Cottonwood Creek Golf Course (Waco, TX)

Cottonwood Creek is a municipal course owned by the city of Waco. Besides being the home of the Baylor University golf team, it also has a six hole starter course for young kids learning how to play the game. It serves the community in multiple ways including a state-of-the-art fitting station that uses Doppler technology to find the right clubs for each individual. The golf course stretches out to 7135 yards and can accommodate every level of golfer including the professional. 

Cottonwood Creek was designed in 1985 by Joe Finger. His resume is similar to many of that era’s architects. He was an accomplished golfer who’s love of the game brought him to the designing side. This was my first time experiencing his work, and I enjoyed it very much. I felt the routing and the bunkering were the two best features here. The course alternated between playing uphill and downhill, keeping the golfer focused on attacking the holes that gave him a short iron approach. The bunkers cover much of the green surroundings and grab any mishit that doesn’t find the putting surface. 

(The 435/404/386 yard par four fifth is a demanding driving hole. The creek blocks your view and draws the golfer into attempting a dramatic tee shot down the left side...

...Finger keeps the front open so you can chase the ball on but notice how both left and right sides are guarded by sand and a steep fall off. Like many of the old architects, being short is the preferred leave as opposed to being hole high on the sides.) 

Joe Finger’s greens remind me of the classic courses I’ve played here in the Midwest. The proper miss is always in the front, which typically benefits the average or high handicap who come up short anyway. The good player who is flighting his ball pin high will pay the price the most since the greens are guarded by several hazards including sand, water, and swales. 

(The 601/580/560 yard par five thirteenth is all uphill with bunkers guarding each landing area. It was into the wind the day we played, making it a pure three shot hole. Finger snaked the fairway so one has to take good lines the entire way to the green.) 

(The 181/162/148 yard par three fourteenth is slightly downhill to a green framed by trees and guarded by a set of bunkers front right. A front pin requires the most skill to get close while the slope will make the rear positions easier to access.) 

While I was a big fan of the routing and bunkering, I was somewhat skeptical of the fairway mounding. In places, I felt the mounding was overdone, and a few times, I thought the fairways needed to be wider. The only hole that I disliked was the par five seventh which started out strongly with a great tee shot but whose green was lost in a maze of trees. I was 120 yards out in the middle of the fairway, but completely shut out by branches. It was disappointing to say the least. 

(The 541/505/490 yard par five fifteenth is a classic do or die hole where the final 150 yards switchbacks against the water. In tournament play, it must be the pivotal moment in the round where bold things can happen. Note the water in the bunker. Central Texas has been having an unusually rainy spring this year.) 

Since Cottonwood Creek rests upon a hill, the wind is always the defining factor between a good day and a bad day. That seems to be the overall consensus among the people who spoke to me. It’s always windy here. Being in central Texas, one better be able to play the low wind cheater. It also makes Joe Finger’s open entrances to the green more about survival than a design philosophy. Either way, it says he understands golf. 

(The 190/181/159 yard par three seventeenth is fraught with disaster. The green is protected with water short left, a bunker in the rear, and a steep swale on the right. Judging the wind is paramount to securing a three...
...bailing right, as you can see, is not the play on this hole. All sorts of misplays can happen in this swale including a ball not reaching the top and rolling back to your feet.) 

Cottonwood Creek is surrounded by an urban landscape so many of the views looking out are punctuated by buildings and other city structures. The holes that play along the boundary line have a different feel compared to the interior holes. While this is not an uncommon situation among municipal courses, Cottonwood Creek lacks a buffer that drowns out the city. It hurts the experience to say the least even if Cottonwood Creek is a strong course. 

(The 451/411/400 yard par four ninth has the high school stadium as the backdrop. Not all the views looking out are this clean. Note the short grass front and right of the putting surface. Most pin positions are accessible from this spot so players can salvage their four.) 

Cottonwood Creek is usually is fantastic condition. [Central Texas was dealt a harsh blow this past winter when a deep freeze and a storm knocked out the power grid. For area courses, it damaged greens that still haven’t recovered.] It’s a strong course with several tough holes that defend against players breaking par or their handicaps. It is Waco’s best public golf course and rightfully attracts players from all over. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). I’d like to give it another shot next time I visit. 

