Furry Creek is a beautiful but extremely target-oriented and challenging golf course. As the…read morefilming location for Happy Gilmore, it would be a must-play if they could manage the pace of play--our round took six hours, which was obnoxious. A course map showing the distances of the required carries would be a major improvement. Several holes require laying up or playing short to avoid trouble, and there are a surprising number of long forced carries. On one par 5, a well-placed layup is needed to set up a carry of more than 120 yards over 100 feet of elevation. Because none of this is visible from the tee, it's easy to start the hole out of position.
The course suits my game because I'm fairly long and straight, and I ended up having a very good round. I'd enjoy playing it again now that I know the layout and could approach some holes differently.
The starter gave us excellent advice to club up at least one--and sometimes two--clubs on the carries. I used two extra clubs every time, and on one hole wished I'd taken three. Importantly for women, the forward tees don't eliminate these forced carries--the ladies are still required to carry the same hazards rather than having tee boxes positioned on the other side of the trouble. That makes an already demanding course particularly difficult for women who aren't long hitters. Even laying up just short of a forced carry can still leave a substantial shot to get across. For shorter-hitting or higher-handicap players, regardless of gender, I think some holes could be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible to play as designed.
The views on several holes are spectacular and among the course's highlights, although other areas are less peaceful because of significant road noise.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem was the six-hour round. We didn't see a marshal until the 16th hole, and he said nothing to our group about pace. He was also the person who greeted us at bag drop and wasn't particularly welcoming in either role.
Services and amenities are surprisingly minimal. There's no driving range, the chipping area is beat up and requires you to use your own balls, and towels aren't provided. When I asked the marshal/bag-drop attendant for one, he seemed genuinely confused about why I would want it.
The enormous clubhouse suggests Furry Creek was once a much busier destination. Now, much of the space is bare or filled with seemingly random furniture. The pro shop has limited merchandise and offerings, with no reference to Happy Gilmore anywhere? Come on!
There's a lot I like about the course itself: it's unusual, strategic, challenging and, at times, absolutely gorgeous. I'd play it again because it fits my game and a second round would be even more interesting. But the six-hour pace is unacceptable and would keep me from returning.
