Gillette Ridge

Sand traps need to be raked. It would be nice to have shoe spike brushes attached to the ball washers to clean spikes.

Pace of play was very slow, no one from pro shop was around to speed things up. Course was very gimmicky, blind shots on every hole! Tee boxes was in poor condition for early in the year. We left on the back side, just too slow and the group in front
didn't care.

Course overall was in good shape for the time of the year. Bunkers were a disaster. Winter damage was excessive. Course will probably be in good shape by mid-May.

Replace all the cups or flag sticks---the bottom of the stick fits so loosely that none of the flags stand straight---same for the past 3 yrs.

If you're open for play: it would have been nice to have the bunkers at least power raked once--historically terrible bunker maintenance at this course; ball washers out; bathrooms unlocked; range available. We all hope for a better maintained course this year----but at a great price found on the net, much can be overlooked---for standard fees, it would be very disappointing.

We played early in the year,(April), so it was hard to tell exactly how good the conditions are in the summer, but I bet it is beautiful. The course wasn't green yet, but it was still in good shape. We loved the layout, and it was very challenging, especially since it was our first time at this course. Will definitely go back in the summer

This course has a ton of potential with the right management behind it. Conditions were quite poor when we played, especially the bunkers and tee boxes. Hopefully things will improve.

Course is in remarkably good condition considering all the issues lately (2013) with the management company. The greens were trimmed and sufficiently fast even for this time of year(fall). Fairways were adequate again for this time of year. Unfortunately, the sand traps were often found to be filled with hard wet sand or mud so it is suggested to play them by pre-raking with a lift clean and place.
Generally this course is a very challenging layout with several approach shots that require clearing actual quarry-like ravines. I have never been pleased with holes 2 & 3 since they have no realistic layup options to avoid strategically placed water hazards. Number 2 can be reached in two with a good tee shot (>250 yards) if followed by a 180 yard approach over 170 yards of water! Final three finishing holes are very challenging and require careful shot making skills. The par 4 16th involves clearing what seems like a nearly 100 yard marshy area which extends across the entire width of the hole (deep woods on left and right) and must be cleared to reach a narrow elevated green surrounded by sand traps. Depending on the tee location this marshy area can even be reached from the tee box so it is not even always possible to hit driver off the tee. Often a 180 to 200 yard approach to the green is required to clear all the hazards. Watch out for the bridge and cart path to the green to the right of the marsh. Approach shots can often end up in the woods even after clearing the marsh if they hit the end of the bridge or the cart path near the green. Part the par 5 17th green is actually over a stone bridge! If the flag-stick is placed over the bridge some very interesting and frustrating approach shots will result. The par 4 18th green is surrounded on three sides by water. Often play this hole as a par 5 with a layup to the left side of the fairway as the only way to safely avoid the water hazard.

I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the course considering the management issues. The fairways and greens were in the best shape I've ever seen them. The sand traps which I severely criticized in a previous review were much improved, however, they still need some work, i.e., replenish the sand as it appears very shallow in many traps. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

In great condition, will play many more times I love the challange

Ask this question to any fellow golfer..."How do you like playing Gillette Ridge?" Most likely you will get two answers. First, they hate the course because it is way to hard. Understandable, though that happens to be the reason why I love it so much. Second, they hate the course because the staff there is complacent (to put it mildly). For me, there is nothing better than stepping up to the first tee of a course that has teeth and will bite each time you make a mistake. Besides the difficulty factor Gillette Ridge is beautiful (in layout and scenery). The stone lined ravines that guard many of the greens make you stop to admire and cringe simultaneously. So every time my buddies ask, "Where do you want to play this week?" I throw Gillette into the hat. However, for as much as I love the course, I would rather play somewhere else because of the staff and management company. In my experience there isn't another group who gets it more wrong. The first tee time is later than any other course I have played. Aren't they interested in making money? The staff has been known to show up 10 minutes before the first tee time is scheduled and proceed to scramble around to get ready. The driving range is closed every other time I play. And the amenities are rarely open or stocked. Sunday was no different. The snack shack near the first tee was closed all day, which forced golfers to go all the way to the clubhouse at the turn. This tacked another ten minutes onto a 5+ hour round. The pace of place was excruciating and yet there wasn't a ranger to be found. The bathrooms at the first turn lacked any paper products at all (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). So again one was forced to go all the way to the clubhouse, where they were out of paper towels as well. I could go on but I think you get my point. If you want to play a challenging and picturesque course then Gillette is for you. But don't expect anyone to roll out the red carpet. In fact, you will be luck to get dusty and worn 60s pink shag.

its got a great layout but sometimes its in bad conditions bc of poor management

The sand traps are a nightmare but the rest of the course is very nice. We played in the middle of leaf season and the leaves were blown where needed. The foursome in front of us thought it was the final round at Pebble Beach apparently, thus that was the only reason for the long round.

Played very tough because of windy cold weather. However, was an interesting layout, and would be a nicer course in calm or fair (less windy) weather. However, some of the fairways are very narrow, and most of the Bunkers sand was too course and hard, making it very difficult to get out of bunkers. While this golf course is O.K. for a good golfer looking for a challenge; however, would not recommend for a novice or beginner golfer. Even for experienced golfers, should expect to lose a few balls.

Played 18 with a cart. It was windy and cold, so approaches required an extra club. Course was in decent shape, but end of season cutbacks??? saw a few tee boxes needing care and one green was totally affected by tire marks firmly planted in it from a maintenance vehicle. Sand traps needed smoothing and fluffing, no blast shots as the sand was too hard in the 2 I hit into, so I putted out.

Course was in decent shape. I love the layout of the course as it features one of the hardest three hole stretches to end a round with!

This course has some challenging holes, but good scores can be achieved as it's not very long. Requires some placement shots of the Tee.

Gillette Ridge has a rep as a difficult course. Certainly there are difficult holes, but overall, it was a pleasure to play this course. I felt the course was female friendly. The clubhouse restaurant had a friendly staff and the usual fare.
Only con, the pro-shop had minimal female items although it is the end of the season.

Course was in good shape, staff was friendly.
Played course within 4 hours.

Course was in excellent condition. Some holes are very challenging. Excellent value. Booked through golfnow.com.