Echo Valley Country Club - Vale Course

The Vale course was our "bonus 9" on May 3rd at Echo Valley. The Vale is the 2nd of the three 9s built, and feels like a blend of The Creek and The Ridge. There is a fair amount of water in play, though not as much as The Creek, and there are some elevation changes, though not as much as The Ridge. What it ends up being is a really fun 9 holes!

The conditions of the Vale are really good as well, though it was a little bit of a step down from The Creek and The Ridge. The greens rolled really nicely, but didn't look as nice as the other two 9s. The rough is a bit more rough than either The Creek or The Ridge. The fairways and tees are very good.

I really enjoyed The Vale and highly recommend playing it if you get the opportunity.

My favorite hole on the Vale is the uphill, par 4 9th hole. The tee shot is demanding and the green complex is really fun. I missed the green left and ended up in a runoff area to the left of the green that allowed multiple options for playing a chip shot.

The Ridge was the second 9 holes we played on May 3rd, and I think it's the best of the loops at Echo Valley. There are some fairly sizeable elevation changes throughout this 9 holes, which winds it's way through a newer Norwalk, IA neighborhood. I think this course is the perfect combination of challenging, yet fair.

The condition of the Ridge is excellent. The fairways are firm and fast, the rough is tricky and the greens are perfect. I found the greens on this 9 to be slightly faster than either the Creek or the Vale, but it was relatively easy to adjust.

Overall the Ridge is the must play 9 holes at Echo Valley. If you're lucky enough to get an invite, talk your host member into playing the Ridge. You won't regret it!

My favorite hole is the par 5 18th hole. I played it poorly, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the hole. The view from the tee is stunning, and if you hit a good tee shot this is definitely a par 5 you can reach in two!

I was fortunate enough to play all 3 nine-hole loops at Echo Valley on May 3rd. We started on the Creek 9, and after a breeze of an opening hole, the difficulty ratchets up quite a bit. Water comes into play in the form of a creek or pond on holes 2 through 8, forcing you to think strategically and place your golf ball in the right spots.

In general the conditions are what you'd expect from a nice country club. The fairways and tees are nicely manicured, the rough is well kept and fair, and the greens are firm, run at a nice speed and roll very true.

I would definitely recommend playing Echo Valley Creek if you ever get an opportunity. The setting is nice and the club has a really welcoming feel.

My favorite hole is the par 5 second. It's a 3 shot hole for most golfers that requires you to play strategically around water that is down the right the entire way.