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2.4
354 Reviews (354)
5 Stars
181
4 Stars
124
3 Stars
31
2 Stars
12
1 Stars
6
Conditions
2.4
Value
2.3
Layout
2.4
Friendliness
2.5
Pace
2.3
Amenities
2.1
36.0%
Recommend this course
323 out of 354 reviews
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1 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 71
Length 6782 yards
Slope 128
Rating 71.9

Sawmill Creek Golf Resort & Spa sits along the banks of Lake Huron with Sarnia to the East and London just 45 minutes west. The course has a links-style layout that stretches to 6,782 yards from the back tees. Designed by Rene Muylaert, the creation of the golf course required over a million tons of earth to be moved to the site. It was then molded and shaped into rolling terrain that offers a tough but fair test. The namesake creek comes into play on 13 holes and there are also several strategically placed bunkers that lurk beside the greens. There are some tricky holes but it's not overly punishing to the high handicapper. In addition to the golf course, Sawmill Creek also has a driving range available for warming up.

Course Details

Year Built 1974
Fairways Winter Rye
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season April - October
Architect Tom Fazio (1974)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Fivesomes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Collared Shirt, No Cutoffs, Denim OK

Food & Beverage

Snacks, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Accolades

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+
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10 rounds of waived fees
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$120 in tee time credits
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Tee Time Protection
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Reviews

2.4
354 Reviews (354)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Patio Dining 22
Drinks 21
19th Hole Scenic Views 15
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 29
Water Hazards 27
Undulating Greens 25
This course/club is great for:
Locals 24
Advanced Golfers 23
A Weekend Splurge 16
This Course's Location is:
At a Resort 26
Worth the Drive 24
Near Local Attractions 16

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Hot Deal made it worth the $$

Got the hot deal for 47% off standard rate and paid $45. This course is not an $85 course. Course itself was in fine shape with no issues anywhere. Playing conditions were very consistent.

Driving range is 2 bays into a net, no on-course beverage service, halfway house was closed, and vending machine for drinks was all sold out. Only thing available was water coolers on both nines. Had we known this we would have bought something before we teed off.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Good course in nice condition, but over priced

The check in process was quick and easy, and the staff were all friendly. The pro shop is not much to speak of, but it is functional. The battery powered cart I rode in was very clean and ran well. The course was in good shape and the greens rolled really well. The rough was cut down very low, which was nice when missing the fairway, but takes away from some of the challenge. All of the holes were laid out really well. I did expect to have a lake view or two, but that's not really the case. There are a couple of times where you are playing toward the lake, but there are condos standing between you and Erie, so you can really only get a small glimpse of the water. Not a deal breaker. Just something to point out.

Overall, the course is decent, but I would have been aggravated if I had paid $85 to play it.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Nice Track

Beautiful course with many challenging holes. Greens and fairways in great shape. If it's windy this course can be very tricky. Try the hot dog in the pretzel bun in Mulligans Pub. It's excellent.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Sawmill Creek

Even though the golf was fairly enjoyable, it was an extremely hot afternoon and there were no people on the course going around to make sure the players had enough ice or cool beverages. It would not have been so bad if the snack shack had been open or at least had ice available. I found this to be fairly annoying

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Classic Fazio design with elevated greens

Nice layout exceptionally well maintained. Greens were near flawless and on the quick side. Sand bunkers had very good sand, both quality and quantity, without rocks or debris. Par 3's are challenging and memorable. Course plays longer than card because of elevated greens. All personnel, from the Pro on down to the maintenance staff, were friendly, low key, and accommodating. GolfNow Hot Deal price paid was a real bargain, especially in view of the course's regular rate, which, frankly, I would not have paid. No locker room. No bathrooms on front 9. Overall 4 out of 5 and a good experience.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Greens

The course was good. The pin placements were tough. A lot of them were placed on ridges. Overall good course. Good thing I used golf now to book. Normal rates are 85$. I booked tee time for 50$.

Conditions Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 37
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great course if you can get discount

