Independence Golf Club

Course was great, as usual. I stupidly left my clubs on the cart when I returned it and only figured this out when I got home. I called the pro shop and Dale brought my clubs inside and waited 30 minutes (after the shop closed) for me to drive back and retrieve them. Great customer service, thanks Dale.

I wrote about my disappointment in the conditions of Independence when it re-opened back in August. My criticism focused mainly on the revamped greens and how much slower and softer they were compared to previous years.

I’m happy to report that the greens have matured since and have firmed up nicely, producing blazing fast putting speeds like I was used to here before.

The rest of the course has also improved and nearly fully recovered from last year’s harsh winter. Despite a ton of rain, the maintenance crew here has kept up with the bunkers and the fairways, rough, and tee boxes are all lush. It was cart-path only when I played, though only a few holes were wet enough to warrant it.

All else remains unchanged, though I was a little disappointed that the GPS/Shark Experience screens weren’t running the day I played. That would have been especially helpful given the cart-path only rules.

I still think this course is a bit overpriced for what you get but it’s worth playing a couple times a year just for those PGA Tour-fast greens!

Writing a review like this hurts. Having played Independence each of the past 3 years and falling in love with its blazing fast and silky smooth greens that the harsh winter destroyed, it pains me to see this premiere course diminished by sod. I understand the reality and challenges that faced this club months ago when the grass refused to grow back and I can’t fault their efforts to get the course playable again. But there’s no hiding the fact that their biggest asset is now their greatest liability.

Part of what made Independence’s greens so quick was how firm they were. You rarely could even see a ball mark on the greens because of the firmness and toughness of the putting surface. But now with every green sodded, you can feel the sponginess under your feet (however slight) that kills the speed. Additionally, the rows of sod mean a lot of seams and while most have no impact on your putted ball, a few of them do and that’s not what you expect from an $85 round.

If you can overlook the difference in the greens, however, you may find Independence to be an enjoyable place. The fairways and rough are generally in good shape, as are the bunkers. The club offers free range balls on a grass range and excellent practice facilities.

But with the previous greens being the real defence of the course, the lack of dynamic layout characteristics now with the slower greens means there’s not a bevy of value added to your relatively expensive round of golf. One exception to this is the golf carts which retain the most comfortable seats ever and now offer the new Shark Experience screens. I sampled some of the Slacker Radio music offerings and found it to be not only enjoyable but undistracting.

The value of getting to putt on pro-speed greens is lost with the old grass. What we are left with is a pretty average course with a lot of flash to compensate. Many if not most golfers will find it acceptable, but sadly I think your money is better spent elsewhere. I certainly hope that is not the case for long.

Independence GC has struggled with the damage from the winter and this has affected the short course the most since the lingering damage maily impacts the greens and the condition of the green is a primary consideration for playing short courses.

The driving range and practice green were both closed the day I played and rumors have started that the club my have to take drastic measures to repair the greens. On the short course, large sections of nearly every green is still dead making for inconsistent roll and speed. The firmness of the 9th hole remains noticeably softer than other holes.

For $15 walking it's still not a bad value to practice your approach and short game, but it's not as good as it was.

I’ve played on many courses which host PGA events, but none of them have better greens than this course. So smooth. So quick. So true. I admit it made it hard on my sand game when I’d drop the ball next to the hole and have it spin off the green, but I’ll take my lumps for the quality moss.

*This is an updated review. For more of my thoughts on this course, see my full review from 3/9/18*

Since I last reviewed this course a month ago, the conditions have deteriorated some so I wanted to provide an update.

While the still-dormant Bermuda grass and greens can’t be helped due to the time of year and recent weather, there are some issues with several of the greens. The first two holes have greens with large sections that are under repair which makes putting an unintended challenge.

My biggest issue (and I overlooked this in my first review) is the 9th green, which is extremely spongy and soft. That’s great for getting balls to land and stop, but trying to gauge chipping and putting on it is a nightmare.

Lastly, it should be noted that there are alternative pins located on several of the greens so try not to let the big cup get in between you and the one designed for golf.

