Kennsington Golf Club

I drive in from pittsburgh a few times a year to play this course. Last time I played it was decent with a slower pace but enjoyable.

This past Saturday we arrived and the 1st tee was stacked.. its ok, its to be expected on a Saturday. The starter was up top and I gave my slip, he said ok. I asked if there was another 2 playing on my time as well he said"i think so" and that was it.

Get to 1st tee, there was a group on the box, a single player then us. I took it upon myself to team up with the single to keep pace up since there was no ranger / starter there.

Played the first 2 holes at a typical speed, then out of nowhere the 3rd tee box had no lie - 5 groups of 4 stacked waiting to tee off!?!?! We called the clubhouse, the pro, all were no help. After 3 attempts to page the ranger one finally came. After persuasion (and 20 minutes) there were still 3 groups to tee off in front of me, then 3 more behind me... I looked on his screen and saw hole 12 & 13 were open so we jumped over there.

We found out there was a big outing in the morning, then another mini outing of 40 that started at noon! We played 12 - 18, then got back to #3 and the group in front of us when we left that box was only on #5!!!! They played only 2 1/2 holes in an hour and a half.

UNACCEPTABLE! Please, management if you read this, Space your tee-times out more then 8 minutes. I get it you are greedy and for profit but maybe make it 12-15 min apart.

Also, the conditions were terrible. The fairways were burnt out, the tee boxes looked like a war zone.

Just a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE experience. Not gonna come back. Too bad as I was going to bring a group of 20 there next month. Your loss!

Pro shop sent us on our way. Asked if a starter was working. "Yep" was the crisp answer. Went to first tee - no starter. Figured out play was being started on #10. When we found the starter he explained "Every other Wednesday we start play on the back nine." We started at noon - by the time we made the turn, our starter was AWOL - and the sharp tacks in the pro shop were sending new players to the first hole. Two and a half hours on that nine. Would have been longer, but we skipped the last hole.

I actually do like the golf course, but who needs a five hour round?

I was impressed with this course. The golf carts are brand new and classy. Each cart is installed with a GPS overtop the windshield the size of an iPad. I had never seen anything like this. I thought the course was difficult and long. There were a lot of marsh areas and weeds to have to hit over and plenty of briar patches to lose your ball in. Some fairways were very narrow. It was located right behind the Marriott and so there was great lunch alternatives available. The staff was very friendly and the starter even spent 15 minutes with us explaining how to operate the GPS. The greens are in excellent condition. The roughs are very high but they were real grass not weeds. It was hard to make a shot out of the rough as it grabbed your club but then again I am just an average golfer. The one thing I did not like about the course was there were a very limited amount of ball washes available and for the life of me I could not figure that out. For such an plush golf course I would expect there to be a ball wash every hole or at least every other. The water the fairways and it had rained for a week already. The fairways were wet and it was more than irritating having to play with a dirty ball for 4 or 5 holes without a ball wash. The other thing I did not care for that there were a bunch of teenagers playing the course the day I was there. They were very disrespectful. They would stand at the Tee box and have a full conversation even if though there was no one playing in front of them. They would park on the side of the fairway and just sit there and talk like they were the only ones playing the course. It was very frustrating. There is a large upscale housing development built around the golf course and I don't know if these are teenagers who have memberships and play for free. The lack of ball washes and disrespectful teenagers irritated me the most.

When you arrive at Kensington, you immediately get the feeling you're at a private country club rather than a public course. Within moments of arriving, someone drives a cart to your car to pick you up. The clubhouse is very nice- somewhat small but more than adequate with a very nice bar & grille. Unfortunately, after setting out on the first tee, this feeling leaves quickly. A fantastic layout that's always left me wondering why the conditions aren't better. Tee boxes with unrepaired divots, fairways bare, patchy, and divoted, unfinished projects around the course, and greens covered in unrepaired pitch marks and patchy areas. There's always a small army of employees working in and around the clubhouse- bar & grille staff, cart kids, attendants driving a cart to your car to pick you up... unfortunately, they can't seem to find anyone to go out on the course with a bucket of sand and a divot tool. I do realize that it is the golfer's responsibility to repair their own damage, and clearly not enough take this to heart. But, for the rates being charged here, I expect better and more attention to these details.

