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Review:
I have played Tour 18 about five or six times in the last three years, with one of those rounds being in a jewelry industry tournament. Tour 18 Dallas is a nice course to play with each hole being interesting due to the fact they are copies of the eighteen most famed holes in the USA.
For almost everyone, this would be the only chance to experience the holes made famous by Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus over the last fifty years. You get your chance at a hole very much like the island green #17 at Sawgrass, the par three #6 at Riviera with the sand trap in the middle of the green, along with holes #11,12 and 13 from Augusta National. Due to the fact that this course gets lots of foreigners--and play in general--expect a slower than average round; they have, however, taken some measures to speed play. I would rate Tour 18 higher but, other than the first time I played there, it has not been in the best of shape (one of the drawbacks to bent greens on very heavily played courses like this). The average player just refuses to fix ball marks on greens or doesn’t know how even if they try to repair their ball marks. Bent greens have a hard enough time surviving the hot Texas summers but with 75,000 plus rounds a year and players who won't be back any time soon not caring enough to fix a few ball marks on each hole, these courses just have no chance of being in top shape. The value is still quite high as they have lowered their average green fee over the last few years and have even added a good quality buffet lunch as a bonus.
I really like the layout and, like most, will never get to play the majority of the holes simulated at Tour 18, but I like to play courses in top shape with less traffic or I would rate Tour 18 much higher. Everyone should get a round in here as the experience is unique and the value is pretty good. Let us know if you play there and the conditions are great--I will replay and re-rate the course if this occurs. Play well and enjoy.
--Patrick Grissom
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Golf Course Review: Tour 18
