Looks to me like they are removing the weeds first an keeping The Goosegrass an Tropical Signal grass out of fairways an collars Weeds people! Reclaiming the Bermuda Grass! The ideal warm season grass the course was first built and sprigged with, not the weeds that years an years an years of neglect have taken it over! To reclaim a golf course that is over run with that many years of neglect does take time. It,s not going to happen over night! There is new Bermudagrass growth in the fairways an the collars more so than years past when no ferilizers or pre-emerge or post emerge herbicides were used. Due to the the agronomic practices they have been doing! Aeration, verti cutting, topdressing, etc of fairways, greens an collars they are pushing the Bermudagrass growth with weekly applications of fertilzer, one which promotes lateral growth called Stolons. Thank you. Now you,ve had your first lesson in Reclaiming a Neglected Gol Course. Sincerely,. F.H.E., G.C.S.

I was truly disappointed with the course. The fairways looked like sheep had been grazing on them.The tee boxes were crabgrass.This course used to a 4 star course, not sure what happened.

The greens were generally in good shape but the rest of the course was suffering. Most fairways had large patches of dirt and the tee boxes were pretty shabby. Too bad to let such a good layout suffer from lack of maintenance. The super should probably resign if thats the best he can do....

Nice course, not too difficult. Was in good shape when I played, a couple of the greens needed work. Probably one of the best courses for the money. I always like playing here.

Greens are just OK, the rest of the course is like golfing on dirt and weeds. Horrible fairways and tee boxes. It is cheap, but for $5 more you can golf at a nicely maintained course. I wouldnt golf here again even if they dropped the price to one dollar. Shame that they keep this course open.

THIS COURSE SHOULD NOT BE OPEN FOR PLAY. Played here a couple months back and the course was in good shape. Went back this past weekend and it was as if they had purposely killed all the grass on tee boxes/fairways/rough. Come to find out they must have as the clubhouse staff said that the place changed owners and they did it on purpose. They should warn you that the course is in such bad shape if you book there or simply CLOSE for play until it has grass once again. VERY DISSAPOINTED.

This course may be the worst course I have ever played on. The tee boxes were horribly manicured, the fairways were made of sand(not sand traps), craters, gorges and no distinction between tee box, fairway, rough or putting greens. This place needs a new owner. I would go and play River Club or Greenfield.

Nickle and dime, worst experience for me golfing. Could write a lot of detail, but that summarizes it.

For starters, the course itself is great. Nice greens, well maintained tee boxes, and some challenging holes. They space their tee times out so you arent stacked behind extremely slow foursomes. Though this is Florida, and it only takes one elderly group to bring the pace to a standstill. We got lucky.I hope management is reading this, however, because there were only TWO water coolers on the entire course. When its 85 degrees out and humid, playing thirsty is not fun. Had we have known there would be no water provided on the course I would have brought a gallon jug.The food from the club house is pretty abysmal for the price. I paid $5.75 for a bag of lays and a gas station hot dog. Bring your own food as well.All in all, I will come back to play again as the course itself is a nice change from what Im used to.

Greens are in good shape, rest of the course is terrible. Shaggy tee boxes, weeds and first spots all over the fairway.

Lots of fun but fairways could use some HELP!

Great customer service, friendly, and accommodating. Challenging course, nice greens, but tee boxes could use some work.

Horrible course! What a goat track! Pics on website do not, I repeat, do not look like the actual course! The photo that I have attached is hole number 11. The entire course is like the pic. The cart paths are dirt. You would think that a course in the Lakewood Ranch area would be in excellent condition. Not even close! I should have known something was up when I pulled into the parking lot and there was only one car! What a schitthole! Dont waste your time or money unless you like playing in the dirt/mud.

Great staff, fun course and good shape. Great layout and close to 75 for easy access from anywhere. Always a good time!#AskAncona

Great course theyve really come a long way from a few years ago

Seriously the golf course is in BAD SHAPE, Although the greens are healing from being punched, about 80% of the tee boxes just arent burnt you a literally hitting off sand, and the fairway are just horrible!!!! Great layout but the course seems lost.

New owners are awesome bringing the place back to its beauty. Really care about the place and its showing

Course is in good condition considering the amount of play it gets. Much improved fairways over past years. Greens are fast.

A nice course with some interesting holes. The course is not overwhelming and has no wow factors but it plays nice the greens are in decent shape and roll okay, not fast but any means but not slow either. The fairways are tight but not worn thin. Also everyone is pleasant and helpful something I like. I think if you havent played the course there, go ahead and give it a try, trust me youll enjoy it.

Course in great shape. Challenging course. Lots of wild life around the course.

This place is in awful shape, the fairways look like the mowed them with a bulldozer!!! The tee boxes were all sand, the greens were fair

It had golf carts, holes and water but you call it a golf course is a bit of a stretch.

An absolute blast. Had a group of Ten and got out for some awesome golf. Greens are challenging and course was in great shape. Coming back next year for sure!!!

