Saw Lance Gunn up at Kingwood Country Club last Sunday. Played the Lake course and it is in great shape as are all the courses up there now. The palce has made an amazing turn around over the last 2 years.
I played Bluebonnet yesterday. It was not worth the 40 dollarcover. I said cover because we got ripped. They are "Tiger Proofing" the course. They are moving some greens and tee boxes to different spots. The greens did not roll good also.
This course could be so nice if they tried. Not content with the fact that the greens were adventurous enough to putt on, what with the long grass growing unevenly, they decided to aerate this week. I had a putt bounce six inches in one direction, then six in another, then three inches in the air...
Anyone know anything about the par 3 course at Plum Creek?
$25 special from golfq.com -- the place was ok. not at full price though, that's for sure. It was in better shape than Mo Willy, but most of the fairways were very thin or bare. A few bunkers were full of water. The greens were strange -- a tad slow, choppy, and tended to resist the break. Full of grass, but it appeared to be a mix of rye and bermuda still.
If the fairways grow in, this could be a decent course. But considering everyone's opinion on it, I'm guessing they won't.
It's certainly not worth the 30 mile drive from my house in south Austin.
The par three course at Plum Creek is nice. 7 dollars plays all day. I played at the 1300am par 3 challenge and had a great time. The holes range from 80 yards to 120 yards. The greens are worth the trip. The greens are cut just like the regular course. Also the greens are small leaving little room for error. Great place to pitch and putt!
are the tee boxes on the par 3 course at Plum Creek still all torn up? I haven't played it in over a year b/c they had you hitting off a mat. I hated that.
On a side note, played Torrey Pines last week. Absolutely gorgeous course. Played at about 7400 yards. No fun hitting 2 irons into par 4s. I think I hit maybe 2 short irons on the 4s, everthing else was 6 iron or more.
Greens are in awesome shape, but a bit slow. a lush carpet of bermuda though, and they putt great.
They aerated the fairways recently and there are some lange patches of GUR where the fairways were aerated around trees.
For some reason, although it hasn't rained in a week, the back nine is literally covered in casual water. A LOT of it. And the fairways that aren't underwater are muddy (on both sides) which led to this interesting dichotomy where shots that landed on the green would take a big hop and roll off, but shots that landed short of the green would stop dead, and not roll on.
Even with the water, probably in better shape than Blackhawk.
Plum Creek- The par 3 course did not have mats in the tee boxes. The tee boxes did have grass and sand, so tees were needed. It's a fun course for your short game.
Well, aside from an encounter with a rattler between holes 3 and four, the course wasn't too bad.
I'm not sure if it was the 6th or 8th hole, but there was one odd pin placement. It was the hole where there is a large ridge in the middle of the green. The hole was cut near the right edge of the green -- on a bump. It was like a smaller version of the hole at the Peter Pan mini golf where the cup is in the middle of that little mound.
Played Delaware Springs out in Burnet over the weekend and found this usually great course lacking for the first time. The greens were sanded...and I mean really sanded. Very little grass had managed to fight its way through the rolled sand. The fairways were good though...maybe it'll be ok in a month or so. It seems they knew the course was not up to snuff (although they didn't say so when we made the t time) and they cut the price down to $40 for a weekend morning time.
Tiger and crew played Teravista yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed it. The layout is a lot of fun and the course is in good shape. My only complaint is that it seems halfway to Waco....
I played Falconhead for the first time yesterday and it kicked my ***. I liked the course, but it was pretty tough for a hackler like myself. I liked its wide-open fairways, but I don;'t hit very long, so it didn;t do me a lot of good.
That's a better deal than Riverside. My firends call that my home course. I kick their butts at the Side. Blackhawk is worth 16 dollars. I was on pace to shot 75 there about 6 months ago and then on 17 and 18 I blow up. Think 7 on 17 lost a ball in someone's backyard. 18 went in the water on the drive hit like 8. I was pissed. I hadn't played in about 2 months before going to Blackhawk. I shot an 81.
Pro's
--People working the course are super friendly.
--Carts have GPS
--Course is in great shape
--Greens are super smooth/true
--Very scenic. Who'da thunk we were in Elgin?
Cons
--Course is super difficult, not for handicappers over 20.
--Traffic jam on 290 due to Flea Market
Overall, a very nice course. I think it may be the best public course in the Austin area. I rank it about even with Falconhead. However, I don't think I'll be playing it again (at least anytime soon), as most of my golf buddies are high 90's-100 shooters and the course is an absolute terror for them (there is no way I'm going to get them back there).
For those that don't know, Highland Lakes is now private members only. I played there 2 Sunday's ago and was the only one on the course. Finished 18 in 1hr 35mins.
Lago Vista is still public. The rates are 35 weekday/45 weekend. Lago is a super shape right now. The fairways are lush and the greens are smooth like butter.
New owners bought both Lago and Highland Lakes and for some strange reason they made Highland Lakes private. I think they want to close the course and build housing on the land (but that is just my conspiracy theory).
there's no love lost from me about that torture chamber (Highland), although it just doesn't seem right.
I played Northshore in Portland yesterday...demonic. I want to know who would design such a narrow course with that wind down there. There were some very picturesque holes, though.
Played Shadowglen on 5/6. Do not agree that it was in great shape. The greens do roll well and are some of the quickest in the area but the fairways and tees are lacking. It has big potential but the conditioning is not where it needs to be.