Sammons Park Golf Course (Temple, TX)

Sometimes one comes across a course that takes you by surprise, and completely uplifts your spirit. I had this feeling at Sammons Park. Who knew the city of Temple owned such a hidden gem?! 
(The awesome 204 yard par three eleventh is slightly elevated with a pair of bunkers guarding the front and a sandstone bottom creek on the right. Often times into the wind, a wooden club is needed to reach the green. Par is an excellent score.) 

Sammons’ history goes back nearly 100 years. In 1892, the Santa Fe Railroad Company damned Bird’s Creek to form Lake Polk. This resulted in the Lake Polk Association. In 1922, a nine hole course was established and the association became the Lake Polk Golf and Country Club. In the ‘50s, it expanded to eighteen holes and thirty years later the city took over. 

(The 318 yard third is a true cape hole. The player must pick his line and carry the ball to the fairway. Bailing out too far left brings the huge tree seen in the picture into play, more than likely forcing a layup. It’s a birdie opportunity, but it requires two confident shots. Not an easy thing to do when one realizes that it’s an automatic reload if you don’t make the carry!)

When the city took the course over, it was known as Temple Country Club. What happened next is a prime example how reality is stranger than fiction. When TCC closed, Temple mayor, John Sammons, was able to get a bond issue passed in an election, and used this money to purchase the land from the railroad company. Unfortunately, only nine holes was on this land, and the other nine holes was owned by landholders who didn’t want to part with it. Sammons found a way by purchasing land on the other side of railroad tracks, and this gave the city enough to make eighteen holes. 

(The 197 yard fourth is all carry to a green on the other side of the lake. Long is the only bailout while a bunker short will keep your ball dry. Often times the tees are moved up and the hole plays between 157-175 yards. Regardless how long it’s playing, a par is golden any time.) 

The city then had to get an architect, and not liking what was being proposed to them, settled on having 3x Temple Country Club champion John Sammons design the course for free!!! That’s right! The mayor of Temple designed the golf course!

(Look at the green of the 522 yard first hole. It’s pushed up with beautiful rolls cascading away. The bunker is entirely surrounded by fairway so balls don’t stop when they’re headed for it. All these little things captured my eye when I drove by, and I was enraptured to play it.) 

In 2007, the course was renovated and last year the greens were switched to Tifeagle, however, Sammons routing and most of his design remained. The course takes full advantage of the lake, and six greens rest alongside it. Bird Creek flows thru much of the property, and golfers must contend with that on seven additional holes. Together, there’s thirteen holes with water, and with the hot Texas sun baking the fairways nice and firm, the player must constantly think about his shot.  

(The 465 yard par four eighth has water short left of the green. Deemed the toughest hole on the front, a par is gaining a full stroke on most players.) 

Many of the bunkers were taken out during the renovation, and in their place, tight fairway grass was used. It’s interesting to see how the shot values change. Now low bouncing shots can be played, and players aren’t required to hit a shot that has to stop quickly. It opens up the course to be played by a wide variety of skill levels, and I don’t think the low handicapper has it much easier. 

(The tee shot of the 454 yard tenth is played to an island fairway. The water flows diagonally before cutting across. Big hitters must pay special attention not to hit it thru into the hazard. An open green rewards a good drive and can lead to a three.) 

(This is the drive on the 495 yard par five fifteenth. The player who can draw it by the lone tree will get a good kick forward and a chance to reach it in two shots...
...it looks simple but the creek waits just short of the putting surface. Look at all the room to miss long. For good players, it should be an easy birdie, but that expectation adds more pressure to both the tee shot and approach.) 
 

The wind is an ever present hazard at Sammons. It blows consistently, and when you calculate that with the firmness of fairways and greens, all the water hazards, it equals up to a cerebral challenge as much as a physical one. 
(The 179 yard seventeenth is played across the lake to a peninsula green. There’s a back tee that I doubt is in play too often that lengthens the hole to 237 yards! Note the long wooden bridge. Several of them are located throughout the round. Obviously a three is a great score.) 