(The 453/440/403 yard par four finishing hole doglegs right from the tee. A large bunker guards the corner so the hole plays it’s full length. It’s a long approach but the green is quite large. Two good pokes should secure a four.) 

Quicksilver Golf Club (Midway, PA)

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Quicksilver honors its famous crosstown neighbor with its own rendition of the church pew bunker. It’s a tamer version but it sets the tone for the round. Seeing it as you descend from the first tee is like an elbow into your ribs. See you at the eighteenth. 

Quicksilver is a man-sized golf course that requires full shoulder turning, calve activating drives.  It’s power golf at its core, but it’s not a one trick pony. One needs to execute a variety of shots as the hilly property will throw every lie possible at you.  Understanding your lines and where you want the ball to finish is key to shooting a good score. Hitting out of the rough will be even more difficult as you try guessing the ball flight from a hanging lie. 

(The 399/363 yard par four third is a classic down and up hole. A good drive will reach the upslope. From there, staying below the hole is key as the green is tilted from back to front.) 

(The 602/581 yard par five seventh is an absolute beast! We played it into a light breeze. It will take three solid shots to reach it in regulation. Note how the fairway slopes in the background. One will hit a long to mid iron with the ball below their feet to the green that slopes right to left. Hit too far right and the odds are very much against one recovering for par.) 

Looking at the scorecard, the yardage from the white tees is a stout 6510 yards (7012 from the tips) but a closer examination reveals a more playable track. Most par fours are in a mid length range and the longest par three is only 168 yards. The length comes from the par fives. The fourth and seventh are 553 and 581 yards respectively. The fourth plays uphill for the entire length and the seventh plays into whatever wind is blowing. When it comes down do it, these are the key holes on the front. 

(This is a side view of the 200/165 yard par three eighth. The water wraps around the front and sides of the green with a bunker guarding the back. There’s plenty of room to work the ball into the day’s hole location. The tee is elevated so the shot plays a bit shorter than the yardage.) 

The back nine is the better of the two, and there are some fantastic holes. Besides the twelfth, which is the weakest hole on the course, the other eight are terrific and have great vistas along with fun engaging shots. The one hole I keep replaying in my mind is the sweeping downhill 441 yard thirteenth. It’s possible to cut off a ton of yardage but can you get the correct line to avoid the rough, and if you do find the fairway, can you cut a short iron off a downhill lie. These are the type of questions you find here, and to be frank, are the kind of shots that every serious player should want to hit. 

(The 418/393 yard par four tenth begins the back nine is fine fashion. This intriguing bunker guards the left side while OB hugs the right...

...one is hitting into a small green at ten and the fronting bunkers leave little room to run the ball on...
...the view back shows just how close the boundary line is the fairway. The chain link fence is a bit of a downer on an otherwise strong hole.) 

Back in the 1990s, Quicksilver was a very popular venue. It hosted the Quicksilver Open on the Nationwide Tour from 1990-1992 and then from 1993-1997 the Quicksilver Classic/Pittsburgh Senior Classic for the Champions Tour. Guys like Dave Stockton and Tom Weiskopf both won here which should tell you the quality of the play that is required.

(The 176/156 yard par three eleventh is uphill to a narrow green with bunkers on both sides. Note the ridge that fronts the pin in the picture. There’s only a few greens with this type of movement in it. It can be unnerving should you find yourself putting over it.)

The par threes at Quicksilver all play between 157 - 168 yards. Depending on what shot you’re attempting, one can hit the same club, like I did, on all four of them. It is the one glaring weakness Quicksilver possesses. Even the twelfth which is a ninety degree dogleg right around the brow of the hill par four, that I thought was terrible, will have its proponents. They’ll claim you can lay back and get a flat lie in the fairway.  The other problem the club has, which it cannot control, is the chain link fence on the boundary line. The barbed wire on top subconsciously emits a feeling of being unwanted. 

