Pros:
-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
Cons:
-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
Other Thoughts:
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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