Fairways full of weeds, greens do not roll true. Course is a slightly groomed pasture. Played 10.222019. Have not played it for 3 years. Will never play it again.

Needs winter seeding for bare areas

Nice course but were backed up pretty bad. The manager said that there was a glitch in the system and he tried to make it up with people. He did a good job.

Course and Greens great shape, rain has helped get the course in shape

Nice course... Reasonably priced for winter in Florida..

Greens pumpy Tee boxes bare fairways tons of weeds

We played here yesterday and the entire course is in bad shape except for the greens. Dont waste your time or money. This course used to be really nice, not sure why they arent taking care of it.

In great shape, but lost a lot of balls

Nice practice facilities. Course in pretty good shape. Much better than a few years ago.

Really enjoyed this challenging course. Lots of water to navigate, a mix of wide & narrow fairways, well maintained rough, and perhaps the best greens in the county. Looking forward to playing again when its not quite so hot out (there isnt a ton of shade).

Challenging holes for all levels, right now greens are in good shape

Course was in good condition but the greens had just been cut and they had clumps of grass which had to be picked up before putting.

.Greens are good. Fairways are rough and under repair. Great layout for shot makers.

3 great pickleball courts

Well managed course. A 5 star in progress.

Started with the staff inside and out, looking to make your golf day the best. Course is in great condition, just enough of a challenge to make it fun and thoughtful. Will return

Poor course management, horrible greens, no ranger, no beverage cart. unless you have 5 hours to play avoid this place, too many other courses to play that actually manage play.

Awesome course. Staff was amazing. Was my first time playing golf in Florida and was not let down.

Greens ok. But omg the fairways were hardpan or if there was any green ground it was weeds. The worst fairways ever. Staff friendly but not worth it unless you want to just practice your putting.

Played this course 021217 for the very first time. Very impressed! Top Notch all the way from the course to the clubhouse, etc.. Every hole was a new visual treat for the eyes, you do not see other holes while you are playing yours, fairways, greens in excellent shape, very challenging but playable. I paid about $50 during season - i would pay about $75 to play this course and not be upset about the price. Seriously, this course is great.

Ok, not bad, great $$

Great service from bag drop to proshop, course is in good shape the fairways are very good and greens are a little slow but roll true

Nice course, greens are good and true. If youre a big hitter better know your shorter woods.

Just played there over the weekend, and the course is a rat trap. Fairways in terrible shape, tee boxes are just as bad. The only couple bright spots was the staff, and the greens are in decent shape. Weeds in traps is another issue along with not being able to differentiate the rough from the fairways. This used to be a very well maintained course, but Im not sure what has happened to have it play the way it played over the weekend on Saturday.

Better than i remember. Fairways decent, greens quick even though airated.

Course was in typical great shape. Perfect weather, imperfect golfers, made for an enjoyable round. Get the INsider card and save on every round. Well be back.

Course had a few rough spots here and there, greens a little slower than I typically like but were in pretty good condition. This course design has a little more imagination to it than many in the area, so it does make for a little more of a enjoyable round for me. All staff working today were very friendly, sorry no names but all were very accommodating.

Greens were awesome. Course in best shape i have seen in a while.

Updating my rating. Course has bounced back nicely. Better fairways and greens compared to years past. Fun track with force carries, and tight shot making approaches. One of the better public courses around if they keep this up.

Played here many times. Probably in the best shape ever. Its one of those courses you have to play several times until you know how to play each hole... every hole. Fun!

Also price is unbeatable for late morning and afternoon.

I was surprised by the course. Much better than expected and a challenge. With the exception if poor traps everything else was in above average condition. Very decent value play.

Very nice course and friendly staff. Course is tight and you need to know distances to corners of doglegs and hazards or its easy to hit through fairways. Fairway, sand, and green conditions were top notch

Fairways are a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10

Poor conditions. tees were shabby. Good layout, needs attention.

A very challenging course. Lots of woods, water, and narrow fairways. If you want ro work on precision shots - this is the right place. Well maintained and a very nice clubhouse.

Terribly maintained. There was barely a blade of green. What was green was as tall as me, or a weed. Save your money and hit golf balls on the beach. Worst golf course ever played.

Outstanding great greens tough fun good staff will go back

I can only give 3 stars, which I consider average. Ive played several golf courses on vacations over the last dozen years, and living here the last two.I played this course a few times for free since a golfing buddy had a step-daughter who worked there.It just wasnt right to not give it a sub-par review under the aforementioned condition.Now that she has moved on to another course, I can now say The Preserves needs attention. Especially its tee areas, fairways, and some Greens, especially based off its prices.With all the courses here, there is little excuse.

Great layout but golfers need to fix their divits and ball marks on the greens

Nice lay out and reasonably priced.