(The 462/441 yard par four thirteenth is a real beauty. It sweeps downhill and to the right. The garden spot is where this picture is taken but finding it means you were fortunate to get to the bottom of the hill. Most will be in the rough or on the downslope in the fairway. The green tilts right to left so the approach is very demanding especially from a downhill lie.) 

Every time I play in western Pennsylvania, I find myself walking away with a huge smile on my face. There is some great golf over here, and Quicksilver is rightfully near the top of that list. It’s located by the Pittsburgh airport, west of the city, and is less than two hours from Cleveland. Like the Steel City, it’s all blue collar, so expect to work hard if you want to shoot a good score. I give it a solid 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).

(The 424/403 yard par four eighteenth is a monster uphill finishing hole. The fairway tilts from left to right with the church pew bunker ominously waiting for anything coming its way. The approach shot plays nearly two clubs longer, and hopefully you spied the pin placement as you went to the tenth tee...
...looking back from the green, you can see just how massive the property is. Note the first hole on the left. Combined with eighteen, this might be the hardest opening and finishing holes you’ll ever play.) 

(On the 157 yard uphill sixth, I hit a choked down five hybrid at the flagstick. If you’ve ever chipped in from below the green and knew it was going in because of the line it was on, then you understand how I knew it was in the hole the moment it hit just short of the green and rolled at the pin. My girlfriend gave me a side eyed glance when I proclaimed it was in the hole as we stood on tee, but I never doubted it. Hole in One!!!) 

Monroe Golf And Country Club (Monroe, MI)

Donald Ross enthusiasts will be excited to know that just north of Toledo over the state line, the 102 year old Monroe Golf and Country Club is now taking a limited amount of public play. 

There’s only a handful of Donald Ross courses open to the public here in Ohio and I think it’s a blessing to have another one available within a reasonable distance. Every time I play one of his courses, I expect to see something cool. He was a master at routing holes,  especially over hilly terrain, and his greens are very diverse with different strategies and defenses.

(The 175 yard par three second plays over a creek to a graded green with some interesting bumps in it. The front right pin is especially intriguing as the bump creates a false front that is hard to get close. The left side of the green is lower than the right so most balls will collect on this half thus left pins are the best chance for birdie.) 

To combat the uniformity of the terrain, Ross constructed a devilish set of greens. They’re full of humps and bumps, and require plenty of imagination and skill to attack specific pin positions. This benefits the better player, but it also means that hitting the green in regulation is not an automatic par. I reckon one sees more three putts inside twenty feet than normal. 

(The 411 yard par four fifth is hands down the toughest hole on the course. Besides a false front, the green seems to cascade from back to front...
...this view shows just how much slope is in the middle. Back pin positions are almost impossible to attack. The best strategy is short left where a good short game can get a par putt below the hole.) 

The greens also harbor another benefit. Progress has emasculated Monroe like other courses that find their cities encroaching them. The holes across the street have been lost to housing, and some have been capped at the knees, which explains why 15, 17, and 18 are all sub 300 yard par fours. The greens however are well done so the holes still have interest. 

(The 409 yard par four seventh is another difficult hole. The creek cuts across the fairway and meanders up the right side. Even the long hitters will be hitting a mid iron to the green. Note the raised center in the picture. This keen feature makes putting any significant length an adventure.) 

The club has constructed a couple new holes to replace the ones lost. I felt both were well done even though they are different from the others. The ninth in particular is a completely different look. 
(The 167 yard par three sixth is a good looking hole even if the green is nothing like Ross. It also has different bunkering too. The tee box is elevated and the player should be able to work a short to mid iron into the pin.)

(The 565 yard ninth has a very modern look to it as the last few hundred yards curves between two water hazards. A good drive is needed to take the pressure off the layup shot. From a good yardage in the fairway, the player is hitting just a short to mid iron. There’s plenty of room between the green and the water so players can be aggressive with their third.) 

In recent history, Monroe hosted the 2012 Women’s Western Amateur. This prestigious even was won by Ariya Jutanugarn who would become the world’s #1 female golfer in 2018. She set the female competitive course record (66) during the seedings. Hosting such an event is no small feat since it rotates every year to some of the best courses in the region. 

