Alright folks, today was all about figuring out what the heck makes Williams Creek Golf Course stand out. Everyone kept talking about it being ‘special’, right? I finally grabbed my clubs this morning to see for myself. Honestly, the drive there wasn’t anything fancy – looked pretty standard from the road.
I rolled up to the clubhouse around 10 AM. Paid the green fee, which was okay, not too pricey. Figured I’d just get out there and hit some balls. Started warming up on the range, just trying to feel my swing. Seemed normal enough. Felt pretty loose, so I headed to the first tee.
First Impressions Were… Deceptive
Hit my drive on hole one. Landed fairway center, easy. Thought, “Okay, this isn’t so tough.” Walked down, feeling good. Got to my ball, looked up, and that’s when I saw it. The green was way up there. Like, seriously up there. And steep! And tucked behind this stupid deep bunker on the left. Made me stop in my tracks. Suddenly understood why people whispered about this place.
Pulled out my 8-iron, tried to land it soft on the green. Nope. Came up way short. Tried bumping a wedge? Bounced like crazy. Ended up taking a chip shot and barely got it on, then two-putted for bogey. Great start.
The Wind Shows Up
By hole 4, this annoying wind picked up. Not blowing crazy, but enough to mess with you. It kept shifting direction too. On hole 5, a par 3 over water? That wind died down just as I swung. Ball sailed way right, splash. Threw another ball down. Wind gusted hard RIGHT as I hit again! Ball pulled left this time. Nearly threw my club into the pond. How do you play this?
Gravity Is Not Your Friend
Then came the holes running downhill. Hole 7 looked awesome from the tee. Downhill slope, beautiful valley view. Hit my drive feeling like a champ. Watched it fly… fly… and then just keep rolling forever into the longest rough I’ve ever seen. Seriously, the rough here eats balls. Spent like five minutes searching. Found it, but hacking out was brutal.
It happened again on hole 12. Thought, “Okay, less power this time.” Eased up my swing. The darn ball landed on a slope I didn’t see, kicked way left, and disappeared into more thick stuff near some trees. This course loves hiding hazards until you’re right on top of them.
The Final “Screw You”
By the 18th, I was beat. Long day. The finishing hole seemed… manageable? Fairway looked generous. Wrong. Missed the fairway right? Got punished by trees blocking any path to the green. Hit left? That sneaky creek everyone forgot to mention was right there. Made a real mess of it.
Walking off the green, totally worn out, I finally got it:
- That constant wind messing with your head.
- The way every hole looked simple but played tricky.
- Hillsides that looked friendly but threw your ball into garbage lies.
- Rough so thick you needed a machete.
- Bunkers positioned exactly where you want to land your approach.
That’s what makes Williams Creek “special”. It’s not fancy. It beats you up. It hides its teeth until you’re stuck. It’s frustrating as hell. And man, I already wanna go back and wrestle it again next weekend.
