tk77mann

This very relaxed executive course is still a challenge. There is water on most of the holes, including #12 where you hit over a small hill and, if you're lucky, over the pond hidden behind the hill before the green. The scorecard doesn't show this hidden pond, but it is fun to try to try to get over.

There are only par 3's and 4's, with most of the par 3 pretty short. Number #18, however, is a par 3 and 201 yards from the blue tees and you have to clear a patch of brush just off the tee. This would be a tough hole to par for most average golfers, I think.

The course is lined with mature trees which come into play if you are off on either side. The fairways are pretty narrow, too, so on the longer holes your drives need some pretty good direction to stay on the fairway.

There are few sand traps on the course. We played a day after a good rain so they were hard packed and none of the balls went into the sand at all. We tried to hit them right off the sand.

The grass on the greens is slower than in Illinois where we normally play but we used the putting green ahead of time so we knew how they rolled. You can also practice chipping onto the putting green which is also nice and not always the case.

While really good golfers probably would want to play longer, more challenging courses, I think most average golfers would be more than challenged by this one.

The layout of this nine hole course will fool you. Driving up to the course it looks like a fairly boring, not-so-challenging course. That perception is very wrong, however. At least it was for us.

The course has some nice long holes and more water (ponds, rivers, and creeks) in play than from first look. Also, the water hazards come in and out of play on a lot of the holes. (If you happen to find my many lost balls, please let me know.)

All of the greens are fairly large, and all of them are elevated with some pretty good slopes to them. It can be a real challenge to get the ball to the green and to get it to stick. Hit it too hard and the ball will roll across the green and you will still be off the green, but hitting it from the other side. The greens are also faster than most municipal courses' greens, adding to the challenge for us medium grade players.

The 2013 summer drought has been really hard on the fairways of Spring Valley, but the owners have done a great job of keeping the greens well watered and in good shape. The rest of the course could really use an inch or two or rain.

Their clubhouse is the best place in Union Center to eat. One of the few places in Union Center to eat, in fact. The owners and locals are friendly and will gladly talk to out-of-towners coming in to play a round.

I recommend Spring Valley golf course for folks looking for a quick nine that will challenge their lay-up abilities as well as their skills on elevated, sloped greens.

Mirror Lakes is out in the country and has wide open fairways. It has some seriously long holes (including a 707 yarder!) so bring that driver. For modest golfers the fairways are wide enough to keep your ball in play on almost all holes.

There is a lot of wildlife on the course, including the two alligators we saw. There aren't too may trees on the course so you will get some serious sun here. The course provides free ice at the clubhouse and water at various spots on the course, which is great.

It is a long course, even from the middle (green) tees, so be prepared for lots of hitting. The signage on the course isn't great, but it is a very good course for its reasonable price.