Pros:
-land is well utilized, great design
-huge variety in tee shots
-water and/or elevation in play on most holes
-concrete pads on each tee, original alternate tees still exist but the natural pads are getting worn
-dual basket positions on most holes
-creek is calm and shallow, though the reeds are getting tall near holes 1 & 19
-practice basket
-kiosk at start of course (map is the original 9 holes though)
-i enjoy the course's rugged terrain and unique holes
-the "back 9" has been redesigned and rerouted, i think it is better now
-nice neighborhood, right off the highway
Cons:
-original holes 4 & 5 are both gone now
-difficult paths and hills for those balance-challenged, especially hole 14 and new hole 5
-water crossings can be flooded in wet season
-water crossings on back 9 have few places to cross, needs bridges or stepping stones
-a few areas prone to getting muddy/swampy
-no restrooms or water fountains
-needs new signs once the newest layout is finalized
Other Thoughts:
I've played this course in it's many incarnations over the years. I have always really enjoyed it and I still do. The original 9 holes was one of the best 9 hole layouts I've played. The original 18 layout was great too, though on the rugged side. The course finally has one concrete pad on each hole though now it seems to be losing holes one after the other. And that seems to be the big problem here: the constantly changing layout. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case for the foreseeable future too.
The park is excellent with lots of cool terrain features. There is a creek that can come into play on 8 holes and there are elevation changes on 9 holes, some of them significant and not just for Texas. The concrete pads are in good condition but the alternate tees are not in great shape, nor is the temp rubber tee on the new hole 5. The baskets are in good condition but the creek crossings are still sketchy. The ruggedness of the land has its charm but is typically bemoaned by locals or anyone who prefers their round to be a walk rather than a hike.
I think the round is diverse and a lot of fun. Holes 8, 12, and 15 are still good holes with fun tee shots and all the extant holes from the original 9 are solid. The area containing the original 9 is more polished and park-like while the other area across the creek (the current middle section of the course) is more rugged and has many tighter fairways and more significant elevation changes.
For those that remember the older layouts, original holes 4 & 5 are both gone and they've been replaced by one hole that throws down the hill and across the creek. The original hole 12 is now two holes (unfortunately; i thought that was a great hole), there is a new hole 14 (kind of like the original hole 13) and a new 15. A few holes have been reordered on the "new 9" but apparently holes 9 & 10 will be removed soon. Also, I don't know if that includes 11's tee. So at some point the course will have to be totally renumbered but the bigger problem is that the 19 holes will be reduced to 16 with no room for more, except maybe by bringing back hole 8 of the original 18 or if they get hole 4 back.
I really hope this course can get its layout woes solved so that improvements can begin regarding renumbering the holes, getting new signage, and addressing some of the tees. Saddle Hills could be a great course but either way it still has a lot of fun holes and offers a good white level challenge. For now, the map here is accurate except hole 4 is gone and the new temp tee for 5 is in hole 4's fairway. It's worth your time whether you're local or a traveler, just remember to bring the map and appropriate shoes for the hike.
**Like this review? Hate it? Message me and let me know why! I want to make them better!**
I gave instructions for finding the new map on the course conditions part. the baskets were re-numbered on 9/24/17 and the new layout is in place. I will close this layout on dgcoursereview soon and open a new course under Saddle Hills ver3.0 soon. If folks would look at the course conditions before going to play then it would solve many issues with the course.