+ challenging course design
+ exciting water features
+ dramatic finishing hole
+ true par 4 and par 5 holes
+ meaningful long and short tees
+ golf carts available to rent
+ pro shop that sells discs

- requires fee to play
- lengthy course to walk
- intimidating water hazards
- lots of standing water after recent rains
- several opportunities to lose discs

INFO
Selah Ranch - Creekside is one of two courses located on the resort property of Selah Ranch which offers various guest accommodations and camping options for overnight stays. Selah Ranch exemplifies a disc golf vacation destination and is often paired with a visit to nearby Texas Trey Ranch for a true disc golf destination experience. This is a private course that charges fees to play and offers golf carts to rent for rounds of play.

EVAL
Creekside is named after the creek that divides its front nine and back nine holes, but it's the four small ponds that generate the most excitement on this sprawling, prairie course. Players are challenged on the seven pond holes to stay inbounds with throws that must either hug tight or cross over water. Many of the subsequent holes on the course mainly serve to deliver players to these prominent water features, though there are other interesting throws to discover away from those OB-threatening water hazards.

(Inevitable) Creekside and Lakeside Comparison
Both Lakeside and Creekside courses incorporate great water hazards as challenging features. Lakeside's other holes mainly play through woods on focused paths whereas Creekside's other holes mostly throw out in open, grassy fields. Between the two I prefer Lakeside's attractions, especially island hole #7 which is memorable for being so difficult and scenic. The throws over water on Creekside feel equally intimidating, but they seem less scenic due to being surrounded only by fields instead of tall trees. It's true that trees on a disc golf course are influential as both obstacles and scenery. To that point, I enjoy the technical, wooded holes on Lakeside more than the expansive, pasture holes on Creekside.

NOTE
This championship caliber course hosts state and national tournaments and generally consists of many long distance holes to challenge professional players. Alternate red tees accommodate recreational/advanced players with shorter distances on most holes.

LAYOUT
The front nine plays on the back side of the creek with wide open holes to start and then loops out to holes #3-5 which wrap around the first pond: a reedy, curved watering hole that will surely test the finesse of RHBH throws. The following hole #6 is also a bit of a finesse shot while the remainder of the front nine holes primarily test one's distance, repeatedly. Hole #9 borders the creek but is minimally impacted by it.

The back nine better utilizes the creek with par 5 hole #10 which lies on the opposite side of the creek from #9 and drives past many trees to hook around a significant bend in the creek on the way to the green. A rare, standout hole unaffected by water is uphill #12 which emphasizes thoughtful drive placement from which to attack the green with an approach. Next up is the second and smallest pond which must be thrown across from a slightly blind tee position on #13. After a couple finesse holes, players reach the final two ponds where they will finish the round on #16-18 testing their comfort level with risk vs. reward play. Players receive a glimpse of these three holes whenever first arriving at the pro shop to start a round. That precursor now develops into back to back to back tests of one's mental game in handling OB water hazards waiting to swallow any misthrown drives, approaches or putts. Players must skirt the entire length of the pond on hole #16 to reach the safety of the green at its far corner; players must carry one end of the pond on hole #17 with a drive off the tee; and signature hole #18 provides a dramatic finish as players risk reaching a safe landing initially with their drive, or later with their approach, over water to a narrow, jutting peninsula.

-top notch design, a true golf course
-great piece of land with some woods, more open areas, 4 ponds, and a creek
-excellent tees, signs, Discatchers
-great signature holes: 3, 10, 16-18
-wide variety of holes and shot types but more open & placement shots than Lakeside
-much bigger difference between blues and reds compared to Lakeside
-playing smart is rewarded, lots of risk/reward opportunites, you really need to know the landing zones
-golf carts, camping, room rentals available on site
-rest rooms and showers
-limited pro shop
-excellent 2nd course on site
-pay to play, i think this is a pro
-friendly staff

-like Lakeside, one of the biggest cons is the lack of elevation on the course. there are elevated tees on 1 & 9 but that's pretty much it except for some slow rolling hills on a few longer holes
-there are not as many memorable holes as there are on Lakeside
-many opportunities to lose discs in the water; less experienced players or those unexperienced in the wind may end up rather frustrated
-the cost for a weekend can add up quickly; this may tempt you to do something like skipping out on a cart but...
-playing without a cart is a long, arduous endeavor despite the mostly flat land
-a busy weekend can mean all the carts are already booked
-if you're walking the course, there are no benches
-it's a bit of a drive from the ranch to town; plan your food, beverages, and coolers accordingly

***Update Aug 2022***
Selah Ranch disc golf courses are about to be permanently closed Sept 2022. It's a real bummer but I tell myself it's a better outcome than neutering the courses and continuing the downward spiral of poor maintenance. It's unfortunate that some of the more recent travelers to Selah had less than stellar experiences. Selah at its peak was a very special place. Treasure your favorite private courses because they are ephemeral. RIP
*****

Selah Ranch is an amazing DG destination with two fantastic courses, beautiful scenery, and a plethora of amenities. From tent camping to the Corral House to the rooms at the Inn, there is an option for most budgets and comfort requirements. The courses are on a sprawling property with woods, meadows, open spaces, lakes, ponds, and creeks. You really get a sense of seclusion when you're out playing at Selah.

