The Gold Course is one of three nine hole courses at Rayburn Country Resort. Of the three courses, the Gold Course is in between the other two courses in terms of difficulty, variety, and fun – but it is a very enjoyable 9 holes. The terrain is heavily treed and rolling, which means you will encounter a number of up and down shots. You really get the sense of playing golf in the country when you play this course – peace and quiet, scenic beauty, woodsy smells (pine trees, burning wood, and even a skunk!), and lots of birds chipping, oops, chirping.
Speaking of birds, playing from the tips on this course will make it very tough to get a number of birdies. The fairways are about average width and not that difficult to hit, unless you have a big hook or slice which puts you in the trees or OB in someones yard. Some of the fairways are sloping and you’ll encounter some blind shots – so study the shot before you hit the ball and you should do ok. The fairways and greens were in very good condition when we played.
The greens are small, turtle top (if you miss them and you are likely to roll back into the fairway, bunker, or woods), and well protected which is going to impact your ability to score well. When we played, the greens were in transition between summer and winter, but were still in pretty good shape. They are difficult to read due to their slope (little to no undulation) and you can expect a few bogeys due to putting. As mentioned, a lot of the greens are turtle top, which means you need to select a club that will allow you hold the green if you’re lucky enough to hit it.
The below rating and slope are based on playing the Blue and Gold course together. The numbers would be higher if you played Gold and the harder Green course. This is an excellent nine holes of golf.
