(4.172 Rating with a cart, 3.909 without a cart) A championship style course that does not appear to be getting the love it once did.
- OVERVIEW - Before I begin the pros, I'm want to disclose a few things. First, I did not get a golf cart. I threw this course (Creekside) first, and I threw the short Red tees. The conditions were not good when I played on a Friday morning, but for my evaluation I have decided to ignore the unmowed conditions and assume that I caught a rare bad day. Anyways, the reason I have given two scores, is because the carts likely make a huge difference.
- HOLE VARIETY - Creekside is bursting with long dynamic multi-play holes, especially from the longer Blue layout. Hole (3), wow what a great hole. It has fun gut-wrenching landing zones and water along the left the whole way. I truly hope they clean up the green on (3) as it was in really sad shape with new undergrowth and dead trees. Moving on. Seven par 4s and three par 5s from the Blues. 1000 foot holes and sub 160 foot plays depending on tee location. A couple big dogleg plays as well. Hole (10), my personal favorite hole on the course, is just superb. (10) is a long dog leg left par 5 under a canopy of large trees and offering multiple line options the first 75 percent of the hole. Then the hole sweeps left into the elongated bend of a creek with a 10 foot deep gorging element to it. (18) felt like a solid way to end it. A green with water on 3 sides. Hopefully future players won't have to deal with foot tall grasses all around the basket on (18) like I did.
- CHALLENGING - I think Creekside Blues is the more challenging of the two courses here. Several multi-play 600-foot par 4s. Lots of game planning and fairway options to pick from. Granted I shot 5 down from the Reds as an Intermediate, but I'm positive my skills would have been humbled had I tried to tackle the Blues. It's going to take Advanced level skills to break into sub-par figures routinely on the Blue layout. For those that are Rec players coming here, I advise sticking with the Red layout.
- GOLF CARTS - I highly recommend getting a cart. I think it elevates the experience quite a bit. I could see someone tacking on a ½ point or more of rating score just for this bonus item, perhaps without even realizing it. Those that do will be able to avoid the many long transitions and be less impacted if the grass is longer than it should be. Plus there will always be a place to sit in the shade. You can do donuts, have a beer holder and run over your good friends parked drive that he just bragged about.
- RAW BEAUTY - Ignoring the unmowed conditions, I would imagine this place has lots and lots of exquisite beauty. Water is in play 8 times. The pictures I saw online along the trimmed up water holes looked amazing. Too bad for me that there was 4 feet tall dissatisfying thicket along every water edge. I scored the place 93 percentile. Like I said, I forgave the unmowed conditions as I think I caught a bad day. Things like leaning baskets, deteriorating signage, mangled bridges, erosion scars, new undergrowth and lack of dynamic elevation keeps this course off my top 35 ledger for beautiful courses. Much of this can be fixed, but that would be a lot of investment.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - The greens fee includes a scorecard with map which is very helpful. Good tee signs at both tee locations and they provide all the info that is needed. The signs are plus ten years old now and several look in dismal shape, so they could use an update. A big course map is posted before arriving at tee (1). I do wish there had been an arrow at the basket directing next tee flow. I would advise keeping a look out for the golf carts trample path between holes.
- STAFF - I spoke with Mike to reserve a tee time a week before my trip. He was kind and laid out how everything worked and the costs. The check in staff (Braylee?) was also kind and courteous.
- EXTRAS - Pro shop on site. I wanted to purchase a Selah Ranch logo disc, but they were fresh out. Restrooms, disc return bins, camping and an inn as well.

New ownership may be focusing on things other than disc golf.
- GREENS FEE AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE - I am perfectly ok with paying a greens fee. The $25 I paid here is officially now the most I had ever paid as of this review. Even if I cut it in half, $12.50 for each course, it's still the second highest. I donated $20 for 30 holes at Flyboy. The part that bothered me about the fee, was that the course was not being maintained at all. Off the course, the maintenance was glorious. Beautifully trimmed, mowed and several landscaped gardens. On the course itself, it appeared that nothing had been touched in 3 to 4 weeks. The grass in the fairways and around the greens were consistently 8 to 10 inches high. I had to be within 10 feet of my disc several times in the fairway to finally locate it. Why am I paying a greens fee if no work is being done? That's what a greens fee is. Lines were also not being maintained. Multi-year new growth around fairway trees and new low limbs are reducing and closing off prior lines. In addition, a couple baskets are leaning, signage is deteriorating and a foot bridge is washed out between (9) and (10). I played 15 courses on this road trip and the fairway and green condition at the two Selah courses were the worst two. The other 13 courses I played were all free.
- GOLF CART COST - A 50 dollar cost for a cart rental is insane. While I was writing this review, I checked the rates for the ball golf courses around me and its normally around 20 dollars extra to ride.
- LACK OF BENCHES - For those that don't splurge and get a cart, its going to be a grind with no place to sit. Tee (18) on the red layout was the only place I noticed that had a place to sit on the entire course.
- LOST DISC POTENTIAL - As noted, water comes into play 8 times. Its going to take a gallant effort to keep em all from the longer Blue tee layout. There is also tall grasses along the wide fairway edges. I just missed the barely cut fairway a couple times and spent significant time searching. The shorter Red layout, reduces the risk quite a bit, but not it all. Bring some floaters and some throw aways.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Please do not bring a first timer here. You'd be wasting your money. The red layout requires at minimum Novice level skills or at least the ability to throw straight consistently.
- PARKING - There are terrible 1 foot deep pits in the dirt parking lot.

