Course Review – Hidden Creek Golf Course

In the golf business, you often hear the term “hidden gem” when those in the know speak of an affordable course that boasts a fun layout and solid course conditions. Well, Hidden Creek in Burleson is exactly that. When Hidden Creek first opened for play in 1997, it was met with positive returns, and after a redesign and partial re-routing a dozen years ago at the hands of John Colligan and associates, the course has been thriving, all the while being easy on the wallet. 

Measuring 567 yards from the tips, the opening hole is a par 5 with a couple different methods of attack. If you can bomb it, you can carry the small pond and waste area that cuts into the fairway. If you succeed, you can certainly make a run at the green in two and hopefully get started with a stress-free birdie on the card. For the shorter hitter, you can play this hole as a true three-shot par 5. A hybrid or three-metal leaves you short of the danger, and then you can hoist a mid-iron into a layup area and leave yourself a comfortable wedge number. Right off the bat, Hidden Creek offers options on how to dissect the architecture, which is a welcome sight on the opening hole. 

No. 2 and No. 3 are both difficult holes to card a par. No. 2 is a narrow par 4 with water down the right to collect tee shots that stray in that direction. If you play a left-to-right tee shot, be mindful that the fairway runs out toward the water on the right.  Find the fairway and you’ll face an uphill second with a mid- or short iron. There is a bunker short of the green, so be aware it’s there and choose an extra club to be sure to cover it. 

No. 3 is one of the more unique holes on the property. It is a split fairway … sort of … with short grass left that is meant to be the primary fairway. Off to the right of a small grove of trees is another path to the putting surface, but it isn’t technically “fairway.” You can choose this path, and although the lie won’t be as good, it does offer a better angle to the green. 

The 506-yard sixth hole is next. You’ll want to favor the left side of the fairway here to give yourself the best angle of attack for your second; however, a pair of fairway bunkers make the landing area smaller than it appears from the tee. 

The seventh is the longest par 4 on this layout and also the No. 1 handicap at Hidden Creek. Measuring 448 from the tips, this slight dogleg left requires an accurate tee ball to find a sliver of fairway. Be mindful of where the pin is located for your approach, because the green is over 100 feet from front to back, which puts a premium on your third shot being the proper distance. 

No. 8 is basically all intimidation. Water is in play and forces players to carry their ball all the way to the green, or face rinsing one. You can take some extra club and bail out right, but the crowned green makes any up-and-down a challenge. On a breezy day, the right-to-left cross wind will push balls toward the drink. 

The front nine closes with another par 4. No tricks to this one. There isn’t a dogleg to speak of, just a narrow landing zone and another large green with a bunker guarding the front right. It’s a fair and straightforward way to end the outward nine. 

If you remember the pre-renovation Hidden Creek, then you will remember that No. 10 used to be a part of No. 18 on the original routing. If the prevailing wind is from the south, you can carry your tee ball over the crest of the hill mid-fairway and get some downhill run. If you pull it off, you can chase your ball down near the green. For those who don’t clobber it, you can lay back and leave yourself a comfortable wedge distance and a good look at a three to start the back nine. 

The par-3 11th is arguably the most intimidating tee shot on the property. Although it plays only 160 yards, the shot is all carry over a water feature, and there is a bunker up front that basically obscures your view of the putting surface. The water curls around long and left of the putting surface, so any pull is likely taking a dip. It is a similar look to No. 8, where the miss is right, but this can leave a tricky up-and-down to walk away with a three. 

For those who prefer playing a fade, No. 12 and No. 13 are perfect for your ball flight. Almost carbon copies of one another, these par 4s play 404 and 425 from the black tees, so they aren’t terribly long, but will likely challenge a club in your bag other than a wedge. 

The par-5 14th is one of my personal favorite holes on the course. Trees line the left side of this 545-yard par 5, and the downhill tee shot means you will get a little more distance off the tee. Although it may not look like it from the tee, you want your tee shot to hug the right side. If you get a good bounce, you can run the ball through the trees and have a better look at the green for your second. If you do take that route, you can certainly get home in two. If you choose to play it more straightaway, your second will have tall grass that obstructs your view of the green. Hit it too far, and you run the risk of having to try to force your shot through these tall reeds, or basically turning directly to the right and playing a wedge to the layup area.

Fifteen is the shortest hole at Hidden Creek … a mere 140 from all the way back. A good chance to stick one close and get a tweeter before the stretch run. The final three all run parallel to the frontage road of I-35, and face south. On a day with no or minimal wind, these are some scorable holes. However, if the wind is blowing (and it almost always is from the south during peak season), this trio can pile strokes on to your score. The 16th isn’t long at just 371, but the temptation of trying to hammer a driver to get a scoring club in your hand can lead to trouble. Left is bouncing down the interstate headed for Waco, and right can find trees and some gnarly high fescue. It’s best to slap an iron or hybrid into the fairway and then flight something under the wind to the middle of the green. 

No. 17 is the longest on the golf course, playing at 571 yards. This hole again plays into the predominant southern breeze and will likely be a three-shot hole for all but the longest of the long. Although long, the fairway on No. 17 is very forgiving, allowing a grip-it-n’-rip-it opportunity. 

The 18th rates as the second hardest hole, and although standing on the tee it may not look that way, it can be one final slap in the face if you aren’t careful. Playing 447 yards from tee to green, this one requires another accurate tee shot, as again, anything left will be dangerous to passing vehicles, and missing right means either a long approach, or a lost ball in the trees if you really mail one in that direction. If you do find the short stuff, you’ll likely be left with somewhere in the 160-190 range. It’s not a simple approach, especially with any breeze.

The clubhouse at Hidden Creek offers everything you need from a nice municipal track. There are plenty of balls, caps, gloves and apparel in the pro shop, should you forget anything you need for an afternoon on the links. The Terrace Bar & Grill has some solid food options for both breakfast and lunch. Last time on property, I tried the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich prior to the round and a cheeseburger afterward. Both were rock-solid for a municipal course. Of course, no round is complete without a couple cans of oat soda, and Terrace has you covered there with plenty of domestic and craft options to wash away any double bogeys. 

With the prices of golf continuing to increase, Hidden Creek remains one of the better overall values in the area. With solid course conditions and a $50 weekend prime-time price tag, this property is hard to beat for those looking for a nice round that won’t beat you up in the pocketbook.