Very satisfied. Very fun and challenging course and had fun

I booked a tee time at The Preserve in advance through golf now. Because it was a hot deal I had to pay in advance. After paying online I began to read some reviews (here and on other sites). I was worried-most people had reviewed the course as being beat up, with very poor greens and fairways, and generally not worth the time to play it.I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and layout of this golf course. Some tee boxes were a little beat up,and some fairways had weeds sprouting up. Overall I thought this was an excellent course (especially for $12 with a cart in the afternoon!) The layout is challenging with some blind shots and some forced lay ups. Lots of dog legs and lots of water to carry are common features. I will definitely be playing here again. When friends from up north come to visit, this is one of the first courses I will be taking them to play. I shot an 84 and only lost a couple of balls, a good day by any account!

Conditions were good. Tight course. Lots of water.

Guess theyre trying to bring it back. Not quite there yet. Used to love it 3 or 4 years ago

Was told they were doing work to the fairways and it was, “a bit muddy”. After the 1st tee shot it was clear the course was completely gone. Spend the extra few $ and play literally, anywhere else.

The course is in nice shape, greens. Quick, but play was slow.

Decent course. Inexpensive. Recently improved greens and fairways. Not too crowded. It is a good value, but narrow. Pretty views.

This course is in great shape. All of the staff from the cart guys when you arrive to the bartender when you leave are extremely friendly people. I love this place.

BEST greens Ive seen!

Because is very nice well laid out. The green are smooth and running great

This course is gem among public courses. Green is smooth and fast, running at about 11 when i played in early Feb. The course is also challenging in other aspects.- Its very long from the tips - 7,000 yards- Its got two long par-3s- Fairways are narrow on a few holes, and landing spot can be blind- Lots of water in playI love it! Also price is unbeatable for late morning and afternoon.

Good test of golf, fast greens, lots of water.

Excellent course nice staff greens are true

Course is well maintained, narrow with decent greens. Not much available for food and beverage. Pleasant staff.

Overwhelmingly rude old man at the counter told me they dont have 9 hole rate although their website says they do. Also seemed like he didnt want to give me a tee time (on a slow Wednesday) even though their online tee times werent working. He was so condescending in his tone it took every ounce of restraint I had to not be as rude to him as he was to me. Hes obviously leading a miserable life so, I win. Stay angry, pops.

Beware - false advertising!!! I signed my family up for the Players Development Program that advertised WEEKLY golf clinics Saturdays and Wednesdays. Since joining, there are barely any Saturday clinics offered and the Wednesdays we were told would start up again during the busy season - now (during the busy season) were told they are not doing them.They advertised Juniors play for FREE and the junior age is 18 years and under, but then charged my 16 year old son as an adult and they questioned the age of my 13 year old daughter (whos 53 and definitely looks her age). They called her a big girl and wanted to charge her as an adult too, even though they had her age in the system because of the Players Development Program.Then when we tried to cancel, because we were told we could cancel at any time - they showed us the fine print that says you must give so many days notice.On top of that, the course is the worst course I have ever played on - horrible conditions!!! Barely playable.Shady, shady, shady...FALSE ADVERTISING!!! (we still have the advertising sheet showing what youre supposed to get as part of the PDP)

Very Challenging Course

I love playing the Preserve at Tara after work for a quick 9 holes. its a great challenging course that everyone can play. The staff is very friendly and accommodating.

Husband and I absolutely loved the course and property. Alligators and all. Bring lots of balls.

Great track and dont miss it

I suppose you get what you pay for. First of all the staff was very friendly and everything involving them went smoothly. The layout of the course is very intriguing. There are some very good golf holes even though the par 5s are a bit disappointing (3 of 4 are not driver holes and basically call for 3 shots). The fairways arent great but are very playable if you choose to roll the ball a bit. The greens were in decent shape however I found them to be rather slow. This is a fun track and could be turned into quite a gem with some maintenance, but for the rates they charge its well worth it.

Fun, but very challenging, lots of wildlife. Greens are good, not fast but to true.

Nice course too play. Good price

We hit some golfball and a lot of them went into the water.

Challenging course but needs better grass work. Staff is all friendly and helpful.

Great layout; greens okay tee boxes and fairways need more care. Good value for a challenging course.

Nice layout. Lots of water. Bring extra balls.

Booked in advance through GolfNow, pro shop worker refused to give me the price that I was told and the manager was not there to talk to about this. We were told that we were to pay $40 each, which is way too much for this swamp. Due to the confusion, I was then made late for my tee time, for which I was sneered upon by the starter. No respect for their customers who are young (24 & 20) without their dads. I will not be going back to the Preserve. I will find another course thats not so snobby.

Love the course

Good shape

They advertise open until 6pm but won’t let you tee off at 5:47 when I tried. Don’t advertise 6pm if you don’t want people to play that late

Friendly staff. Great course. Challenging. Keeps you on the game.

Course is great

Man, what happened to this course? We used to play it all the time; a nice little gem, but its gone to heck! Dont expect to find much actual grass out there, its too bad.

Love it!! Saw am alligator.

Great course and a fair price.