Although it's been forty years since a professional golf event has been played here, Keller still has the feel of a private course with walls lined with awards, photos and tournament history. Golfers check in at the small pro shop and pick up their golf cart from a very friendly "cartman." Like in decades past, your name is called when your group is scheduled to tee off on #1, just steps away.

As soon as you hit your first drive, you will know you are on a course that is different than any other in the area, with tight doglegs, narrow fairways, elevated greens and par 3s that will test your nerve. This reviewer played the course from the blue tees, but most hackers should really consider playing from the 6041-yard white tees because it plays much longer than on paper and course knowledge will really help your score.

The course is well tended, the greens are fast and the cart service is frequent. What isn't up to par, especially for those playing the course for the first time, is the signage, yardage markers and the scorecard. As you step onto each tee box, a sign does show the distances, but finding yardage markers in the fairways is often a challenge. Also, the hole flags don't specify pin placement. Some holes only show one yardage marker thus making club selection more of a guess than should be necessary.

Keller is an Audubon-certified course with bluebird houses and restoration areas acting as out-of-bounds hazards. If you like to walk, you might want to think twice because it is quite hilly, especially the back nine. Another thing that holds this course back is its reputation for slow play, so playing during off times is a safer bet to avoiding those long rounds.

Latest Update: 5/2/2012