Iron Horse Golf Course Review

September 2, 2022

Sometimes golf is about the friends you are with more than the game you are playing.

Today was such a day.

I wanted to meet up with a friend that I don’t get to see very often. We met while working at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore about 15 years ago. Lucky for me he doesn’t live too far from my daughter, so we are able to do our best to make our schedules line up and meet every now and again.

I asked Jeff if he had time to squeeze in a round of golf and he did. We met at the only course we could get a Sunday morning tee time on short notice – Iron Horse Golf Course.

We both had to drive a bit to get there…

…but it was worth it.

I enjoy playing golf with Jeff. Both he and his wife play, and the next time we are in town I am sure we will get all four of us on a course.

But today was just the two of us!

Iron horse was a bit expensive for what you got. We paid $75 for a round with a cart. Iron Horse Golf Course was just off a busy highway, which meant a few of the holes were lined with a highway instead of something green. It also was a course in a neighbourhood, so there were holes with houses on both sides.

Even with houses and highways this course had a good layout. Not to mention Dallas and Fort Worth are very large cities, and you would be hard pressed to find space that didn’t have houses or highways in or around any courses we may have played.

With all that in mind there was a lot of green space that was used very nicely. For what I would consider to be a true city course – Iron Horse Golf Course had it all:

Water
Sand Traps
Trees
And a course layout that tests your skills

This area recently had a real hard three days of rain that washed out the sand traps. They were so bad that you could see the liners around the edges, and the sand and rocks were piled up. We decided by the second hole not to play out of them if our ball went in. Believe it or not we didn’t have to worry.

Neither of us found the “beach” all day.

There were plenty of tee boxes for all skill levels – six if I counted right. They were in good condition but the grounds keepers didn’t move them around making the area we were playing from full of divots. There was plenty of space in each box that would have allowed avoidance of the overuse and divots by just moving the tees ten feet or so every day.

The fairways were in great shape, and the course design was awesome for the space provided. All skill levels were considered when setting the placement of the tee boxes – from 6746 yards down to 4357 yards.

When we got to the greens they were all in great shape as well. The only thing is it felt as if they were cut on different days. Some of the greens were lightning fast and others were super slow. It was frustrating enough that even the two guys we were paired with made commits about it.

There is no doubt in my mind the greens could have been closer in feel if they were all cut on the same day – It would have made them perfect.

All in all Jeff and I had a great day golfing Iron Horse Golf Course. Some of it was the course and some of it was just getting a chance to play a round of golf with a friend!

I would rate this course a par. I have played cheaper courses in better shape – but in defense of Iron Horse Golf Course, the weather had been rough for a few days before our round.

If you are in the area play Iron Horse Golf Course. You will enjoy it.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By Marc Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course: Iron Horse Golf Club

Type: Public Course

Date Played: 28 August 2022


HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	We were able to get a morning tee time for Sunday with only a two day notice.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	5	At $75 dollars, I thought it was about $20 dollars too much. If the bunkers are repaired and the tee boxes rotated I wouldn’t have minded the $75 dollars as much.
3 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	5	The tee boxes were in good shape except where we were teeing from. They only needed to be rotated. More of a management issue than a tee box issue.
4 – Condition of Fairways	5	5	The fairways were in very good condition. They were green and full. Only a few of them were impacted by the previous heavy rains.
5 – Condition of Greens	4	3	The greens were in good shape. No dead spots or anything that needed repair. The only thing I could gripe about was they were not all cut the same. Some were very fast (nice) and some were very slow, needing a cut.
6 – Length of Course	5	4	The course was perfect for everyone. It was obvious that skill was considered for each of the tee boxes and the overall length of each hole.
7 – Hazards	4	5	All the sand traps were washed out. They were so bad I would have given a double bogey rating but I am taking into consideration the previous heavy rains which was enough to flood the surrounding area.
8 – Starter/Marshal	3	3	There was a starter. He made sure everyone teed off on time. He gave me a quick course brief and even had a great sense of humor.
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	3	Iron Horse Golf Course really considered every skill level in the different tee boxes.
OUT	36	37
10 – Practice Area	5	5	They do have a practice area. I didn’t get a chance to check it out.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	The locker room had everything you need to change at the course and keep gear in a locker if needed.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Small, clean and had everything you need to play a round of golf. Not a shoppers store, but just what you need.
13 – Location	4	5	Easy to find, located in a housing development with a highway by a few of the holes.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	They have rental equipment.
15 – Restaurant/Food Cart	4	3	Iron Horse Golf Course did a great job of having food on the course. A food cart made the rounds throughout our play and there was a stand at the turn that sold hotdogs and other quick hot foods, as well as beer, soda and water. There was a nice food counter. We got a burger after our round and it was very good.
16 – Club House	4	4	Nothing special here. Clean and open area.
17 – Parking	3	3	Parking was easy to get in and out, and seemed to be enough for a full course.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	Great customer service. Friendly and helpful. Definitely wanted you to enjoy your round of golf.
IN	36	35
TOTAL	72	72	PLAYER: Marc F. ATTESTED BY: Kathy F.