mostly tight lines, holes not too long, a lot of elevation changes

need to be able to put it on a rope straight. a little trouble following the course, but played with local so no problem

Reviewer below gives good details. Will play again. Was fun but some lines are hard to hit

-makes great use of the land available
-tee shots and putts force you to make decisions, great risk/reward
-lots of tough greens: drop-offs and creeks
-tough windows off the tee on 3, 5, 6
-long and short tees on 6 of the 9 holes
-large, concrete tees
-great Houck tee signs: distance, par, detailed map
-discatchers in great condition
-bathrooms and water fountain on site
-lots of parking

-the bridges across the creek are useable but not great, the first few are large wooden poles and the later ones are stepping stones
-if the creek level is high the creek near 6-9 can be uncrossable
-most of the long tees are just longer in distance

Westside Park has lots of space for 9 holes. A creek runs through the perimeter of the park and every hole except hole 1 plays near it or alongside it. You tee off over the creek on holes 3-5 and 9 long, you cross it mid-fairway on hole 6, and it is very close to the basket on holes 2-7. Some areas along the creekside have a sizable drop off on the bank.

The day I played the creek was mostly dry on the first 5 holes. It would have made decision making on those holes much more complicated if the water level was higher. The creek was flowing a bit deeper on hole 6-9 but it doesn't come into play as strongly on those holes.

There are 2 large concrete tees on each hole except 3, 6, and 8, which have 1 shared tee for the shorts and longs. Each of the 15 tees has an excellent tee sign with distance, par, and a detailed map. Holes 2, 7, and 9 are par 4s. They are on the short side, especially from the short tees but they're not gimme birdies either, especially with the baskets very close to the creek on 2 and 7. Hole 9 has more trees in play mid-fairway than the other par 4s.

In true Houck fashion, there are a couple pretty tight windows off the tee, especially on the long tees. You might have a 10' gap right in front of you on the shorts, but it's 40 feet out from the long. His par 4s require good placement on the first shot and a well planned and executed 2nd shot. I really like holes 3-6; they're planned perfectly around the creek.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course from both sets of tees. If you happen to be out this way, it is a must play. The family can enjoy the park if you have them in tow. There's a playground, a basketball court, grills, and bathrooms. One of the better 9 hole courses I've played. Some better creek crossings would be nice but I imagine they could be easily damaged if the creek floods.


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My original review in 2013 was titled "Well Designed 9 Holer) and rated the course a 3.0. I've played this course dozens of times since, but just played the new 18-hole configuration for the first time. The original 9 holes (now 1-6 & 16-18) play around a city park. Typical mowed turf and trimmed up mature trees with no underbrush. Creek is in play on several holes. Water level varies widely with rainfall.

The new 9 holes (7-15) are in a much more wooded area, and are made up of shorter, more technical holes. It is great to start and finish out in the more open area, with the tighter holes in the middle.

You'll drive with everything from putters to distance drivers, and having both BH and FH skills are a big help, especially on the tighter wooded holes.

Large concrete teepads are great. Six holes offer two tees (red and blue). Excellent signs at start of course and at each tee position, with helpful navigation signs throughout.

Discatcher baskets in good shape.

Hole 3 requires a shot onto a raised "island" green and Hole 4 drives across the creek to a hidden basket at the tip of a peninsula created by a bend in the creek. The Hole 6 drive requires a carry across the creek. While short, these holes are among the more interesting on the front of the course.

A few baskets are set at the edge of the creek, so some risk/reward comes into play. If you run a putt and miss you may end up wet or at the bottom of the creek bank. On some holes it is 10' - 15' down to the creek.

Several of the holes (1, 2, 16, & 17) offer wide open drives and little challenge in the way of obstacles.

On several occasions rainfall has made parts of the course difficult/impossible to play. The course crosses back and forth over a creek several times, and when water is high the crossings can be tricky.

Modest elevation change available at the course. Hole 6 is a downhill drive across water, and several of the woods holes use ridges and small hills for challenging basket placements.

The wooded middle of the course is still new, and the designers have been cautious with tree removal. That being said, a couple of holes could be opened up a bit more to be "fair".

Large parking lot and adjacent restrooms are a plus.

While none of the holes play particularly close to the playground or picnic tables, there could be some delays or pedestrian issues on a busy weekend.

Excellent signage, parking and facilities.
Course is well laid out with impressive infrastructure. This course really makes you "play golf". You need to consider what to throw and how to throw it. A very enjoyable and rewarding course to play.

None come to mind.

My first time to play a Houck course and I'm eager to play others!