In kempt conditions, Creekside is an all-star course and I hope that my poor experience was just bad luck. The course elements and attributes here reminded me of several courses I've scored between a mid 4.0 and the low 4.5 range. Courses like Tom Brown, Oldsmar and especially New World and Old Warrior Run, all come to mind. Somewhat similar style courses I've played that I've rated higher such as Mahr Park, Canyons (27), and Flyboy, all have way more bombshell holes than Creekside. Although, none of these before mentioned courses offer the fun golf cart dynamic except New World. In its heyday, I think I would have scored this one a 4.5, but I have an inkling that the new ownership is not going to invest the same money and time to keep it in primo conditions. I personally don't think this course belongs in the top 25 anymore. Post play, my raw emotions wanted to drop a 3.5 or even 3.0 on it, but that's just silly and I'm glad I pondered on it quite a bit. Considering everything, I've elected to go with a high 4.0 with the carts equating to about a ¼ point in rating. And these are rating scores with a proper mow. Even in great conditions, I don't think this place is worth $25 walking or worth $75 with a cart. For those in the DFW area thinking about heading this way. Save yourself some time and money and stop at Harry Myers DGC instead.
- TIME PLAY - It took me 80 minutes without a cart solo. I think a cart would have shaved off 10 to 15 minutes.

- area entirely devoted to disc golf
- onsite pro shop, although was hardly open while I was there and selection was very limited
- course map at start of course
- many bathrooms and ample parking
- start of course isn't obvious from parking area, but staff is helpful in locating it
- well maintained fairways
- numbered Innova DISCatcher baskets in good shape
- large concrete tees for both short and long tees
- dual tees provide variety of challenge and skill options
- high risk water shots provide a unique challenge, especially on holes 3-5
- practice basket by pro shop

- pay to play, not necessarily a con, but at $25 it is one of the steeper fees (this covers unlimited play at both courses)
- some navigation could definitely be more clear; while there are some next tee signs, a few more are needed
- some holes are extremely long, which isn't really a con but could discourage some players; this course is really geared to intermediate and advance players
- lacking garbage cans and benches at holes

The Selah Ranch property has been rebranded Pure Hope Ranch, which may be an ownership change. I talked to Michael to make my reservation and he was friendly and helpful in allowing me to arrive at first light to play the course and helping me navigate. One of the other employees, Frank, seemed less than thrilled I was even there for whatever reason, but oh well. For a supposedly world class course, I was shocked nobody else was there. I played 2 rounds over the course of almost 4 hours and I was the only player I ever saw on either course. It was a stark contrast to other top tier courses I've played like Blue Ribbon Pines which is always packed.

Creekside is a really cool course that is well maintained and plays near a creek with some great water hazards. In general, the long (blue) tees incorporate the water hazards more, add distance, and require greater skill. However, the red tees are still plenty challenging for the intermediate player. Both Selah Ranch courses are incredibly highly rated, and while I think both are great courses, they're a bit short of other top tier courses I've played like Blue Ribbon Pines and Idlewild. For one thing, this course has almost no elevation change, which is really a limiting factor.

Carts are available ($40 is the last I heard, but I didn't inquire), but don't believe anyone saying you "can't" walk this course. I walked Creekside and Lakeside and while it was a lot of walking, it's not much different from other long courses. There isn't much elevation change either so the idea that a cart is a must is a bit silly if you are fully able-bodied. It is a nice option if you can't walk as far or just don't want to.

Baskets, tee signs, and tees are all in great shape and I had a fun, challenging round here. I lost one disc in the water, so the risk is real, but if you choose your shots well you can definitely avoid my failures. Wind can be a bit of a factor on more open holes; this particularly factors in at the end on 17 and 18.