The city of Temple is located between Waco and Austin.  It’s home to many of the families stationed at Fort Hood, and is the reason why I found myself in the middle of Texas. The city did themselves a great service. This area is growing and Sammons Park is a huge asset for the community. It’s a well designed course, and I believe it will challenge as one of the best once the Tifeagle greens mature. Surprises like Sammons make me love golf. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving 2 hrs to play). For less than $25, it’s a terrific value. 

(The 332 yard eighteenth is a short par four that will keep the player on his toes. Like ten, it’s an island fairway with the lake pushing up to the landing zone....
...the green is encircled by water with short being he most in play. It’s just a short iron in, yet any type of miscue can find trouble quickly. It’s one of the better short par four ending holes I’ve seen.) 

Legacy Hills - Sun City Golf Club (Georgetown, TX)

Sun City is a Del Webb developed retirement community with three golf courses serving over 15,000 residents. Golf carts zip down the road, golf bags attached to them, as retirees live life without a care in the world. 
(Texans love their flag even on the practice putting green.) 

Legacy Hills was designed by Billy Casper and Greg Nash. In fact, it’s one of a dozen courses they did for Del Webb who has communities in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Del Webb markets itself as the premier residential community for folks 55 and older. This tidbit gives one an idea about what to expect. 

(The 562/549 yard seventh is a nice dogleg left par five. Plenty of grass leading into the green yet this bunker gets a lot of play. Note how it extends a good forty yards from the green.) 

Legacy Hills is the longest course at Sun City. It plays in a parkland setting with rolling hills, and only a few times does water come into play. Nash hangs his hat on designing fun, fair, beautiful courses that blend into their surroundings. Legacy checks all those boxes. 
(This beautiful creek plays down the left side of 357/331 yard ninth. It’s a very wide fairway which shouldn’t be missed. It’s a good birdie opportunity.) 

At Legacy Hills, what the player sees is what he gets. There are no surprises here. When the goal is to design fun, fair golf courses then most of the uneasiness that a good course will instill on the player goes away. The golf becomes how good is your ability to hit the ball. Bottom line..Legacy Hills needs to be enjoyable for all the retirees who have chosen Sun City. It’s not good or bad, just a business model that is very successful. 

(The most interesting hole on the course is the 425/397 yard fifteenth. A tree is growing out of the creek bed in the valley. It’s canopy blocks out the view of the green so players must hit it down the left or right side to avoid a blind approach shot.) 

(The seventeenth is a 415/405 yard par four. It’s a straightforward tee shot...
...but a pair of trees short right and left penalizes tee shots coming out of the rough.) 

I had a very enjoyable round at Legacy Hills. My one playing partner was 88 yrs and after a 42 on the front nine, all of us were rooting for him to finish strong on the back and beat his age. I guess Greg Nash would most certainly approve. The course is nearly forty years old, and still popular as ever. I give Legacy Hills a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 mins to play). Alas my playing partner couldn’t keep his energy level up and came home in 50 strokes. But he’ll be back at it the next day. 

(The uphill par five eighteenth is only 520/495 yards. The green is offset from the fairway but regulars know that a lot of fairway lies short of the green. It’s an excellent chance to steal one back!) 

Golf Club at Star Ranch (Hutto, TX)

Star Ranch is a very popular course located just outside of Austin. It was designed in 2001 by Jay Morrish with help from his son Carter Morrish, and associates Roy Bechtol and Randolph Russell. 
(The 170/123 yard fifteenth is a dicey short par three with water short, right, and long. The left looks inviting but it slopes hard to the water. The waterfall is a bit overdone.) 

