The Windermere Club

Well I have come to realize any course on Golf Now in the Columbia area is not going to be a quality course. Windermere is an ok course. It does have a range but nothing special more or less just a bare field. It runs parallel with the first hole so if you want to putt before teeing off you have to go back to the club house which is several hundred yards from the first hole.

The clubhouse is big with a little restaurant and pro shop. The rear balcony sets over the 18th green and has a lake view.

The course has a great layout. The course it's self isn't very well maintained but wasn't expecting much for $36 on a weekend. Tee boxes were patchy and could used some cutting. Some greens were better than others. The worse was the second par 5 on the front. It had quite a few bald spots especially by the hole. Felt like the front nine was easier than the back. It is a short course. I played the white tees and hit 5 wood on the majority of the front 9 and was inside 150 on the holes. On the back it does have three drivable holes but has plenty of hazards to get in trouble with. The course is set in a nice housing community with a few lake holes and yes the water is in play. My biggest complaint is the bunkers. Majority of them had vegetation growing in them and were hard panned.

It was pretty much what I expected considering the area. Majority of the quality courses are going to be private or semi-private.

Greens are at 90% and improving, and that was the major concern. Should be at 100% really soon. the bunkers need some work, but the staff is out there and working on them. If the course continues to improve the way it has over the past few months, this course could be making its way back to being one of the best in town again.

Played Windermere for the first time on Easter Sunday. The course is in great shape and the greens are well maintained. Very nice setting with a residential community bordering the course.

I had played this course several years ago, it was too long for my game, and is a difficult layout. I thought perhaps it would be friendlier from the Senior Tees, and it would be, if the course were not is such a poor state of repair. and if you had a map with a course layout, or even a hole layout sign at each teebox. There was very little sand in the traps, which is horrendous in a layout that included upwards of 100-150 traps, waist bunkers, pot bunkers etc.. There were several blind Tee shots, with no maps, you just had to guess where the trouble was, turns out it was everywhere. Most of the greens were playable and really large though there was lots of hardpan and debris off the fairway, with all the course undulations you can easily find yourself off the fairway. Not Again!

Beautiful layout but course in horrible condition. No range balls to practice with. Extremely disappointed with overall experience

The course is still in winter shape. Greens were bumpy and have some issue but are improving. The layout is the best feature. Very interesting holes with lots of sand traps .

Superb golf course. Well maintained and beautiful. Will play there again.

My first time playing and the layout of the course is fantastic. The course gives a lot of different looks. The staff is friendly and the facilities are nice.

At the end of the day, my issue is the same issue that everyone else has: course conditions. The greens are in rough shape and a few of the bunkers are in the process of being renovated. Its not for a complete lack of regular maintenance. As said before, the Columbia has been hit hard with weather over the past year and half (the flood, an abnormally brutal summer, and then a hurricane). It looks like the bunkers will be done soon, but the greens still need work. I could tell they were trying and hopefully they can get it straightened out this spring. If the greens can get cleaned up, this would be my favorite course in Columbia, hands down.

Very disappointed with the condition of the course. Greens had many pot marks/holes. Bunkers in very bad condition. Glad I only had to pay $20 to play.

They are in the process of rebuilding the sand traps on the back nine so we got relief from these. The greens are in need of addition work which looks like they are also addressing. Overview we had a great time the layout is superb and staff friendly

Still incredibly sad to see what used to be one of the top tracks in Columbia with greens that looked like they'd been shelled in Fallujah. Seems like the grounds crews are trying, but altho the greens are still mostly true and fair-paced, the pock-marks and divots still have those previously nice greens an absolute mess.

Who knows, at some point the drainage on the greens that has had them soft and mushy may have to be addressed with completely new drains. At least the crab grass (actually crab grass!, not poa) was finally gone since last round.

There's no way in the world Windermere should be charging their members and guests regular rates until it looks less like a war zone. Worth your play if you can get a REALLY decent rate on GolfNow. And mebbe the greens will finally come back after aeration this spring. But til then, it's slipped from a premier club to lower-tier muni. Buyer beware.

Greens complexes were not in good shape. Lots of bumps and spots with no grass.

I was in town for business from Georgia with some colleagues. Course was in great condition considering the season. Loved the layout of the course especially hole 18 which runs in between the clubhouse and a lake. Afterwards I stopped by the clubhouse for a couple drinks at the bar and met the owner who couldn't have been nicer. I recommend this course to anyone in the area.

I Played this course with three friends from college and could not be more impressed with the course condition and the staff. Pace of play was great and the greens were perfect. I would highly recommend to a friend. Very surprised by some of the reviews I saw before me. This course was great when I played.

The course was in the midst of renovations (I hope). There were large holes dug, some with heavy equipment still in them on many holes. The greens were is poor condition. I've played at Windermere several times, and this is the worst condition I've seen it in. Hopefully this is simple off season improvement. In spite of, I'll play this course again.

Our Greens are Back!

The intense summer heat during 2016 wasn't very good to any course that has bent grass greens, including ours. As far as the mountain areas of Hickory, North Carolina, I heard horror stories of courses that suffered from the heat stress.

The Windermere Club suffered as well, but we will continue to offer what we and many others consider the best greens to putt on. I have been an employee at the club for 16 years and this is the first time we have ever experienced the problems that hit us July through Oct.

Since the beginning of September, we have taken tremendous steps to insure that this kind of heat stress doesn't effect our course in this manner again. To do this, we have reseeded our greens with A1 Bent Grass, which is the best you can buy, and is heat tolerant and prohibits weed infestation. With the cooler temperatures and warmer days we have experienced, the greens have made a tremendous come back.

We apologize for our greens last fall, but mother nature dealt us as tough a hand as we, and many other courses, have ever experienced. Come play our great Bent Grass greens the next opportunity you have, and you too will see their true greatness and playing ability.

Bill Chandler

Head Golf Professional

The Windermere Club

My favorite course in Columbia. It is always in good condition and the layout is probably the most unique in the area. If you want to play a course that will challenge you to hit every club in your bag this is the place to do it. Highly recommend

Very challenging course and beautiful. Definitely the best course design and well maintained. The staff is very friendly and for the quality of the course you get a great deal. You won't be disappointed.

An absolute disgrace. We had 12 golfers play and they should have flat out told us the greens on the course are HORRIBLE! Not 1 or 2.....every single one of them. Play anywhere but here.

Greens have to be the worst I have played on in years - fungus and dead patches everywhere. Traps full of weeds, fairways dry and rough = jungle. This used to be a nice course but it has been let go badly.