Cjgolf25
Well-known member
Introduction
The state of Florida as a long tradition of producing NCAA National Champions in many sports and that includes golf. While you do have big schools such as Florida State and The University of Florida that are quite competitive, Tampa has a school that has seen success in recent years. The University of South Florida boasts a nationally ranked golf team. As of today USF men's are ranked 16th in the country and are looking for their third consecutive NCAA appearance.
USF also has benefit of owning and operating there own golf course. Enter The Claw at USF, a public course designed by William F. Mitchell and home course to the USF men's and women's golf team.
Practice Area - C-
The driving range at The Claw is somewhat of pain to get too. You actually need to travel down the first hole some 300yds to get to the hitting area. The only other way to access it is to actually drive your own car to a small parking lot, but unless you're on the golf team, that's not an option. Plenty of grass and mats with multiple targets to hit too and in great shape. Unfortunately drivers and woods are no nos here and you're only limited to your irons and wedges.
Located off to the right of the driving range is a gorgeous short game area. USF renovated this once wasted area with two smooth and pure rolling greens. Multiple pins line the greens for pitching and bunker areas. This was such a well maintained area, you might have thought you were at Augusta. One problem, this gorgeous short game area is only for the men's and women's golf team. I was actually on the area hitting a few pitch shots when one of the maintenance guys told me that the area closed off to the public and its only for the team. This is especially frustrating because on their own website they advertise a great short game area next to the driving range. Unless you come from certain direction you would think that the short game area is open to the public until you see a small sign that tells you otherwise. Aside from that there was no visible putting green available that I could utilize.
Course Condition - B-
For the most part the condition seemed above average. On this particular day the course was a bit wet from rain the previous night, and you could see it in parts of the course. However none of it really effected play too much, I may have one really wet lie. Tee boxes were in good condition with the exception of two of them. I did notice that certain parts of the tee boxes felt a little uneven. Due to the rain the early part of my round saw bunkers that played as if they were packed. As the round progressed the sand dried, and the bunkers loosen a little. These are far from fluffy bunkers though. Playing the front nine, the greens were rolling great. They were a little quick but that was fine. Going to the back nine I was a little upset to find out that they were aerating the greens. It made putting very difficult.
Beware, shots that seem to go offline a bit might catch you an iffy lie. Because of the trees that line the course, there are some hard spots by them. Though the holes that play by the streets look almost immaculate and those "hard lies" are almost non existent.
Layout - B+
The Claw advertises a tight and challenging course and they aren't kidding. Each hole is lined with either trees or water. You won't find houses on this course however some holes play along side a busy street. Course knowledge really gives you an advantage. Several holes play longer than their yardage states and if your not careful you could up hitting the perfect drive in the water. Several tee shots look very intimidating, and it's the heart of the course. Most of the greens are elevated and well protected by bunkers.
The Claw does a good job of offering a variety of tees. It's highly recommended that you tee it forward here, especially if it's your first go around. The Claw offers three tees for men and two for women. (Light green offers both men and women rating and slope)
Dark Green - 73.6/135
Gold- 71.0/126
Light Green- M:69.5/122 W:73.9/126
Yellow - W: 70.8/117
Pace of Play - A-
The course can get busy but I had no issues with pace. Everyone on the course played at a great pace and there was hardly a wait on the tees. The Marshals are only present on the weekends.
Price - A
To get the best rate you need to book online either on golfnow.com or theclawatusf.com. Booking over the phone will end up being more expensive and they even warn you of that on there website.
Weekend rates run between $37.00-$35.00 for morning tee times to as low as $22.00 for later times. Weekday rates will run you $27.00-$24.00 with as low as $17.00 for later times. All online rates include cart and you even have an option to use a Golfboard if you want but that will cost extra. In my opinion the rates a very reasonable and a good value.
Amenities - C
Bring water is my big advice. There are only a few water stations throughout the course. The only bathrooms are at the clubhouse so beware. Cart girls are only there on weekends.
The Claw is home to Rocky's Sports Grill, named after USF mascot Rocky the Bull. Rocky's shares a building with the proshop to make up the clubhouse and offers a decent menu. Typical bar food can be found here along with a full service bar.
Overall - B
I find it odd that a National Ranked Golf team would play a course that might seem mediocre especially when compared to some of the course that colleges around the country operate. No tournament is actually held at the Claw, so it's safe to say this course is really all practice for the team. In fact USF was chosen to host the 2015 National Championship for both the men and women but USF has chosen to host the championship in Bradenton at The Concession Golf Club.
Playing at the right time of the year will also dictate what type of round you have. With the college golf season concluding and snow birds leaving, The Claw goes into maintenance mode in preparation for the next season. They have even been known to put in temporary greens in the fairway.
The Claw at USF is challenging, plain and simple. At the price they offer, I would say it's worth a look under the right circumstances. Tampa Bay offers a great selection of course, and The Claw doesn't really have wow factor that could label it as a must play. I'd say if you are visiting the Tampa area and wanted to golf on a budget, it's worth a consideration. The Claw definitely over takes most of the courses in difficulty in the area with that price point.
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