Firewheel Golf Park

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The beautiful Firewheel Flower which gives the Golf Park, and the surrounding area, its namesake. The flower was found around the surrounding area and the land the Golf Park sits on, before the courses were developed.
The beautiful Firewheel Flower which gives the Golf Park, and the surrounding area, its namesake. The flower was found around the surrounding area and the land the Golf Park sits on, before the courses were developed.

Firewheel Golf Park is the third largest golf parks in the United States and the largest in the State of Texas. The park is known for offering a memorable golfing experience. Firewheel, in Garland, Texas, covers over 600 acres (2.4 km²) of beautiful wooded terrain, with scattered streams, creeks, ponds, and wildlife. Firewheel includes 63 holes of golf on three different and unique courses, The Old Course, The Lakes Course, and The Bridges Courses.

Contents

[edit] History[1]

In the spring of 1981, city planners for the City of Garland visited a site they wanted to develop in a little used area of the city. They saw fields and forests covered with red, yellow, and bright pink flowers known as Firewheels. Two years later, in 1983, the Old Course opened to the public. It was so successful that Garland decided to expand the city’s golfing experience. The Lakes Course opened in 1987, after a “land-and-cash swap” with a local developer. For over a decade, these two courses, satisfied the needs of Garland and north Texas golfers. But with an extensive profits built up, thanks to the success of Firewheel, the City of Garland decided it was, again, time to invest. The Bridges Courses, three different 9-hole courses, was opened in 2001 with exemplary conditions, including new bentgrass greens. The gorgeous stone built clubhouse features a full service restaurant, The Branding Iron, and comprehensive conference facilities. Firewheel Golf Park, truly has defined its own special area of Garland.

[edit] The Old Course[2]

The Old Course, designed by Richard M. Phelps, plays to a par of 71 (36-front, 35-back) ranging from 5497 yards (red tees) to 6845 yards (gold tees). The terrain is gently rolling with creeks or steams in play on 11 of the 18 holes and ponds or lakes on 7 of the 18 holes. There are 5 par 3s 9 par 4s, and 4 par 5s. The Old Course also features 65 strategically placed bunkers, some shallow, but some tricky and deep.

On the Old Course, the fairways are wide, but tree lined, and the roughs are forgiving, making the Old Course an easy course to place your drives. The tee boxes are 419 Bermuda grass, and the greens are Champion Bermuda. Head Professional, Matt MacMellon said this to help describe some of the beauty of The Old Course:

“The ninth hole is a tight 552-yard par-5 -- the shot from the tee is quite narrow, and unless you hit an exceptional drive, you'll probably have to lay up short of the creek running across the fairway about 140 yards short of the green. Another exceptional hole is 18, a 400-yard par-4 -- the key here is to hit a good drive, because the fairway bends 90 degrees to the left at around 215 yards out, and if you hit it a little bit too far, the trees will block your way to the green. From the tee, hit an iron or fairway wood, which will leave you about 185 yards to a small green screened by trees on both sides -- there's quite a bit of slope from back to front on that green."

A new program at Firewheel, Boys Night Out is now helds on Thursday evenings and players of all skill level are welcome. Teams of 4 compete against other area teams and are grouped at random by the pro shop just before the round begins. Each team will have an "A" player, an "B" player, a "C" player, and a "D" player. The winning team each week will receive pro shop credit which can be used in the Old Course/Lakes Course pro shop or The Bridges pro shop. The event is held at a different Firewheel Course each week.