Creekside is a bit more open than Lakeside but actually features more water holes. Holes 3-5, 13, 16, 17-18 play over or along the four ponds on Creekside and holes 9-10 have the creek in play. Only a handful holes have a wooded line to hit but there are many holes with clearly defined fairways with thick rough and large trees dot the centers of a number of fairways also. With only eight par 3s, there is a lot of strategy and placement golf on the numerous longer holes. You really need to know your own game and keep it in the fairway.

Of the eight par 3s, five of them have a pond in play and all of those have the edge of the pond inside the circle. Like the par 3s on Lakeside, they are pretty short but the water danger makes them much more challenging, even if only mentally. The longer holes with water in play are probably the better holes on the course and hole 3 is my favorite. An open tee shot must land in the opening between two large trees just shy of the pond. The second shot must avoid the pond on the left and the tree line on the right to access the green at the edge of the water. Hole 16 is also a highlight.

The blue and red tees have a much greater distance differential than the Lakeside course's tees. The blues are a serious challenge to stay dry, stay in the fairway, and get in position to score. The reds are much safer for less experienced players or anyone concerned with losing plastic but it's still a long track. The course also covers a much greater distance overall. This is a real killer if you can't secure a cart or opt to go without one. These courses really need benches.

I am a fan of pay to play courses but the cost can add up quickly here. Room or camping fee plus greens fee (no discount for tent campers) plus cart fee. It's best if you have a group to go with otherwise you're looking at $60 for each day of golf. You really are going to want a cart too because the courses are really long and spread out. Also note that during tournaments here, there are not enough carts for everyone so carts are not available. The carts are also not available the day of rain or if the courses have a lot of standing water. All those factors combined can make planning a trip here a challenge.

Overall, Selah Ranch offers a one of a kind disc golf experience. I've camped here and I've also stayed in the Corral House and either way it's a great time. Obviously it's a lot cheaper with a group but I suppose that helps give it that destination feel to be out there with your buddies. Creekside has some fantastic holes, lots of water and pucker factor, and never relents on demanding accurate execution. As always, hats off to Mr. Houck.


**Like this review? Hate it? Message me and let me know why! I want to make them better!**

Selah Ranch is a beautiful place to play disc golf. They have truly dedicated some of their sprawling landscape of forest, hills, and water to the sport. John Houck seems to have given his best effort in designing this course.

Hole 1 is a stunner, throwing from a raised dirt road across a shallow valley to the tee on the other side. It's a much better starting hole than Lakeside, which I do think is the better course overall. But creekside doesn't disappoint. There interplay with the creek is well done, creating some great risk reward, fairway/green shaping (Hole 10 stands out as one of the most challenging but most memorable).

This course, like its partner, is loooong. The cart makes it so much fun though. I've never played with a cart before, but those lil red things, despite their seemingly sluggish top speed, adds a real sense of luxury this sport otherwise lacks.

It doesn't finish as well as the rest of the course plays. The last few holes play along the small lakes/ponds, but it's not the same. Any other course it would be fine, but here it feels just anti-climactic.

It is long. Even with the cart.

It can be terribly muddy. Standing water on the fairways. The carts can handle it, but you're still going to get wet.

Obviously I'm really reaching here.

Selah is a beautiful, but expensive. Greens fees, cart fees (optional but you won't regret it afterwards), and lost disc replacement. If you can play both courses without losing a disc, congrats you're a pro. If you're a mere mortal like me, be ready to say goodbye to your friends. (this could go in the cons as well)

The hospitality out here is superb as well. They called me to give me weather updates and were totally ok with me moving my visit back a day till after the rain blew through, and luckily it still fit into my road trip.

There are a couple other great courses south of here at Trey Ranch, and in the DFW area. As a native Houstonian, and current resident of south Louisiana, I don't understand what Dallas did to deserve such great disc golf but I'm a little jealous.

-Great tee boxes
-Great tee signs
-Scorecards with map
-Good mix of long and short holes
-Golf carts
-Painted reference points at 200 and 300 ft from goals
-Well maintained course
-Ranch has a diver that collects discs from water and the pro shop will hold them for you to pick up
-Very few mandos in play because it was well designed.
-Pro shop on site
-Very friendly staff

-Costs for play and golf cart
-There is some water in play that will eat disks
-Closest place for lunch is 8 miles away

This was the less difficult of the two courses at the ranch, but it is by no means a pushover. The golf carts are a definite must due to the terrain and length of the course. The longer holes are not just bomber holes. They required proper placement to get through the hole. Holes 3, 4, 5, 16, 17 and 18 really bring the water into play. It was not as hard as Lakeside, but still definitely challenging. Hole 18 is awesome and tough.

I was torn on how to rate this course. It was the first time I have ever paid a significant amount to play disc golf. At $20 to play and $40 for a cart, I just don't think the value is here other than to say you played one of the highest rated courses in the world. I have played courses that were just as well maintained that I enjoyed just as much as this one. I think a few steps could be taken to really ratchet up the allure of this venue. First, I would suggest putting water coolers in every few holes where people can grab some water. Second, I would recommend offering a sack lunch (for a fair fee) that could either be delivered to golfers on the course, or made available at the Inn or pro shop. This would let golfers play more and increase the value to playing at this pay for play facility.

I would definitely recommend playing this one and its sister course on site if you get the chance, but, while it is very good, there is not really anything going on here right now that is "next level."