Overall this is still a good short course to get some practice on, but there are some inconveniences I wish I didn’t have to deal with.

Par-3 courses are perhaps the best-kept secret in recreational golf. They bring sharp focus to your strengths and weaknesses as a golfer while providing more feedback than a driving range, are never crowded, are priced for any budget, and are perfect for today’s fast-paced world where you may only have an hour to spare.

At least that’s my impression after playing Independence’s short course. Granted, it’s still the offseason, so the parking lot for both course’s was pretty empty. But given the wintery conditions, the course was still a rewarding introduction to par-3 golf.

Part of what makes this par-3 course work so well is that Independence prides itself on their greens. After the renovation of the championship course several years ago, the greens became the main defense of the course. Though large and minimally undulating, they are fast with plenty of subtle breaks. So the short course gives your short game the work out it needs while still testing your ability to hit wedges and irons onto greens. In fact, if you ignore tee markers, you can just about tee off with nine different clubs on the 9-hole course.

The conditions for early March were very good. The most impressive been the smoothness of the greens, which in general lack any ball marks, and though a bit sandy, still roll quickly and true. The Bermuda rough is still weeks away from springing to life but is still pretty even which helps with chips and pitches.

The winning attribute of this short course is its value. While the championship course demands a hefty (but reasonable) $70 for a round, the short course will cost you just $15 to walk, $25 to ride during the week (+$5 on the weekends). Considering you still get the best attributes of the fancier course, that’s a steal. Plus you still get access to the driving range, putting green, and practice bunker/green. For improving your game, there’s no better option in the area than Independence.

Really nice course to play. The starter was friendly and gave great advice about the course. The Bermuda rough is a challenge and takes a lot of getting used to. The greens were in very good shape and were fairly quick. The course had received rain overnight and was cart paths only, but that didn't detract from the course or the pace of play. A few of the fairways were a bit wet, but in general it was not too bad. Love the course and will play it any time I'm in the area.

Greens are fast. Really fast. Did I say fast? Conditions are great for the time of the year - Bermuda fairways and greens. Looks great - they paint the dormant fairways green. They have a great bar/restaurant and clubhouse is very nice. Practice facility is the best around. The only thing about Independence is the price. $85 for 18 riding. It's worth it to play if it's in your budget. It's also very walkable if you like to walk. There is also a par 3 course which I have not played but I have heard great things about it. Go play this course.

From bag drop to finish, i was extremely happy. Tee boxes, fairways, sand traps, greens were perfect. Staff was great, range was nice and the two putting green were exceptional. Five star and highly recommend.

Great layout. Best greens in the area. Extremely fast but true. Food is great staff is friendly and attentive. Greens fee is slightly steep but well worth it. A must play if you’re in the area.

Son and I played there on a long weekend trip about 6 hours from home. Played with two great members from Independence GC. Was greeted by great staff and starter. Length is great for the appropriate tees you should play. Fairways were in excellent shape. But star of this course is the greens. 10.5 on stimp. Undulating greens that made some putts very interesting and fun at the same time. Very smooth. No ball marks on greens since they were fairly firm. If you hit a solid shot, you would make a small one. Very playable layout that was not overly hard. Fairways wide and bunkers were very playable. Played in 4 hours, which is great. $85.00 is just a little too much to pay for Independence GC. In my opinion should be around $50.00, but would play here again if in the area. Now for the bad news. Restaurant was not kind to us since it took over 30 minutes to get any food ordered. Was not the waitress fault, but she went to kitchen 2 times to advise them we were driving a long way home and were very hungry. Paid for drinks, left tip for server and left. By the way the food coming out of the kitchen looked very good! Hopefully we will be back soon. Give the pilot(front desk) and air traffic controller(starter) a raise!! They were fantastic!!

Played this course for the first time with my son (college golfer). Course was in excellent condition... greens rolled true... fairways immaculate... bunkers well maintained. Even in windy conditions, this was a great venue and I would play here again... and again. Practice facilities were excellent. This rivals many private courses we have played... can't wait to come back.

Best public course I have ever played!! Great staff, course and pace of play. Best greens you will find anywhere.