[edit] Scorecard & Information

Click Here to view the Old Course Scorecard

-- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 3 5 4 3 5 3 4
Yrds. (Blue–Middle Tees) 366 360 532 163 400 394 343 195 535 404 442 165 505 362 188 550 151 374
Handicap 5 11 1 17 7 9 13 15 3 8 6 16 4 12 14 2 18 10

[edit] The Lakes Course[3]

The Lakes Course, designed by Richard M. Phelps, plays to a par of 72 (36-front, 36-back) ranging from 5502 yards (red tees) to 7134 yards (gold tees). Firewheel Golf Park likes to boast “If The Bridges Course has teeth, then The Lakes Course has fangs.”[4] The terrain is rolling and hilly with more water in play than you can imagine. The only holes where water shouldn’t come into play is the par-4 7th, par-4 10th, and par-4 15th. Although, the water is not out of sight, just look around the doglegs and in the trees, and its waiting to take your ball downstream. There are 4 par 3s 10 par 4s, and 4 par 5s. The Lakes Course also features 52 bunkers dispersed over the entire course, waiting to make this challenging course, just a little harder.

On the Lakes Course, you have to be careful when placing your drives. The tree lined fairways, wide creeks, and open ponds, give this course a reputation for making the most easy-going golfer very aggravated. The Course is all Bermuda grass. The Jerry Andrews Tournament Pavilion is located just off the first tee across the pond, giving spectators a breathtaking view of all the first hole tee boxes and the golfers embarking on their journey to conquer the Lakes.

A new program at Firewheel, Boys Night Out is now helds on Thursday evenings and players of all skill level are welcome. Teams of 4 compete against other area teams and are grouped at random by the pro shop just before the round begins. Each team will have an "A" player, an "B" player, a "C" player, and a "D" player. The winning team each week will receive pro shop credit which can be used in the Old Course/Lakes Course pro shop or The Bridges pro shop. The event is held at a different Firewheel Course each week.

[edit] Scorecard & Information

Click Here to view the Lakes Course Scorecard

-- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 3 5
Yrds. (Blue–Middle Tees) 400 167 403 530 384 145 359 482 379 387 413 116 497 437 437 390 168 536
Handicap 5 11 7 1 9 17 15 3 13 12 10 18 4 8 6 14 16 2

[edit] The Bridges [5]

The Bridges, opened in 2001, is the most prestigious part of Firewheel. Consisting of three distinctly different nine-hole courses, the Bridges offers excitement, playability, and a distinct golfing experience each time.

With beautifully defined fairways, lined with oak and pecan trees, the unbelievably groomed bent-grass greens compete to the highlight of the course. Two creeks, winding through the three courses, give golfers even more to think about when carefully placing your shots on the well kept Bermuda grass.

Any combination of these courses proves to be more than just a weekend round of golf.

[edit] The Champions

  • Par 36
  • Total of 3474 yards from the gold (back) tees
  • Total of 2614 yards from the red (forward) tees

[edit] The Masters

  • Par 36
  • Total of 3553 yards from the gold (back) tees
  • Total of 2529 yards from the red (forward) tees

[edit] The Traditions

  • Par 35
  • Total of 3202 yards form the gold (back) tees
  • Total of 2529 yards from the red (forward) tees

[edit] Scorecard

Click Here to view the Bridges Courses Scorecard

[edit] The Branding Iron[6]

The Branding Iron, Firewheel’s only full service restaurant, is located at the south end Courses Clubhouse. The Branding Iron is everything from sandwiches for lunch to steak dinners. The Branding Iron also hosts special events, including Sunday Brunch every week (served from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm). One of the best features of The Branding Iron is that it is open to the public. You don’t have to have purchased a green fee or even be a Garland resident to enjoy the wonderful dinning experience The Branding Iron offers. The Branding can even host your next party or gathering; just watch out for Happy Hour on Thursdays and Fridays!

[edit] References

  1. ^ Firewheel Golf Of Garland :: History
  2. ^ Firewheel Golf Park | Old Course Golf Course
  3. ^ Firewheel Golf Park | Lake Course Golf Course
  4. ^ Firewheel Golf Of Garland :: Lakes Course
  5. ^ FIREWHEEL GOLF OF GARLAND :: Bridges Course
  6. ^ FIREWHEEL GOLF OF GARLAND :: Branding Iron Restaurant

[edit] External links