The Player's DGC reviews
5
2
WildlyMediocre
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
Updates Make for a Quality Course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 23, 2017
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
- Lots of variety. Likely that every shot or disc in your bag has a chance to come out and play.
- Variable difficulty. Multiple tees/pins on most holes let you pick the kind of course you want to play.
- Continued improvements make it more fun to play each year.
- Variable difficulty. Multiple tees/pins on most holes let you pick the kind of course you want to play.
- Continued improvements make it more fun to play each year.
Cons:
- Drainage still leaves some work to be desired. Wet periods and high water can cut off entire sections of the course.
- A few holes are still rough around the edges, leaving an uneven feel to the course as a whole experience (but still seeing progress).
- Couple tricky jumps from one hole to the next if you're not familiar with the layout.
- A few holes are still rough around the edges, leaving an uneven feel to the course as a whole experience (but still seeing progress).
- Couple tricky jumps from one hole to the next if you're not familiar with the layout.
Other Thoughts:
I moved to the Columbus area about 3 years ago. Of course the big name course here is Brent Hambrick. I played it, and I liked it, but it wasn't the kind of course that fit my play. When I first played The Player's Course, it was a solid 3-star for me. Not the most well-manicured course, only about half the holes had a long tee pad. But it was technical and fun. Mixed some length with soft touch shots. So I played it often.
In part due to the Women's Championships being held here a couple years ago, and just general improvements over time, it's earned the extra 1 1/2 stars from me. Is it Maple Hill? Well, no. But the fairways are cleaner, some trees have been cleared out to create actual lines instead of "poke and pray," and the variety is vastly improved. 9 holes now have a second basket placement, and all but 4 holes have multiple tees (5 holes have 3 tees). But like Maple Hill, the vast majority of these added baskets and tees are creating different shots, not just longer versions of the same hole. And that is a distinction that many courses miss when they make "pro tees."
As I put in the cons, sometimes high water days make the course all but unplayable. It's an unfortunate reality of the course's location. I've played at courses that got swampy and some good drainage vastly improved that. I don't think this course will ever have that luxury. The course itself plays through 2 different "peninsulas" (for lack of a better description) on the same lake. Extreme drainage through the problem fairways would only result in permanent water hazards.
Some holes in the middle of the 2nd half (12/13/14) feel a little unfinished compared to the new polish on the earlier holes. Nice wooded holes with decent fairways, but will benefit from some TLC along the way.
14 is especially jarring due to the layout (you can't see the pin really from the tees, and when you do get over the slight rise to the basket you are greeted at the bottom of the hill with a flower cross memorial for what I can only guess is honoring a drowning victim in the lake). Kind of unsettling putting down at the basket, knowing if you miss and go long you could smack right into the memorial. It's a shame because it's one of the best hole layouts on the course, but it's also the only one I would truly like to see revised in terms of pin placement.
In a couple years, I think this could be a true championship quality course that would be a great compliment to the openness of Brent Hambrick.
In part due to the Women's Championships being held here a couple years ago, and just general improvements over time, it's earned the extra 1 1/2 stars from me. Is it Maple Hill? Well, no. But the fairways are cleaner, some trees have been cleared out to create actual lines instead of "poke and pray," and the variety is vastly improved. 9 holes now have a second basket placement, and all but 4 holes have multiple tees (5 holes have 3 tees). But like Maple Hill, the vast majority of these added baskets and tees are creating different shots, not just longer versions of the same hole. And that is a distinction that many courses miss when they make "pro tees."
As I put in the cons, sometimes high water days make the course all but unplayable. It's an unfortunate reality of the course's location. I've played at courses that got swampy and some good drainage vastly improved that. I don't think this course will ever have that luxury. The course itself plays through 2 different "peninsulas" (for lack of a better description) on the same lake. Extreme drainage through the problem fairways would only result in permanent water hazards.
Some holes in the middle of the 2nd half (12/13/14) feel a little unfinished compared to the new polish on the earlier holes. Nice wooded holes with decent fairways, but will benefit from some TLC along the way.
14 is especially jarring due to the layout (you can't see the pin really from the tees, and when you do get over the slight rise to the basket you are greeted at the bottom of the hill with a flower cross memorial for what I can only guess is honoring a drowning victim in the lake). Kind of unsettling putting down at the basket, knowing if you miss and go long you could smack right into the memorial. It's a shame because it's one of the best hole layouts on the course, but it's also the only one I would truly like to see revised in terms of pin placement.
In a couple years, I think this could be a true championship quality course that would be a great compliment to the openness of Brent Hambrick.
6
0
Tight, unforgiving, and fun. Continually improving! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Mar 28, 2013
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
All basic amenities present including concrete teepads for long tees and all but 2 of the short tees, bathrooms, abundant parking and high quality baskets
Bonus amenities include a water fountain on the course and a convenience store a mile up the road that sells discs.
