If your group liked Big Blue they’ll hate Connemara. Widows Watch a much better option. You may want to consider trucking down to Richmond for Gibson Bay and or Boone’s Trace if you’re already down that way. But if you are looking to spend time in south Lexington, Lakeside or even Picadome are better than Connemara IMO (I’m not much of a fan of Tates Creek).
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2nd Picadome, played that a shit load when I was in grad school.
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Why is that? I’m flying blind on Connemara.
Related: got our Air BnB sorted out and for once we’ll all be under one roof and right next to Town Branch Distillery—any news from locals on operations there and at the brewery? Are they open and serving customers?
It’s just kind of unremarkable. Granted I have not played there in some time but the conditioning has always just been so-so and there aren’t many interesting features (i.e. little in the way of elevation changes, water, bunkering, green complexes, variety in tees, etc). It’s value golf for locals. Which is fine! But I don’t know if it’s what you’re after in terms of a golf trip destination.
I will defer to others who are currently living in Lex to answer your Town Branch question but I imagine that every joint in and around that Manchester Street/distillery district will be open and serving customers, especially if they have any kind of outside seating setup (the Break Room comes to mind).
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No, that’s helpful. All of us are people who appreciate a good local value course, but as you say, when you are on a golf trip you want to play something a bit nicer.
Another question, does anyone know if any of Lexington CC’s are amenable to limited outside play midweek? None of us have “insert name CC membership,” so having a pro call isn’t an option. But are there clubs in town that might consider a request for two tee times from a group that would appreciate the opportunity?
I would push back slightly on this Connemara take. While I don’t think this is totally correct, its not totally wrong either. Like yourself, I have not played there in probably 5 years, so cannot speak to current conditions.
I think what you described above is 100% correct for the back 9. It feels like the designer put together a plan for 11 good holes and then just got bored and threw in the towel. 12-18 at Connemara are a prime example of boring, hit-it-and-go-get-it golf. Its lifeless and feels like a chore.
With that being said, I think the front 9 is great and might have been one of my favorite 9-hole stretches to play after school/work when I lived in Lexington. 1 and 2 are nice handshake starting holes both as par 5’s on the card (but more like 4.5s). 3 is long par 3 with a pretty good downhill elevation change with water left of the green. 4 is a challenge, but the tee shot through an uncomfortably narrow shoot of trees is a fun challenge after the first 2 holes feel like you can hit it anywhere. 5 is a very gettable par 3, framed on two sides by a cool looking rock quarry. 6 has a challenging approach shot into a semi-peninsula green. 7 is a straight forward par 3, but who doesn’t love a shamrock shaped bunker?? 8 and 9 are fine, with drivable and elevated tee shot par 4s respectively.
Is it a must play on a golf trip? No. Is it a fun twilight 9 after a dinner at Gumbo Yaya a few minutes up the road? Definitely, in my opinion.
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shout out gumbo yaya
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Hey now we’re talking. @rkris, hit up Connemara but do what @nicke93 suggests and just skip the back. Done and done!
Believe me I didn’t set out to dump on Connemara. It’s more that for a group coming in from out of town, you can definitely do the local value thing in Lexington at, say, Picadome or Lakeside, which will only be marginally more expensive than Connemara and give you just a little more to talk about over some cold pops afterward.
@nicke93 I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know but for @rkris, #9 at Lakeside is a 655yd Par 5 (wild man), the approach into 18 is a real white-knuckler, last time I was there it was a little shabby but a fun mix of holes. At Picadome, the 8th and 10th share a green, there are plenty of different ways to sort of plot the ball around so it’s good for most skill levels - I don’t know, not sure who the architect was but the place has always has kind of a Golden Age feel to it (to me, anyway).
@rkris I have no insight into LCC, unfortunately.
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Gumbo Yaya . . . I’m interested, keep talking…
I’m all in on Picadome, being a lover of Muni golf and having driven by it a few times.
Could crush some gumbo yaya or bourbon n toulouse right now. Starving.
I played Lakeside with JB Holmes when we were in college…fun track.
I haven’t been to Connemara since before Alltech bought it, so can’t provide much insight there. I can say Picadome is still probably a better option.
As for Lexington country clubs, I believe with Spring Valley closing, that probably put an end to the more accessible CC’s. You might stand a chance with Greenbrier, but I can say Idle Hour and LexCC are gonna be no-go’s, and probably pretty unlikely for Keene Trace courses. If you have a pro to call for you, LCC, Keene and Champions are possibilities. Andover and Spring Valley are gone, and someone let me know if I am forgetting one that is still open.
Big fan of both Greenbrier and LCC, I’d bet Greenbrier would be willing on a weekday with a smaller group if a pro calls ahead.
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Gumbo Yaya is the thing I miss most about living in Lexington. I think I ate Maque Choux on pasta for lunch on 95% of the Sundays I was in school. Found myself in town a couple weeks ago and was able to fix my craving with a heaping side of nostalgia.
Secret menu item: Maque Choux over Jambalaya.
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In my friend group, you could not be a fan of both B&T and Gumbo Yaya. You had to choose sides. Many heated debates to this day.
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I should have bought stock in B&T when I lived there. We used to eat it all the damn time.
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I think we’re totally on the same page. The back 9 stinks. It would not be on my list of recommendations for someone coming to town for a golf trip. Too many other good options available for an 18-hole round.
But would recommend Connemara for someone looking for variety for after work, 9-hole rounds (sans Nicholasville Rd traffic).
Yeah, the vibe I got from IH and LCC just from their Internet presence was “old money, don’t bother.” Greenbrier seemed a bit more “corporate CC.” Like a Prestonwood CC vibe in Cary, NC. Those places tend to want to be a little showy and tend to be a little more open, IMHO.
Bourbon N’ Toulouse is the ONLY option. This Gumbo yaya talk is madness.
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