Chasing Par

Winter Creek Golf Club was supposed to be a fill-in…a place to play in between marquee courses on a recent trip through Oklahoma. It turned out to be one of the best overall experiences we have ever enjoyed on our golf adventures through the United States.

The course is in Blanchard about 25 miles west of Norman where we made our base for 3 days. The University of Oklahoma’s renowned Jimmie Austin GC was our primary target on this leg of the journey. But, while that was a great course and we managed to squeeze in 36 holes as guests of the Sooners, Winter Creek was the place we talked about on the deck of our home club that summer.

Getting a tee time was no problem on the semi-private course that is the centerpiece for a gated community in the growing city of Blanchard. We had the first slot, 8:00 a.m. Not a surprise, since it was a grey Tuesday during the second week of April. When we arrived just below the ranch-style clubhouse there were only a couple of cars in the lot.

Check-in was smooth. There were some nice items on the sale rack outside the pro-shop, and the young man behind the counter politely listened to a quick description of our adventure. Cart key in hand, we headed out to load up and get shod (we were in cowboy country, after all) when hustling down from the veranda, who we shortly learned, was the club’s director of golf, arms loaded with boxes.

Of course, being humbly Canadian, we initially assumed that we had somehow breached club etiquette or were headed in the wrong direction – acts that would require such a hasty intervention. In fact, he was merely in a hurry to catch us before we teed off. The boxes were dumped in the cart’s basket and he said they were for us – promotional sleeves of a variety of top-of-the-line balls. The pro had just heard our story from his assistant in the shop and he wanted to make us feel welcome. Maybe, he figured, the balls would come in handy since there are 14 different ponds, lakes, and streams around the course which might drain our reserves.

That pleasant interlude was followed by an equally charming opening hole – an average length par 4 that slopes gently up and to the left, slingshotting you onto the course. The front nine has a nice variety of holes. The par 3s are long and well-bunkered. An oddity is that one of them, the 4th hole, which plays 210 yards from the blue tees (235 from the tips) is rated as the # 1 men’s handicap hole on the course. I was happy to get up and down for par!

The two par 5s on the front are both reachable in 2 with a decent drive, but a steady rain reduced the roll and our expectations of anything but a green in regulation. The rain soon obscured most of the scenery as well.

Arriving at the turn, we hadn’t given up on our round but stopped to warm up in the bar. While stripping off our wet outer layers and even some of the primary ensemble, a staff member offered the use of their dryer, since it was apparent by our words and actions that we were not done for the day. A couple of cocktails later, dry clothes safely tucked back in and tied up, we headed to the 10th tee in welcome rays of sunshine.

Despite the rain, we were permitted to keep our cart and have a liberal run of the fairways and rough. Possibly a courtesy, but, I believe, more a reflection of the great drainage built into the course design. Casual water was never an issue.

We had no regrets about completing the round. The final 9 was a worthy challenge and we were able, in the sunshine, to have a better appreciation for the beauty and design of the layout.

On this side, #15 stands out. It’s close to 450 yards from the blue tees – the #2 handicap hole on the course – a par 4 that slopes downhill to an intersecting pond. Off the tee, the risk was to drown one of those new, free TaylorMade’s. The reward was a much shorter approach, up-hill into a green with about 180 degrees of bunkers.

You round things out with a par 3-5-4 finish. The 18th provides a nice reminder of what you have just experienced with water all down the left. But it’s a short hole that settles you right back to the clubhouse for another warm reception.

Traffic had certainly increased since we hit our first shots into the morning gloom so we said our good-byes and slipped away without imposing any further on the gracious staff.

A golf experience is made up of many parts, only one of which is the quality of the course. Winter Creek filled in all the blanks and should be on the list of any golfer in, or passing through, Oklahoma.

What’s in the Bag?

Each of the Chasing Par contributors also shares what’s in their bag. We find it’s a great way to give more details about the round and golfer. When possible, we like to link to a product page for each of the clubs for you to find more information.

Club Type	Scott’s Club of Choice
Driver:	Callaway Epic Flash driver – 65g Mitsubishi stiff shaft
Wood(s):	Callaway Rogue 4 wood
Hybrid:	TaylorMade burner rescue (3)
Irons:	TaylorMade RSI2 irons 4-gap wedge
Wedges:	Ping Glide wedges – 54 Ping Glide wedges – 60
Putter:	Odyssey White Ice*