I'd really like to see a few more tee signs here to help with navigation. There are some, but it was still slightly confusing. Make sure you have a picture of the course map and it's not too bad to figure out. Scorecards with maps are available at the pro shop if you prefer a hard copy. One particular hole that wasn't as clear was from 9-10. After 9, continue straight past the basket on the fairway and eventually you'll see a bridge across the creek on your left. It's falling apart a bit, but it's still usable.

I originally thought some of these 5 disc ratings were from people who hadn't played much outside of east Texas. However, I've seen multiple high reviews from other respected reviewers with lots of experience, so this may just be a case of differing subjective opinions. Creekside is a great, fun, and challenging course, but to me it's not worth crossing the country to play it like some courses. However, if you're in the area, it's worth the drive. I came from over 2 hours away and I don't regret it. You can also stay at the inn on the property if you prefer and pay a discounted disc golf rate. Expect to spend closer to 2 hours to complete the course alone and longer if you have a group. This property is unique in that it has 2 full 18 hole courses that are high caliber, although there aren't many other courses around, so plan for some driving if you want to play more the same day.

This course is on a fantastic piece of property and has a good mix of shots. The long pads are a beast of a course and have some great shots and plenty of challenge.

The grassy fairways and large mature trees throughout the course really make it feel like a 1 of a kind track.

The tree in front of hole 1's long pad has got to go. It is dead center of where you need to throw your drive and completely ruins the tee shot.

Hole 10 is not a good hole. Lots of potential but is ruined with too may trees and no clear fairway. Cut a fairway and create a line that people can actually throw instead of playing poke and hope to the dogleg.

Hole 13 is not very good. Blind par 3 over water. Its basically a bailout short and right so your not in danger of going in the water. Not a great design.

This course desperately needs distance markers especially on some of the longer par 4's and 5's.

I liked the course okay but feel that it is currently overrated. Im not saying the course is bad but I think the fact that it shares the same property with a really good course boosts peoples perception of this track. I have played several 3.5-4.5 star courses that blow Creekside out of the water and was underwhelmed with a course that gets so many 4.5-5 star reviews.

From the pro tees, this course plays over 9,000 feet. As many have stated, it winds through some gentle hills near a creek that was mostly dry when I played in July. The holes are generally longer and more open than Lakeside and the course certainly feels more open and long.

The pro tee boxes are trapezoidal with the narrower part in the front (as it should be IMO). They offer plenty of room for my runup.

The first two holes are long holes that wind through large trees in a pasture-like setting. Hole 3 was a lot of fun and is probably my favorite hole on both courses. It calls for a backhand to a landing area by a pond followed by a RHFH or RHBH turnover over the pond to the basket.

Elevation is used very well on some holes, Hole 12 stands out. It calls for a right turning shot thrown uphill ending in a cluster of trees that were just past a number of large hay bales (not sure if the bales are permanent, but they definitely added to the hole). The holes through the more forested areas are very well thought out with the exception of 10.

The amenities at the pro shop are the best that I have encountered at any golf course with the exception of the selection of discs for sale. The carts eliminate the need for most amenities that are desired out on the course and they will let you play four rounds of golf without getting really tired from the hike.

There is more repetition on this course than Lakeside. An example of the repetitive feel are holes 4, 5, and 13. All of these holes are short (under 300 ft) with water very near the basket and on the left. They can all be reached with a midrange disc thrown on a hyzer RHBH. Hole 13 may "benefit" from the hyzer option only because of what looks like recent trimming - I could not tell for sure, but the option is definitely there.

Another thing that kind of feels repetitive for me is the fact that there are only eight par 3s on this course. Only two of those are longer than 300' (301' and 318'). Aside from the Par 3s, there are no holes under 500 feet! There isn't one hole in the mid 300s or any hole in the 400s from the pro tees. So, if you are not trying to park the hole with a mid or fairway driver, you are trying to lay up somewhere. Many of my favorite holes are longer par 3s that call for shaping a line with a driver off the tee in an attempt to get in birdie position. This course really doesn't have that. This is subjective, of course, and Creekside doesn't really seem as long as its 9176 feet would suggest (partly because two holes use 2000 of those feet), but there is little opportunity to park a long drive for birdie. It is also true that this requires you to "think ahead" to landing zones that allow a shot at the pin (or another landing zone), but this is also something required on almost every hole that isn't reachable with a putter or mid.

The last three holes finish with what are essentially forced water carries. You must carry 300 ft off the tee over water to the first landing area from the pro tees on 16, then lay up (by hyzering over the water), then throw over the water again to get to the basket. Another water carry greets you on 17, although it is very short and you can cheat to the left if you don't want to risk your disc. Finally, 18 requires a 318' throw over water with water to the front, right and left of the basket. This hole could easily take several discs, especially on a windy day.

