I used to hit Tumbledown Trails often. It was close, and relatively affordable golf. Fast forward…read moreto 2021 - it's gone, but here's Pioneer Pointe in its place.
Pioneer Point is an upscale executive course comprised of 13 holes - all par 3s except for a par 4. The course was mostly reconstructed compared to the previous layout, but if you remember Tumbledown, you'll recognize a few things. A couple holes are essentially the same (though higher quality with a few tweaks).
Overall, the course is quite pleasant. The quality of the fairways, rough and greens is really good. The bunkers are well-kept, too. Skilled golfers will appreciate the consistency of the playing surface throughout the course. A lot of care has been put into this course. The hole layouts were well thought out. While a "par 3" course, golfers can be challenged by well-placed bunkers and strategic carries over prairie grass fields.
What makes things really interesting are the tee boxes. There are no color-coded tee markers. Tee off wherever you like! There are yardage markers around the tee box areas, so you can pick your distance. Working on your longer irons? Tee off farther back. Want to carry a bunker? Slide over and change your angle. The idea is that you make the holes what you want them to be. Honestly, I like this approach. If you're competing with your buddies, simply agree on where you're all teeing off...
But why only four stars, Tom? For me, I like the more traditional course layouts. Give me 9 (walking) or 18 (carting), with par 3, 4 and 5 holes. I can see others being drawn to the 13-hole layout, and maybe over time I'd warm up to that concept. Also - we walked the course. Especially in the beginning and end, there is quite a lot of walking between holes. While I don't mind getting my steps in, if you're being tailed by 2 people in a cart, they will probably catch you.
The course is pretty new, so I don't know if there are plans to do more out on the course itself. But more yardage markers would be appreciated. There are a few around the tee boxes, but on the longer holes, when you're in the fairway, the only way you'll know your distance to the green is with a laser range finder. The course is not in my golf apps, so I can't use that for scoring or yardage. At one point, i had no idea how far out I was, and I had to guess (it didn't work out well).
I may be back. For the money, I can find a round of 18 with a cart not too far away. If I need to get in a quicker round closer to home, this would suffice. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who hasn't played there yet - then everyone can decide for themselves if they would want to go back.