"It took me 17 years to get 3,000 hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course." -- Hank Aaron --
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PHOTOS & REVIEW
Valley Oaks Golf Club (Clinton, IA)
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Duffy's Review
My first impression of Valley Oaks Golf Club was a young man, in need of a shave, sitting in a chair, with his feet on the counter. When I asked him if he could fit in a single, I was treated like I was interrupting something. In an Email to one of our members I said, “I must have come in the middle of his soap opera”. Just goes to show you, semi-private doesn’t always mean upscale.
As I was paying for my round, another gentleman walked in wanting to play and agreed to join me. After we started I found out he was from the Phoenix AZ area and had played the course earlier that day. Good thing for me! I had a hard enough time playing this course, and without the benefit of his experience that 100 could have been in view. On the subject of my new acquaintance, what a sweet swing and a fantastic short game.
After playing #1, a flat tee shot then straight up to the green, I realized I was in for some fun. The #2 tee was a small climb from the #1 green. This 542 yard par 5 dog-legged hard left, around 200 yards back down the hill. The tall trees on the left made cutting the corner impossible. A 3-wood with a nice draw (left) is the perfect shot here, but I didn’t realize that until I drove the ball through the fairway and behind the tree line on the other side. If you can land that perfect tee shot, this green will be reachable with a mid iron. Come up short and you will have to go over or around a group of trees, go long and forget it.
The #5 336 yard par 4, has a extremely elevated tee box to a green guarded on the left by sand.
The group ahead was on the green and I prepared to tee off. My playing partner said I might want
to wait, “Hit it well and you can make this green.”
he told me. He was right. Good hole if you need
an ego boost.
The 538 par 5 11th, is definitely a par 5. The straight tee shot to a medium width fairway is not the problem. Even if you can blast out a 320 yard drive you will still be shooting a blind second shot. There is a sharp dog-leg left, around 50 yards short of the green. Another hole that a well shaped shot is required to reach this green. The smart play is to lay-up in the center of the turn and hope for a short putt.
The last hole I want to mention is the 493 yard 14th. I really like the way this hole is laid-out, but I was very unhappy with the 8 on my scorecard. In the woods, chunk the 4th, toe the fifth and so on! You get the picture. The hole itself starts with an elevated green, again. You need an explosive tee shot to make the dog-leg left. If you can make the turn, you’re looking at a 190 yard shot to an extremely elevated green, at least 1 extra club.
The use of the natural hills was both challenging and beautiful. Many elevated tees and greens. The maintenance could have been better but it was not poorly maintained by any means. The greens were medium speed with good roll and the fairways varied from very tight to wide open. It was late when we finished, so I was unable check out the facilities. There appeared to be food and beverage facilities and there is also a Par 3 course running through the center of the front nine.
For more information on Valley Oaks Golf Club check out the links below
Play often, Play fair and above all, HAVE FUN!.
I love this game!
Duffy
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