Golf Course Review: Firewheel Golf Park (Lakes Course), Garland, Texas

 

FIREWHEEL GOLF PARK (Lakes Course)

Garland, Texas

August 8, 2023


OVERVIEW

FACILITY TYPE: Public

YEAR OPENED: 1987

PAR: 72

LENGTH: 5,502 - 7,134

USGA RATING: 68.5 - 74.5

USGA SLOPE: 116 - 133

TEE OPTIONS: 4

WEBSITE: https://www.golffirewheel.com/

PHONE: (972) 205-2795 or (972) 205-2797

 

Firewheel Golf Park just northeast of Dallas provides golfers with multiple courses to test every area of your game. During this loop at Firewheel’s Lakes Course, I was on the bag for Patricia Beliard during the qualifier for the US Senior Women’s Open at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon.


Generally speaking, the more time you’ve spent on a particular course, the more familiar with the layout you’ll be and have an advantage going into the round. Patricia had been at the course all week getting in practice rounds to be familiar with the course. I, however, was stepping foot onto the property for the first time.


Because I had not seen the course before, I spent the few days leading up to the qualifier studying the course in every way I could. Fortunately for me between golf-specific GPS apps, information posted on the course website, Google Maps, and Google Earth, it’s pretty easy these days to scope out a property before you even get there.




COURSE CONDITIONS RATINGS

TEES: 3.50

FAIRWAYS: 3.50

GREENS: 3.75

BUNKERS: 1.50

SCENERY: 3.00

LAYOUT: 3.50

–

OVERALL: 3.13


By the time I got to the course, I felt like I had already been there. I was familiar with the layout and had a general idea of how far Patricia hit everything based on our warm-up session on the range. This allowed us both to quickly get on the same page as far as shot and club selection.


As you may expect from an event like the US Open Qualifier, the conditions of the course had to meet a minimum standard with the most important area of the course being the greens. The greens at the Lakes Course were not as firm or fast as I had expected but they rolled very true, offering many opportunities to score if one finds themself in position.


The fairways and tees were nothing special, partly because of the Texas heat. If a course cuts its grass too short, it runs the risk of burning out and dying so the course must keep the grass a little longer than usual to prevent this from happening.


My only complaint about the condition of the course was the bunkers. They were definitely not in good condition. Mostly firm, washed out, and a little wet, being in one was certainly a hazard. Luckily for us, we were only in one bunker all day and were able to get out without much of an issue.




ACCESSIBILITY

COURSE DIFFICULTY: 3.00

WALKABILITY: 4.00


To give some perspective, most of the ladies playing in the qualifier hit their drives between 185-225 yards. The USGA created a combo set of tees mostly utilizing a combination of Blue/White that was set up perfectly to suit their games. The hazards were well placed to challenge each player's game yet was a fair challenge that reaped rewards when played properly.


The course is most definitely walkable. We ended up playing 21 holes in the 100-degree August heat and were still able to manage walking. The key is hydration and to have an umbrella on a push cart to provide shade. The course is not overly hilly and the walks between holes aren’t too long but the course can definitely present some challenges to the walker if they get out of position.




AMENITIES

GOLF SHOP: 2.5

PRACTICE FACILITIES: 3.5


When I first walked into the clubhouse it reminded me of the local municipal, Norwich Golf Course, where I played hundreds of rounds in high school. It’s a no-frills clubhouse that has everything you need and nothing more, allowing the staff to focus on what matters most, the golf.


The golf shop has all your essential items, a grille that has fast and ready items as well as hot items you can sit down to enjoy, there are accessible restrooms, and a view overlooking the backside of the property.


Even if you’re not playing, Firewheel has some great opportunities to practice and dial in your game as well. A grass driving range, practice putting green, and a short game area give you everything you need to take your game to the next level.




SUMMARY


Whether you’re a local looking to find a new regular hangout, or just passing through and want an affordable and accessible opportunity to play golf with plenty of availability for tee times, Firewheel offers a plethora of opportunities to tee it up. And when you’re done at the Lakes Course, be sure to check out the 18-hole Old Course or 27-hole Bridges Course.





MOVE BETTER - PLAY BETTER

COACH BLAINE ⛳🏌️‍♂️


For more, visit www.TourShotGolf.com
Location: 600 W Campbell Rd, Garland, TX 75044, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Perfect Shot: My First Hole In One

Image
In a game of misses, where it often comes down to fractions and degrees, the perfect shot is an elusive one. Even Tiger Woods said he’d usually only hit one perfect shot during a 72-hole tournament, and when he hit two he’d usually win by a large margin. Golf is about minimizing and managing misses to give oneself the best opportunity for the next shot. But on rare occasions, there is no next shot… It was the fourth of July and the pups and I got an early start to the morning, enjoying the dog park all to ourselves before the Texas sun was even above the horizon. Cool and fresh, the dogs ran around while I did my usual morning journaling and preparation for the day. I jokingly sent a text to my buddy Kevin Kraft about how I had yet to make an ace in Wordle (guessing the word on the first try). I had a new client coming in for their first lesson and we had a great session. It set a great tone for the morning full of positive energy and excitement about what was to come. I went home to
Read more

Quick Read: The Mental Library

Image
  Golf is an interesting game. You swing down to make the ball go up, swing left to make it curve to the right, and the low score wins. One of the other quirks of the game is that we don’t look at our target when we swing. As such, we must play to a memory or a mental image. This is where the Mental Library comes in. The Mental Library is a place within your mind where you store all the best shots you’ve ever hit as well as all the shots that you’ve been able to learn from over the years. Over time you build your collection. You add new shots, you swap others out for better ones. With the proper understanding of how to do so, and with a commitment to a proper pre-shot routine, you can store your own highlight reel in your mind. Because we don’t look at the target when we hit a shot, we must form a mental image in our mind. Because of this, you could imagine anything you wanted. It doesn’t even need to be the hole you’re on. For example, I always hit a good drive on the eighth hole at
Read more

The Frederick Five: The 5 Best Public Golf Courses in Maryland

Image
THE FREDERICK FIVE The 5 Best Public Golf Courses in Maryland (Greater Frederick Area, Maryland) INTRODUCTION I often get asked what my favorite courses in Maryland are. The truth is, Maryland has a lot of great golf courses. Maryland has everything from high-end, old, established private country clubs, to executive courses and par 3 tracks, municipal courses operated by the city or county, and everything in between. There is a little bit of everything for everyone but to me, Frederick, Maryland is home to five of the best courses that anyone can play. I call them, the Frederick Five. THE COURSES The Frederick Five are 5 daily fee, public golf courses all within a few minutes of Frederick, Maryland, which is located in Central Maryland, within an hour from Washington DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis. The courses are PB Dye, Worthington Manor, Whiskey Creek, Maryland National, and Musket Ridge. Each of these courses embodies the best Maryland has to offer. Built on some of the most amazing
Read more