Sunday Morning Golf Course Review - Big Met

Course:  Big Met

Location:  Cleveland MetroParks System, Fairview Park, Cuyahoga County

Directions:  Easy access from I-480, Brookpark Road, Lorain Road 40 minutes from Akron

Dewsweepers Tee Times Was:  645

Big Met Website

Big Met is a storied golf course with its roots being traced back to the 1920's.  Big Met is a wonderful, mature course set deep in the valley of the Cleveland MetroPark system, amongst the trees, and privacy only the park can offer.  It is a course of moderate length, with a fair amount of sand, some water hazards, but a ridiculous amount of trees.  After all, it is the park.  This is a wonderful place to play for many reasons, and one of them is its beauty. 

It is challenging, and being a straight hitter is preferable than not. There is a fair amount of terrain as well, with some elevated and downhill greens that give this some real character. One thing we have always loved about this course is the fact that no two holes look the same. This is a very distinct course that challenges every aspect of your game.  Although driver is welcome on many holes, sometimes the smarter play is the position play off the tee.

Today though as fun as it was, there was a new stat that has entered the Dewsweepers vernacular. The Bo Derek Club.  More on that later.

Beef had one of those rounds where he struck the ball very well at times, but not always.  When he was in position to score, he did. But Beef had some tree trouble from time to time.  Not unusual here at all.  And on the back the driver seemed to leave Beef, and he found himself in tough places off the tee. Beef generally putted well, with 6, 1 putts, and no 3 putts, plus draining a huge downhill par putt on the very tough number 2. But his short game usually very good, was not up to his standards today and it caught up with him on the back with confidence wearing thin.  Never good with the short irons. Even though Beef parred 5 of the first ten holes, he shot 45/46  for a 91.  Short game woes. We've all been there.

Joe Red too battled some inconsistencies today with a driver that behaved at times, and not at others. Red had a tough act to follow after CHIPPING IN 4 birdies last week at Shale Creek, saving him a ton of strokes.  No birdies today for Red, (he used his allotment last week.)  Red made some good shots, and some not so good.  And a bad number or two, and suddenly this weeks round was not last weeks round. But Red did make an insane save for bogey on the very difficult number 7 par 5.  After losing his drive way left over mush, hitting a tree and landing near 8 green, he come back from the dead and somehow had a 6 on a hole you would gladly take a 6 on from the fairway.  Well done! But he lost his round on two holes, (more on that later), shooting 46/49 for 95.

Tex drove the ball well most of the day, as courses are drying out some and he can take advantage of the fairway roll.  Tex made a terrific birdie chip in on the downhill number 10 par 3.  A great chip to a front pin on a green that slopes hard back to front. Really well done.  Tex's short game and putting were still pretty good as usual with 6, 1 putts.  Tex struggled though on second shots, and had a blow up hole (more on that later) and had a bad number or two, and ended up a bit over bogey golf. Firing a tough 53 on the front, but rebounded with a 45 on the back for 98.

I hit the ball fairly well most of the day. My driver was good at times, and not good others. But I kept the ball in play, and that helped. I hit my irons much better today, and that helped too. I did not take anything worse than a bogey, and no penalty strokes either, so it was a clean round.  I did miss a few short par putts which I have to stop doing, and I need to find so more consistency with my driver.  But today was a step forward but I need to stop with the self-inflicted mistakes, like chunking chips occasionally, and making ALL short putts.  But today, it was 41/42 for 83 on the day. 

Now the Bo Derek story.  Bo Derek, that bombshell beauty from the movie "10" years ago?  Last week I took a 10 at Shale Creek. Think it was the first one in my adult life.  And this week, Tex joined me on the tough number 5 par 5 with a 10 after tossing one in the water, and a chunk or two. Later today, Joe Red joined the vaunted club Bo Derek Club with a 10 on the difficult number 16 par 5, as he got tangled in the trees on the right and the bunker green right.  Beef remains the lone and only Dewsweeper without a 10 this year.  I am not sure any of us took a 10 last year at all. Hope that's over.

Course highlights?  Number 1 is a tough 429 yard tree lined par 4 downhill. 2, 325 yards uphill to an elevated small green par 4.  7,8, and 9 a brutal stretch of holes going par 5,3,4 and handicap 5,7,and 1. A round can be, and has been lost there. You can make up some strokes on the back, but be ready for 12, a 215 yard par 3, uphill.  14 and 16 are also very challenging.

Overall, Big Met is a really nice place to play in a wonderful setting. Worth a drive from anywhere. But make a tee time, as this course gets a lot of play and is always in very nice shape. Prices, liveable.

Scores

Wynn  -  83
Beef  -  91
Joe Red  -  95
Tex  -  98

Next week in Lorain County at Creekwood