Forest Creek Golf Club (Round Rock, TX)

Forest Creek is a Dick Phelps design that shares space with an upscale housing community. This Hill Country course winds through pecan trees and numerous creeks, encouraging players to shape their shots as the tilting terrain offers advantages from the best positions. Together with Star Ranch, another residential course two miles away, it’s one of the best conditioned courses north of Austin. 

I like Forest Creek and enjoy the idea of flighting the ball to the high spot of the fairway. It gives the course some local knowledge. Dick Phelps use of trees defining the strategy is immediately introduced on the first hole where the right half of the fairway allows a straight on shot while the left side must negotiate a tree. There are six dogleg holes (two to the left and four to the right) where being on the high side is the proper play. The low side requires a longer, more accurate shot to gain the angle, otherwise you’ll have to manipulate the approach.

(The 405/378 yard par four ninth doglegs left where the pond in picture is out of view from the tee. A fade down the right will avoid the hazard and leave an uphill approach. This is the toughest shot of the day so put your best swing on the ball. Four is a good score.) 

(The 388/376 yard par four thirteenth doglegs right with a creek flowing in the low point of the fold. The left side of the green is open enticing a left to right approach shot.) 

This is my first Dick Phelps course, and here are a couple things that I noticed. The greens have good variety to them. One or two features differentiate the pin positions, thus very playable. Transition areas into the hazards are natural. A ball in the creek bed can be advanced forward. This feature goads players into hitting shots they probably shouldn’t. There are three 90 degree doglegs, which in my opinion, are the least attractive holes. This could be a housing issue to get maximum value from the property. Both nine and eighteen are tough par fours. You have to play your best golf to finish each side. Speaking of houses, only on seventeen are they in plain sight and influence the shot. The developer did a nice job limiting the impact of the homes. I give Forest Creek a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). This is one of the better public courses in the Austin area. 

(This is the view 130 yards from the eighteenth green. It’s a 465/437 yard par four that doglegs slightly to the right. Notice how the terrain slopes towards the creek on both sides. Par is a great score!) 

(I played with three men from the UK who told me they haven’t played golf in ten years. The first few holes were tough but they started hitting the ball decently. On the par three sixth, one of the guys hit his ball two feet from the pin. His friend started videoing his birdie putt saying “first birdie” which completely iced his buddy who proceeded to push it five inches right of the hole. Huge laughs got even louder when I holed out my bunker shot for a deuce. “You can’t even beat the guy in the sand trap.” It was a really fun round of golf! We played the white tees 6,026 yards) 

(This is the 200/169 yard par three fourteenth hole)

(Here’s a shout out to Round Rock Donuts! They are home to famous Texas Donut which is literally the size of a half dozen. I got one half glazed, half chocolate. 

“I’ll take the “block O” Ohio State donut please! Fighting words in “Hook ‘em Horns” country) 

Elkdale Country Club (Salamanca, NY)

Elkdale came into my peripheral when I was reading a blog called buffalogolfer.com and it had rated Elkdale as one of the top twenty public courses in the region, a surprising declaration considering I drive by it every time I go back to Bradford. It originally started as a nine hole course (1927) and expanded to eighteen holes (1962) forty years later. I always wondered if a hidden gem like this was waiting for me especially since within an hour, you have courses like Pennhills Club (Walter Travis), Moon Brook (Willie Park), and Conewango Valley (Donald Ross). 

The topography on the front nine is really good and the way the architect used the high points to locate his greens is excellent. I love 1,7,8,9 as the holes artfully played to and from the ridge. The views are beautiful on this side too, and looking south, one can make out the valley where the hills rise from. The back nine is a bit different, mainly there’s less sand traps, and the greens, while larger, are crowned. The terrain is gentler, and the holes gracefully move up and down the hill. The fifteenth (555) and sixteenth (220) are the two monster holes where length is the main challenge, otherwise, one is negotiating the treelined fairways to be in a position to score.  

(The 392 yard par four opening hole gently flows uphill where the top of the flagstick is the only thing visible from the flat.)

(The 318 yard par four seventh climbs the hill where the green sits atop a plateau. Any mishit will make for an awkward recovery…
…this view from behind shows just how isolated this green is. Yes it’s just a wedge, but the player must accurately judge the lie, stance, and elevation change to have an opportunity to make a 3)  

(The 157 yard ninth is a shortish par three with a bunker guarding the front left and a drop off that leads to this devilish trap on the right. The grille sits off to the side and adds extra pressure as everyone watches you finish up.) 

Many of the things I like about Elkdale have nothing to do with playing golf. The solitude and quietness of the valley is soothing. I even love how the kid washing the carts is the only one running the place. I can see why the course is so highly rated especially if you’re driving an hour south from Buffalo. I’m sure for those guys it’s a really nice experience. I give Elkdale a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 387 yard par four tenth plays uphill to this crowned green. The slope, grain, and mountain effect are not always the same, thus putting can be quite confusing.) 

(Many would consider the 346 yard par four seventeenth to be the signature hole. The player must work the ball to hold the left to right canted fairway and then hit a precise approach shot from a sloping lie…
…note the hidden fairway short of the water where a flat lie can be obtained. I’m sure many matches are won or lost on this little beauty.) 

(I played the back nine and was able to drive around the front nine in a cart. They were playing high school matches which prevented me from playing all eighteen. Elkdale does max out at 6,132 yards, a statistic that probably turns off really good players, but makes it a great course for the rest of us.) 

Rammler Golf Club (Sterling Heights, MI)

Rammler is a modest municipal course that plays in the Clinton River Valley which stretches from Rochester to Mount Clemons. It’s a terrific natural feature that is the main green space for everyone in the northern Detroit area. For golfers, especially beginners and those looking for a relaxing time, Rammler provides another activity that makes good use of the river. 

Rammler is the old Clinton Valley Country Club, a 1929 design that was done by Arthur Ham, a local club professional and field supervisor for Donald Ross. The heart of the course is the greens. Besides being on the smaller side, they have nice movement, often times having false fronts in various spots. This gives the course a solid defense, especially since many bunkers have been grassed over. For the better player, a good round, or even a great round, is available if you can hit your short to mid irons well. The two holes that stand out both feature shots over the river to reach the green. The ninth is a short 311 yards with the putting surface above the fairway on the high ground over the river. Golfers have to refrain from hitting driver, creating a longer shot than desired. The 536 yard par five seventeenth is the other. This is a strong hole that doglegs left and demands two strong shots to get a clear view of the green. 

(The 161 yard par three eleventh reveals a familiar view, one that looks like a green sitting in an open field. Unfortunately, this is a common trait among city course, especially older ones where financial decisions determine to keep things simple.) 

(Possibly the strongest hole on the course, the 438 yard par four twelth doglegs right before finishing at a green with a hazard down on the left side. This view shows how a shot that draws too much might could find the penalty area. A ridge that angles from the right rough does block the sight line into the green, making the approach semi blind.) 

Rammler’s penchant to grow the game can be seen from the road where a par three course occupies the property in front of the clubhouse. Holes range from 82-170 yards. It’s the perfect place to bring your kids or teach a friend how to golf. Together, both courses help Rammler make a solid contribution to the community. I give it a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). 

(The 536 yard par five seventeenth can be a card wrecker if you’re not careful. The river requires a full carry to reach the green. If you find yourself out of position, laying up even on the third shot will limit the damage.) 

(I only had time to play nine holes and choose to play the back nine which is over 400 yards longer than the front. The three longest par fours are on this side including the 438 and 435 yard twelth and sixteenth holes. Rammler ends with a long 220 yard par three.)