As I entered the gate to The Greens Golf Course in Burns Flat, my initial thought was “this is not going to go well”. What would you be thinking if you saw the sign at the entrance? It didn’t get any better when I walked through the door of the clubhouse. The two people looked at me as if I was a stranger in a strange land. Now, I was wearing a pair of wild shorts, probably never seen in this area of Oklahoma, so I gave them some time to eventually come to the conclusion that I wanted to play golf. They finally warmed to this stranger, and were very helpful before and after my round.
I’m flying blind today because GPS is not available; there was no tee marker at #1; and there was no course diagram on the scorecard. All I can see from the teeing area at Hole #1 is an open fairway with a line of trees down the left side. As I study the scorecard, the men’s and women’s tee boxes have the same yardage – par 4, 367 yards. I was warned before I paid my $28 (a little much) that the course was very wet from rains and the fairways and rough had not been mowed recently. As I sloshed my way down the fairway, I discovered it did bend slightly to the left.
Trying to follow the “cart path”, I think I arrived at Hole #2. Each hole has a post that looked as if it once held a placard designating the hole and it’s routing. This hole is a straight par 4 with water and “snake bridge” to clear.
There is a semblance of a cart path at the course and it reminds me of trying to find those old, old, remains of Route 66. Remember the first sentence of this review? My initial thought may be coming to fruition, as the grass on the green at hole #1 was very long, and the grass (or lack of) on hole #2 was almost non existent.
I believe I am on the correct track because the scorecard states that the third hole is a par 3 of 200 yards. The hole is sponsored by Gret’s Pizza (the only placard on the post) and looks to be a long par 3. As previously mentioned the scorecard shows men’s (black) and women’s (red) tee boxes; however, on the course there are also white and gold markers. I have no idea what my yardages are but it’s a sunny day and I’m playing golf on a quirky and funky course.
Somehow I found my way to Hole #4. I knew it was #4 because there was a post with the complete information – hole number and a drawing of this dogleg right par 5. There was yardage for red, blue (?), white and black. At the moment it’s just me and a thousand grasshoppers on the course – the mosquitoes must be attacking at dusk. This fairway is lined with evenly spaced trees on both sides that are more of an annoyance that a hazard. Hole #5 is a carbon copy of the prior hole.
Hole #6 is the best hole so far. A dogleg to the left with a creek to carry as you make your way down the fairway. A few large trees block your view to the green if you try to cut too much off this dogleg. Hole #7 has a turn to the right with the smallest green I have ever seen. It must have been a temporary green; however, I did not see another green that may have been under repair.
Hole #8 is a par 3 over a pond and measures about 185 yards. The ninth hole is a par 4, dogleg left, and around 440 yards (it all depends if you are playing the black, blue, white, gold, or red tees)! I did happen to stumble upon a few yardage discs in the fairways, but because of the height of the grass, most were hidden from view. So my day of playing by feel proved to be very unreliable!
Rating – Par (42 out of 60): I’m being very generous here. Because of all the rainfall I am hoping the fairways are in better shape once the course dries out. The course is located a few miles south of I-40 and Route 66, and I would probably not go out of my way to play here again. The $28 was too much for this 9-hole round, but it’s all about the adventure – right? It’s always nice to support small town golf courses, but if you are seeking a well-groomed track, stay on I-40 and find another course closer to Oklahoma City.
Speaking of “closer to Oklahoma City”, as you travel the “Mother Road” make sure to visit the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK. Traveling west, it’s just outside of Oklahoma City and before your adventure at Burns Flat!
465 Williams Street, Foss, OK 73647; 580-660-0102; no website