(The 506 yard par five twelfth is fronted by several bunkers. It’s reachable after a good drive but the second will need to come in high to carry the sand and hold the green. The mounds and sand hide the bottom of the flagstick so it’s hard to gauge the distance for the third shot.) 

Monroe exudes the ambiance and grace that a course of its age possesses. It’s an enjoyable round of golf and the Ross features are on full display. However, the last three par fours cannot be overlooked. They leave the golfer asking for a strong two shotter to finish the round, but instead give them (15, 17, & 18) three  driveable par fours. The eighteenth is without a doubt the worst hole on the course as it doglegs left about 175 yards off the tee around a thick stand of trees. As much as I want to give it a higher rating, the reality is it’s only a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).  

[From Cleveland, it’s just a tad over two hours to Monroe, but it’s in the perfect location if you’re looking for a game driving either to or from Detroit.]

Hemlock Springs Golf Club (Geneva, OH)

Back in the day, Hemlock Springs was the final round in the Cuyahoga Golf Association (CGA). With $2000 in both the Points Championship and in the season long Break Your Handicap tournament, the turnout always proved to be one of the largest of the year. It was a battle not only with the course, but against oneself as many wilted under the extra pressure.

Hemlock Springs is one of the handful of Ben Zink courses in northeast Ohio. He was the superintendent at both Acacia and Kirkland Country Clubs. I’ve played all of his courses and Hemlock is a fair representation of his work. His ability to find compelling par fours has always been his strength and Hemlock Springs has several of them. 

(The 398 yard par four eighth plays uphill to a green with a central rise in the middle. The left to right canted fairway adds to the difficulty of the approach.) 

Zink’s style doesn’t require many bunkers. The fairways run into greens with the rough lining up with mounds or fall aways. Balls can be bounced in via the fairway, but if it’s not coming in on that line then mounds and humps must be carried to reach the putting surface. Hitting fairways is a distinct advantage since one can control the bounce and roll of the approach shot. It’s a very simple and effective defense.  

(The 408 yard par four sixteenth is a perfect example of Ben Zink’s system. The short grass is available for the ground game but coming from the rough will change the angle and the amount of space available. It’s not flashy but being on the sides of the green is a delicate recovery.) 

From my travels, Ben Zink’s par threes are usually mundane. They lack flair, and are usually long one shotters that take the player to the optimum land where Zink liked to rout a par four. The par threes at Hemlock fit this stereotype very well except for the eleventh which is the best one I’ve seen of his. It not only is long but it’s narrow entrance rewards only the best shot. 

(The 193 yard par three eleventh occupies a lovely spot. It’s a long iron or hybrid to a smallish green...

...one can see the edge of the bunkers in picture and the narrow entrance to the putting surface. It has fair amount of slope to it, and being able to walk away with a three will win the hole more times than not.) 

The par fives are the best chance to make birdie. There’s very little that stands in your way as you proceed to the green. In a way, the expectation of making four is the biggest challenge. That said, the superintendent is not afraid of sticking the flag in the corner of the green. Regardless, if one can eke a birdie or two from the this quartet, then you’ve done well.

(The 515 yard par five second plays downhill to the green. Note the wicked pin position. Only a well struck shot will make birdie.) 

If there is one thing that really holds Hemlock back, it would be the cart paths. Besides being ugly dirt tracks, they are obtrusive, racing along the fairways, edging towards several greens and influencing play. It’s a shame because there’s plenty of room to keep them out of the way. 

(The 551 yard par five eighteenth features this picturesque tee shot. The water is more intimidating than it really is. There’s plenty of room to make an aggressive swing...
...it takes three shots to reach the green in regulation. There’s no bunkers guarding the putting surface, but the cart path will catch a pulled shot.) 

Hemlock Springs has plenty of length and definitely has several very good holes. There’s not a single home on it and the beautiful countryside makes it a nice getaway. The course however is tiresome and doesn’t engage the golfer with bold or interesting landforms. It’s saving grace is it’s location as the vineyards have multipled, making it one of the most visited areas in Ohio. I give Hemlock Springs a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play).

