LOCAL GOLF - Sunday Morning Golf Review

This week the Dewsweepers loaded up and went off into a place we have never been before. We played beautiful Brookledge in Cuyahoga Falls. How is it all the years we've been playing Sunday Morning Golf, and we have never played here? Our oversight!

Fantastic place to play. Brookledge is the city owned course in The Falls, and now that there has been a ton of behind the scenes, and in front of the scenes improvements to the course it is nothing short of terrific. It is lush and green.

Brookledge checks in at about 6,400 total yards, but there are three sets of tee's that can get it down to about 5,400 if you wish. We played it about about 6,200 yards. A wonderfully designed course with plenty of character, sand, a bit of water, fabulous rolling hills, dog-legs, and greens that would be the envy of many other courses. The greens were fast, fair, with plenty of undulation, with few flat putts. Ohyeah, very true rolls and sweeping breaks that you could see. The pins were placed very difficult on Sunday, and it was really challenging.

This is a thinking mans course. Position play is really smart here. It starts off simply enough, a short par 5, that Beef promptly birdied for another hot start. Beef kept is going through the front posting a nice 40 there. But Beef ran into the dreaded "back 9 blues" and had to settle for 88 on the day. Although we all marveled at his chip in birdie with a hybrid on number 17 par 4.

Joe Red hit the ball well and hung in there with a 43 on the front, even though not playing his best golf. His double on number 2 a very tricky par 4, 335 yards doggie left. We all chunked that one up with bad numbers including Red's son Bryan who sat in for vacationing Tex this week, taking a rough 8 on that hole. I doubled it with a perfect drive. - Oh yeah...Beef parred it. Tough green to hit. Red hung around and posted 45 on the back giving him too 88 on the day. Red still getting back in the groove after not playing much the past few weeks, you can see he's gaining on it.

Bryan recovered from his 8 on number 2, and then salvaged a nice 44 on the front. Not bad after an awful number on a single hole. But the back caught up with him, and he ended up with 97 on the day, with 4 7's on the back. Those hurt, we've all been there. But to his credit kept his head up, laughed and had fun and that's the only reason we are there anyway. Plus, e did what yuo always seemed to to. He took a great par on number 18, par 4 356 yards, that seems to bring you back.

I played a solid round edging out Beef with a 39 on the front to his 40. Then I seemed to survive the back with a 41 there for an 80 on the day. 9 over for he round with 3 double bogie's, and a single birdie on the par 3 number 6. The goal for me here today was as many pars as possible, and that helped me play conservatively and kept the ball in front of me. Although I was nervous as we turned with a penalty stroke double on 9, and a 3 putt double on 10. BTW - number 10 par 4, 325 yards up hill to a hard breaking green, we all took 6's and 7's. Sheesh!

Course highlights? The whole thing. It's simply a beautiful golf course with no two holes the same. We talked about it on the way home, and all agreed it is one of the best public courses we have played in a while. It's in great shape, well taken care of, fair, and flat out fun to play. Note though. the greens are very tricky and younger or new players may find that very frustrating. You must be able to read greens well to score here.

Kudos too for the wonderful staff there. Extremely friendly, helpful organized and awake. We loved Jennifer who worked in the snack area. She was amazingly nice, and exceedingly friendly and wide awake at 6AM when we rolled in. At the turn, plenty of food ready, and smiles to go around. We are big on really nice people and service. She was, and is great.

Brookledge. Wonderful, play it! Really, really nice public golf!