Oeste Ranch Golf Course

The Golf Club at Crown Valley closed in 2011 and reopened in 2013 as Oeste Ranch Golf Course.  We have not played Oeste and the reveiw below is for the old Crown Valley. 

The Golf Club at Crown Valley, just off highway 20 in Weatherford, opened for play in 1999 and ownership changed hands in 2005.  The new owners have made some changes to the holes and recently (November 2009) opened a very done new  pro shop, locker facility, and grill.  And the staff as well as the members we met seem like a "bunch of friendly good 'ole boys and girls."

The Golf Club at Crown Valley is a pretty straight forward traditional 18 holes some of which have an open links style look and feel.  In most cases, you can see the pin and quickly determine how you need to play the hole.  But beware, there are a few holes where the bunkers are strategically placed and well hidden, where creeks cross the fairway, or where the cheek lining the fairway is easier to hit than you think it should be.  There is water that could come into play on 16 holes but if you play smart you should be able to keep the majority of your balls dry. 

You'll find some fun and shot maker holes like:

• #2 a 390 dog leg left with a creek following the fairway all the way to the green plus 5 strategically placed bunkers
• #8 is 550 yards of very narrow fairway, which I don't think I ever played, that follows a marshy wetland to a narrow oblong green
• #14 is a slightly downhill dog leg left with a creek about 140 yards out from the slightly uphill green guarded by two large bunkers – the first time you play this hole, it's not easy to judge how far out the creek is and you'll you're likely to drive right into it or as I did play safe and have a long shot to the green 
• #18,  a 182 yard par 3,  is a great finishing hole with a forced carry over the creek all the way to the green which has a waterfall and pond along the left side and across the front – there is little room for error on this beauty

When we played in August, we were pleasantly surprised at the condition of the fairways and roughs – they were green with very few brown spots, well maintained, and in above average condition.  The fairways are very narrow, putting a premium on accuracy off the tee box if you want to score well.  If you miss, the first cut is very playable, in fact, in most cases the rough is the kind of grass that doesn't devour and hide you ball  – just the opposite, a majority of the time our ball would be resting on top of the rough and be very playable with the grass acting like a tee.  A lot of the fairways, particularly on the back nine are side by side.  However, in most cases you won't see your fellow golfer hitting the wrong way in your fairway, but the carts driving up the up the cart paths when you're trying to shoot can be a little distracting. 

The greens at The Golf Club at Crown Valley are huge!  We were pleasantly surprised how many times we were on the green in regulation, but then disappointed when we saw how long and accurate our putt needed to be.  Two and three putts were common.  The greens were in above average condition but some had some rough spots.  When we played, the pin placement was in the toughest location thanks to a local members tournament – making putting even more challenging.  The greens were slow (8 to 8.5) put true and there is plenty of slope and undulation.  Practice putting before you head out. 

We thought the bunkers were fairly easy to avoid – maybe we were just having a good day!   On average, they seemed smaller than normal, had shallow lips in most cases, and the sand was a little gritty. 

Bottom line:  The Club at Crown Valley is a good track that requires some shot making yet still fair enough where you can have fun and turn in a very good score – and the green fees are reasonable and the food is great.