(Kent State alumni Ben Curtis owns the course record. I’m curious if his wine is produced nearby.) 

(A trip to Geneva should include the covered bridges tour. It’s an interesting and unique feature to the area of Ohio.) 

Bear Trap Dunes (Ocean View, DE)

I played Bear Trap Dunes while visiting Ocean City which sits on the Delaware/Maryland border. One of my goals is to golf in every state and this was a chance to knock Delaware off the list. It was also an opportunity to see Rick Jacobson’s work as well. 

(In a touristy area, wide fairways are a must to keep the pace of play brisk. Jacobson however let it be known that poor drives were not going unpunished.) 

Rick Jacobson started his architectural career with Larry Packard before becoming an assistant with Jack Nicklaus. In 1991 he formed his own design firm and has found success with several well known layouts. One of those is Bear Trap Dunes which opened in 2001. It’s regarded as one of the top 5 public course in Delaware. 

(The 550 yard par five seventh on the Kodiak nine has water extending into the layup zone. The best angle is actually from short of the hazard where the three people in the picture are walking. Guarding the front left side of the green is a wide bunker. Players who shy away from the water will need to carry it on their approach.) 

In an interview, Jacobson described how he avoids the signature hole. Bear Trap Dunes is a good example of this philosophy, and its consistency is seen throughout the round. Each hole has the same look and feel as the others, and if you asked a foursome what their favorite hole was, you’d get four different answers. The course moves both ways multiple times, and the player is asked to have a working repertoire to accurately attack each hole. 

(The 427 yard par four ninth on the Kodiak nine plays short of the elegant clubhouse. The green is protected on the right while the short grass short and left welcome those looking to bail away from the trouble.) 

Bear Trap Dunes has 27 holes named Grizzly, Kodiak, and Black Bear. Grizzly and Kodiak share a large parcel of land while Black Bear is on the other side of houses. The course is part of a huge housing development that has storefronts at the entrance way. In fact, the clubhouse serves the entire community and not just golfers. Jacobson deserves credit for blending the course into the housing . On only a few holes did the OB stand out. 

(Black Bear’s 363 yard par four fifth hole has a beautiful tee shot over water to an angled fairway bracketed by bunkers...

...a good drive leaves a simple shot into an open green with a lone bunker guarding the right.) 

The cart barn attendant stated that Bear Trap Dunes sees a lot of career rounds. I can see that. While the fairways are well bunkered, there’s plenty of room to drive the ball. The greens have modest contouring in them and usually just one bunker on a side. They're midsized so golfers have a good chance at hitting them. Good players who are trying to go low will have to challenge the pins that are tucked while higher handicaps have the opportunity to safely navigate the trouble. It’s a smart design that works perfectly for the area. During the summer, many people visit the beaches that stretch up and down the Delaware/Maryland shoreline. Bear Trap Dunes accommodates all the skill levels looking to get a few swings into their holiday. 

(The 175 yard par three Black Bear seventh has a large bunker fronting the center of the green. Today’s pin position requires a shot that can carry all the way to the pin.)

The biggest challenge and unknown is the wind. It gets breezy by the ocean. The day I played it was a constant 10-15 mph, and a couple days before it was gusting up to 40 mph. The ground game is available on days like this. The course plays fast and firm with openings into greens. 

(Black Bear’s final hole is a 424 yard par four with a centerline bunker dividing the fairway into left and right. A drive to the right fairway must carry over a waste area where the approach has an unhindered view and plenty of room to work the ball into the flag. Water on the right has seen plenty of good rounds implode at the end.) 

Ocean City has several good options for golfers looking for a game and Bear Trap Dunes is one of them. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

[I usually don’t comment on my playing companions but my girlfriend and I were paired with two gentlemen who where members at the Country Club of Maryland. Both were very good players but the one who caught my eye had a carry bag embroidered with “Fr Champ 2009 2018”. Yes, it turned out he was a priest.] 

 

{After the round, a visit to Harpoon Hanna’s is a must! It sits on the water and the tiki bar is the perfect place to grab food and few drinks. If you’re lucky, they’ll have live music playing too.}