Independence Golf Club

I’ve recently been playing golf a lot more due to the Pandemic. I’ve probably played 25 times since March13th In the Chesapeake/Va Beach area and the Richmond area and Independence Golf Course is by far the nicest place I have played. Worth EVERY penny to play that course! Loved it and will definitely be back to play Soon!!

I have absolutely nothing bad at all to say about this course. I’ve been playing the 4star and up public course within a 75 mile radius of my home these past 3 months and this was stop # 13. For the price I paid using Golfnow this has been #1 from the carts, staff, course conditions, layout view and pace not to mention that the course was packed and we as a foursome still finished our round in 3 and 1/2 hours. I compare it to some of the other 4star rated courses and I wonder how is it possible for some of these other courses to even be mentioned when put up against a course like this! I think it has to do with the amount of money a person can afford or is willing to pay to play. I must admit had it not been discounted at about 40% I probably wouldn’t have played it either. It’s addicting (courses like this) now I really only want to play this type of course. I will pay regular price for this course as many times as my finances would allow. So I guess I’ll be looking for another part time job to just pay for golf lol!

To bad too many trees are coming down. Course is in great shape from tee box to greens. Fastest greens I’ve played on so be prepared. Real nice clubhouse and practice facility.

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.