Review of Rock Creek Resort - Lake Texoma

Date Played: November 03, 2011
Front Nine Rating: 8.8 Stars
Back Nine Rating: 9.5 Stars
Initiation Fees: Under $10,000
Monthly Dues: $1 to $200
Brief Description:

Rock Creek Resort on Lake Texoma is one of the 4 outstanding Texas courses owned and managed by Double Diamond - the others include The Cliffs at Possum Kingdom, White Bluff Resort on Lake Whitney, and The Retreat just outside Cleburne.  Rock Creek is a private course available for play to the Rock Creek or The Retreat property owners. 

Jack Nicklaus designed this fantastic layout to leverage the natural beauty of the gently rolling terrain as it meanders up and down the hills, through the hundred-year-old towering oaks, and beside and across natural flowing streams.  The front nine opened in November 2008 and Jack made this nine a gentle and forgiving nine with wide fairways and huge greens, giving you a great opportunity to turn in a good score if you can avoid the 35 bunkers and sink your putts on some undulating greens. 

On most holes on the front nine of Rock Creek you can pull out the big dog and let it rip from the fairways - this is the nine for the driver to shine because it may stay in the bag on the back nine.   The front has 35 bunkers ranging from pot sized to some treacherous very steep and deep monsters - I know, I found a large majority of them and still have sand in the hair, pockets, shoes, and car! 

If you play smart and do everything you can to stay in the fairway and out of the bunkers, you're going to really enjoy this nine and you'll have an opportunity to turn in a great score.  The head pro, Heath,  told us when we started that we were in for a pleasant surprise and that Rock Creek is a hidden gem with a Hill Country look and feel and that he would be surprised if we didn't see some wildlife and emit several "Wows" during our round. 

When we arrived at the first hole, we uttered our first of many "Wows!" What a beautiful hole - an elevated tee box with a forced carry over a deep ravine to a wide sweeping gently sloping uphill contoured fairway with three treacherous bunkers leading a huge green guarded by 4 more bunkers - Wow!  The other 8 holes on the front are fun, some are straightforward and traditional, and some are unique and different.  You'll encounter a little bit of everything including forced carries over natural areas, huge undulating greens, lots of bunkers, valleys and depressions, and plenty of trees if you can't find the fairways.  #8 was another "Wow" - a 392 downhill par 4 to a well guarded green with a huge bunker in front and another one on the right side plus a grass bunker and natural gully.   A fun, fair, and scenic nine!

After the front nine and a cold beer at the clubhouse, Jack must have figured that you were up for a test.  So he designed the back nine to challenge every part of your game - it demands accuracy from tee to green, good club selection and course management skills, and precise putting.  That said, this is a fair nine but make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew - pick one of the 5 tee boxes that will fit your game.  On several holes, you may want to leave the driver in the bag. 

The back nine at Rock Creek on Lake Texoma is much tighter from tee to the cup and there are plenty of hazards on the way.  Plus the greens are well guarded, raised, and much smaller and much more undulating with tiers, steep slope, ridges, and spines - pin placement can be a killer. 

The back nine has much more variety and some very fun, interesting, unique, and demanding holes.  Plus a few "Wows" like #10 - a 412 yard par 4 with a forced carry over a deep ravine from an elevated tee box to a very tight landing zone thanks to a huge oak in the middle of the fairway and then you need to stuff it on a raised green guarded by 3 bunkers.  On the rest of the nine you'll find more trees in the fairway that you'll need to carefully go between, sharp dog legs that require a precise drive to give you a shot at the green, huge deep bunkers, a lake and natural areas to carry, elevated tee boxes, rolling and contoured fairways, and more.  And challenging well guarded small greens.  This nine is challenging but it's fair - you just need to be accurate, avoid the bunkers, and read the breaks!  The second time you play it, you'll do much better.  An outstanding nine! 

When we played in November the fairways were in very good condition considering the harsh winter, severe drought, and record breaking heat.  The front nine fairways are wide and sweeping while the back are tight and tree lined.  All of the fairways have some combination of slope, contour, berms, and mounding.   You'll need to manage the extra roll thanks to the dry conditions as well as the slope and contour.  On the front nine there is a wide playable rough (the ball tends to sit up on it) before you're lost in the trees or natural areas.  On the back, the rough is narrower and tougher to get out of.  

The bunkers range in size from small deep pot bunkers to some treacherous monsters that are the size of Rhode Island!   Most, if not all of the bunkers are steep and deep but the good news is the sand is fantastic.  It's crushed white granite, thick, and deep and perfect.  The bunkers are also surrounded by some thick rough - not sure which is worse, the rough or the bunkers. 

The bent grass greens at Rock Creek had some rough spots, primarily around the edges thanks to the harsh conditions, but most were in very good condition.  They ran true, fast (10 or more), and had plenty of slope, undulation, ridges, tiers, and spines.  Most are raised and well guarded.  It may have been us but we found them a little hard to hold.  Practice putting before you head out. 

Bottom line - consider a membership or find someone that has one so you can play this fantastic course!