University of South Florida Golf Course - The Claw

Course is is rough shape. Muddy, some greens are dirt, and when I was there carts weren’t allowed on the fairway. Not a great experience but it’s a cheap
Round of golf.

Hardly any maintenance at all is being done. The cart barn and clubhouse has been closed down and look condemned. No grass on some tee boxes and the greens are sand in some areas. Not worth more than $20 to play if that.

This course has gone down hill. Looks like maintenance money is short. Electric carts are nice. Looks like the course and neighborhood are having a tough time economically. Tee boxes are missing grass, greens are missing grass. Fairways were ok. It's a $20.00 course right now. There are better course in the area for $30-40.

Course is in really bad shape. No club house, working out of trailer

Played this course many times over the years. The last several times I have played it, the conditions have been terrible. Pulled into the lot at 11:30 and there were 4 other cars there. This should have been the first clue something was wrong. There is a small trailer instead of a pro shop for check in. No restaurant, Building where the pro-shop and Rocky's restaurant used to be looks a shambles. No Cart Girl available.
First drive in the fairway plugged. The course had been over-seeded, so you had to keep carts in the rough. The tee boxes bordered on the awful. Many had little grass and mostly sand. Greens were fast, but did not have much grain/grass. They were the best part of the course. Water hazards mostly overgrown with algae/vegetation. IMO, the course needs to close to give it time to heal. The small amount of money they get from green fees cannot compensate for the damage the course continues to receive. This course used to be one of the great course in Hillsborough county. Sadly, not anymore.

This is probably the worst course that I have ever played and will never return!
Don’t waste your time and money!

USF should be embarrassed to call this course their course.
The greens are nothing more than sand, the fairways match the rough (horrible), the buildings are in ruins, The carts are in terrible condition and have been raping the students and public of funds. It is time someone either shuts the course down or begin to renovate the facility. EMBARRASSEMENT IS BEING KIND.

Whoever they hired to oversee course conditions needs to be fired. Teeboxes for the most part were in shambles. Greens were pretty patchy. No one to supervise pace of play, nor were there any official starters to make sure you were in the proper group. I would advise to pay more to go elsewhere for better course conditions.

Terrible shape. The greens were quick but in bad shape

Absolutely love the layout of this course. If someone would put a little time and money into it, it has the potential to be one of the best in the area.

You check in at a trailer. Old clubhouse still lies abandoned in the trees behind it. Didn't bother me as much as it did some of the other reviewers, but not a great start.

Tee boxes were abysmal and definitely my biggest complaint. The few that had grass, it was so long that you couldn't properly set your tee. Most were mainly dirt, and none were a smooth enough surface to set up for a good tee shot. Either the ball, or one of your feet ended up on a dramatically different level, which having a good lie to start is the entire point of a tee box.

Fairways were okay on many holes and nonexistent on some. Same with greens. They were actually very good on a few holes while some had more dirt than grass. Bunkers were actually in pretty decent shape, but the point would be to stay out of those.

Given the location, layout, and scenery, if they spent some time and money, it could easily be a $80-100/round course that would be packed from open to close. Instead, USF is content to let it rot away for $30/golfer on an empty course. The Economics Department must not be this universities strong point.

I liked the layout enough that I may revist in a pinch, like yesterday when everything else was booked, but I certainly won't be a regular.

Started with being told there's no water available on the course. It's 85! Had to buy 12oz bottles of water at $1.75 per bottle. Fairways were a goat path and greens were non-existent. Followed a group of 6 (in 1 group).
A warning about conditions should be advertised or posted prior to booking a tee time.

You know when you get that mid week urge and are planning a round. Do not play here waste of time and money. Nice greens I’ll say but putrid fairways tee boxes, etc.