3/29/21 Update:

Out of the 68 courses I have reviewed, this is where this course ranks along with similarly rated courses:
Rank-Course, Location
1-Munson Park, Denison, TX
2-Holston Creek DGC, Inman, SC
3-Noble DGC, Noble, OK
4-Selah Ranch - Creekside, Talco, TX
5-Fritz Park, Irving, TX
6-Selah Ranch - Lakeside, Talco, TX
7-Shaver Recreation Center Championship, Seneca, SC
8-Tyger River DGC, Reidville, SC
9-N.E. Lions Park, Norman, OK
10-Grand Central Station, Central, SC

The Selah Ranch Disc Golf courses are amazing. From check-in at the Pro Shop to the final hole, this complex demonstrates how good pay-to-play can be.

Start with the course infrastructure, which is top of the line. Two excellent ( and very different) concrete tee pads for each hole. Both have excellent Houck signs with detailed hole diagrams, lines to the basket, distances, par, etc. Innova DISCatcher baskets show up well and catch great. Obvious paths from hole to hole make navigation a breeze as you cruise along in your golf cart.

The provided scorecards include an excellent overall course map, and hole distances and pars for both tees at each hole.

There is a tremendous variation in hole lengths from 164' out to 930'. How is that for a range? The course includes everything from short and technical wooded holes to more open bombers True par 4 and 5 holes require actual planning and placement. Simply throwing as hard as you can doesn't work here.

There are eight Par 3, seven Par 4, and three Par 5 holes. Having a course with this many quality longer holes holes is special.

As with Lakeside, the playability of the course for an 850 rated player like myself with a 300' max drive stood out. I chose to play the red tees for my first time out, and thoroughly enjoyed all 18. They were good fits for me and I enjoyed the fact that birdies were possible. Even the red tees don't result in a short course, as you'll play 6545' from the reds and 9176' from the blues.

The course features lake and creek holes, and a variety of moderately to tightly wooded holes. Overall I felt that the course was more open than Lakeside, but just as varied. The variety in terms of hole distance, par, and amount of woods is well distributed throughout the course.

While the course lacks a signature island hole like Hole 7 on Lakeside, I felt like there was actually more water in play here. The finishing hole has a relatively tame red tee position, but the long tee is a real tester. After finishing my round from the reds I decided to test my mettle from the blue. After donating two discs to the course I decided to pack it up. Good to know to lay-up next time!

I played all four P2P courses in the area in a 24 hour period. I gave Creekside a 4.5 because I didn't like it "quite" as much as Lakeside. I look forward to returning and playing them in a different order. This could as easily be a 5.0 for me as the 4.5 I'm giving it here.

Very tough for me to come up with cons. I found some of the holes a little more open than Lakeside, with holes like 4, 5 requiring mainly that you don't fade into the lake.

But that is picking nits. Overall this is a phenomenal course and complex.

As a premier P2P course I didn't find the $20 day fee to be out of line at all. Even the additional $20 for the cart seemed like money well spent. I wouldn't try to play both courses in a day without a cart.

I appreciated that I had my wife along as a driver/spotter and they didn't feel the need to charge her any fee at all. Some places are a little weird about a non-paying companion, but there was no issue at Selah.

CS is the best "ranch" or "cow field" type course I've ever played. There isn't actually any cow's in the field, but it reminded me of all the private pasture courses on the east coast, more so than LS, which felt more like a country club with woods. There aren't cow patties everywhere like there are back home, there are poured concrete tee pads (something VA still hasn't fully caught on to yet...) and the rough has been tamed very well for this privately maintained land.

CS is still a gorgeous landscape, but feels much very different from LS. (which is a good thing, honestly) Even though these courses are on the same property and only separated by a few hundred yards, they each have their own very distinct character. CS feels the most "ranchy" of the two and it wears that dress like the finest of prom dates.

Most of the holes on CS were open fields where several trees shaped the shot(s), but off the tees and approaches. CS and LS both put a premium on shot placement. If you want the birdies, you'll need to drop your ego and put the disc in a specific spot. (don't worry, big arms, you'll still have an advantage on many holes)

I'll list the water as a pro here, but I also have it as a con for a different reason. I'll list it as a pro for the challenge it provided. Complicated even further by the wind, CS was by far the most nervous I've been playing DG. That was fun, I guess, but I may or may not be a masochist.

With the exception of truly wooded holes, you'll utilize most other shots in your bag. There are very obvious lines you should take, unlike LS which allows you to be more creative if you like. This course does still favor the big arms, way more than LS does.

To borrow from my LS review, The amenities were more than ample, but not perfect (as you can see in my cons). The tee pads were plenty big enough, two per hole with very nice signs at each tee. There's also a pro shop on site, you'll get scorecards for each course, have a place to buy plastic and also rent a golf cart! The revolution has begun, ladies and gentlemen! These types of amenities is what it will take to push our game to the next level.

CS doesn't have the most well-rounded design. By that I mean it doesn't have many, if any, truly wooded holes. Most of the "wooded" holes are simply shot shaping with a few trees. (there's nothing wrong with those shots, by the way, but they won't pass as wooded holes) To be in the upper echelon of courses, It's my personal opinion the course should be well rounded between open/semi-open/wooded. How else would you challenge every aspect of a players game?

The use of water on CS felt a little more "forced" than on LS. I don't really know how to explain that other than saying some holes were unnecessarily close to the water. I'm sure many will disagree, it simply seemed like they tried too hard to make more water holes at the expense of designing a better shot.

