Date Played: August 10, 2010
Front Nine Rating: Stars
Back Nine Rating: Stars
Approximate Weekend Price Range: $49.00 to $59.00
Brief Description:

Vaaler Creek Golf Club, located just south of Blanco, opened for play in July 2009 and Michael Lowry designed the course to take advantage of the natural terrain – creeks, ponds, rolling hills, trees, native grasses, and fauna – which makes Vaaler Creek both visually stunning, challenging, and a blast to play. 

This memorable layout will challenge the accomplished players with pinched landing areas, strategically placed bunkers, tough greens, and challenging approach shots.  Average golfers can pick a set of tee boxes that fits their handicap and have a fun yet demanding round.   The front tees at Vaaler Creek are very friendly for the ladies or very high handicappers.  You'll want to play this course again because the second round on Vaaler Creek will probably save you quite a few stokes thanks to some hard learned lessons on where not to hit the ball during the first round.

Vaaler Creek Golf Club is a part of the Rocking J Ranch housing development and the course plays up and down the gently rolling hills with tree lined fairways.  Until homes are built on the golf course lots,  it’s just you and nature – very quiet and serene with the birds chirping, wind whistling through the trees, the occasional loud “moo” heard from the local cow, and the sound of your golf ball ricocheting off the trees and rocks or ker plunking into the water. 

The fairways were in very good condition when we played in August 2010 and most are ample with a very playable first cut – but miss the cut and you’re in the trees, creeks, ponds,  or natural areas and will most likely need to reload.  On the way to the green you’ll encounter strategically placed bunkers, blind shots, elevated tee boxes, rolling contoured fairways, forced carries, a couple risk reward shots, dog legs, blind shots, and more to keep you on your game.   With a slope and rating of 140 and 73, Vaaler Creek Golf Club is no walk in the park and it will give you a run for your money. 

The front nine is a little harder, seems a little prettier, and has some very challenging greens.  While the back has three fantastic holes.  Both sides at Vaaler Creek have some really fun, unique, and memorable holes.  For example:  #2 is a 350 yard par 4 with a sharp dog leg right that requires a near perfect approach shot to carry the pond (when there is water in it) to an oblong green with no room for error;  a split fairway on #10 forces you to make a decision at the tee box – do you go for the elevated and more open fairway on the left or try to carry the water and nail a tight landing zone on the right to save a few yards on the way to the uphill shot to a well guarded green – either way a very accurate drive is required or you’re in trouble; and #18 is very intimidating – from the box you can’t see the lake but you have a good look at a big downhill fairway with a tree splitting the landing zone and a severe slope to the lake on the left side of the fairway, if you survive the drive, then you have a decision – can you carry the lake or do you try to lay up to make the carry a little shorter (a least a 100 yards) to what seems like an island green. 

The greens help define Vaaler Creek and give the course a lot of personality and character.  The front nine greens are very demanding - most are elevated and you need to plan for that on your approach shot as well as try to manage the slope, tiers, and undulation.  A number of the greens on the front nine have some severe slope and undulation – several times we watched our ball hit and roll back down and away from the pin.  The back greens are a little flatter and easier but you still need to manage the elevation and slope.  When we played the greens had just been sanded but were very true and a little fast.  We are told that the greens are normally very smooth, roll true, and are fast - a 10 and up.   All of the greens were in very good condition and most are larger than average. 

The majority of the bunkers are strategically placed or guarding the greens.  They vary in size, are fairly steep and deep, and have soft thick sand.  The good news is that there are only 17 of them!

Vaaler Creek has an excellent stay and play package.  We stayed in a very well appointed 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo over looking the 10^thtee box at a very reasonable price.