-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
The Grassman at West Branch State Park reviews
8
0
The Grassman 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 13, 2015
Played the course:once
Pros:
The Grassman is a fun course spread throughout the very large West Branch State Park that plays in the woods, along open fields, and near the lake. Once you enter the park, follow signs for the course that take you to an enormous parking area and the course starts in the woods to the right at the end of the parking lot. Looks for signs pointing you to the path that takes you to the course.
The best aspect here is the level of variation in hole types, lengths and shots offered. Holes ranging from 141-623 feet give a quality mix of lengths. The course does a nice job of mixing it up, constantly taking you in and out of the woods to give a blend of tight and open shots.
The first few holes take you through the woods, offering multiple lines to well-protected pins. You then get a few open shots on 4 and 5 with hole 6 taking you back in the woods. Hole 6 is a highlight, playing over a short water carry but with enough trees on both shorelines to make for a scary upshot. You then have an uphill shot to the basket. Hole 11 is another one that combines placement shots through the woods and then over a water carry.
Holes 12-15 is a fun stretch playing through the woods and offering a few par 4's and a par 5. These shots have everything: elevation changes, multiple lines to the basket, landing zones, and sketchy pin positions near the water or on a steep slope. This set of holes - along with 6 and 11 - is what raises the course to a 3.5 for me.
The two tee positions give a good variation in difficulty, with the whites being a definite step above the reds. The red tees do a nice job of helping beginning players avoid danger on the water holes. The bright yellow tee signs are helpful in spotting the next tee and the navigation is great for the most part with multiple signs pointing you in the right direction.
The best aspect here is the level of variation in hole types, lengths and shots offered. Holes ranging from 141-623 feet give a quality mix of lengths. The course does a nice job of mixing it up, constantly taking you in and out of the woods to give a blend of tight and open shots.
The first few holes take you through the woods, offering multiple lines to well-protected pins. You then get a few open shots on 4 and 5 with hole 6 taking you back in the woods. Hole 6 is a highlight, playing over a short water carry but with enough trees on both shorelines to make for a scary upshot. You then have an uphill shot to the basket. Hole 11 is another one that combines placement shots through the woods and then over a water carry.
Holes 12-15 is a fun stretch playing through the woods and offering a few par 4's and a par 5. These shots have everything: elevation changes, multiple lines to the basket, landing zones, and sketchy pin positions near the water or on a steep slope. This set of holes - along with 6 and 11 - is what raises the course to a 3.5 for me.
The two tee positions give a good variation in difficulty, with the whites being a definite step above the reds. The red tees do a nice job of helping beginning players avoid danger on the water holes. The bright yellow tee signs are helpful in spotting the next tee and the navigation is great for the most part with multiple signs pointing you in the right direction.
Cons:
There are no major cons here, but a few minor things that hinder the round:
Still a little rough around the edges in terms of walking paths and the thick rough off the fairways.
There is a lot of walking on this course so the round takes a little longer than normal. Some long walks to successive holes.
It'd be nice to have more informative tee signs showing you an accurate picture since many holes have blind pins. I had to do a bit of searching ahead of my throws.
While most of the holes in the woods are well-designed and nicely carved, there are a few shots that require more luck than anything.
Natural tees were sometimes uneven, but the course page states that concrete tees will be poured in the September.
No real chance to get back to the parking lot once you start the course. It travels pretty far away, so prepare accordingly.
No fault of anyone, but it's unfortunate that you have to make a 15 min drive around the park to the other West Branch course when it is right across the lake. Just something to keep in mind when traveling here.
Still a little rough around the edges in terms of walking paths and the thick rough off the fairways.
There is a lot of walking on this course so the round takes a little longer than normal. Some long walks to successive holes.
It'd be nice to have more informative tee signs showing you an accurate picture since many holes have blind pins. I had to do a bit of searching ahead of my throws.
While most of the holes in the woods are well-designed and nicely carved, there are a few shots that require more luck than anything.
Natural tees were sometimes uneven, but the course page states that concrete tees will be poured in the September.
No real chance to get back to the parking lot once you start the course. It travels pretty far away, so prepare accordingly.
No fault of anyone, but it's unfortunate that you have to make a 15 min drive around the park to the other West Branch course when it is right across the lake. Just something to keep in mind when traveling here.
Other Thoughts:
The Grassman is a fun course that should only get better over time with improved tees and more clearing. There is great variety here so it would appeal to many different players. It can initially be confusing to find the start of the course. Just follow the directions on the site taking you to Cableline Road and follow the parking lot down near the water. Look for a small board with the course sign that heads toward the woods.
7
2
DglaserOhio
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 9, 2014
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Very Challenging design. Nice water and elevation use, good mix of left and right, tight and open holes. Length without requiring a monster arm. Tight enough to separate good players from average ones. New sign posts, score cards and picture signs with distances.
Cons:
Brand new, so it still needs cleaned up some. Natural tee pads are rough and need leveled. Some undergrowth and poison ivy needs to be eliminated for recreational play. Some stumps need removed to eliminate trip hazard. Navigation signs could help first timers.
Other Thoughts:
When this course gets tee pads, played more, and broke in, it will probably rate excellent plus! You will need control and all your shots to get any where near par. This course will challenge the best players, but right now, may be too rough for some recreational players.