There were several holes that seemed like "gimmie" birdies. Normally that's not a bad thing, you should just get the birdie most of the time. I don't think a course of this caliber should have any "gimmie's". I sometimes call these "filler" holes. There were a couple of these on CS. No they weren't 300ft shots in an open field, but they probably get birdied at a 75% rate. Again, I'm sure there will be plenty of disagreement on this, it just seemed like some shots could've been brainstormed on for longer.

Courses this nice should have benches on every tee. It wasn't too bad since I had a cart, but with as long and as nice as these courses are, they should have benches on every tee.

I promised Dave I'd review these courses on their own merits. Many people will compare the two and award the lesser with a half point lower. I award CS with a half-point lower regardless, but please don't think that means it's a bad course. Come on, now, it's still a 4.5. This course is fantastic, just not quite what LS is (but is any course?!?)

I recommend playing CS first and letting LS be the icing on the cake. I might have been let down to have played them in reverse order.

My favorite hole was #3. I shot a 63 (-4) from blues.

Note: We played this course after we had played Lakeside on a weekend in February. We played from the longer tees without carts.

Creekside gives you the opportunity to air it out a little more than at Lakeside. You can air it out without having to worry about losing it in water as there is less water.

Even with less water, the long holes still demand good placements to score well. I especially enjoyed Hole 3. It actually had water and you had to lay up and then throw over the water to a guarded basket.

I have never been a big fan of making holes long for the sake of making them long, but Hole 8 was one of the holes that I did not mind. It is the only 1000'+ hole in the area. You need to finish right off your drive to avoid being in the bushes and then a few more good shots down a huge alley to get to the basket.

I felt that Creekside had more par 3s that appeals to people who like shorter holes. This course had a much better variety in terms on <300' holes and longer 550'+ holes. This course is longer footage wise, but you can expect to score better here than at Lakeside, because of the larger number of shorter holes.

In my opinion, there are too many average holes to make this course a 5. Holes 4, 5 and 17 are just short shots over a little bit of water. Even the longer holes felt a little repetitive. For some reason, Creekside's holes just did not stick well in my mind like Lakeside, and I think that is important to make a great course.

Houck likes peninsulas, and I like peninsulas. However, I did not like Hole 18. At all. I felt that the peninsula was too narrow and hard to hit from 320' out. According to the course map, the peninsula directly in front of the pad about 100' is OB, which makes there no good lay up zone.

My rank for the four big courses in the are are:

1. Selah Ranch - Lakeside
2.Texas Trey Ranch - Trey Deuce
3. Texas Trey Ranch - Texas Twist
4. Selah Ranch - Creekside

All four are phenomenal courses and all four are worth the time and money to spend an entire weekend up here.

Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed Creekside 100 percent; it is definitely in my top 10 course, but I think its ratings are overrated because it is next to the best course in the world. Still, this is a great course and it has a lot of fantastic holes. I would make the drive back to play both of these phenomenal courses.

Selah Ranch - Creekside has been on my bucket list for two years. It was the first course I played at the ranch of the two courses. My drive to the course had my heart pounding. I literally couldn't wait to get there. When I arrived at the course I was greeted by the ranch manager. The pro shop was pretty neat and I was pretty surprised to find I was the only one there. Regardless, he gave me everything I needed to know and sent me on my way. I had the entire course to myself. Literally not a soul in sight on one of the best courses in the world. Here are my pros.... DISCLAIMER: My review is written from my perspective from the long tees:

1) The finishing stretch of holes at Creekside is amongst the best finishing holes in all of disc golf, bar none. It is better than its counterpart Lakeside and and truly left me speechless. You wouldn't think hole 15, measuring in at 296 feet, would be that special but this hole was awesome. It was a true option hole and the tree in front of the teebox (you'll know the one I am talking about) is unforgettable. This is what an option hole should be....AND then you get to hole 16 and you find out what disc golf is all about. This is the hole that defines this course and at the end of the day its the only hole I came back to play twice...and then I played it a third time, as I was determined to make an eagle (I didn't...I put a disc in the water instead). This hole is one of the most glorious par 5's in disc golf and is probably the 4th best hole in all of disc golf, in my opinion. I would put it right up there with hole 7 at Lakeside. Hole 17 is a fun little shot over water that is screaming "come an get me" while 18 is one of the most daunting shots in all of disc golf. While some people may think hole 18 is gimmicky I think its insanely amazing. 318 feet to an island green? That's not gimmicky...its marvelous. Its what made the round so special. Its not a shot you want to throw over and over again, but it is a shot that defines the course. The finishing stretch on Creekside may be the best finishing stretch in all of disc golf. You don't need par 4's and par 5's to be great. They can be good, yes, but sometimes they fail (see below on that).

2) Water - Hopefully you aren't afraid of water, because you will get it out here. There is water everywhere and it comes into play on many shots. Pray for no wind! It adds a lot of value to the design and on a calm day really is peaceful.

3) Design - What stood out to me on this course is that the design, for the most part, was amazing (more on that below). There's not a lot of elevation here and the woods aren't particularly interesting in Texas, but in the end the design was very solid.

4) The greens fees were worth every dollar. I enjoy paying for disc golf when I know its going to a great cause. It is completely amazing to play disc golf with carts, especially on a massive course such as Creekside. Its so wonderful to just not have to worry about anything but throwing and throwing and throwing. Its just fun to drive golf carts!

5) Concrete tees and baskets were great. The baskets are newer because its a newer course and the tees allowed me the runup I needed to throw my shots. I remember having some extra space behind the tees as well in case I needed an extra runup.

