Colony Creek Country Club

Colony Creek Country Club Golf Course is a semi private course that was built in 1985.  The course is short (5104 to 6328 yards with 4 tee boxes) and a fairly traditional and straightforward layout with the flag and what you're up against visible from the tee box.  

With one exception, none of the holes are unique or memorable but what makes this course fun as well as challenging are the fairly tight fairways, water that can come into play on 14 holes, out of bounds areas, strategically placed bunkers, and very challenging greens.  

Some of the holes we particularly enjoyed include: 

• #4 is the #1 handicap – a 515 yard par 5 with a tight fairway and two strategically placed bunkers on the right waiting for your drive (got mine) and two bodies of water along the left side that lead to a raised green guarded by a bunker on each side
• #11 is a 191 yard par 3 that requires an accurate shot to hit and hold the green and avoid the three big bunkers surrounding it
• 16 is a short 161 yard par three but its to a somewhat small green with little room for error thanks to water that horseshoes around three quarters of the green
• #18, a 488 yard par 5 is fun – a tight fairway with water off both sides at the tee box and a very challenging approach to the green thanks to a bunker on the left and water on the right

When we played in January 2012 Colony Creek Golf Course was undergoing a lot of changes to try and recover from the harsh winter, severe drought, and record heat that had played havoc with the greens, fairway, and rough.  As such the roughs were very rough with bare spots and a lot of ground under. repair, the fairways were playable but not in normal condition, and some of the greens had damage around the fringe. We talked to a couple members who told us that thanks to the weather this was the worst condition they had experienced but the course's management team was doing all they could to restore the condition back to normal. 

My guess is that normally the conditions would be around 8.5 which would make for a much more enjoyable, scenic, and fun round.  But don't let today's conditions discourage you from playing – the course is playable and gives you an opportunity to turn in a good round. The back nine seemed to be in much better condition. 

The fairways range from let-er-rip off the tee box to tight and narrow – with the back fairways being a little more forgiving.  The front nine fairways have a lot of contour and mounting are very gently rolling.  The rough is wide but miss that and you're in a back yard, wet, or out of bounds.  Some of the fairways are lined with nice homes on one side and some have home on both sides, and others are lined with a scattering of trees. The back nine fairways seemed much flatter and in much better condition, same for the rough. 

The greens are mostly huge and all have some severe slope, undulation, and a couple have saddles.  When we played they seemed fast (maybe a 10.5 or so) and coupled with the slope, three putts were common for us.  Stay below the pin.  They ran true and held the ball well.  Some were raised and stopped the ball dead in its tracks and all but one green have at least one and typically two big bunkers protecting them.  

Speaking of bunkers, they range from huge to some pot bunkers and most have a manageable lip.  In some cases we actually hit in the bunker and rolled out – but the fringe around the bunker was tough! The front nine bunkers were in excellent condition with soft fluffy and thick sand.  The back nine bunkers had thin packed gritty sand, not near as nice as the front.  

Bottom line – a pretty good traditional layout, lots of water, challenging greens, and a fair value – give it a try!