Course Review: Garrisons Lake Golf Club

Today's round was at my home course: Garrisons Lake Golf Club, in Smyrna, Del. I reckon I've played this track about 45 times so far in 2024, so my annual pass has pretty well paid for itself and everything from here to the end of December is bonus!

Without further ado, let's dive into the course review. I'll look at a few key factors: playability, condition, pace, walkability, service, amenities, and value for money.

Garrisons Lake Golf Club is a public 18-hole, par-72 course under the care of the Delaware State Parks division and managed by Troon. It's nothin' fancy, but a solid, well-maintained track that offers a suitable test for every ability level. There are currently six sets of tees, ranging from 7,060 yards at the tips to 4,190 yards from the forward tees. The course was built in the 1960s, and it shows (in a good way!) — each tee box isn't that far from the previous green, and it makes for a really enjoyable walk. (Unfortunately, there's not much of a walking culture at GLGC — there are days that I don't see any other walkers on the course, and when I do, it's only one or two at most.) 

Weekday greens fees range from $30 in the winter to $50 in the summer, and those rates include the use of a buggy. There is no discount for walking. Despite this, the value is on the better side of good. I've paid lots more to play lots worse. Amenities are a bit thin right now — the old clubhouse was razed last summer, the pro shop has been moved into a temporary trailer, and a new clubhouse (with restaurant and pub) is slated for construction this year into next. Also, there are no water stations on the course, but the pro shop is fully stocked with Gatorade, water and other non-alcoholic drinks.

The front nine is extremely straightforward. No water in play, but every green is at least partially guarded by bunkers (some have recently been renovated). A couple short par 4s require conservative tee shots to negotiate doglegs, and tight, tree-lined fairways demand precision. The fourth is deceptively challenging, as the optimal landing space in the corner of the dogleg lands you between 130 and 150 yards from the green but bunkers on both sides up front either tempt you to split them if the pin is forward or club up and go long if the pin is back.

The fourth hole at Garrisons Lake features a dogleg right and a well-guarded green.

The back nine is a little more of a test, running a couple hundred yards longer and featuring water in play on 12, 14, 15 and 17 — and no, it doesn't open up that much more. The 14th is a long par 3 with a forced carry off the tee and an uphill shot into the green. In fact, 17, which is the longest hole on the track, is the only one with no bunkers. The finishing hole (below) is a dogleg right around a large tree which occupies the right half of the fairway, leading to a well-guarded and slightly elevated green. While I can't pinpoint a "signature hole" at Garrisons Lake, this makes for a mighty challenging conclusion to the round, especially after you've walked 5-1/2 miles.

The No. 6 index 18th hole makes for a challenging conclusion to the round.

Fairways are in excellent shape, as are the greens — true, consistent and neutral. There were some bunkers that were awfully hard due to significant rain over the weekend, but some bunkers have been recently renovated with fresh sand, improved drainage, and fresh sod collars. It's a pretty flat track, with just some mild undulations here and there.

The maintenance crew here do an excellent job and are a friendly lot. As the pro shop staff go, GM and course pro Steve Farrell (a fellow yinzer!) runs a good ship, is knowledgeable, and knows his clientele extremely well. Year-round staff Miles and Ken are much in the same vein. On the flip side, starters (when in season) can be a bit overbearing, and summer pro shop help are a mixed bag.

What I like: Pace of play is generally fast (I can walk a solo 18 in under 3 hours most days, unless I'm in peak time or caught behind one particular group), course is well maintained, friendly and accommodating staff, good value for money.

What I'd like to see: Water stations on the course, walking discount (I can't complain too much, to be honest; the annual pass is a really good deal!), a more vibrant walking culture.

The ratings: Playability - B+, Condition - A-, Layout - A-, Pace - A, Walkability - A, Service - B+, Amenities - C+, Value for money - A-. Overall, I give Garrisons Lake a A-.

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And now, for the round ...

I played off the orange tees, which are 5,672 yards, a Course Rating of 67.3, and a Slope Rating of 119. So, as a 20.8 Handicap Index, my Course Handicap is 17.

I bogeyed the first five holes. Club selection was generally good, but I pulled a couple mid-iron approach shots left, leaving me wide of the green and forcing me to loft half-wedges over bunkers to set up par putts.

The fifth hole, at 350 yards from the orange tees, is one of the more inviting par 4s at Garrisons Lake, playing long and gently downhill off the tee before rising into an elevated and welcoming green with a sharp dropoff into a residential area behind. Photos by the author.

My first par came on the sixth, a straightforward 426-yard par 5. A 195-yard drive left me just off the left edge of the fairway with a downhill lie, and a 5-wood off the toe sent me skittering across the other side of the fairway for my approach 90 yards out — but from a patch of dirt under a tree. To avoid the branches, I played a half 8-iron onto the green and two-putted from 42 feet. I followed that up with a par on the seventh, a 328-yard dogleg right par 4. I landed a 3-wood off the tee about 155 out down the centre of the fairway, but then pushed a 6-iron approach right of the green. Fortunately, I managed to flop a sand wedge to within 5 feet of the hole and converted.

After going 43 out, the back nine gave me some trouble, as I started to slice my driver and doubled two of the first four holes before grinding a par on 14. A poor tee shot over the water on 17 paired with too aggressive a pitch from 25 yards out on my fourth shot led to a third double bogey on the round, but an improved tee shot on the last paved the way for a 47 in and workmanlike 90 for the round — I'm not in love with it, but I'm not mad at it, either.

Overall, my tee shots weren't particularly long — my average driver was only 175 yards — and that forced long approaches which were either off target or short. Fortunately, solid greenside play and good lag putting kept the round free of disaster.

Round Summary

Gross Score: 43-47–90 (net +1)

Pars: 3
Bogeys: 12
Doubles: 3

Fairways: 6/14 (two others within a club length of the fairway)
Greens: 1/18 (four others puttable from the fringe greenside, leading to two up-and-downs for par)
Net Greens: 13/18

Putts: 33
Strokes Gained Putting: 3.79
Total Holed Putts: 52 feet
Longest Made Putt: 8 feet
Shortest Missed Putt: 6 feet

Match vs. Course Handicap: lost, 1 down

Differential: 21.6

Pending Handicap Index: 20.6 (down 0.2)

Distance Walked: 5.7 miles (~14,000 steps)
Time: 2 hours, 49 minutes