6) I played the long tees and enjoyed every minute of it, but it is great that there is a nice set of red tees for different skill levels to enjoy. If I was in the scoring mood I could see myself playing the red tees. If I am in the beatdown mood, I'd just play the long tees!

7) This is nature at its best. While it sucked actually getting to this course, once you are there it feels like a different world. There's no interstate noise, no city noise...just nature. You are in nature and you are playing the best sport in the world. This course is so far out in the middle of nowhere that its almost like you are playing disc golf in the glorious Shire.

8) The variety is completely astounding here. I threw putter off of the tee on two holes and threw three drives on another hole just to get close to the basket (number 8). This course can be really long, like hole 10, but then the course can be really short (like holes 4 and 5 and 11). The course had a hole over 1000 feet and five holes under 300 feet. If that's not variety I don't know what is! I think it makes the longer holes even more special when they are not stacked one after one after one. Its nice to play a 930 foot par 5 (hole 10) and then play a short part 3. Likewise, after playing the beastly hole 16 you get a shorter par 3 measuring 279 feet (albeit with a water carry).

9) The Par 3's - I thought the par 3's at Creekside were better than the par 3's at Lakeside. I saw some complaints about holes 4 and 5 and how they were boring because they were just baskets by water.....but wow! That's the kind of hole that makes you think and brings out the best disc golfers. Go for it or not? Both of these holes, while very similar, are much more unique and better than 90% of the par 3's at your average city course. Both of these holes require a lot of guts to even come near the basket and if you don't come near the basket on your tee shot, are you going to have the guts to go for the putt? Now I did think 13 was a little redundant because it was a similar shot but I still like these kind of holes because it forces you to make decisions. Instead of just chucking it you really have to think about where to throw it. Also, hole 11, while fairly short, just felt more interesting to me than most, short par 3's. I loved how the basket was blind from the tee.

10) Other: Hole 12 may not stand out to some people but this one of my favorite par 4's on the course. It had some elevation and was really memorable because of the big hay bales. I really liked the second shot on this hole and thought the green was well thought out.

You can't really give a course a 4.5 and have a lot of cons but there were a few:

1) I personally LOVE long bomber courses so this type of course would usually be right up my alley, but I found myself a little bored by holes 7 through 10. Its not that they weren't good holes but to say they were great holes would not be accurate in my opinion. 7 was a little too wide open for me and hole 8 just felt long for the sake of long. As stated I do love long holes but after finishing hole 8 I just felt normal. It didn't feel like the hole would offer a big score separation because it didn't have a lot going on. Hole 9 was better but still a little too open for me. Just throw a big hyzer off of the tee and throw another hyzer to the basket. Hole 10....more on that below. As I said, these weren't bad holes but they weren't great holes.

2) I really wanted to like hole 10. On paper it looked like a signature hole. The green on this hole was phenomenal and the last 200 feet down the corridor really provided a neat window to the green. But its the first 730 feet I had a problem with. This hole was built as an option hole but I just couldn't really figure out the location of the fairway. The left route seemed too hard to hit and the right route looked too jumbled. I played this hole twice to try to get the feel and both times I was just confused as to where I was actually supposed to be throwing. I love option holes, but I truly believe that option holes are VERY hard to make work on par 4's and par 5's. I have talked to other designers about this and they tend to agree. I think the concept and idea behind this hole were great but it just didn't work for me.

NOTE: I was originally going to reduce the rating of this course to a 4.0 because of the length of the grass on some of the holes and the presence of a lot of downed limbs. The day I played Creekside it was in rough shape. I spoke to the ranch manager and he said the weather had been pretty bad. I decided not to penalize the course for this, but I wanted to point out the fact that the day I played the grass was very long in some areas (I lost a disc in the middle of the fairway on hole 7) and there were a lot of branches down on the course. Don't let the cons scare you. This course is worth every penny!

I thought long and hard about my rating for Creekside and tried not to compare it to Lakeside. But at the end of the day its impossible not to compare the two courses. While I do think Lakeside is a better course than Creekside, its not by much. Lakeside has more breathtaking holes but Lakeside has one too many "average" holes. Creekside only has a few "average" holes in my opinion, and so it wins in that regard. I would actually rate Creekside somewhere between a 4.25 and a 4.5 but I bumped it up to a 4.5 because the finishing stretch is amazing. As stated in my Lakeside review I would actually give Lakeside a rating closer to 4.75 but didn't quite think it qualified to be a 5. Two marvelous courses on one property made for a great day of disc golf!

Wonderful amenities on site including a small pro shop, showers and bathrooms at the start of the course etc.

Well designed within the land given, this course has a more natural feel that Lakeside. I'm not sure why I like it better, but I do.

While I don't like the carts overall they do reduce fatigue.

See the pros in the reviews below. Some o them describe this course far more eloquently than I can.

Price. $20 is reasonable for the courses, but the $40 fee for the carts is almost mandatory unless you're in tip top shape.

The carts: In addition to being costly they aren't doing anything good for the land on either course. Golf courses cut down on wear and tear by having cart paths. Disc golfers seem to drive the carts all over the place instead of staying well away from water, and the center of the fairway the way common sense would dictate. Please have some courtesy people.

Other than those two I really don't have much bad to say about Creekside. It is a little sterile like Lakeside, but not nearly as bad.

