Elkhart Golf Course

Elkhart is a true country course. It was designed and built in the early ’90s by the grandfather of the current owner of a parcel of East Texas land that has been in the family for years. The grandfather also designed and built the original nine of the well respected Pine Dune Golf Course in nearby Frankston.

Like most country courses, it runs on a very tight budget and as such the amenities and conditions are not the best. We need to show our appreciation for owners such as these that are constantly fighting expensive equipment failures, contenting with mother nature’s wrath, and doing battle with a wide variety of varmints who love to destroy golf courses. And the owners struggle to keep the course playable as well as eek out a meager living just so we can play golf which causes even more damage to the course and equipment. And we always complain about the price and the smallest inconvenience. My hat goes off to you family golf course owners!

The Elkhart Golf Course layout is very traditional – the holes are mostly straight, side by side, and what you see is what you get. But the price is right and this is a course where you can relax, score well, and have fun golfing with your buddies.

The front nine fairways are tree lined and if you miss them, most of the time you’ll be able to chip back out or play from the other fairway. This nine has small ponds on 4 holes and in most cases you can see the flag so you know what you’ve got to do to get to the green. Some of the fairways are a little tight which can cause a problem if you tend to hook or slice.

The back nine is much more interesting with a little more variety, some gently rolling terrain, and a couple interesting holes. For example #11 is a pretty slightly downhill 158 yard par 3 with a small creek crossing in front of it. #12 is challenging because the creek cuts a ravine at a 45 degree angle across and up the fairway, which means your drive needs to be accurate. The greens on this nine are a little bigger and tougher due to slope and undulation. This nine also seemed like it was in a little better condition.

The fairways are not in the best condition and the recent heavy rains didn’t help any. The greens are hard, small, and mostly flat making it difficult to stop and hold on your approach shots – bump and runs work well. The condition of the greens was ok but they were a little slow and bumpy when we played.