As far as the course itself goes, it's a great layout designed by Brian Huntley. The course will challenge you by demanding a variety of shots. While the longer hitters will always enjoy an advantage in the game of golf, the shorter players will not be penalized here if you can keep your shots in the proper position. Club selection is key on many holes, both off the tee and on approaches, since there are many hazards near greens waiting to catch wayward shots. Though the course is in a residential area, the houses only infringe on the course on a couple holes, and better golfers should have no difficulty avoiding them. There are only a couple holes where you have to worry about wayward shots from other holes heading towards you, as there is generally good separation between holes.

Though a great course, the conditions unfortunately hold Kensington back from being a premier destination in the area. It seems the management has their focus squarely on the revenue generators around the clubhouse rather than the course itself. Which is unfortunate, since the potential is there for this to be one of the jewels of the area. If you don't mind paying a premium price for less than premium conditions, this course will fit that bill nicely. It is probably one of the better public courses in the Youngstown area, with many fantastic holes and great variety. But the courses' deficiencies hold it back from being on par with great courses in the region that charge comparable rates- Boulder Creek and The Quarry come to mind. Pine Lakes, Oak Tree, and Reserve Run are courses in the area that charge comparable rates and seem to keep their golf course better conditioned than Kensington. Improvements in condition would place Kensington head and shoulders above these tracks and place it well ahead as the area's premier golf course. Every year I return to Kensington for a round with hopes that these things will improve, and every year I leave disappointed that they haven't.

Played white tees. (we're seniors) Card says 5800 . A good test for medium to high handicaps. .Course is one of best and most interesting in area. Greens and fairways were in excellent condition. Crews were putting new sand in bunkers. Never tire of playing this course.

Takes 5 hrs to play,, no Rangers and No water or beverages served on course.

The layout makes for a fun round. Staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Have played here before but this was by far my worst experience here. Pace of play was awful. Waited 10+ minutes on every tee. Condition of the course was poor especially the greens. So many ball marks on every green that were never fixed. Putts don't roll straight. Some of the bumpiest greens I've Played on.

This is my golfing buddy and mines favorite. We travel all over and like this the best

This course is one of the finest kept and challenging in this region. GPS carts, watered fairways, perfect greens. I have golfed many courses in this area and i thoroughly enjoyed this round with my brother.

The course is fun. The par 3s are interesting and challenging. There is plenty of sand and several forced carries over ravines and wetlands. The greens are huge, undulating and club selection is critically. The carts do have GPS which helps. The tees and fairways do have bare spots. Divots are not repaired and apparently the regulars do not own or know how to use a green repair tool. Tne clubhouse is nice. We had a tasty and very relaxing lunch on a gorgeous southern style veranda overlooking the course. The service and food are top notch.

very slow over 5 1/2 to play a round

I enjoyed the layout of this course and found it challenging. The greens and fairways are in good shape. Except for the rude local who jumped in front of me on the 10th the day was very pleasant and the pace was acceptable.

The course was in excellent condition. The pace of play was very slow on the front nine, but the back nine was well paced.

Had a tee time shortly after lunchtime an the round took 5 1/2 hours in 89 degree heat. On holes 1-8 when we got to the tee the group in front of us was sitting there in their cart and hadn't hit a tee shot yet. Saw a ranger once during this 5 1/2 hours and none of our foursome played well as a result.

Awesome track! Fairways, tees, greens all in great shape! Many different tee options for all skill levels. GPS in the carts is always a plus. Definitely one of the top 3 courses in the valley in my opinion.

It is at the top of price in the area but well worth it. Course was in excellent condition. It is one of the more difficult courses in the area but is a must play. Will be back again soon.

Interesting layout. Exceptional staff. Course was a bit soft and wet but still highly enjoyable. A definite replay next time I am in the area.

The course was in great shape and was a great value at the price!! Played with a couple of other players who were familiar with the course which helped. Was a bit more difficult than my wife is used to, but one of the nicer/more difficult ones I have played in quite a while.

Excellent value at the price!!

The day we played, the weather was, in a word, rotten! Very cold with a wind howling out of the North. Having been soaked by recent rains, there was no roll so the course played long even though we moved up a set of tees.

There are 5 sets of tees so you can pick the length that suits you, but the course will still be a challenge. The greens are huge and well bunkered. Many seem to be 2 or 3 greens in one, and if you put your approach in the wrong place, you are in for an adventure!

There are holes that call for forced carries over hazards that are daunting. Think Ohio is flat land? Play here and you will be quickly disabused of that notion!

We will play here again, but will wait for better weather to firm the course up. I will say that the hot deal we got on GolfNow was amazing. There are goat ranches in the area you can't play for so little!

course tough for people over 70 but was is great shape would play again