I know this goes against the grain, but I enjoyed Creekside more than Lakeside. I waited until I'd played both courses several times and from both sets of tees to write this thinking I'd change my mind, but at the end of the day I'd really like to be able to rate this course a 4.5 and Creekside a 4.75, but working within the system we have I want to rate both courses fairly, but show my preference for Creekside.

I travel all over the US for business, and don't review many courses unless I feel I have something to add. Unfortunately here I feel like I need to add a contrary opinion. These are marvelous courses, but they do have things that could be improved.

The Selah Ranch courses are on some of the most beautiful property that I have seen for a disc golf course. Jack, the course manager, was very helpful in giving us insights about the courses and warning us about any holes where rough or high water was the worst. He said that the conditions of the course were the worst they have ever been, and the courses were still in pristine shape. Luckily, we caught the course just after he had mowed the fairways for some of the holes. Even off the fairway, the grass was not very high nor was the rough thick. We didn't have to search for our discs at all throughout our two rounds.


All of the amenities are the best of the best, with plenty of clean bathrooms and showers near the pro shop, elaborate course maps and tee signs at every tee, very big concrete tees, and DISCatcher baskets in great shape. The two tee positions do a great job of offering completely different looks and distances for almost every hole. The difference between the Blue and Red tees drastically changes the hole for 10-13, 15, and 16-18.

One of the biggest strengths about the course is the incredible distribution of variety that it offers. The course has moderately wooded long holes (1, 2, 9, 16), very tight holes (6, 10, 14), different kinds of water holes (3-5, 10, 13, 16-18), long holes that allow for some bombs (7, 8), and truly everything in between. Holes 3, 10, and 14 are the three highlight holes for me, and they have completely different feels to them. I could play holes 10 and 14 a completely different way the first 5 times I played them, which to me is a top quality. The tee and pin placement offers a great variety of risk/reward type holes too. The water holes definitely give the biggest risk factor, whether it's hitting the specific landing zones, hitting the tight windows, and avoiding tree kicks into the water on 3, trying to avoid hyzering out too much on birdie-runs 4 and 5, or throwing directly over the ponds on 13, 16-18.

The course does a great job of offering vastly different lengths (with holes ranging from 159-1,019 feet) and pars (with 7 par 4's and 3 par 5's). These are true pars, though achieving par or birdie is not out of the question for even a low-mid 800's level player like myself.

I was also impressed with how well-used the elevation was on the majority of the holes. While there are not any extreme elevation changes, I was pleasantly surprised to see excellent design incorporating the elevation on many holes. The constant downward sloping of 7 and 9 and upward slope on 12 makes otherwise straight-forward holes more interesting.

-Probably the biggest con for me, and in comparison with most other courses out there is a very small factor, is the amount of straight-forwardness on some of the holes here. This is one of the best designed courses I have ever played, no doubt. However, there are a fair bit of holes on here that don't live up to the rest of the course's standard. Holes like 2, 7, and 8 allow for a lot of room for error and don't give the player many options to be creative, while 13, 17-18 are simple water holes where you throw from one side of the pond to the other. Obviously, there is more risk and technique involved than that, but the water holes on Creekside are significantly less fun and dramatic than those on Lakeside, and feel repetitive by the end of the round. I also think that holes like 4-5, 7-8, and 17-18 feel the slightest bit bland because they are very similar holes that are played consecutively, which makes them stand out a little in a negative way to me. That is the biggest factor of the course that brings my rating to a 4.5. The course does have some of the best designed - and some of my favorite holes - that I have played. And, I can see why so many people have given this course a 5. However, these holes mentioned take away the "best of the best" factor for me.

I definitely recommend getting a cart, even though it costs $40. There is plenty of room in the back to hold bags, coolers, etc. Also, it is worth getting for being able to drive up to see the landing zones and pin positions on some of the very long holes. I also recommend buying a few of the $5 used discs, as they have a huge selection of discs that are in great condition.

Combining Creekside with the Lakeside course makes for truly one of, if not the best days of playing disc golf out there. The courses are only a few hundred yards away, but offer completely different feels from each other. The water and woods holes are vastly different between the two courses, giving unparalleled variety for an awesome day of disc golf.

Selah Ranch's Creekside course sets the stage for the transcendent Lakeside by offering a wider range of shots than its complement. The signature complex par 4s and 5s are here in 3, 10, and 14, which demand precision placement, strong strategy, a respect for landing zones, and constant risk-versus-reward analysis, all propelled by a dizzying array of shots. There are plenty of opportunities to stretch your arm, such as in 2, 7, and 8, where you make your way toward the basket with broad lines around large, strategically-located trees. Water makes for some fearsome approaches (4 and 5) or serves as a more direct hazard (17 and 18), while elsewhere shaping fairways and complicating the puzzle (3, 10, and 16). The remaining holes each have their own unique character, be it 6's tunnel shot over rolling hills, 9's downhill hyzer ending with a guarded basket, or 12's hay bale guarded uphill shot.

This diversity is for the most part masterfully orchestrated; any minor quibbles mentioned below fade behind the overall sense of considerate variation. Creekside often switches gears effectively, following up, say, the par 4 challenge of hole 14 with a more straight ahead birdie run/easy 3 on hole 15. This attention to pacing isn't always perfect, but it's darn close, and certainly better than most courses I've played. The terrain is masterfully manipulated to create an immensely satisfying hole progression.

