Cooks Creek deserves a biscuit bump

Took advantage of the break in our recent run of wet weather to play a round at Cooks Creek yesterday with former Dispatch features writer Dennis Fiely. The combination of a great course, good weather and good company made for a day well spent.

Maybe it was that combination or the fact that I played well, but yesterday's round convinced me I haven't been giving Cooks Creek its just due in my best-places-to-play-in-central-Ohio list. As a result, Oldgolfdawg is throwing a half-biscuit Cooks Creek's way and elevating it to 4 1/2-dog- biscuit status.

In all the years that I've played the course, I've never seen it in better shape. Perhaps because of all the rain we've had lately, my eyes took in brilliant splashes of green wherever I looked. The fresh-cut fairways were in pristine condition, the rough was high but not unkempt, the greens were smooth and fast and the sand traps were in outstanding condition considering the recent weather.

Beyond the great playing conditions, I fell in love again with the layout of a course designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and John Cook and given 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest. It's an interesting mix of a links course sprinkled with some parkland-like holes that create framed shots.

The course, which opened 1993 and includes an Audubon Sanctuary and Blue Herron rookery, has three of the toughest public par 4s in central Ohio in Nos. 3 (427 yards), 12 (435 yards) and 18 (474 yards). It also includes a couple of fun pars 3s, the 113-yard, uphill 13th and the 183-yard, downhill 15th.

If your schedule allows you to play in the afternoon, it is hard to beat Cooks Creek's $30 rate for 18 holes and a cart after 2:30 Monday through Friday.
http://cookscreek.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Here is Oldgolfdawg's updated best-places-to-play-in-central-Ohio list, ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 dog biscuits:
5 dog biscuits: Longaberger (the alpha dog)
4 1/2 dog biscuits: Cooks Creek, East Golf Club
4 dog biscuits: Cumberland Trail, EagleSticks, Deer Ridge, Golf Club of Dublin, The Players Club at Foxfire
3 1/2 dog biscuits: *Apple Valley, Bent Tree, Blacklick Woods, Chapel Hill, Champions, Granville, Indian Springs, New Albany Links, The Links at Echo Springs, Royal American Links
3 dog biscuits: Darby Creek, Glenross, Mill Creek, Turnberry, Westchester
2 1/2 dog biscuits: Blackhawk, Crystal Springs Golf Club, Mentel Memorial, National Golf Links, *Licking Springs, Raymond Memorial, Safari Golf Club, *St. Albans, *Table Rock
2 dog biscuits: *Airport, *Oakhaven, *Bridgeview, Marysville Golf Club, *Minerva Lake
1 1/2 dog biscuits: *Wilson Road, *Big Walnut (executive courses)
1 dog biscuit: Let's not go there
* Indicates Oldgolfdawg has not played the course in more than five years and needs feedback from others to adjust any ranking.