Broken Arrow GC - Lockport

Broken Arrow Golf Club in Lockport (http://www.golfbrokenarrow.com/)consists of three 9 hole/par 36 courses, plus a 9 hole par 3 course. The facility is hidden back in a sub-division off Farrell Road about 2 miles south of 159th Street. The 27 regulation length holes (South, East, and the unique “dual-green” North) are all used in the regular 18 hole rotation, although I’ve always preferred the traditional South-East route. The courses were built back in the mid 90’s as part of the golf boom in this area, and like many of the courses from this time, features the ‘prairie links” style of rolling fairways, lots of water hazards and sand traps, sloping greens and of course the thick native grasses that swallow off target shots.

The courses are contained within the housing complex, meaning that you don’t have to cross over any streets to get to the next tee. There are a number of exceptional holes in the 27 hole mix, and the conditions are consistently good, but the major drawback here is the proximity of some of the holes to the homes, which are unnervingly close in a few spots. After a wayward tee shot landed in a backyard a number of years ago, I had a memorable verbal altercation with one home owner, which escalated dramatically after I asked him “If you’re so worried about your house getting hit, why did you buy a house on a golf course?” (Definitely the wrong thing to say…).

The 3 nines play to around 3,500 yards from the

back tees, and the rating / slope on the South-East course is a hefty 74.2/135, so there is nothing easy about these layouts. Water comes into play one way or another on all but 2 of the holes on the S/E routing (the North nine has fewer water hazards but is no less demanding). The South starts out with a long par 4 with out of bounds left and water right, and offers a view of an old grain silo, a remnant from the farm that previously occupied the land. The 3rd hole is one of my favorites, a short par 4 with a pond on the right that cuts in front of the green, which sits above the fairway. A long iron or fairway wood off the tee will still leave an intimidating short iron to the pin. I’ve seen a few big hitters go for the green off the tee and carry the 270 yards over the water, but I don’t remember anyone ever landing on the green. Whichever way you decide to play this hole, a par is a good score. The 6th hole is a tough par 3 which features an uphill tee shot over a creek and high grass to a super shallow, wide green with a ridge on the right that makes pin placements on this side particularly demanding. The 7th and 8th holes, a par 4 & 5, are both solid, with 7 a 440 yarder which normally plays into the wind, and 8 featuring 2 ponds and out of bounds (and single family homes) left and a ravine just in front of the green to discourage those hoping to reach the green in 2.

The East course is dominated by the par 5’s, 2 of the most difficult holes on the facility. The 4th is a beastly 590 yard dogleg left, with the green tucked behind a pond which frames the left side the last 250 yards, and the 9th is about 50 yards shorter but requires a pinpoint tee shot between 2 water hazards, and a green fronted by another pond that makes reaching in regulation an adventure. Other highlights on this 9 are number 2, a 439 yard par 4 with out of bounds left and a two tiered green with a creek tight right (and also the scene of the episode with the agitated home owner), and #3, a short par 3 over wetlands to a severely sloped green, with thick woods in back that will devour any over long shots.

The North course features the dual greens, which are basically gigantic putting surfaces that have 2 flags at opposite ends, one red, one blue (the blue flags are normally the more difficult pin placement). The idea is to pick which color flag you’re going to play before the round (although a fun variation would be to play the pin closest to your approach shot), but the bottom line is that you could have some outrageously long putts if you’re on the wrong side of the green. This nine is a bit more spread out than the other two, has more trees framing the holes, and has a lot less risk of hitting a house than the other 2 nines. The 4th hole may be my favorite on the property, a par 5 that transitions from prairie to thick woods the last 200 yards with a creek on the left. There are 2 separate greens here, the red flag is straight ahead and heavily bunkered, the blue flag uphill and over the creek. The 6th hole is a long downhill par 3 over water, and #7 is a big par 4 with a huge tree guarding the left side of the fairway. The 9 finishes with a 590 yard par 5 with a steep incline up to the green making for a difficult approach shot.

The par 3 course replicates some of the more famous holes from around the world, but the few times I’ve played, the conditions were way below standard, and from what I glimpsed from the parking lot, that hasn’t really changed. But the focus here is on the other 27 holes, and with that the owners do a good job. These courses provide a stout challenge, have a number of memorable holes, and are amazingly walker friendly for a sub-division layout. But I just wish there were a bit more distance between golf course and housing on about 4 or 5 holes, that would help ease my mind. The $67 prime time rate w/cart may be a little steep, but there are always specials being run (I payed $30 w/cart for a Saturday Noon tee time with a coupon from the local weekly paper). I’ve played Broken Arrow more than any course over the last 15 years (had a standard tee time back in the late 90’s), and I know that it will continue to be in my regular rotation in the future.

Mr Z Rating

Layout - 7

Playability - 7.5

Conditioning -8.5

Aesthetics - 6.5

Amenities -7.5

Value -8

Total Score - 75