Thundering Waters Golf Review
There is a lot of hype about Thundering Waters Golf Club. I've heard all the criticism: its too long; its too challenging; the course conditions are questionable. It has been a year in the planning, but I was finally able to attack the golf course and find out for myself what all the excitement was about.
Lets start with the course conditions. There were a few greens that were a little thin around the edges, its true, but that didnt take away from my overall experience. If you have read any of my articles in the past, you know what kind of golfer I am. I am more concerned about the experience at the golf course and the aesthetics than really picking apart the course. Im a bogey golfer and I want good service. The fairways were in great shape but were very hard, as were the greens. You cant expect a course as new as Thundering Waters to be incredibly receptive. I didnt come with any preconceived notions, so I was not disappointed.
Now lets look at the playability. I would recommend keeping your driver in your bag for most holes. If you can keep your shot straight, you can use any club you like. I spoke with a lot of locals while I was in the area and they complained about how difficult the course was. Personally, I look forward to a challenge, and my expectations were met at Thundering Waters. Yes, it is narrow. Yes, the greens are fast. Yes, you can lose balls. But honestly, if the game of golf wasnt challenging, I wouldnt play.
In my opinion, Thundering Waters gets a bad rap because the course opened too early a few years back before it was ready. First impressions mean a lot, and opening early hurt the name initially. I golf all over the United States and Canada, and I would advise you to forget about the negative press and give it another shot.
Now for the most important question of all - how were the cart girls? This may come as a surprise, but there actually are none. Not to worry - there is a full service bar and food stop centered between multiple holes called the Lyons Den. At first I was skeptical about not having a cart girl, but when it came right down to it, my beer was never empty.
If you can hit the ball over 260 yards, dont be afraid of the Daly tees. The course caters more toward that set of tees than any other. The landing areas are larger from the tips than if you play the blues or whites.
I would rate my overall experience an 8.5 out of 10. If the greens (actually only three of them) were in a little better shape and the bunkers were mowed around the sand, it would get a ten. The course layout is phenomenal. The service was great from the moment we drove in to the very minute we left. This is a must-play golf course for a complete experience in Niagara Falls.