Golf architect lineage is a focal point many architecture afficianados point to when discussing a course. If you look at Jay Morrish’s career, he worked with RTJ sr, George Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Weiskopf. After building several top courses with Weiskopf, he decided to breakaway and start his own practice, start his own lineage. I don’t know much about Bechtol or Russell, but it ll be interesting to see how their work coincides with Morrish’s style. 
(The 189/163 yard seventh plays along the edge of the water. The front right is open for players to bailout, and the bunker saves balls from going into the drink. A back left pin will require a well struck shot.) 

Star Ranch’s popularity is contributed to two things. The first is its conditioning, and the second is it’s playability. Wide fairways encourage players to give it a rip on every tee, while greens have openings for conservative or aggressive approach shots. One doesn’t need their “A” game to shoot a good score here. On the other hand, if you’re firing on all cylinders, this course will give you a lot of looks at birdie. [This was my best round of the year so far as I hit 14 greens en route to a 73]

(This view from right of the green on the 474/412 yard eighth shows where the bailout is on this long par par four. Anything left of the green is in the hazard.) 

(The view of the clubhouse from nine fairway.)

Austin is growing exponentially fast, and Star Ranch is the bedrock of a very thriving housing community. In my mind, this is the main reason why the course is in such great shape. It’s also the reason why Morrish designed such a forgiving layout. The folks who live here are going to want a beautiful course that’s fun to play. And from the tips, it has enough bite to host local or regional tournaments. It was hands down the most recommended course including the GM from Mill Creek who raved about it. 

(The 453/422 yard tenth plays downhill to a green that is fairly open in the front. A ridge crosses the first third of the putting surface, and it demands a precise shot to be on the proper side.) 

(The short par four fourteenth is only 376/323 yards, but a ten foot deep chasm fronts the shallow green. Players can err long where it’s still possible to lag putt from the chipping area.  With a wedge in hand, expectations can be high, but the conditions will dictate just how aggressive you want to be.)

Housing community courses have always been something I’ve looked down on. Regardless how good or how much fun they are, the sacrifice is intimacy and ambiance. At Star Ranch, there’s at least a half dozen times where the player whose losing his swing can drive the ball into people’s houses. For myself, I dock courses for that. Still, Star Ranch is a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(The 427/394 yard sixteenth has a cacti outcropping down the left. Players who find themselves behind it will need to get the ball up quickly. If you look hard at the picture, you’ll notice golf ball size holes in some of them. I’m a bit amused by the plight of an unlucky gent who might find himself in such a predicament.) 

Mill Creek Inn and Country Club (Salado, TX)

Located within thirty minutes of Fort Hood, Mill Creek Inn and Country Club is a solid Robert Trent Jones Jr course that boasts 27 holes. 
(Playing parallel to each other, both 1 and 10 feature elevated tee shots over the gorgeous Salado Creek.)

Mill Creek is in ideal location. It’s just off I35, and is accessible for golfers traveling the Dallas to San Antonio corridor. The property has beautiful natural features and the extra nine holes gives it plenty of flexibility. 
(The view of the seventh and eighth holes from the entrance to the club. The road goes over a low lying bridge and introduces the player to the main hazard before the start of the round.) 

RTJ Jr designed a very player friendly golf course. The fairways are wide open although on a few holes position “A+” is guarded by a bunker. One thing about Jones Jr, if there’s water then rest assured there will be a hole that forces the player to challenge it. I did find it to be less confrontational than some of his other courses.

(The creek is well short of the green on this short to mid length par four. Note the huge stone blocks that line the water. It’s a picturesque hole that can be birdied with a good approach shot...

(...the following hole is a short par three with the stone blocked creek staring the golfer in the face. It’s a short iron shot with little room for error.) 

Mill Creek’s strength lies in the variety of its terrain. It has the Hill country charm associated with Austin yet possesses a prairie feel that west Texas offers. All the things that make for a successful day of golf. (It was a nice way to begin my Texas golf trip.)

(The eighteenth hole is a mid to short par four where pin position dictates much of the challenge.)

