The Vue

I thought I already did this,but here goes. Save your money. The only good thing were the greens. Excellant. The traps haven't seen a rake in 2 years judging bybthe weeds and rocks in them. Tees were rough,fairways ok.

The nicest thing I can say is the greens are beautiful . The fairways are just ok. let's not talk about the condition of the tees. The sand traps look like they haven't seen a rake in at least 2 years,judging by the height of the weeds growing in them between the rocks. They were so bad we took an automatic free lift out of them. Based on what we pay at other courses, Laurel View is WAY overpriced.

Designed some fifty years ago by the able team of Geoffrey Cornish and Bill Robinson, Laurel View Country Club sports enough hills, valleys, ponds, swales, doglegs, plateau greens--and the big, greenside bunkers, a recurring theme of the course--to keep you engaged throughout the routing. There is also the woods, which can be a problem, especially, on the inward half: you can’t let tee shots stray too far from these green and rolling fairways. Careful management of your tee-to-green game is a must at Laurel View. This was my first play of the course, but the round was enjoyable and I’ll return before too long, no doubt.

The Layout:

More than clever design tricks or diabolical hazards, Cornish and Robinson are masters of balance in course design. Not surprisingly, what stood out was the shift from the openness of the front nine to the utterly different back side, where woods encroach constantly on both sides of nearly every fairway, and where elevation changes are even more dramatic and relentless. My bias tends to fall on the side of links-like, spacious fairways without too many trees, and the front nine fit this bill squarely. I learned that this nine was once farmland, but it’s been converted to holes that flow beautifully over the terrain.

The front opens with a pair of good but tame holes, then kicks into higher gear by the third, with a partially blind tee shot to a narrow fairway framed by trees on the right and a reedy pond to the left. At the fifth, a long par-five ups the ante a bit more--it’s one of the course’s best holes--by a landing area flanked with trouble and by a well-guarded green set on a knoll. Few players will be putting for eagle here. The sixth, however, can be a two-shotter on the strength of two solid and accurate strikes, given the long green, open in the front, which favors a good run-up approach onto its slightly elevated surface.

After a routine, short four-par, seven through nine provide the toughest stretch on the front. The seventh, a very long three-par, will require a club up to a full-bore driver to reach the plateau green, amply protected by massive bunkering (see photo). Eight, a robust par-5 of 579, starts as a wonderful driving hole dropping steeply to a generous fairway, and then supplies ample room to get as close to the green as your three-wood may allow. Nine is a no-holds-barred, uphill, 459-yard brute of a par four on which your drive had better be good. To qualify that: long and without a hook. The second shot is actually the more demanding of the two, travelling farther up the steep hill to a green fortified by some of Cornish’s trademark large-lobed bunkers embedded (with devilish intent) in giant mounds. The green, at least, is relatively flat.

On the back side, all nine holes were good, with some heroically-styled types like the par-5 14th(Cornish was influenced by the work of Robert Trent Jones, Sr. a great deal), and a couple of penal ones like the 11th, with its tight, sloping fairway guarded by woods all the way to the hole.

Still, these three holes stood out most:

Twelve: The mid-length par-three over a pond benefits even further from a steep slope off the front, an upslope behind containing a huge shelf-like trap, not to mention three other flanking bunkers. Add to that a two-tiered green, and I’ll suggest that par is well defended here.

Sixteen is the classic toughie, on which you’ll be hoping to pull off a perfect draw to handle the strong bend in the long, descending fairway. It may play downhill, but it still measures 425, and the fairway is narrow. On the approach, the ideal play is to bounce the ball just short of the green to end up safely on it. Make a par here and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief.

Eighteen, the 389-yard, clever finisher, tempts you with its visibly angled fairway, a fairway that proves elusive to hit with a driver. Big hitters may want to smash it as far up the hill as they dare; the trick is to still find the short grass. And green 18 caps things off with a four-foot uprise in the front, meaning your wedged or short-iron approach must be precise--or you’ll then need to finesse a chip shot.

