Being based in Baltimore, there are a plethora of quality public courses within a half hour drive time. I grew up in Baltimore County and regularly played those county courses in my early years (when I actually broke 90 regularly). However, this would be my 1st visit to The Woodlands in quite some time, and I was excited with the expectations of playing one of the area�s most challenging and well maintained courses.
I arrived to the course and had no problem jumping onto a tee time; judging by the number of cars in the parking lot, I figured it would be a little bit of a wait, but the staff was extremely welcoming and accommodating. I had enough time to eat (outstanding hot dog at a very reasonable price) and check out the practice facilities, which completely blew me away!
I always knew that The Woodlands/Diamond Ridge had a great driving range able to accommodate large number of golfers. However, what I did not know was that in the past couple of years they have added a 2nd putting green (13,000 square feet) and also expanded the original putting green from 6,000 to 11,000 square feet. Plus, they converted an original putting green (located closest to the driving range) into a chipping only area so players can work on their sand shots and short game. The facilities are fantastic and I even spoke with a couple guys who said that they occasionally play the courses, but regularly show up just to practice!
I was enjoying the practice facilities so much that I nearly lost track of time, but made it over to the first tee with a couple minutes to spare. The starter gave an excellent summary of the course and made sure to highlight the tight, tree line fairways and tough, undulating greens that lay ahead of us. It took a couple minutes for the group ahead of us to clear the fairway, and the starter filled the �dead� time with additional information about the course � The Woodlands historically had the reputation of being �wet�, a result of clay soil and bent grass causing the course to stay saturated with moisture for multiple days after lots of rain. However, large investments in recent years into irrigation and drainage have helped expedite the recovery process, and the course regularly can allow carts to �scatter� the day after a storm.
It was gratifying to know that Baltimore County and the course staff were taking such grand measures to preserve the condition of the course and to ensure the experience of the golfers who play it. The starter�s sense of pride was apparent and it only added to my excitement as I stepped up to the first tee.
It doesn�t take long for your excitement to turn to focus and frustration at The Woodlands. From the get go, you are introduced to demanding uphill & downhill lies from the fairway, not to mentioned that landing on the green in regulation does not nearly guarantee a Par as a 3 putt is very easy to achieve on just about any hole.
The Par 3, 2nd Hole is a perfect example of this. Playing downhill, 195 yards from the tips, going left, right or long puts you in the rough on a steep slope, and the multi tiered is an animal all unto itself. On this day, the Pin was located on the front right portion of the green just below a ridge; I was lying 2 putting from the top left and knew that it was going to be like ice. A gentle stroke still put me 8+ feet below the cup, but a very lucky Putt helped me salvage a bogey.
There are lots of other holes that will leave a lasting impression with you, like the 6th, a tree lined dogleg right Par 5 that begs for you to go for the green in two, and the 10th, a long Par 4 that rewards golfers for cutting over the water hazard to the fairway (of course you must crank it at least 250 yards in the air to clear it).
Perhaps the most memorable hole is the 17th, a dogleg left Par 5 that is about as intimidating as they come. It�s not the longest Par 5 around, but a good tee shot is a must. From the tee you must clear a large ravine to reach the fairway and bunkers on the left side await those golfers who think that they�ll be able to shorten the hole. From the fairway, you�ll undoubtedly be faced with a downhill lie, so plans to reach the green in 2 are often dismissed. Then, of course, you have to take battle with the green, and although you�ve dealt with undulations through the first 16 holes, nothing will prepare you well enough for this one. Five well struck, well placed shots are required to walk away with a Par here.
My round at The Woodlands clocked in at just under 4:40; not bad for a 4 some, especially when you factor in the amount of putts that each person in the group took. Overall it was one of my favorite experiences so far this golf season, and my only frustration is that I did not play the course sooner! The course is in excellent condition and the staff has the ideal customer service mentality to make it a round to remember. I can�t wait to back again soon!
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