Hole 8 is over 1000' and just felt long for the sake of being long. Three drivers thrown backhand and putt. Hole 10 is nearly as long through woods around a creek. It also felt long for the sake of being long with the added complication of being a trek through a moderate to heavily wooded bottom land around a creek. I'd have to play it several times just to get an idea of how to approach the first two shots. It could have been divided up into two better holes IMO.

Carts/Amenities. If you don't pay $40 for a cart, you will find yourself on a very long course that has no water, no bathrooms, no garbage cans and no benches. The carts make up for this and have other benefits, but their number is also limited. I highly recommend a cart and to make sure that you reserve one in advance if you will be playing on a weekend.

UPDATE Aug., 2015: Having gone back and played this course from the short tees, I have to say that they are certainly a bit less than challenging. On the short par 3s, some of the tees are a little too short for experienced players. Frankly, I would only recommend the short tees to beginners.

This course offers stretches of great holes separated by some headscratchers and then ends on three holes with water carries. It is a fun course, and combined with Lakeside, it was definitely worth the 3.5 hour drive from home, but if I only had time to play one of these courses, I would go with Lakeside.

UPDATE: Having played both courses just recently and having finished up with time to play another round, my friend and I both chose Lakeside. It's just a more fun course IMO.

While Lakeside meanders in and out of the woods, Creekside primarily wends its way through the fields and meadows. The holes are noticeably longer, and after starting the course with three straight 600'+ holes, you know your arm will be tested. It isn't an all out grip-and-rip course, though; placement is still important.

The other half of the challenge comes from the water carries. Contrary to what the names might imply, Creekside has more throws over lakes than Lakeside, and the creek only comes into play on two holes. There is certainly a peaceful feeling as you hop between the three ponds.

My favorite hole was 10, a 630-foot mission through my favorite kind of woods: moderate to heavy trees with virtually no rough, creating dozens of possible paths to the basket. It would take me many rounds to settle on a preferred path, and I like holes like that. The basket is deep on a peninsula surrounded by the namesake creek with danger behind.

Hole 12 was another fun one, an uphill shot with the bales of hay acting like a bunker off to one side. I never ended up in them, but I could see some fun, awkward shots resulting if you did.

Like Lakeside, nearly all of the holes have concrete pads (with a few rubber tees where the cart path is) and dual tees. The signs are my favorite kind, showing the numerous paths to the basket (as applicable). Navigation was good for the most part.

There are a couple holes with mild elevation changes, but mostly it's pretty flat.

As mentioned above, the challenge comes from the length and the water carries. From the long tees, the water carries offer a lot more risk than reward for my taste. Hole 3 has basically no route if you can't throw a turnover or forehand as a RHBH. Hole 5 is a nice looking short turnover/forehand shot to a peninsula green, but the green is pretty tight and sloped toward the water. I can't imagine playing this hole 5 times and not losing a disc.

Holes 16 and 18 are rough from the long tees. Hole 16 offers very little bailout option, so you'd better feel comfortable with a long shot over water. Hole 18 is worse, offering no option at all other than a 300-foot shot over water There is a peninsula (a nice theme at Selah) right in front of the tee, but for some reason it's OB. I think water is underused in disc golf in general, but it's a little overused on this course.

At times the length can get old. Hole 8 is a 1000-foot straight hole that felt more like a ball golf hole.

For the most part, the holes on Creekside just don't have the magic of Lakeside. On Lakeside I often stood at the tee and enjoyed thinking through the multiple options, not wanting to waste a drive. On Creekside, there was usually a pretty clear choice. This doesn't mean they are bad holes at all, but they are a notch below.
Hole 11 is kind of odd from the short tees, offering a worse look at the fairway than the blue tee.

The carts aren't strictly necessary, but I would recommend them if you plan to play multiple rounds between the two courses. I played four rounds before I had to leave mid afternoon and didn't feel all that tired, and the carts saved my legs.

I played the reds on Creekside and enjoyed them more than the blues. As an intermediate player, I found the blues a little much on some of the water holes. This is as opposed to Lakeside (and most other top courses I've played), where the blue tees feature a lot of risk/reward shots that I can appreciate even though I can't execute them, rather than just shots that favor a big arm.

A quick note on the rankings (there is a reason you clicked on this review, right?). This course is the Scottie Pippen of courses. If you tell me that Scottie is a great player, I'm right there with you. If you start telling me he's the #2 or #3 player, I'm going to assume you are a little blinded by the greatness of his teammate. This is definitely a great course. But it's also not in my personal top 10.

