Dallas Athletic Club - Blue Course Review

Dallas Athletic Club - Blue Course Review

The Dallas Athletic Club, founded in 1919, is one of the oldest and most prestigious athletic clubs in Dallas.  And it is home to two fantastic Jack Nicklaus courses - the Blue and the Gold Course.  The Blue course, originally designed by Ralph Plummer, suffered from a harsh winter in 1984 and Jack Nicklaus agreed to be the architect of the remodel.  Jack won his first major win on the Blue Course at the 45th PGA Championship in 1963.  The Gold Course was also remodeled by Jack in 2002.

Both courses have their own unique personality and characteristics.  The Gold Course has the reputation of being a little easier and more traditional.  The Blue Course is a little tighter, 200 yards shorter, a stroke or two harder, and has more water holes and bunkers. 

With a rating of 74.3 and a slope of 143, the Blue Course is no walk in the park - and what a beautiful park it is with ponds, a variety of trees, pristine landscaping, creeks, and waterfalls.  The key to scoring well on the Blue Course is knowledge of the course from the members or from repeated play, course management, good putting, and picking  the right set of tee boxes - there are 5 to choose from with yardages of 5288 to 6922.  

The Blue Course also demands some good club selection and target golf.  The tree lined fairways are tight, most of the holes are dog legs, and green complexes are challenging.   Plus you have water on 12 holes and 65 bunkers to contend with.  But don't let that discourage you - pick the right set of tee boxes and play smart and you'll have a very fun and enjoyable round. 

There are some great holes on the Blue Course that you won't forget and you'll want to play again, for example:

• #1 gives you a feel for what your round will be like - a 518 yard par 5 that's narrow all the way to the dog leg right downhill well guarded green
• #5 is the #1 handicap hole - a 428 yard par 4 with a risk reward shot to try and carry the lake and the trees and avoid the two strategically placed bunkers leaving you a shot at the dog right green which is slightly downhill and protected with a creek with two beautiful waterfalls in front of it
• #8 is a short  uphill 361 yards but a minefield of 14 treacherous bunkers of all shapes and sizes plus one in the middle of the fairway and most of the traps are steep and deep
• #11 is a real beauty - only 371 yards, but the #2 handicap that requires a precise shot off the tee box to give you a shot at hitting the green with two bunkers and a creek with two beautiful waterfalls guarding the green

All of the par 3's will also test your nerves - they are long (178, 200, 210, and 208 yards from the tips), with forced carries all the way over water to green on three of them, and bunkers, swales, and berms guarding the greens.   Beautiful holes with little room for error off the tee box. 

Both of the Dallas Athletic Club courses are meticulously maintained and in near perfect condition.  The Blue Course is aesthetically pleasing with a wide variety of stately trees, creeks and ponds, waterfalls, stone bridges, and colorful landscaping around a few holes. 

The fairways on the Blue Course are tight and tree lined with homes on only a couple holes.  The rough was cut thin and manageable when we played, but you still need to stay in the fairways to have a good round.  If you do miss the fairways your ball will be ricocheting off the trees, but its fairly easy to find it and chip back to the green.  If you really spray the ball, in most cases  you'll end up in another fairway and have a challenging shot under or back over the trees to the right fairway or green - good news is that you didn't loose your ball, however you may still end up buying the drinks. 

The fairways are excellent condition and are gently rolling with some elevated tee boxes and green complexes.  And you'll encounter deep swales and big berms, particularly surrounding the greens.

The greens can be very challenging with lots of slope, tiers, and undulation - pin placement can be a killer.  When we played they had just been sanded, so it was hard to judge the speed.  They are all shapes and sizes and we are told that they run a 10 to 12.  They are fast, but true and there are plenty of subtle and hard to read breaks.  The greens are very soft and hold well.  After playing them a few times, my guess is that you would be able to read them well and you'd  love 'um. 

The bunkers are another story - plenty of them, all shapes and sizes, strategically placed, and most are high lipped or steep and deep.  The good news is the sand is soft and thick.  Either the members never land in the bunkers or someone follows them with a rake - 99% of them were perfect with no divots, foot prints, or uneven rake tracks. 

Bottom line - a scenic, fun, and challenging track in great condition that you'll want to play again and you shouldn't get tired of playing it.