This is the first in a series of course reviews for the blog.

A little background information: I am a terrible golfer; I have been playing for over fifteen years and according to the Yahoo's handicap-tracker, I am a 32.5. That means on a Par 71 course, my average score is a 103.5. Yikes.

As terrible as I am, it's my favorite thing to do - - besides hanging out with my wife, of course.

On Saturday, I made the trek out to Maple Valley for a round at Elk Run golf course.

As I arrived, I was half-expecting to see the club house at Bandon Dunes (the famous PGA course located in Bandon, OR). If you don't live in the south sound, it's not exactly a close drive

I have decided on the following categories to review:

Greens fees: $52 with a cart. I found this to be pricey, even for a 9:30 tee time on a Saturday. It felt like more of $45 round.

Difficulty/Distance: the course plays pretty easy. It's short, at just 5400 yards from the middle tees, and it provides a lot of scoring opportunities (for decent golfers). One of the guys I played with shot an 83, and let's just say he's not exactly an 83 golfer.

Greens: they were pretty slow for the most part, but in good shape. No dead spots to be seen on any of the holes.

Scenery: if you are into neighborhoods and power-lines, it was gorgeous. We did see three deer during the round, but unfortunately, no elk.

(After the round, I immediately retained Erin Brockovich to represent me. There was just too much buzzing in the power lines overhead for me not to think my health could be in jeopardy at some point.)

Cart Girl/Beer Sneakability: she was very friendly and came around three times throughout the round. Domestic light beer was served in 12 oz. cans, so feel free to pack your golf bag in the parking lot prior to the round. (You won't read that last part in the scorecard, but at $4 apiece, take my advice.)

Best Hole: #9, the most scenic on the course. It's designed to have you lay up for a fun second shot down a steep incline, with water off to your left.

Worst Hole: #18, ends the round with a 252 yard, par four, with no character whatsoever. This is usually the place where a golf course features its signature hole, or at the very least, something to leave you with a fond memory of the course.

(Two of the people in my group out-drove the green. It felt like we were playing at the Nile in Mountlake Terrace, and for those who've played the Nile, you know that's not exactly a compliment.)

There was a close second for worst hole - - #7, which features an approach that basically has you hitting up the side of a mountain in order to reach the green.

Course Walkability: not for this guy. I am fairly liberal when it comes to walking courses, but the folks ahead of us were laboring, especially on the aforementioned mountain hole. There was also a long distance from green to tee box on a few of the holes.

Time of Round/Pace of Play: pretty standard for a Saturday. We finished in just under 4:45 and waited to tee off on just about every hole. This can be expected at just about every public course in the area during a Saturday morning round.

Course Comparison: it reminds me of a lot of the municipal courses in the area, but ranks below: Bellevue, Maplewood, West Seattle and Jackson.

It's in decent shape and was still a fun round, but too often, the layout leaves you scratching your head.

Would I play it again?: yes, but only for a bachelor party where it's the bachelor's favorite course, and we can't talk him into playing anywhere else.