To start off the ultimate golf day of 36 holes in two states and two time zones even(!), we had to wake up before dawn to tee off with the first light. It’s crazy to wake up at 7:15am and it’s still so dark out you’d swear it was 3:15am. But the best part of that situation was getting to watch the sun rise over the mountains to gradually reveal the gorgeous landscape of southern Utah and Sand Hollow Resort.
CJ and I closed this course down. I beat him so badly (5 & 3, 12 strokes) that the police opened up an investigation. In reality, it was the last day of the season before another harsh Wasatch winter sets in. I did beat him though. Once it does reopen next spring, the Mountain Course at Wasatch Mountain State Park in Midway is definitely worth the trek into government lands. It’s short, fun and offers dramatic views. As far as mountain vistas go, only Lake Tahoe surpasses Utah in beauty. And the best part about the Mountain Course is that you get to enjoy all those incredible views of the peaks and Heber Valley without even having to hike, thanks to those lovely gas carts. The front nine plays into the mountains. Today, every green was framed from behind by naked aspen trees waiting for the snow to come. The back nine comes out of the mountains and gives awesome views of the valley below, dotted with chimneys puffing smoke, maple trees desperately holding onto their yellow leaves and large expanses of open land. Continue reading Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Course (Mountain)→
Fun fact is that if you go back through the last four years, basically since I started trying to golf nationwide, Park City Golf Club is the course I’ve played the most. It’s been three years since I moved down to Arizona, but that still holds true. When I got to make a quick work trip to Salt Lake City in late October, I had originally tried to get on one of the top flight private courses in the area, such as Glenwild, Promontory or Red Ledges. Having no luck, I booked a tee time at a respected course in the Salt Lake region. But as soon as I landed and all those memories of being outside in the fresh mountain air of Park City came back to me, I called a quick audible for an afternoon tee time. By the end of the round, it was 6pm with temps in the 40s and gale-force winds. That’s a big drop from the 90s I had just flown in from, but I loved every second of it. CJ and I paired up with a couple around our age. Since she was actually better than him, he took every advantage he could to have a chance and we ended up playing the middle tees. At 6,700 feet, the altitude made the 6,277-yard par 72 play like the junior’s tees. Continue reading Park City Golf Club→
The Gold Course at Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT, slated to host the 2012 US Amateur Public Links Championship, is ranked Utah’s #1 municipal course by Golfweek and one of the top in state by Golf Digest. The Silver Course runs through the valley while the Gold Course presents a tougher challenge as it climbs in elevation with the round’s progression, also providing amazing views of the Heber Valley below. Finding a good course to play in Utah was difficult. Many top 100 rankings omit the state completely, there are many exclusively private courses and the highly regarded tracks are near the state’s southern border, closer to friendlier year-round weather. Luckily the state built this place, which opened in 2004, and many, including the USGA, have taken notice. Continue reading Soldier Hollow Golf Course→
I set a goal in 2011 of playing at least one round of golf in all 50 states by 2021. This is a quest to play some of America’s finest courses in every state, even the flyover ones…
