Oak Meadows in Houston TX

One topic that frequently comes up is "What makes a course work." Houston has two top grade large courses that are for all practical purposes, failures. It has a medium grade course and a new slightly shorter yet technically difficult course top grade course that is highly successful. I would like to engender some discussion about what makes a course successful.

Oak Meadows meets all the criteria of a successful course. There are a lot of new players that come to the course on a regular basis. There are many families that play the course, and a good number of skilled players also play.

Here are the course characteristics. The course is in a beautiful setting with lots of trees (the course was cut out of a solidly wooded area along cattle paths). There are two large ponds that course plays around and over (holes are really well placed adding significantly to the challenge). There are a number of long holes that are open and a number of short very technical holes (short being 200 to 250 feet). The course has at least three signature holes all that would define any course in the country. The course has concrete tee pads with clear signs and markings. There is a concrete walking path that winds along the holes that is well utilized by locals (the course was built as part of a community, it is private but open to the public to play for free) There are bridges that span the pond and the course has some elevation (very little but we are in Houston).

What is striking is that not only does the course draw locally, players, casual and otherwise are coming from some ways away to play.

I will try and load some pics into an album for you to look at but the basic question is: What makes a course work in terms of getting both old and new players out, and also works for families?

[Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun]

As Sheila would say . . . restrooms. And drinking water. That's a mando for families, I think.

[Lyle O. Ross]

This facility does have a bathroom but no drinking fountains. There is a picnic area right near hole one.

I do agree that amenities count more than most recognize!

[Scoot_er]

The only thing about OM is it is a Blue level course which produces a small amount of scoring spread among gold level players. Oh, and there is not a single anhyzer on the course.