Conditioning: Up and Down

Last year the course apparently suffered from weak conditions (see: GA reviews). The good news is that management has chosen to revitalize conditions by focusing first on greens and fairways. These were quite good, although the greens seemed as if they hadn’t been cut for a few days. Their smooth surfaces gave the impression that putts would roll swiftly on them, but they played at medium speed. Fringes and most of the areas directly around the greens were also good. Fairway and greenside roughs, on the other hand, were only fair: you might get more bad lies than usual in either. Tees were average. Bunkers were the big weakness: some have been improved, but many were devoid of their top layer of sand, and some compromised by weeds and even rocks. The peripheral areas of these holes also appear to be a construction project, still, with wood chips (many trees have been chopped down) and patches/areas of dirt hindering the appearance.

Setting:

A strong point of the course. You’ll appreciate some terrific vistas throughout and notably on the front side. Views off into the wooded hills and from some of the course’s high points are often outstanding; the clubhouse, too, is well situated on a high hill.

Service and Playing Experience:

Nate presented a few useful pointers at the front desk before I ventured out. He was also knowledgeable about the course and its background. The round took about 3 and ½ hours, and I was fortunate to join up with two like-minded and very good golfers on the back--by the initials of C. and A. “Mr. A” hit the ball like Tony Finau, nearly bombing the 18th green with his drive. “Mr. C” was a “solid but consistent” Steve Sricker type (in the words of his partner). Both enjoyed their close match that went down to the final putt. A fun afternoon, despite the blazing heat.

Some conclusions:

True, LVCC is still in a state of flux with conditioning, but clearly things appear to be moving in a positive direction. A fine layout with many strong holes makes it worthwhile. Add to that a stern course rating of 74.0 against par of 72, not to mention its slope of 136, and this has all anyone can handle from the deep tees. Give it a go.

If you have ever played Laurel View in the past few years then you know it wasn’t in great shape. I’m happy to report that it has improved drastically and is getting better every time I play. The tee boxes are in great shape, the greens are rolling perfect and the fairways are in great shape too!! The rough needs to grow in (but we shouldn’t be there anyways…lol) and the bunkers are slowly getting fixed. Some have the new white sand are showing what’s to be coming soon. Overall, the course is showing a lot of improvement and is looking like it’s heading in the right direction.

The course has lots of work going on but it is coming back

Played this several years ago and would never go back THEN. Surprise... new owners and grounds clean up. Much better now. Open fairways, less tree blockage.

Still a geographic course but more enjoyable. I recommend going back and try it out yourself, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

They have really cleaned up this course. The greens and fairways were in excellent conditions. The sand traps around the par 3’s were nice but most other sand traps were filled with rocks and plants and almost impossible to hit out of. I would definitely play this course again.

This was my second time playing here and it was way better than the first. They are making improvements and putting in the effort. Only thing lacking was the sand traps. Everything else was in great shape. Will return

I always liked this layout. It’s a shame this course was allowed to go downhill like it did. Today the greens were great and the fairways were very good. Most bunkers are clay filled disasters. I see improvements are underway but really need to occur before I rate this place higher.

I remember Laurel View years ago when it was a course in great shape and people loves to play there. The course unfortunately for years went down hill until what I can only surmise new management/ownership took over.

They have been putting money back into the course updating some of the facilities and also clearing out a lot of the dead wood from the tornado that went through the area.

They have also opened the course up to some degree. Anyone who played Laurel View years ago remembers how tight it was. Now I think it is a good mix and it will also help pace of play. Opening things up a bit also has contributed to the scenary and being able to see the rolling hills.

I had avoided the course for years since it went down hill but they are doing a great job with it and I will be back. My hope is that they continue with the improvements to return it to what it was years ago.

Great job this far management/owners!!

I was pleased to see the many improvements to coarse. Greens and Fairways very good

I used to play it over 25 yrs ago and really enjoyed the beauty Today, We didn’t see anyone out on the course as a ranger or any bag check person to help . . It appeared almost deserted Understanding the damage to the course from the tornado, we were surprised how much damage and trees down remained the weeds on the off fairway Teebox grounds were excessive hard Presented as the whole place is run down compared to how it was yrs ago

Didn’t feel the price reflected the quality it should have been Sad to see

Management did a great job taking trees down and opening up the course. Well maintained course.

I did really enjoy playing the course but the bunkers were awful and they cut way too many trees and now I feel like the course is just too easy compared to how it used to be

Laurel View is not what it use to be. However, you can tell they are trying to fix it up. Always enjoyed the layout. Keep up the good work.