Deer Run review

Course Rating – Deer Run Golf Club

Course offers a scenic, if not tough, test for all to enjoy

INFO
Address: Hwy 36 West., Moulton, Alabama
Phone: 256-775-4467
Web site: none
Par: 36-36--72
Yardage: 5,200 to 6,766 yards
USGA course rating: 68.1 to 71.0
Slope rating: 113 to 120
Greens: Bent/various native grasses
Green fee: $25 Monday-Thursday, $38 Friday-Sunday
Date played: August 23, 2009

The eighth hole is a challenging par 3 requiring a 80 yard carry over a lake.

THE COURSE
I enjoyed this Earl W. Stone layout quite a bit. It is TOUGH -- tricky, slow greens with high Bermuda type rough off the tee. There are several holes where my shot hit just off the fairway and the ball was in a snake pit or Death Valley. And there's plenty of trouble to find -- water on several holes, about 11 bunkers and a LOT of trees. The course opens with a par-4 (320 - 397 yards) that is kindly a welcoming opener, although the second shot that strays too far to the right can find a death trap from hell. While a birdie is definitely attainable, a bogey or much worse can be had, too. I should know. I started with a double. The 8th is a good par-3 (94 to 156 yards) that plays to the corner of Deer Run Lake. A short tee shot will find itself deader than a claw hammer with double bogey or worse becoming a very real and distinct possibility. The par 3 14th (106 -169 yards) is the Signature Hole at Deer Run. It’s known locally as Hell’s Half Acre. The tee shot is STRAIGHT uphill over an area that I would not enter with a Kaiser blade, which some folks call a swing blade. I call it a Kaiser blade. The closing hole is a solid par-4 (324 to 437 yards) that plays around a corner of Deer Run Lake. The natural bail out area is to the right, yet there awaits on that side a massive unraked bunker to impede our enjoyment of this golfing hole. Death is often the result when golfing on this hole. The course wasn't in the best of shape the day we played. However, the greens had several patches of bent grass and the tees were cut. Several fairways had been cut within the last 2 weeks. The previous time I played Deer Run, how­ever, the course was in Open Championship at Carnoustie shape.
Score: 6 (out of 10)

The tee shot on the par-3 14th is uphill ALL THE WAY.

Deer Run is a nice value for the money.

SERVICE
Excellent. Everyone was friendly enough, and the cooler was stocked with Diet Mountain Dew. The hot dog warmer was fully stocked, with what appeared to be BRYAN products. They didn't have a beverage cart run­ning, but there was a water bucket on #13. We were kindly surprised to find the pro shop had Maxfli Noodles for $16 a dozen. You can’t beat that with a stick. Pace of play was slow, but driving your cart right up to the edge of the greens helps soften the blow.
Score: 2 (out of 5)

EXTRAS
The driving range was closed for MOWING. How about that luck? The snack bar has a good selection of food items -- including a nice selection of Lance products. Yes, NEKOT crackers were available – and a variety of soft beverages. Lawrence County is dry in terms of the hard beverages.
Score: 2 (out of 5)

VALUE
The weekday rate of $25 is pretty rea­sonable, and the weekend rate of $35 ain’t too bad either. The REPLAY rate is throwback to the 1970’s. They do offer several especials -- including discounted tee times and specials for women and se­niors and those of various religious affiliation - which help make it even more reasonable. Call the golfing shop for more information.
Score: 8 (out of 10)

BOTTOM LINE
I enjoy golfing at Deer Run, despite the fact I am a bad golfer. My round of 88 was a 19.1 differential on the 68.1/113 Men’s tees. Jordan shot a smooth little 107, which included 4 bogeys. With three sets of tees, it's kindly a fair test for golfers of all skill sets and abilities. The course is located in a scenic area of Southeast Lawrence at the edge of the Bankhead National Forest and there's always a chance you'll see a rattlesnake or cobra of some kind during your round. If you're looking for an enjoyable round of golfing at a reasonable price, you'll find just that at Deer Run.
Final score: 18 (out of 30)
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
Jim Hartsell is a longtime golf historian and Captain of Team USA. Write to him at piewhuguley@gmail.com