World Woods being acquired by the Cabot Links Group
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- #127
A Noted Skeptic's First Look at the Karoo at Cabot Citrus Farms - Beyond The Contour
Reading Time: 9 minutes The Karoo does what all golf courses should do, first and foremost: that is, it
beyondthecontour.com
I played the WW courses a number of times for < $50 a round and thought the conditions were great. Kinda sad they took this hidden gem and turned it into another over priced "real estate destination". Yeah the courses needed some TLC but they're just 2 more courses priced out of reach for the casual player.
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- #129
The fact they were charging 50 bucks should have been a red flag though. Rolling Oaks greens were sometimes not even cut or rolled that day. Pine Barren greens were always struggling with some sort of soil/grass issue. They can’t afford to take care of it at only 50pp, given the amount of space they had to also take care of. Something had to give, and that prior owner didn’t want to spend money to take care of it.
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- #131
You woulda been SOL till this afternoon at best. Smart call though
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- #132
Playing April 8th at Karoo.
World Woods was one of my favorite locations when playing junior tournaments back in the day. Enjoyed it being in the middle of nowhere and being just golf without the resort feel. Looks awesome from the photos. Kind of stinks it took a corporate takeover to bring it to this level though.
Talking with the guys at the course, Cabot has purchased even more land there to make at least two more courses on site. The cottages are going to be super cool for a stay and play type of thing as well.
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Seems like they will be creating a Streamsong look a like.
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- #136
Similar feel. I am surprised they didn’t have a clubhouse already built or nearly complete. They haven’t broken ground and it’s not supposed to be done until 2025. Why the delay?
I really want to see them speed the greens up some. I’m a little sadistic, but the course would be really fun if they bumped them up to Streamsong speeds.
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- #137
World Woods was around prior to Streamsong. Poor Japanese ownership. Originally as they bought 6000 acres and built the 2 courses. Big clubhouse, hotel and other courses were to follow. Now in hands of capable ownership, the place will flourish. What's neat is they are only 2 hours apart.
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Played World Woods and Streamsong in 2019. Rated them Streamsong Red, Pine Barrens then Blue and Oaks in that order with Black way down.
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- #140
Can’t be any better than we were
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Im going to look for your missing ball on that one par 4. It is still out there i bet.
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- #142
Ugh.. That freakin hole. Worst kind of double bogey, when you’re pretty sure someone jacked your ball but you can’t prove it
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- #143
There on the 8th. Looking forward to this reunion.
Let us know how it is playing. Hopefully the greens are rolling well now.
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- #145
Will report in.
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Fun day yesterday with my pops, older brother - who I have not golfed with in 25 years, recently picked the game back up, and a friend.
We took double bag caddies, pops took a cart, thankfully not cart path only.
weather high was 80* and I got FRIED! Make sure to lather up in sunscreen.
played some decent golf. Moved back to the silvers this time, much less wind.
All four players played same ball all day, a rarity.
We took double bag caddies, pops took a cart, thankfully not cart path only.
weather high was 80* and I got FRIED! Make sure to lather up in sunscreen.
played some decent golf. Moved back to the silvers this time, much less wind.
All four players played same ball all day, a rarity.
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- #147
A return to a course I have truly loved. Candidly, they opened too early. Greens are not receptive at all and yet are slow and bumpy. Ton of need for work all along the edges. Had a few lies unlike any I have ever had. Spoke with a few knowledgable workers there and they confirmed what I had thought. The 18 holes sit exactly where they did previously. Massive number of trees removed. more bunkers. Much soil added to create humps and bumps. Lot of additional tee boxes added and 17th changed from par 4 to 5. Ultimately this will be amazing but not in near future. They have a lot of homes built and all are sold. Believe they expect much stay and play thru rentals of homes. A return come a year from now.
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- #148
My bud who I went with advised course was in worse shape than when he played it 3 weeks prior. He also said that a whole bunch of extra homes were being built vs what was there 3 weeks ago. The owner was on premise day we were there. The pitch on home purchase is that they expect massive stay and play thru rentals of the homes. The two short courses were open and being played. Karoo was about full. My main complaint is that the contours of the greens demand air assault yet they aren't receptive at all. Realize it's early but it's also rain season. Nice that the two best holes on course, 15 and 12 are basically unchanged. The removal of so many trees creates additional playing areas. Especially on the back 9.
The change to 3rd hole from being 18 handicap hole to being number 1 is crazy. They must have trucked in 100 loads to create the contours on the right. Having the tips at 292 with the humps and bumps present is interesting. Even playing the tangerine tees which were 4th from back and 6300 about created a 190 par 3 for 3. One of our group threw a nice high ball to the green to watch it's first bounce go 10 feet high and into bunker over. Couple of us including me hit nice shots out to right and they rolled up to edge of green. As I jog my memory banks close to 1/2 of the course is very much unchanged other than tree removal and bunker recontouring.
Will be interesting to watch the maturation of the place. Cabot is positioned as top tier in the golf world right now. Links and Cliffs in Nova Scotia. Purchase of Castle Stuart Scotland and Tom Doak just completing 2nd course there. Cabot St Lucia looks insane. Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia. Heck of a portfolio and more coming.