Pros:
-fantastic piece of land; has water, trees and slight rolling hills
-a blue and a red layout, each well-suited for its intended level
-dual concrete tees, discatchers, great Houck signs
-good variety of distances and lines
-creek comes into play on 12 holes
-a couple of great signature holes from the long boxes
-playground at the park entrance
-RaceTrack right next door to grab a beverage or snack
Cons:
-swampy areas, particularly around holes 4 & 5 and 13-16
-trees still need more trimming, the lines on the long boxes are still very tight
-the short layout is very short
-for a red layout, there are some very difficult placement shots near the creek; not exactly beginner friendly
Other Thoughts:
McCord Park is home to John Houck's latest creation and, as usual, he does not disappoint. The piece of land is full of potential and the design makes use of many of its very cool features, particularly the creek that winds throughout and comes into play on 12 holes.
The park has many open areas, scattered trees, and thicker groups of trees around the creek. Tees and baskets are strategically placed around obstacles so that many holes feature early and late trouble. While both sets of tees put the water in play, the danger is usually much more pronounced on the Blue tees, where there are often low ceilings over the water and a shot may have to cross the water twice to get to the landing zone.
A par of 60 is warranted on the Blue tees where distance, accuracy, and placement are all tested. 60 is perhaps appropriate for the rec level player but the Red tees play more like a par 54 for the intermediate player. Distance is only a factor on a few holes from the shorts but accuracy and placement are still essential. Some part of the creek is inside the circle on half of the baskets.
Overall, McCord Park offers a very fun round of golf and caters to a variety of skill levels. The course is finished with all the usual Houck amenities: textured concrete tees, Discatchers, and great Houck signs. There is a playground at the entrance if you have a family in tow, gas station next door for a beverage, and lots of food nearby the park.
The current cons for the course are mainly temporary and should be cleared up as time goes on and things settle into place. It seems a few tees may not be finalized yet since construction affected several of the originally intended tee locations. I'll be back to update my review as things improve and as I get to know the course better!
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