I guess reviewing a golf course (or anything else for that matter) depends where you are in life. In my case as an "every third weekend, middling handicapper", with an appreciation and eye for etiquette/dress/pace of play, this course fits the bill and is typically a good outing. Low handicappers or golfers who typically shell out $75 or more per round in the Indy area may be disappointed.I would probably be at 3.5 stars for the championship course and round up since there is a nice little par 3 and a good range facility.I would consider Stony Creek my home course and have probably played here 25 times or so over the years. The championship course plays right around 5800 from the whites and around 6300 to 6600 from blues and gold. There are also red and silver tees farther forward. As someone who can drive the ball OK (265-280), the white tees feel short and I usually play from the blues.The course is pretty well maintained; tee boxes, fairways, and greens are generally in good repair. Later into August things can dry up a bit and the tee boxes start to show wear. I find the greens to be slightly larger, roll slower, and are mostly vanilla in contouring. Some greens are very cool and I look forward to hitting into (1, 5, 12, 13, 18) but a lot are flat as a board (3, 4, 11, 14 thru 17). 15 thru 17 sit very low to the creek and if the course is wet it will be cart path only. Mosquitoes may carry you away on 16 thru 18 when in season - a can of bug spray is recommended during these times.The majority of holes are interesting...there are some good elevation changes and use of swails and hills. (My favorite on the course is 13 - a wooded uphill par 4 to a severely sloped back to front green). There are enough trees on the course to provide for a pretty good idea of where to hit if you've never played here. There are a few fairways which run in parallel and you may find people hitting out of yours (12, 13, and 14 specifically). There are some very short par 4s here as well (4, 5, 12, 14). 18 is a weird uphill par 5 finisher that requires a hybrid or long iron off the tee and you won't reach in 2.Sand never really comes into play (for me at least) at Stony Creek - most of the traps are far enough away from the green to not be in play unless your shot is errant. Water is present on the course, not plentiful...but you can easily find yourself in a creek (or the pond at 9).My son and I like playing the 9 hole par 3 together which goes around the range. It is not maintained with the same care as the 18 hole but is not neglected either. Some of the holes are very short (~80 yards) and most of the greens are pretty straightforward. It's a good place to work on the wedges and short irons and there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half with your kid.The range is nice with ample tee boxes, a self service outdoor ball machine (tokens inside), a smallish putting green and a decent chipping green with a bunker.Rates on the weekend are around $45 with a cart...maybe a bit much but there are twilight and weekday rates to bring that number down if that is too much. Have never really had an issue with pace of play. Overall this is a nice neighborhood facility and a good place to get a round in.
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"Course appears to be pretty well taken care of! The greens were a little slow, seems like they hadn't been cut in a little bit, but we also have not had much rain. It's a fun course to play and the service was great. They had a starter organizing tee times as it was pretty busy on a Saturday morning. For two people with a cart, it was $88, which is relatively affordable for the area and for the condition of the course. The course is mid-range on difficulty. It isn't super wide open, but a few tee shots that make you think. Really enjoyed the course and will definitely be back to play again."
"DON'T PLAY HERE.......Unless your a scratch player or like to be punished! OMG! Not the course for a beginner or high handicaps. Nice grounds but a little pricey compared to other comparable priced courses. I personally will not be back until I'm much better but had a good time. I do not believe they have a single fairway that is straight, not hilly or curved and I believe all are surrounded by a bunker. The bunkers are very deep. You've been warned. Enjoy :-)"
