Mystic Creek Golf Club

This is ranked #2 in Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play in Arkansas and it lived up to the billing.

Despite eight inches of rain the night before, the course was very playable. I moved up a tee box since drives were getting no roll out in fairways so I could get a good sense of where the approach shots were designed to be played from. Nevertheless, the course still played extremely long. There are six sets of tees: Black, blue, white, green, red and yellow. The black tees tip out at a daunting 7,529 yards. The blues are 7,147 yards. The whites are 6,723 and the greens measure 6,246 yards. So it’s a brawny golf course. After playing it though, I would suggest that in dry conditions the course plays shorter than the yardage because most holes play downhill. There is only one hole (17) that plays truly uphill. Picking the correct tees, however, will be integral to success here.

The greens are large, fast and contain many plateaus, and swales, which provide a lot of movement. Three-putts are in play for anything outside of 20 feet. The bunkering is very dramatic and can deceive your depth perception. Lots of sand in these fluffy bunkers. In fact, the greens and surroundings, particularly in the closing stretch, would make Ross and MacKenzie giggle with devilish delight. Take #17 for example. I have been fortunate to play all over the country and I cannot recall a more difficult green complex and surrounding area. Much like Pinehurst #2, the 17th, and many other greens are domed and push balls off into deep, closely-mown collection areas that are daunting to get up-and-down from. With today’s pin-placement front right on 17, anything left is repelled to an aforementioned collection area. Anything three yards right of flag is rejected to another collection area that is some eight feet below the green. A shot just short will spin back off the front some 40-50 yards down the hill. The prudent play is to the middle of the green beyond the pin. Still, you are left facing a slick downhill putt that could easily roll off the green. Stressful! This makes it a tough course for mid-to-high handicappers simply because there is little to no room for marginal shots.

You must drive it well off the tee to be in the correct position to play approach shots. If you are on the wrong side of some fairways, you will be blocked out by overhanging trees that pinch landing areas. Small creeks border many fairways, as well, making errant tee shots susceptible to red stakes.

There were several memorable holes that were notable. First, the second hole is a brilliant short par 4 that is home to a beautiful green fronted by a pond and surrounded on the other side by bunkers. The par-5 fifth is an excellent risk-reward hole, where even laying up makes short approaches no bargain with all the trouble lurking around the green. The par-3 12th looks almost exactly like another 12th hole in Augusta. The only downside is it plays from a different angle than its famous brethren.

My constructive criticism lies in the fact that there is no yardage guide available or GPS on the carts to help you navigate the course, particularly for first-timers. Troon is now managing the course, so this could perhaps change. I would advise you to print out course notes that can be found on the course’s website. It breaks down each hole and will help on a few holes with lines off the tee and preferred landing areas on greens.

Also, there is no clubhouse. In Sweetens Cove fashion, there is simply a portable trailer that serves as a pro shop, rest room, and office. There are light snacks available but I would plan on fueling up before you get there.