How does Champions Golf Club (Cypress Creek) hold up architecturally?

[John Kavanaugh]

It is the place I would most like to play in Texas but that is more because of the club than the course.  A ditty from the web site says "The Cypress Creek Course was designed by Ralph Plummer and opened for play in 1959. With over 70,000 trees, wide fairways and enormous greens, it remains one of America's premier tournament sites." ...So, is there any great architecture here or is it top 100 classic purely on the hype.

[John Kirk]

There was a nice article on Champions Golf Club about a year ago.  Jackie Burke runs the club, and the club values playing ability over net worth.  Sounds like a great formula for success.

I know of one member who can answer your questions, should he decide to do so.  Of course, members tend to be hopelessly biased.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Why don't you give me a call or come on down and visit.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Champions was my least favourite as a golf course of the ones I played in Texas, although it was nice to play a famous course. I played it in the winter when the greens had been oversown with rough stalked meadow grass (putted nicely) and the bermuda was dormant. A lot of the holes blurr into one and other than the short holes, a '5' around a creek and the approach to the last I find it quite hard to remember, whilst I can remember Woodlands, Walden, Lochinvar, Waterwood with more individual holes.

[Steve Lang]

 

Hold up to what?  

Some don't like it because they don't have fun there or score well when just visiting.. Its a players course.. you practice on the range, you play the course, you relax and socialize in the locker room.

Big as TX game needed.. quality shots required extensively, even demanded.. but rewarded, can be brutal when prevailing winds in play..

Flattish, with small topo undulations.. hazards brought into play by bad decision making..

Bring your driver.. but better play to the correct side of the fairways.. plenty of room there pardner..

Hit it close or bring on your lag putting..

Enjoy the clubhouse and don't be changing your golf shoes out in the parking lot!

[Jeff_Brauer]

I liked it a lot better than I thought I would from its descriptions, starting in the World Atlas of Golf in early additions.  I liked it mostly for its bold greens and few road crossings, despite being in a housing development.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

John, Please feel free to call and we can play anytime you like except when the Tigers are playing. I think it deserves it ranking and status. It reminds me of the Spyglass, Firestone and some of the big brauny courses in Chicago. The strength of the course are the big strong par 4's along with size and scale of the greens. The par 3's are very good as well. The bunkering is strategic and solid. I think the only weakness the course has is 1 and 10 are a bit too much alike as long hard dog leg left par 4's with ponds short left and fairway bunkers on the right. However they are really strong solid holes. The 5's have gotten a bit short as the game has evolved. Only 9 seems to really need some tweeking though. I played there Saturday and hot the ball solid all day and shot 6 over with a couples doubles and 0 birdies. I was hitting driver with 5 iron to 4 wood all day from the middle tees. It is man size course that makes you hit the ball really good and punishes all mistakes. They dry it out so much for the tour events one does not see the course the way I play it. I played with the SMU golf team a few weeks back and they still feel it is the best overall test of golf in Texas.

[John Kavanaugh]

John, thanks...1959..come on, is this more realistically the original modern course?  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

John I agree the course is in the period of transition to modern.