I played at Wolf Creek Golf Links, Inc., located in Olathe, Kansas, a couple of weeks ago in a Kansas City Cup game and I must say it was a very beautiful golf course. We won the match, which may have done a lot better, but I thought I’d post my review of the field while it was still fresh in my mind.
If you don’t know or haven’t heard of Wolf Creek, you’re in luck. First of all, it is an exclusive club for men. And that literally means no women are allowed. The waiters are men. The girls in the car are men. Everybody there is a man. It’s a bit of a strange experience actually, but I guess some people look for that kind of environment.
The fact that it is only for men makes it a very exclusive golf course, and it is 100% private (except for events like the KC Cup, where we got to play because of the format). I don’t know the exact amount that is required to become a member, but based on the form of the course, I am sure they are quite large.
The field itself, although located in Olathe, Kansas, is very isolated. It’s in the southernmost part of Olathe, in the middle of a bunch of fields. Seclusion provides great peace of mind and a great golf experience.
Driving to the countryside is not an awe-inspiring experience like you might have at other exclusive venues. The clubhouse is modest, neither extremely fancy nor of poor quality. There is a bar, a changing room and a dining room, among other rooms (after the round I did look at a poker table located in the back of a room full of gentlemen playing what I am going to assume was a friendly game). The field is closed, but again, it doesn’t give off the air of something as exclusive as is rumored.
I think the reason the clubhouse and facilities are so modest is twofold. First, with only guys there, how extravagant does it have to be? Isn’t it cool enough to say it belongs to a men-only golf club? Second, from the shape of the course, it was beautiful, it seems that all their money goes to the maintenance and improvement of the golf course.
Starting off, the variety was very nice. It’s grass, they have a bunch of balls placed in field ball bags at each station (about 20 stations), and they have a bunch of bags full of tees for your indulgence. Out of range, hit several different flag sticks in several different yards. He was in great shape.
If you ever play here, a pair of putts on the green is a must. The greens are firm and fast and beautifully cut. They come true, but it takes some getting used to because they are faster than the average green. To me honestly, the day we played I thought the greens were a bit fast. But I think it was because we played very early in the season. In midsummer, I was able to see them at lightning speed.
As for the course itself, there is a lot of undulation and many holes with little or no undulation. There are two out of three in particular, one in the top nine, one in the back, which I especially liked. The first was a bit downhill with the water protecting the front and right side of the green (they all missed long and left, go figure). The other for three sits high on the tee before descending what must be at least 100 feet to the green. It’s a fantastic looking tee shot.
Overall I would rate the course a 9 out of 10. The course was excellent from tee to green, and I had a blast. The only thing stopping him from being a 10 was that wow factor (although one of my opponents was a former major league star pitcher, that was great, and he was a decent golfer). It was a very beautiful course, but when I finished I didn’t feel different as a golfer, that’s what takes a 10 from me.
