I recently teed off at Mallard Creek Golf Course in Columbia Station, Ohio, during the legendary "Red White and Brew" golf outing. And let me tell you, it was less a golf tournament and more a masterclass in organized fun – seriously, kudos to whoever wrangled that many happy golfers into one place! We tackled "The Woods" course, which, thankfully, lived up to its name by mostly keeping my wild shots out of the water (unlike my usual performance). The course was in fantastic shape, proving that even nature can look good with a little effort. Its dynamic layout was pretty clever, managing to be forgiving enough for a hacker like me while still challenging the folks who actually know what they're doing. Mallard Creek's 36 holes mean there's always an excuse to come back, and with staff this friendly, it's hard to resist. My only complaint? They still haven't figured out how to make my putts magically drop. A golfer can dream, right?

Great course with a great pace of play. Everyone is always friendly in the clubhouse including rangers and starters. For those new to the course there are a total of 36 holes. When booking you can choose either "woods" or "lake." Both offer a great variety in challenging situations, making club and shit selection intriguing. Personally I enjoyed "lake" more. If you are looking for somewhere new I recommend this location.

Mallard Creek just punched its ticket as the worst course I’ve played this year—maybe ever. I’ve played numerous courses around Northeast Ohio, and none of them were this devastating to play on. This 36-hole, wide-open layout offers a couple of practice greens, a driving range, and a decent clubhouse. On the surface, the lakes and streams make the course look appealing, but looks can be deceiving. First off, the tee boxes (white tees) were a nightmare. They were patchy and even muddy in some spots, clearly neglected. It was hard to tee up without feeling like my feet were uneven, which made for a frustrating start to every hole. The fairways weren’t any better. Some areas were scorched from the summer heat, and a lot of them seemed to blend right into the rough, making certain spots thick and unplayable. I also noticed three holes where the aprons around the greens were badly torn up—either from neglect, stupidity, or both. Speaking of the greens, they were just awful. Patchy, scorched, plagued with fungus rot, and riddled with huge divots. To make things worse, some of those divots were filled with bunker sand. Yes, bunker sand on the greens! That level of neglect is simply unacceptable for any course, let alone a 36-hole one. And then they have the nerve to charge $38 to walk this disaster on a Saturday morning in the fall. Trust me, I would’ve rather spent that money feeding the ducks than playing here. No course should be charging for this kind of experience. Honestly, they should sell off 18 holes and focus on making the other 18 halfway decent. As for me, I’m crossing this course off my list for good. I won’t be coming back.

This was one of the most frustrating and infuriating golf experiences I’ve ever had. We came out to Mallard Creek with a group of six—yes, a 6-some—which, by the way, was no different than the group in front of us. They had six women also playing together, moving at a snail’s pace, chatting up the cart girl, and holding up every hole. We were waiting constantly, couldn’t hit, and the pace of play was completely out of our control. But instead of addressing that group—or anyone else—the ranger comes flying up to us and immediately starts cussing. Not even a polite warning or explanation. Just straight-up yelling and swearing at us like we were criminals. Totally uncalled for, unprofessional, and downright disrespectful. Funny how the course has no problem letting a group of women take their time and flirt with staff, but loses their mind when a group of guys plays the same way—even while waiting on the group ahead. Mallard Creek clearly doesn't know how to manage pace of play or enforce their policies fairly. The staff here acts like they’re doing you a favor by letting you on the course. If you want to be treated with even a shred of respect, go to one of the *other Fair

8/9/25 - played the Lakes and the conditions were the best I’ve ever seen from this course. Near perfect greens, green fairways, etc. it was IMPRESSIVE! Great job to whoever has been working hard.