Both Selah courses are elevated by their attention to detail and their emphasis on the mental game. Tees, pins, and obstacles are all delicately positioned to make a potentially standard shot fresh and new. While longer holes are common, these stress placement much more than raw distance; knowing where to land to set up the next shot is crucial. At the same time, Creekside has a welcome share of light-hearted moments that allow you to kick back and let your hair down, whether it's making an ace run on 4 with a disc you don't mind getting wet or the almost gluttonously open spaces of hole 8. It all combines to make for an unforgettable round.

Everything beyond the golf itself is also spectacular: concrete tees are fantastic, bathrooms are clean and accessible, the pro shop with affordable used discs is very welcome with all the water, and the cart makes for a fun experience. The setting is beyond gorgeous, and even on what we were told was a down day, the grounds were impeccably tended. Go to Selah.

The following nit-picks keep Creekside from obtaining perfect 5.0 status for me.

Despite the largely great flow and variation of the course, it's not flawless. Holes 4 and 5 around the lake rely on water's edge pin placements to spice up otherwise straightforward holes, and when played back to back the device seems a little transparent. This sense is reinforced on the closing two holes, which reprise the pins-against-the-water once again back to back. Each hole presents its own variation on this theme, but four such holes in two pairs on the same course becomes a bit tired. This sense was amplified for me because of how much more one-dimensional the use of water is on these holes compared to elsewhere: it factors in for sheer terror factor much more than strategic complication, which is a step down from the other times it makes an appearance.

There are other spots on the course where repetition comes into play in at least a minor fashion. In addition to these two pairs of water holes, holes 7 and 8 both allow you to more or less grip it and rip it with impunity (a bit less so when playing 8 from the long tee). Back to back, they feel somewhat self-similar. Between this pair and the comparable 4 and 5, I felt that Creekside's front 9 was the least interesting 9 on site. Of course, this is very relative to the context, as they remain world class.

The cart is really necessary. The course is exceedingly spread out, and would wipe you out if you walked it. I can't imagine playing Selah on foot in July. And while I think $20 per person for a day of unlimited play is a more than fair price given the courses and the grooming, $40 for the cart seems a bit steep. But again, that's a relatively small complaint.

What amazed me most about my visit to Selah is that it exceeded my improbably high expectations. This really is as good as it gets.

I'll reiterate that the cart is a necessity, especially if you want to maximize your visit. We managed to play both courses completely through and hit much of them a second time in around 7 or 8 hours, while really taking our time to savor it all. We started with Creekside, which I'd recommend, since the quality slowly builds until culminating effectively at Lakeside.

The Super 8 Motel in Mount Vernon makes for a convenient and cheap place to stay on your visit if you're not ponying up to lodge on site.

This course is amazing. It is 2nd in actual hole design only to its better brother Lakeside. The course is much tougher than at first glance. I would say the cart is much more valuable here than on Lakeside. This course plays to the strength of the players with big arms, but to really take some strokes off the game with a distance drive you need to throw with some degree of accuracy about 475' or more without a problem.

I think the only reason this course didn't get a 5 rating from me was the somewhat repetitive over the little pond throws. I don't remember how many there are, but they are similar enough I feel that a couple different shots could be used here.

#10 - This hole is amazing. From the red tee it really challenges, but the blue tee is a little more forgiving. I would put this in my top 5 holes anywhere possibly top 3.

Some repetitive shots keep this from a 5 for me. I almost aced 18 with 25 mph winds, but that is a heartwrenching shot.

You must come here this course is amazing. Play both, but either course will keep you looking for the best in disc golf anywhere else around.

It's a bit less technical than Lakesides course, but it still has quite a bit of technicality. Lot's of tricky greens around water. Great use of the water and landscape for 16,17,18 area. Some more shorter technical holes using water all around the course make for a fun and challenging round. A lot of longer more open holes than Lakeside, all of which are birdie-able but still require a good amount of skill to do it. Great mix of hole length throughout the course, anywhere from 1000'+ to 200'. I preferred this course to Lakeside even though I was more worn out playing it than the other.

I think 16 and 18 are my favorite holes on this course, but I like most of them a lot.

Hole 3 I wasnt into. I think its poorly designed. But just like on Lakeside 14, just because I dont like it, doesnt mean you wont, and it doesnt make it not a ridiculously great course.

This course would be worth the 7 hour drive for me, having it on the same property as Lakeside is a huuuge bonus. Bring your retriever and some extras you dont mind losing, there is a really high chance you will have one in the water before the day is done. Same thoughts as my Lakeside review, bring hydration and snacks. Enjoy the amenities that Selah has to offer, and dont miss out on a chance to play either of those courses.

Creekside is an interesting collection of fairway designs. All 36 Selah holes considered, I would say Creekside has both the most difficult hole (#3) and the very best individual hole (#10) on the ranch. #3 is an awesome, menacing challenge and I would rate it as the most difficult at Selah. I would love to see some long term player statistics to see how it stacks up on a difficulty scale. The way it's designed, you have to bomb a drive and place it in a very small area of fairway. Too far right and you have no look and no shot toward the basket with your only option being a layup shot toward the water. Too far left and you are taking off your pants for a snake swim or you are headed to the proshop to buy a new disc. On top of this, the landing area is cut in half by a line of sentinel trees with fairly small gaps so you need a little luck even when you land on the sweet spot. Past this, the forest crowds toward the water leaving a 200' long sliver of dry land against the water. Additionally, the green is heavily guarded so even after a perfect drive, you are left with a precision upshot for any chance at birdie. Oh, and if you drift a little right on your approach to the basket, you risk a 'tree-hyzer' straight into the pond. What a killer awesome hole design that ate my lunch and discs both times I played it.
#10 is the very best overall design at the ranch. A shady wooded fairway leads to a landing area followed by a technical R->L turning shot out to the end of a peninsula surrounded on three sides by an OB creek. Not overly difficult for a par 5 but a canopy-enclosed, enchanting, challenging fairway design that holds your interest over and over.
One other hole worth mentioning was #15. Very nice placement of tee and basket which gives the thrower the option of going right or left. A low ceiling adds difficulty. Overall a great place to shape a shot with a high-glide midrange or a light weight fairway driver.

