Condition, fees, lack of crowds during week.

Layout. The place feels like it was built with the housing in mind, and not as a golf course. On the other hand, I've seen several worse housing development course layouts.

Because the 9-hole course is often surrounded by houses and out of bounds stakes, your drives have to be fairly straight. Therefore, if you enjoy working on hitting fairways more than achieving macho length, you'll be satisfied. Fairways and greens were in excellent condition when I've played. Greens have a spongy feel to the foot, yet are firm, which shows care. They putt true, yet can be hard to hold if you're not adept at putting backspin on the ball. If you insist on walking a course, like I do, be warned this course is a trek. Ups and downs and sometimes long walks between greens and tees. Great if you want to get exercise along with your golf; but, as a result, lots of people use carts, so the walker can feel pushed.

Customer Service

Staff is courteous and casual.

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Golf shop small but well stocked.

Cheap and convenient if you happen to live on Bainbridge Island.

Not very challenging other than the OB that borders almost every hole. Only 9 holes, although 9 more holes of this kind of golf might be too much.

Meadowmeer is a nine hole "semi-private" course in the middle of Bainbridge Island. In this case "semi-private" means not very crowded, so you can pretty much drive up and play whenever you want.

I don't have a scorecard handy, but I'm guessing the course plays about 2,800 yards. Very few hazards come into play, but there is OB on just about every hole because most of the course winds through housing developments. The greens are small-to-average in size, and very firm at times, so they're hard to hold.

With the exception of the par four 5th, which doglegs sharply right around afew houses, all of the holes play straight away. A couple of the par fours are reachable, and you'll play into most of the others with a half-wedge following any kind of semi-decent tee shot.

Overall course condition is about what you would expect to find a typical municipal course. For a short nine-holer this is about as tough a walking course as you'll find, with quite a hike between the first and second holes. and again from the third green to the 4th tee.

It's not a destination course by any stretch of the imagination, but if you find yourself stuck in a two hour ferry wait on your way back to Seattle after playing Port Ludlow or one of the other great courses on the Olympic Penninsula, double back to Koura Road and kill some time at Meadowmeer.

Customer Service

Several times I've driven up, checked inside the pro shop and found nobody around, so I just went ahead and played, paying after I finished. You might say it's a little laid back around Meadowmeer.

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No driving range (they have a practice net though!); the practice green suits it's purpose. Small restaurant.