changes and uneven lies make the course challenging. Photos are from a round I played there last year.

The course manager Greg is very helpful.Beautiful course, check out the view on 17.

Enjoyed playing the course. It is fair but tough. We had a great time on a pretty day in December. Course was in good shape

Very nice course and great greens for this time of year. It was my nephew first round of golf so it was good to see a new golfer enter into our world.

This is our favorite golf course! This course is not just fun and challenging but has absolutely beautiful views!

Enjoyed the day thoroughly. The course was in very good condition except for some areas of the rough. We teed off at 11:00 am and had no others around us. Pace was our own. The sequence of holes is, at times, a little confusing and unusual. Fortunately we had enough time to figure where to head on our next shots. Once past the range on #1, the views are sensational, culminating with the beautiful tee at #17. Great experience.

This course is usually in fantastic shape but not this time. The greens were burnt-out more than I'd ever seen before and the grass that was cut was left out on the course in alot of areas. With that said $14.00 for 18 holes with a cart it was still well worth the money!

Greens had been aerated , about 5 of 18 greens was pretty good condition. Groups in front of us where 3 foursomes of seniors playing slow and I believe a 5some was also ahead of us . 3 groups of 2somes and never saw a ranger to speed up play. I believe that some simple management could make playing more enjoyable. Several holes have fairways that are way too close together for comfort. I was in one ( the correct one ) and Next tee box was firing almost directly at me . But it did have a good lake view. At $15 for the deal it was fun because I wasn`t in much of a hurry. So if your looking for a good value at a decent course and time if not that important you`ll enjoy. Just remember on the back 9 stay alert on holes that have lake views . Wear a hard hat. Not bad if you can get an under $20 per round . I have seen this course in way much better shape.

This is a great course for the money. Friendly staff and nice course conditions each time I've played. Can get a little cramped at times, especially on the back 9, but decent layout as a whole. Prefer the front side to the back, but fun course nonetheless. Be aware that they have aerated the greens in the last week or so and the (!A) icon was not present prior to my booking, though I still had a great round. Can't wait for the return of the smooth, fast greens!

We had a very good time. Course in great shape. Magnificent view from number 17 green.

A beautiful course with very fast greens that run true. Great views of Lake James on the back nine.
The members are very friendly and helpful as are the staff. Many interesting and unusual holes.

Great course in very good condition. The greens were pretty soft due to the recent rains we have had but other than that the course was dry and in good condition. Will definitely play again!

FRONT NINE WAS OK AND GENERALLY IN GOOD SHAPE. GREENS FAST ON ALL 18 HOLES.

BACK NINE VERY SCENIC AND ENJOYABLE. COURSE HAS LOTS OF ELEVATION CHANGES BUT NOT DRASTIC, JUST ENOUGH TO BE INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING

WORTH THE HOUR DRIVE IT TOOK US TO GET THERE

Other than 13 and 14 this is a good course.
You share fairways on those 2 holes and it is
confusing and dangerous.

It is a quirky lay out , but a truly fun course. Your first trip around will take a little navigation. We played in less than 3 hrs., but we started shortly after a few regulars. Greens are great ,they roll smooth with good speed. Don't miss the views of the lake and mountains starting at hole 14. A fantastic bargain.

Great shape. Greg has done wonders for th is course.

Marion Lake Club is in great shape and you will not find better views on the back 9. Very nice golf course.

Great value for money, course not to be underestimated, very friendly staff. Highly recommend.

First time playing this course. The staff was very friendly and answered any questions we had. The course had a nice layout, the greens were a little quick but they rolled nice and the breaks were true. Front 9 had a nice layout, with a nice mix of some tough holes and easier holes. Back 9 the fairways were a little tighter and the greens alot smaller, so ball placement off the tee was a must. 10th green, 11th green and 12th tees were a little close, so you had to keep an eye on incoming players. 13th and 14th shared fairway slowed play down a little, but not enough to cause a problem. Will be back to play again and recommend playing.