The rating drop-down box pairs each number rating with adjective clause. 5 says best of the best. 4.5 says phenomenal which I believe describes the overall experience on Creekside. The cons are that many of the holes can get repetitive. For example, 4,5,and 13 are all slight variations of the same short, open water hole. Also, 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, and 12 are pretty open similar holes that invite the thrower to blow an 'o' ring off the tee, maybe miss an obvious obstacle, and then an easy open upshot (or two). Not bad designs, just average and forgettable. 12 was a strange design for me. A longer uphill blind shot over large round hay bales. I didnt look forward to this hole because I couldn't see the basket or where to land my plastic for a decent second shot. Maybe staff could clear a path through the bales, or put a tall extension flag on the basket that is visible from the tees. This could be a better hole and probably will be in the future. Remember, 4.5 is still phenomenal, but this course should probably take a back seat to Lakeside.

Selah should be your next DG road trip destination. You will enjoy exceptional accommodations, you will play world class disc golf, and you will be supporting some of the nicest people in Texas. Plus I got a slightly used Star Starfire and a Sirius Orion for $5ea in the proshop. Nothin' says phenomenal like 70% off on some killer plastic.

Creekside is one of two courses at an amazing disc golf destination. The amenities are unparalleled. The pro-shop, clubhouse, and inn are terrific. The course looks and feels very much like a golf course and the Wow factor is off the hook. (The course is much prettier than the pictures show.) Discs are very easy to find and there's very little schule to get into.

The cement tees are huge. The tee signs are top notch. The blue and red tees are spot-on appropriate with their distances for the intended skill levels.

The ponds are picturesque and well-used to provide some pucker factor on those holes.

Most of the preferred landing areas on the par 4's and 5's can be clearly seen from the tee by the shorter mowed fairway grass.

Some of the highlights:

Hole 3 is a very nice short/medium par 4 at just over 600 ft. The drive has water all the way down the left side and must be accurately placed to take advantage of one of the two distinct clear routes into the basket area that is into the woods.

Hole 5 is a short, "should-get" par 3 that can really get into your head, particularly if it's windy. The water is taunting and there's a choice to come in over the water or throw a delicate hyzer shot around the guardian trees.

Hole 10 is a wonderfully conceived par 5 with two distinct options. One option creates the opportunity to reach the basket area with two great shots for an eagle opportunity, but involves a tighter, riskier tee shot. The other, three shot option has an easier tee shot, but getting a birdie still requires three well-thrown, technical shots. (This hole could benefit from having a few more trees removed and some additional trimming, possibly coupled with a couple navigation landmarks.)

Hole 16 is a classic, short par 5 with trees and water and a challenging basket location close to the water. Players have the opportunity to take some chances and eagle is possible.

This course is terrific and among my favorites, but isn't quite a 5.0.

Why?

The huge walks that are required in between holes diminish the experience. It is a very nice amenity to offer golf cart rentals, but I don't like the idea that taking a cart is almost required to enjoy playing a course.

While there are some "next tee" navigation signs, there could be more as the routing isn't always apparent.

For me to rate a course a 5.0 it will need to be a complete challenge. Creekside has lots going for it and comes close, but there several attributes that aren't found. With the exception of a handful of baskets that are near water, there is no trouble around the baskets. There are no uphill, downhill, sidehill putts and no drop-off's behind the baskets. Overall the terrain offers only slight elevation changes.

With the exception of holes 10-11, the course is very open. There are trees and shots do need to be shaped to some extent, but the gaps are very wide. The handful of water shots are the only real pucker factor on the course.

Hole 18 affords no bailout option. Particularly for the red tee, forcing all players to carry 180 ft. of water without a bailout option is pretty harsh.

Selah Ranch is highly recommended. If you visit, plan to have at least a day and a half of playing time, because you'll definitely want to play these courses more than once.

Don't be a dirty discer; leave the course cleaner than the way you found it.

I have played many John Houck designed courses and after playing Selah Ranch, I believe the bar has been raised. The Creekside Course may have had a little more rolling terrain and a little more water but you are constantly surrounded by beauty on both courses. It is definitely a risk versus reward course, making you play what the course gives you and can easily penalize you for trying to take too much.
There is a good mix of open and tight fairways with an emphasis on the landing zones.
There are multiple water hazards but they can be easily avoided with well placed throws. I threw par the first time on the course and like any round, I can go back and count the strokes I should have saved and been well under par, but that's the beauty of a CHAMPIONSHIP caliber course.

If you haven't been playing very long, you may have trouble here but it is still worth the trip. Just bring some extra plastic that you don't care to lose or be careful on the water holes.
I didn't lose any plastic on this course so I'm not sure this is a Con anyway.

We played the Championship Tees which add another 2387 feet of awesomeness. I would advise playing the Standard Tees your first time out unless you're an experienced golfer.