LOCAL GOLF - J.E. Good Park Golf Course

The Sunday Morning Dewsweepers tee'd it up at Akron's J.E. Good Park public golf course.

You know where it is. It's the course visible from I-77 near the White Pond Exit. If you've never played it or haven't played it in a while, you should. Every time we play this course we always say over a beverage that "We should have played this course better today." And I think a whole lot of golfers feel that way at rounds end. From the white tees it checks in at par 71, and around 6,200 yards with some sand, and no water of any real consequence. But you better hit it straight.

From our perspective there were not enough pars at all for us out there. This is a thin course with a boatload of trees of all kinds. Big, small, tall, pines, and they seem to come into play a whole lot. The greens were quick and true, and a bit slick at times. Ask Beef, as he wrestled on the greens all day long. 3-putting 6 times and one "other". This, after actually hitting the ball pretty well, really hurt his score.

One thing too about this course are the harder handicapped holes. 1-4 handicaps are brutal and can shred the card, and are way harder than the rest of the course. Hole 10 is a ridiculously hard par 4, 440 plus to an elevated, and slanted green 2 handicap. It always gives us trouble. Ask any of us. We all got wood-shedded there. Number 5 is 1 handicap, a super long par 5, is no picnic either. In fact, the 3 par 5's are all tough. Even number 2, a short 5, but heavily tree lined all the way, better be down the middle. Hit a big driuve straight, and it make this hole is really much easier. But......get into the forest?

Joe Red got a case of double bogey-itus. He putted well, but hit the ball just errant enough to find himself in trouble, and not able to go at the greens. And it never ends. Lot's of trees. Tex, who is not a long hitter, had his strong short game working, but the length of some of the par 4's were difficult for him to score on, especially with the early morning dew in the rough.

I had played the course a few times before, and had slight advantage, but still was not in position to score well. You must hit it very straight every hole, and I simply did not. There are a few holes on this course as an amateur you must score well on to have a good card. You know can see them when you are on the tee. If you don't take what the course gives you, it can be a long day.

The Park has a real nice and simple club house that I really like. Good hot dogs, and cold drinks. I always feel like it's a retro experience playing there, and I like that too. It's old-school and straight forward golf. Hit is straight and be rewarded, don't and don't. Better putt well, because many of us hacks will not find a ton of regulation.

In short, we all liked it and will return. Thinking this is the time we play it a bit better, and take advantage of it shorter length.

Ahh, always next time.