That said, are you going to go out of your way to get to a property with a 5.0 and a 4.0 course? Yeah, me too. When I found out I'd be in Dallas, I made sure to drive the two hours to get here. I'll do it again.

- Wide variety of shot shapes and lines required. Never felt repetitious.
- The scenery. Such a beautiful piece of property, very peaceful and picturesque.
- Multiple concrete teepads on each hole, each giving a very distinct challenge.
- Extremely challenging without feeling obnoxious, or intentionally annoying.
- Due to the cost and location, I'd imagine it's never crowded.

- Not free ($20/day).
- Not really walkable, and golf carts are $40/day and only have two seats and are loud.
- Not much elevation change.
- Nitpicking here, but the course is a little raw, not manicured like a nice city course.

Great compliment to Lakeside, but without a signature hole. Still some very memorable, challenging holes though. The obscure locale of these courses is negated by the fact that they're on the same property, thus giving you 36 of the most challenging, unique disc golf holes anywhere.

This course is set on some amazing and beautiful land! The land makes use of a few rolling hills, a creek, some ponds, and weaves its way in and around beautiful trees. The course flows amazingly, and it is obvious that a professional designed this course. It offers anywhere from 180 foot holes to 1019 foot holes. The shot variety is great. There are also some very creative holes on this course like the hole where you throw over hay bales. There is risk/reward on this course as well, especially on the pond and creek holes. Nothing makes you want to stay in bounds more than water. You never get bored playing this course, and it always leaves you wanting more after each hole.

This course has so much to live up to as it is on the same piece of property with the best course in the world. This course doesn't offer as much elevation or technical shots as I would want in a 4.5 or 5.0 course. A lot of the shots, especially in the middle half of the course, are longer holes that have some trees and are quite flat. To be fair, they are some of the better long flat holes I ever played, but they aren't as interesting as elevated holes with more technique. Because of this, some of the holes blend together in my mind, which would never happen with a perfect course. To be fair, my buddy and I did play this course from the red pins, the shorter pins as we were tired after lakeside. One final con is hole 7. Instead of two tee pads, there is only one tee pad and one basket on this hole, but somehow it is both a par 4 and a par 5. This really confused me.

This course was quite generous with their pars, which is a really nice change from monotonous par 3's at other courses. This is an excellent course, don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed playing it, but it is not the best of the best, and there are not enough wooded and elevated holes to make it phenomenal. This is the best 4.0 course I have ever played.

The Creekside course offers a different feel, and a nice contrast to the Lakeside course. There is more distance and more open shots on this side. It's fun to have the chance to air out some long drives while still having rough and water lurking to punish poorly placed shots. Water is in play on many shots, with some smaller ponds and the creek offering some water carries, tricky greens and drives along the edge of water with wind to deal with.

There are a few holes that play a little more technical, offering some protected greens and a couple holes where you have to hit tighter gaps. Overall the course felt pretty balanced, with some holes favoring righties and some where the lefty shot offered an easier line.

The amenities here are fantastic, they're not a big part of my ratings but I still love to see courses with this amount of work put in to the extras. The tees are excellent, with two large concrete pads on most holes, often offering different lines and a very different level of challenge. The signs are top notch, I love the Houck signs, and having distance and hole layout is nice with long and sometimes blind shots. It's obvious that a lot of time and effort goes into the maintenance here, the couple wet spots or places where grass was long were mentioned in the pro shop along with reasons and a timetable for taking care of them.

I'm not a fan of long grass rough, and it's pretty prevalent on this course. A few too many of the Creekside holes play really open with a few scattered trees and only tall grass to contend with on a missed drive. It adds frustration without really providing much of a disc golf challenge. Through no fault of the designer, there's not a lot of elevation here, something I like to see on challenging courses like this. There are some long transitions between holes, though that's not a huge deal with good course maps and carts.

Beginners may find this course a bit much. There is a lot of length and the water is lurking on several shots. The shorter tees are a great challenge for intermediate to advanced players, and the longs will challenge even the best players. You'll need distance and accuracy to be successful here, hitting fairways on distance drives is one of the major tests on this layout.

The design here is top notch, I had a blast. Lakeside is the better of the two courses, but having two phenomenal courses on one property makes this an excellent destination overall. The carts are a nice touch, I wouldn't want to use one everywhere, but for a special treat they're fun. I understand the amount of time and work that has gone into this place, so I didn't mind the relatively high fees to play, but it is on the high side compared to other pay to play courses at this point.