Golf is a tough game, but a great course can leave players with a sense of accomplishment once they're finished. At Cherry Valley Country Club, the story is no different. In this article, I will rate the course on a variety of factors, including greens, difficulty, layout, rough, and playability. Let's take a look at how the golf course stacks up.
Greens: 8/10.
The greens at Cherry Valley in peak season are unbelievable. They're extremely fast and run very smoothly, making it much harder for players to put up low numbers on the course. In the offseason, the greens are a little slower, but that's to be expected.
The greens are still almost certainly the best thing about this place, even if they aren't in the greatest shape at the beginning and very end of the season.
Difficulty: 5/10.
The difficulty level of Cherry Valley is dependent upon the time of year. When the greens are fast, it's a struggle to break par from the back tees. When they're a little slower, it's much easier. The course is less than 7000 yards from the back tees, and most of the holes aren't particularly long. The longest holes from the back tees are par 3s, as two of them are more than 200 yards long. Still, the length of the course isn't particularly daunting, and the course itself isn't extremely difficult.
Layout: 7/10.
The layout of the course at Cherry Valley is packed into a finite area because it was built in the middle of Garden City.
The developers did an excellent job with it though, as the layout is simple and fairly easy to follow. There wasn't a ton of room to maneuver, but Cherry Valley does a great job with the space it has.
Rough: 8/10.
At Cherry Valley, it's far better to be in the fairway in the rough. The rough is fairly thick and it's difficult to control the ball from there, creating a greater challenge for the player.
Aside from the rough, players have to deal with fescue, which is effectively out of bounds when it gets high. And even when players do find their ball in there, they are left with extremely hard shots. The rough truly does take the course up a notch in difficulty.
Playability: 9/10.
I've been playing the course at Cherry Valley from a young age, and I think there's something there for every golfer, regardless of skill level.
There are several sets of tees, and even young kids have the ability to learn the game. From a playability standpoint, I think the course at Cherry Valley Country Club is excellent.
Overall: 7.5/10.
Cherry Valley Country Club offers a solid course with excellent greens and difficult rough. Unfortunately, the shorter distance, partially caused by limited space, restricts Cherry Valley's ability to earn a higher rating in the eyes of this reviewer. However, it's still a solid course and golfers can definitely get some enjoyment out of playing there.