The third nine plays along the creek before going out to the hillside. It has a prairie type feel to it, and the wind is unhindered by trees. The long views extend for several miles. RTJ Jr designed this nine with even more width than the first two. 

(The fifth and sixth greens are only separated by a bunker. The fifth is a long par four down the hill, and the sixth is a long par three. Both holes play into the wind. Note how the player has to walk past the green all the way to the tee to play the par three. A design flaw in my opinion.) 

(The last hole on the third nine is a good par four. Note the trees in the distance in what appears to be the middle of the fairway. A drive that draws around them will finish in perfect position for the approach.) 

This is my third RTJ Jr course, and was designed in 1981, ten years earlier than both Heron Lakes Great Blue and The Orchards. This might explain why it’s more forgiving. It’s a good course and I give it a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

Previous reviews of RTJ Jr courses:

https://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2017/09/heron-lakes-great-blue-course-portlandor.html?m=1

https://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-orchards-golf-club-washington-mi.html?m=1

Powderhorn Golf Course (Madison, OH)

Powderhorn has positioned itself to be a successful golf course in Ohio’s Grand River Valley region. 
(The 441 yard ninth plays into the prevailing wind, and demands two fine shots to reach the large putting surface in regulation. The creek at the bottom of the hill will force a poor drive to be laid well back for the third shot. A four will be hard earned.) 

Most people are not aware that Ohio is the sixth largest wine producing state in the country. It produces a lot of tourism and revenue, and more importantly, doesn’t need a city center to sustain it. And that is good for Powderhorn! 

(The 422 yard opening hole welcomes visitors with a firm introduction.) 

Powderhorn is just over 6,000 yards, but don’t be misled. It’s just a par 70 and has four par fours that play over 420 yards. Pars on these holes will be hard to come by. 

(The 460 yard par four tenth is more likely to produce a six than a four. Water short requires two big shots to cover the distance. By keeping the par at four, Powderhorn has made what would be a birdie opportunity as a five into the toughest hole on the course.) 

(The 365 yard sixth plays downhill but has water short of the green. The fairway slopes right with the right dropping down towards the wetlands. It’s a bit awkward, but if one can draw it down the left, then it’s a straightforward shot.) 

Powderhorn’s lack of yardage is a direct result of five par fours that play under 300 yards. For the most part, this group is ho-hum, but the thirteenth is one of the coolest driveable par fours I’ve seen in awhile. It’s basically has long par three yardage at 248 yards, but a crevasse crosses the fairway 225 yards off the tee, and begs for the golfer to take a rip. 

(The 178 yard par three fourteenth plays over a corner of the lake. The large green has several good pin positions, specifically the rear left, where trouble guards left and long.) 

Two things that Powderhorn needs to improve upon is getting a drainage system and extending their mowing lines on a few holes. The course doesn’t drain well, and there was a lot of wet spots throughout. Both par fives had the fairways abruptly end when I felt both times it should’ve been expanded to the wetlands in the valley. This issue also occurred on a few of the par fours, usually whenever water was in play. Again, this could be a drainage problem. 

(The 165 yard seventeenth concludes a fine set of par three with a shot over a scrub filled valley to another large green.)

I’d like to play every public course in Northeast Ohio, and there are just a handful that I haven’t seen. This was my first time at Powderhorn, and I think it fills a void here in Madison. At one time, Thunder Hill was the golf destination out this way, but it went out of business. (Not a shock considering it was rated as one of the ten toughest courses in America. Golf is hard enough and expensive enough) Well Powderhorn remains and is in nice condition. Add in some nice greens too. I give it a 4 (very good)(worth driving 30-45 mins to play). 

(Powderhorn finishes with a great chance for birdie. It’s a 278 yard par four. It’s reachable off the tee, and even a layup leaves a small pitch. A couple shoulders extending from the traps will keep the putting honest.)