Good use of available elevation and water adds an element of interest
As of 7/1/15 10 holes have 2 concrete tee positions, and 2 holes have 3. 1 hole has a second tee made of gravel, and it appears plans are in place to add concrete here too.
Bonus amenities include a water fountain on the course and a convenience store a mile up the road that sells discs.
Good use of available elevation and water adds an element of interest
As of 7/1/15 10 holes have 2 concrete tee positions, and 2 holes have 3. 1 hole has a second tee made of gravel, and it appears plans are in place to add concrete here too.
Cons:
Course is in need of a very minor amount of pruning, as certain holes feel like a crap-shoot as opposed to a test of skill. Update: This has been mostly fixed with recent work done too the course.
Two of the short tees don't have concrete teepads, but the dirt has been replaced with carpet, so that's an improvement. Update, this too has been fixed.
Layout is somewhat chopped up due to recent redesign caused by expansion of the nearby boat ramp. Course forces you to cross the parking area twice, which could be a problem if you aren't attentive.
The course didn't buy me dinner before it f@#ked me.
7/1/15: The new concrete tees are 1-2' shorter than the originals. Given that they are mainly set in longer positions than the original tees and are also slightly elevated, this is a MAJOR drawback.
Two of the short tees don't have concrete teepads, but the dirt has been replaced with carpet, so that's an improvement. Update, this too has been fixed.
Layout is somewhat chopped up due to recent redesign caused by expansion of the nearby boat ramp. Course forces you to cross the parking area twice, which could be a problem if you aren't attentive.
The course didn't buy me dinner before it f@#ked me.
7/1/15: The new concrete tees are 1-2' shorter than the originals. Given that they are mainly set in longer positions than the original tees and are also slightly elevated, this is a MAJOR drawback.
Other Thoughts:
This tightly wooded course is certainly one of the toughest in the Columbus area. There are no truly wide open holes, every one has at least a few trees to force you to hit a certain line. You will need every shot in your bag to have success here. As I mentioned in my Cons, there are a few holes that need to be reconsidered slightly as there are scrub trees that are clogging up already small openings between mature trees (again this has been mostly fixed...)
While the course is challenging even from the short tees, it does lack what I would call a signature hole. Despite this, many of the holes will reward you with a memorable shot if you have the skill to hit it.
As I jokingly alluded to in my cons, this course roughed me up badly, and has continued to do so over time. Overall this is a great course to separate the skilled players in your group from the "lucky chuckers" as it's almost impossible to get lucky 18 times.
3/15 Update: The local club has been doing WORK!!! Many of the downed trees have been cut up and stacked along the fairways of several back 9 holes. These serve to force you to shape shots on some holes, but help keep you out of a nasty swampy area on the 2 holes that play along it. Overall this change is very positive. Otherwise the course is still quite challenging. Bring your A game, you'll need it.
7/1/15 The new tee positions required additional clearing of trees and brush and this is a major positive for this course. The new tee positions are worth a half point bump, and I'm deducting half a point due to the tees being too short. Overall I'm raising my score on this course by half a point due to the clearing of brush that was done in conjunction with the new tees, and the fun new shots the tees open up.
Update 12/5/15. Improvements continue! Not satisfied with 2 sets of tees at most holes, a dedicated group is adding a THIRD tee on holes where there is room. Brush is being cut back, and the entire personality of this course has changed for the better.
1/21/17 update:
Adding half a star to my review to reflect the 9 new red baskets added to the 18 yellow baskets that are already present. With 38 tees and 27 baskets on only 18 holes there are limitless possibilities to play a course that fits your abilities and appetite for challenge.
While the course is challenging even from the short tees, it does lack what I would call a signature hole. Despite this, many of the holes will reward you with a memorable shot if you have the skill to hit it.
As I jokingly alluded to in my cons, this course roughed me up badly, and has continued to do so over time. Overall this is a great course to separate the skilled players in your group from the "lucky chuckers" as it's almost impossible to get lucky 18 times.
3/15 Update: The local club has been doing WORK!!! Many of the downed trees have been cut up and stacked along the fairways of several back 9 holes. These serve to force you to shape shots on some holes, but help keep you out of a nasty swampy area on the 2 holes that play along it. Overall this change is very positive. Otherwise the course is still quite challenging. Bring your A game, you'll need it.
7/1/15 The new tee positions required additional clearing of trees and brush and this is a major positive for this course. The new tee positions are worth a half point bump, and I'm deducting half a point due to the tees being too short. Overall I'm raising my score on this course by half a point due to the clearing of brush that was done in conjunction with the new tees, and the fun new shots the tees open up.
Update 12/5/15. Improvements continue! Not satisfied with 2 sets of tees at most holes, a dedicated group is adding a THIRD tee on holes where there is room. Brush is being cut back, and the entire personality of this course has changed for the better.
1/21/17 update:
Adding half a star to my review to reflect the 9 new red baskets added to the 18 yellow baskets that are already present. With 38 tees and 27 baskets on only 18 holes there are limitless possibilities to play a course that fits your abilities and appetite for challenge.
