Notes on Champions' Cypress Creek Course -- December 14, 1990 Course Name : Cypress Creek Location : Houston, Texas Length/Par : 7,152 yards / 36-35-71 Designer : Ralph Plummer (Advised by Jackie Burke and Jimmy Demaret) Built in : 1957 JNUG Adaptation : Bill Permenter Difficulty : Hard Inspiration : I fell in love with the course while following Corey Pavin and Nick Price during the 1990 Nabisco Championship won by Jodie Mudd in a classic duel with Billy Mayfair. Comments about the course: Even though I live no more than 5 miles from the course, I had never thought about adapting it for JNUG, because I did not like the looks of the layout in the "The New World Atlas of Golf." I thought that all the holes looked the same, and that it was boring. How wrong I was. While following the above pros in the first round of the '90 Nabisco I realized what a wonderful layout it is, and I immediately rushed home and began trying to reproduce it. After several weeks and the help of Jay Johnson and Scott Chesney (whose background and pine trees I used) I think I have come fairly close to the real thing. Also, I would like to say that Cypress Creek was heavily praised by the pros during this past Nabisco tournament. Many said that it was a refreshing break from most of the tour courses, and the so called "target golf" that exist on the tour today. Cypress Creek does not rely on "railroad ties, waterfalls, pot bunkers, unnatural mounds, etc. or any other artificial features to make it a great golf course, it just is! Even though the course has a great collection of extremely demand -ing par threes and a good group of fun to play par fives, I personally believe that the par fours are what make this layout great. The par fours ask three things of you; 1) You have to drive the ball long; 2) You have to be accurate with the placement of your drives; and 3) Because of the large greens, you must be able to lag long putts well. Hole by hole description: THREE GREAT PAR FOURS! #1) On of the toughest first holes in the world. Drive toward the bunkers for a clear shot to the flag, but stay out of them or you'll never get home in two! #2) A difficult long straight hole, especially if it plays against the wind. The same as #1 -- drive toward the bunker for clean shot at the flag! #3) Most demanding drive on the course -- if you succeed the hole plays easy. WORLD'S GREATEST PAR 3? #4) Extremely long par three over Cypress Creek -- be careful of the bunkers right, and the green. The hole actually plays about ten yards shorter than it shows. THE EASY HOLES! #5) Finally an easy hole. You can birdie or eagle this par five if you stay out of the trees. #6) The drive is the key to this hole -- if you hook it left it will force you to go over the lake on your approach to the green, but if you go right off the tee, your approach is blocked by trees -- another great hole! #7) Again, the drive is the key like all the par fours at Champions. Don't go too far right or you have a miserable approach to the green. #8) Another excellent par 3 -- can be like the 12th at Augusta if the winds blow north or south. #9) Either this hole or five is the easiest hole on the course -- you decide. BEST BACK TO BACK PAR 4S IN THE WORLD? #10) I think that this hole plays the hardest in JNUG, although the 11th played the toughest during the Nabisco. Once again the drive sets up this hole -- you must be far enough right for a clean shot at the green. #11) If Nick Price had played this hole halfway decently during the tournament, he would have won easily. I think that he was six over par on this hole in four rounds. It is a real challenge to play, a birdie here is remembered! A FUN LITTLE HOLE #12) Par 3 over "Bob Hope Lake" -- take enough club or swim! TWO MORE GREAT HOLES #13) My favorite hole on the course, an utterly brilliant par five. The drive calls for a 265 yard carry over "Cypress Creek" for a shot at going for the green in two. Only trouble is that when you get to your ball you will see that the trees on the right are hard to avoid when going after the green. Also, the creek comes back into play, and so do several bunkers. What a hole! #14) This hole calls for a very tight approach shot to the green, with traps and water all around. Take a par here! TWO SO CALLED EASY HOLES #15) A easy straight par 4 that seems to play tougher and tougher each time I play it. During my best round (64) I double bogeyed it! #16) Take you ball over the trees if you need too, you should make it -- just like real life. A THRILLING FINISH #17) Don't drive too far here or you may reach the water, also watch out for the small stream of water behind the green. #18) An excellent par 4 to finish a truly great course. Your drive must be near the bunker to give yourself a decent shot at the flag, or else you'll have to go over the trees on your approach! CHAMPIONS' -- "CYPRESS CREEK COURSE" A FABULOUS TEST OF GOLFING SKILL! ONLY IN TEXAS!!! May you always bust par, Bill Permenter 4210 Pineville Lane Spring, Texas 77388 (713) 353-6227 Next : Dorado Beach San Juan, Puerto Rico (Robert Trent Jones' masterpiece!) Opinion : I think the best two JNUG courses are the following - 1) Desert Highlands - Scott Chesney 2) Canyon Rim - Jay Johnson GET THEM! Also : I would like to thank Jay Johnson for alerting me that my blimp looked like a "cigar" -- I tried to improve on it.