WEST BOUNTIFUL -- Describing what it is like to golf Lakeside Golf Course is like trying to explain the route you take on your daily drive into work. It is so familiar and you have done it so many times that it is easy to overlook the details. Lakeside, affectionately known as "The Sponge" to locals, is not overly long, the greens aren't too fast, the rough isn't too heavy, the bunkers aren't that deep. So what is it like? "It's just kinda fun," says Lakeside head golf pro Mike Bickers. Well, fun or frustrating, depending on how you are playing. Lakeside is one of the most popular courses in Davis County because it is an inviting and playable course. Golf is never an easy game no matter what course you play, but certain courses are intimidating and have you psyched out before you hit your first ball. Not Lakeside. There is plenty of room on the sides of most holes, so if you hit an errant shot you will be able to find your ball. Lakeside has its fair share of hazards but with a little concentration they can be worked around.

Because of this, Lakeside is a good course to play for golfers of all skill levels. The course is challenging enough for an experienced golfer and not too hard for a beginner or children. "You won't lose a ton of balls on the course," Bickers said. That's music to any golfer's ear.

There is one stretch of holes on the course where a ton of balls could be lost. Holes 11, 12, and 13, known by the locals as Amen Corner, are strewn across a swamp with murky water and thick cattails. Success through this stretch of holes isn't measured by your score but by coming out with enough golf balls in your bag to finish the round. To survive the stretch proper club selection is a must and ego should be left in the bag. The 13th green is located right next to the 11th tee box so it is tempting after completing the three hole stretch to use the knowledge you have just gained by playing the hole to try it again.

Unlike some of the mountain courses in Davis County, Lakeside is an enjoyable course to walk. With the holes close together and the terrain flat, a cart is not a must to play the course. Water coolers are placed at tee boxes to help keep hydrated while walking.

A great advantage to Lakeside, and what makes it an appealing course to play for many Davis County golfers is its accessibility. Located a few miles west of I-15 in West Bountiful it can be reached in just a few minutes drive. Lake-side is usually very easy to get on and less busy than the surrounding courses. Make sure when deciding to play Lakeside there is not a scheduled league playing, as there are days where the course hosts junior and senior men's and women's leagues.

Lakeside is less pretentious and uptight than some courses welcoming all types of players. Some courses enforce a dress requirement of a collared shirt but judging from some of the golfers seen at Lakeside shirts are optional let alone a collared one. Families are welcome at Lakeside and Saturday night is family night with kids golfing for free.

Overall, Lakeside is an easy- going, enjoyable place to play a round of golf. "It is more fun to make birdies than bogeys," said Mike Bickers. Translation: it is more fun to make bogeys than snowmen and lose all your golf balls.