 | Alberta Bound | Sep-4-2007 |
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| Greens: |  7/10 | The greens were very good and the fringe was consistent. The greens were a little slow, as they had not been cut for a day or two. The course has no bunkers so you do not have to worry about that aspect of the game. |
| Fairways: | 7/10 | Fairways were in very good shape with some of them getting close to excellent. On most holes they were wide and presented generous width for a landing area. The first cut was even and extended for a ways before you reached tall fescue or the Pipestone Creek. The yardage was marked with blue, white and red plates. There are no fairway bunkers. |
| Tees: | 7/10 | Tees were in good condition. They have the three traditional tee boxes of red, white and blue. The blue tees are often a long way back when compared to the other two. They had attractive signs at the blue tees and the usual ball washers, garbage cans, and benches. |
| Course Design: | 7/10 | - This course was a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting too much as we drove out to this nine hole country course. You arrive and notice that the course is built in a small valley along the banks of Pipestone Creek. The design takes advantage of the elevations changes from the top down to the land along the creek. On the first hole your second shot is to lower green, second green and third tee are elevated. On the second and third holes you can grip it and rip it. Hole five is great hole that has you hitting from an elevated tee to a narrow fairway that has water on both sides and also long. It is a very pretty hole. The next two holes are both par three’s which is a little different getting two back to back. Over all the design is good but there are two hills to climb to reach the 5th and 9th tees. Members probably leave their clubs on the 9th fairway and take the club they want to use to the tee box. |
| Value for $$$: | 7/10 | This course offers very good value. It is worth the drive if you like to play a nine-hole course once in a while. Given the good shape, layout and scenic nature it is worth your while to pay it a visit. I suggest you play 18 holes with first nine from whites and second nine from the blues. This way you will get two different looks at the course. |
| Difficulty: | 8/10 | This course is not easy. They do not have an index or slope but they are waiting to have it done. As an estimate I would say from the blues it might be about 130 and 120 from the whites. I decided to play the whites, as the first three holes are 452, 461 and 452 from the blues. All are par four. The first hole is good opening hole that narrows with trees on both sides and the green about one club length below. On holes 5 and 8 you have play your tee shot through narrow chutes so be careful. The yardage is 3254 and 2869 from the blue and white tees. Water also comes into play on the 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th. |
| Scenery: | 7/10 | The course is situated along the Pipestone creek and with the elevation changes and the green valley that it is in, it makes for a very nice setting. |
| Staff: | 8/10 | I found the staff to be very pleasant and helpful. They were very proud of their course and made you feel very welcome. |
| Clubhouse: | 5/10 | It is small but nice. There is a nice patio overlooking the valley and they have a large banquet room that can be divided. The pro shop is not very well equipped but they do have rental clubs, balls, hats, tees, and a small amount of clothes. They offer drinks and a basic menu. |
| Other Intangibles: | 5/10 | They are building a number of RV sites overlooking the first tee and have plans to expand the course to 18 holes sometime in the future. They offer power carts and pull carts for rent. There are some cart paths mostly around the greens, tees and up the two hills. They have at least two washrooms on the course (port a potties) and a small practice area near the clubhouse. They also have a beverage cart that operates on weekends. |
68/100
I know there is good number of golfers that like to get out for 9 holes after work or just to play 9 at any time. If you are so inclined take the time to visit Pipestone Links. It is only 30 minutes south of Edmonton off highway 2A. I think it is one of the better 9 hole courses around Edmonton. |
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