Waterwood National

[kgk]

Pics & such

A couple WRXers (Keith & Patrick) and one ex-WRXer (Sam) made the hike up to play Waterwood. I'm sure someone else can fill in the architectural/historical gaps here, but apparently it was one of Pete Dye's first courses, and started the trend towards "modern" golf courses. Something like that, anyway. It's north of Huntsville on Lake Livingston, and about 60 miles from The Woodlands.

Waterwood is a great golf course. The design is great, it's not too long (about 7000 from the tips), but it is quite challenging. If it was in a bit better shape, I'd say it's a can't-miss sort of course. I enjoyed it, but the greens were slow & spotty, etc.

Sam put up a tidy little 73, Patrick a 76, and I pulled up the rear with a 77. Patrick & I had a bunch of birdies and doubles, and Sam played steady Sam Golf.

First tee.


We don't have pictures of the second hole. It's a 220 yard Par 3, and no pushover.

Third tee. The fairway slopes right to left, and the green is set back through a chute and is small & quirky. There's a big bowl in the front left that would leave you with the possibility of many, many putts.


3rd green.




4th hole. Hit driver & have a short iron in to the green. The green is severely sloped in the front, so anything that just catches the front goes in the bunker.


4th green.


5th green. Water comes into play left, with a big slope that will catch anything left of the green & throw it in the lake.


No pictures of 6.

7th hole, par 3.


Tee shot on 8. What's tough to tell is that this tee shot is really uphill. 200 to cross the ditch.


10 green.


Number 11. Long par 3.


12 tee.


View from 12 fairway.


Here is the periscope on 13. The hole is severely downhill, and they put this there so you can see if you're clear to hit or not.


View from 13 tee.


13 green.



The 14th hole is known as the "Cliff Hole". It's a 225 yard Par 3 with no bail outs. Into the wind. There is a bunker that you can't see right of the green, just in case you aim for land.
Here is a panoramic view from the tee box


My bunker shot on 14. Sam's ball is over by mine as well.


View from 14 green back to 13 green and 14 tee.


15 tee.



15 green.


15 green from 16 tee.


16, devil of a short par 4. I don't know how to play this hole, I think you just hit driver & hope it lands somewhere OK. Patrick & I both hit it in the left junk. Sam hit driver down the right side. I'm still scratching my head... tough hole.



16 green.


View from the fairway back to 18 tee box.


View from the drive to the green on 18.


18 green complex.

[Hoover98]

Man, I was hoping to open this and see emerald green grass and white sand everywhere, but what I see is normal Waterwood, unfortunately. Not horrible, but decent at best. One of my favorites of any course I've played, anywhere. If someone took a big risk and put some REAL money into the place and uprgraded everything - not just the golf course - I'd bet it would be like going back in time to how things were when it opened. They had Q-school there way back when, and I think Azinger and some other big names got their cards there.

 

Keith - would you say it was worth the trip up (would you do it again now that you've played the course)? About 16, I've probably played that hole 15 times and have never felt comfortable over that tee shot. Is the view when you get to the crest of the hill in the 13th fairway not unbelievable? That approach is one of the more difficult shots on the course, too. Severe dowhill lie to a small, angled green with virtually no bailout except short left. Short right is in the sand and long anywhere is REALLY dead. Be honest - what did you hit on 14? I've hit anything from 5 iron to driver off that tee. One of the few birdies I've ever see on that hole (maybe the ONLY one) was when my roommate at A&M hit driver into about a 25 mph wind to inside 10 feet.

 

When we were in school, Waterwood was in the worst shape its ever been in, and we could play there during the week for $15 and not see but maybe 10 other players all day long. We'd skip class, leave about 7 am and play until dark for less than $30.

 

Thanks for the pics and update.

[kgk]

Keith - would you say it was worth the trip up (would you do it again now that you've played the course)?

 

I'd go back any time. I think the design is that much fun. The conditions were playable ... not superb, but not terrible either.

 

Is the view when you get to the crest of the hill in the 13th fairway not unbelievable? That approach is one of the more difficult shots on the course, too. Severe dowhill lie to a small, angled green with virtually no bailout except short left. Short right is in the sand and long anywhere is REALLY dead.

 

I was short left. Pin was in the back right. Nasty, nasty putt ... no fun there. I suppose you could be long there if you get lucky & catch 14 tee. :)

 

Be honest - what did you hit on 14? I've hit anything from 5 iron to driver off that tee. One of the few birdies I've ever see on that hole (maybe the ONLY one) was when my roommate at A&M hit driver into about a 25 mph wind to inside 10 feet.

 

I hit 3 wood, so did Patrick. Sam hit driver. We hit second tee balls for the heck of it; Pat hit one up about 10 feet, and then Sam bounced one into the pin.

 

When we were in school, Waterwood was in the worst shape its ever been in, and we could play there during the week for $15 and not see but maybe 10 other players all day long. We'd skip class, leave about 7 am and play until dark for less than $30.

 

It's still pretty cheap. We played on a Sunday and I think the rate was $32 with a coupon. There weren't a ton of players out, but a group teed off every half hour or so.

[Swingtheclub]

wow I attended Business school 11 in 1976 there the place was not even open to the public some of the bunkers did not have sand yet It looked like it would someday be a real jewel.

 

we played five or six holes each night after school five bucks for the cart all we could get in. Then Saturday after the test we played a tournament eighteen holes.

 

I did not win forty of us put up like 20 a piece I shot if I remember right 75 and they sent me a check for third place I think. I am sure I got a check the rest is foggy lol that was 31 years ago

 

You may have seen my post about getting screwed in a driving contest at this school because they had the contest on a dogleg rt hole. I drove it passed everyone but through the fairway

 

It was number ten at Waterwood

 

Thanks for the memorys

 

Ken

[kgk]

You may have seen my post about getting screwed in a driving contest at this school because they had the contest on a dogleg rt hole. I drove it passed everyone but through the fairway

 

It was number ten at Waterwood

 

10 is a double dogleg par 5 ... it goes left and then right.

No problem on the pictures - I just brought the camera, Sam actually took all the pictures. I'm the worst at remembering to take pictures when playing golf.

[Hoover98]

I still think they should put the old back tee in play on #15. It was right behind 14 green and you had to hit over that little cove off the lake and through a chute of trees that made the tee shot on 18 at Augusta look like 18 at St. Andrews. When Palmer took over, that was one of the biggest changes we noticed on our first trip back. I found an old picture on Terraserver and marked where the old tee used to be (compared to the current one). Doesn't really do it justice, but you can see how tough that angle was, and how narrow the gap in the trees was (you couldn't hit over them, either).

 

 

[liongolf_ike]

I too agree that is such a great golf course, it is so dissapointing that someone wont buy this jewel and put some hard work and money into it and let it be one of the best around.