The holes are mixture of easy and difficult holes. There are lot of water in play that you cannot see from the tee so be wary of it. Blind dog legs are also a challenge if you are not paying attention. Conditions are 8/10. Greens could be little faster for what they charge in regular green fee. Overall nicely maintained course with very little play during weekday. Few interesting holes but IMO over priced if paying regular price. Definitely not one of those courses that I would drive more than 1 hour to go play.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

course has seen better days

Played on Sat., 6/14/14, the father’s day weekend, with my sons, and stayed at the “resort” hotel (we drove in from Hudson – Cleveland SE suburb). Teed off around 2:30pm. The pace is good by then. The greens are not in good condition. the overall facility has certainly seen better days. it’s a complete open public course now, many aspects of the golf show signs of loose management. The “resort” is no longer true. Every venue was used to make a quick money. This weekend there was a big “dog show” event at the open area very next to golf course and the lodge – the resort hotel – so full of people, trucks, utility vans and trailers, like a small county fair. And the hotel rooms are full of people and dogs attending the show. Playing the course at $85 or 50 is not worth, better deals on golfnow make it worth the driving considering the Fazio layout. I’ve played all the better public courses near Cleveland/Akron, OH and many private courses.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

amazing

Nicest course in Ohio. Greens are amazing and course forces you to work the ball both ways. I made the trip from Akron and would drive it again no questions.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 34
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great views of the lake.

Enjoyed playing near the lake with cool brezzes blowing. Course was in good shape.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 29
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

We groomed excellent challenge

Very nice, we groomed challenging course with friend staff

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Outstanding value

Got the Golf Now rate of $28…next tee time paid $85….course in good condition….greens were fair….friendly staff…..will play there again….especially at the Golf Now rate...

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fun course, plays long

This course is fun to play and has some challenging par 3s. I've played here twice and had fun both times. I like being able to let it fly off the tee and then follow it up with having to think about the next one instead of just going driver 14/18 shots. Great course especially when booked as hot deal.

Conditions Good
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 87
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 250 Contributor
Ohio Advisor
Previously Played

Course still in Great Shape in NOVEMBER!!

I was lucky enough to get out and play Saw Mill Nov. 6. It was in fantastic shape. The greens were amazing, fast and hard (they have not yet aerated yet). Not sloppy wet patches anywhere except where you would expect to see them (near water hazard, etc.). Grass was still maintained throughout the course, no bad spots in fairway or rough, everything was freshly cut too.

Saw a couple fivesomes out there, but both times they waited for me on the tee so I could play through. I never had to wait on them at all. Great fall golf day.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 87
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 250 Contributor
Ohio Advisor
First Time Playing

Fun Resort course in ohio

I played on a kind of rainy day after a couple of other rainy days. The course was in fantastic shape. Firm, receptive greens that were some of the best I had played all season. Fairly open course, a lot of fun holes and some just okay holes. Great deals on GolfNow.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Good, Could be Great

While not a long course, it still is very challenging. Slick Big Greens, Water and Sand comes into play on most holes, and accuracy is a must at times. Almost all shots require good carry.

Course was in great condition for the most part. 90% of the fairways and greens were immaculate and in country club like shape. Very occasional bare spots but rare, and for October no complaints. Clubhouse is a bit worn and extra amenities not there for the price point.

Design is wonderful on most holes. Very few cookies cutters. Does get choked in a few points which takes away from the feel though. Fences and condos close on a few holes. The condos in fact block most water views. If the course could use the lake on even a few holes, we'd be talking destination course.

Major negative is skill and etiquette of the clientele. One would think at the price point (rack rate $80+) you would weed out the hackers, but that's all there seemed to be. Ball were flying all over the place and had several close calls. On this challenging of a course this is no place for people who can't at least advance the ball in the general direction of the hole. Result was very slow play. Actually the back 9 cleared up because many appeared to just quit mid round. Never seen that before!

All in all a good value if you book on golf now. The rack rate ($80+) not even close in value, unless the small issues are resolved.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

A must play for the serious golfer.

A must play for the serious golfer. It has generous fairways for drives. Each green of this Tom Fazio design requires a precise approach shot to leave you with a manageable putt. Greens are excellent and very challenging. You will want to play this course many times. At $15-23 on GolfNow, it is a great value.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Country Club Quality at Public Course Cost

There are a few par 4's that run parallel to each other with similar characteristics, but overall an interesting layout with several very unique holes. The fairways were in good condition. The greens were large, challenging and in fantastic shape - they were fast and rolled true. Paid $27 for 18 holes with a Hot Deal. I would consider $40 a great deal for this course. Pace of play was deceptively fast since I played late morning as a twosome with only one foursome to play through.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

A quick romp around Sawmill Creek

I played with my friend as a twosome, I'm a 10 and he's scratch. We got around in just under 3 hours which was great! Nice course but nothing spectacular. It used to be much more scenic before they build all the condos along the lake. Now you can't even see Erie which takes something away from the playing experience. Track was well maintained but not perfect. Greens held well and were fairly fast. Back side is much tougher than the front although not nearly as pretty. All in all a very good resort course and the Golfnow price made it a must play!

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Twice a year
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great course. Challenging but very fair.

Golf now provided me with a huge discount for this course. Course was in great shape and look forward to playing it again real soon.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
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