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 But while golf isn’t like hunting or trying to block a 300-pound defensive end, golf courses are located in some of the wildest places in the country. When it comes to golf, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and California still deserve the sobriquet that once defined this part of the world: the Wild West. From courses carved in ancient canyons to those abutting the edge of turbulent ocean waters, and from tracks populated by Apache Indians to those surrounded by towering mountains, the West offers some of the most visually stunning golf courses and resorts in the country. Which makes sense. For a large portion of this nation’s history, the areas we’re highlighting were the frontier — a rough-and-tumble place filled with gold rushes, saloons, bordellos, gunfights and pioneers. It’s a little tamer now, but you can still get a sense of the rich history, natural beauty and frontier spirit at these golf courses and resorts. UtahKnown for its skiing and Mormon culture, Utah also has a nice variety of golf courses, with two areas in particular — Park City and St. George — being legitimate golf destinations, one during the summer and the other during the winter. Both offer plenty of golf and lodging options, as well as great recreational activities.Park City is about an hour from Salt Lake City International Airport and some 7,000 feet above sea level. While known as one of the ski capitals of the world, golf helps make it a year-round recreational area, with mild summer weather and the mountainous terrain ideal for activities from fishing to hiking. Park City Golf Course, Homestead Golf Course and two 36-hole facilities in Wasatch Mountain State Park are some of the nicer public facilities in the area. For more information on these courses and others in the state, visit utah.com. While there is no shortage of hotels, lodges and RV parks in the Park City area, the best bet for golfers might be the resort at Homestead Golf Course. The 142-room resort (homesteadresort.com) includes a spa, restaurant and access to activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving. The gem of Utah’s natural resources is in the southwest corner of the state: Zion National Park. It’s a stunning area that doesn’t get nearly the traffic of the Grand Canyon and is a must-see if you’re driving through the state. About 45 minutes southwest is Virgin River Gorge and St. George, which has 11 area golf courses. Coral Canyon Golf Course (coralcanyongolf.com) is enhanced by the views of Zion and Bryce Canyon. The Johnny Miller-designed Entrada (golfentrada.com) winds through red rock canyons and lava beds. Green Spring Golf Course (greenspringgolfcourse.com) is another natural wonder, with views of red cliffs and Pine Mountain from every hole. The Ted Robinson-designed Sunbrook, which winds along the Santa Clara River, also is worth the trip. The Inn at Entrada offers luxurious lodging on the course, while the Red Mountain Resort and Spa, located five miles from the city center of St. George and near Snow Canyon State Park, is a full-service wellness and fitness facility that includes gourmet cuisine and activities ranging from meditation and massage to rock climbing and adventure hikes (redmountainspa.com). For more information on courses in the St. George area, visit redrockgolftrail.com. NevadaThe official slogan for the Reno-Lake Tahoe area is America’s Adventure Place. From the pulsating nightlife of Reno and its casinos to the thrill of kayaking, water skiing or hang gliding over Lake Tahoe, there are many ways to play all year.Golf is part of the adventure. Though the courses in Lake Tahoe are usually closed in the winter, Reno’s courses are open year-round, with the temperature rarely rising above 90. Old Greenwood in Truckee is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course that winds through Ponderosa pines, blue sagebrush and trout-filled creeks, the course is the longest and most visually striking in a region filled with distinctive tracks. Other stunning Lake Tahoe courses, most of which are open from early May to late October, are the Resort at Squaw Creek (squawcreek.com), a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course that is part of a resort that includes 403 guest rooms and suites, five restaurants and children’s programs; Coyote Moon Golf Course (coyotemoongolf.com), which incorporates streams, forests and granite peaks; and Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course (edgewood-tahoe.com), which opened in 1968 on the banks of Lake Tahoe and is only a few steps from the casinos on the Nevada side of town. There are only a handful of golf resorts in Reno, and most travelers book a room in one of the city’s casino/hotels. A quality option is the Resort at Red Hawk (resortatredhawk.com), which includes two courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Hale Irwin, a steakhouse and private villas fronting the golf course. If you’re staying at one of Reno’s casinos, Lakeridge Golf Club (lakeridge.com) is the closest course. The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed track is tight and challenging and green fees are $40-$95. Two other must-plays in Reno are Northgate Golf Club (renolaketahoe.com/golf/northgate), which offers a links-style layout with plenty of elevation changes and wind, and Wildcreek Golf Club (renolaketahoe.com/golf/wildcreek), which plays host to an annual Champions Tour event. A valuable resource for all golf, lodging and recreational information in Reno-Lake Tahoe is available at golfthehighsierra.com. Southern CaliforniaFrom oceans and mountains to deserts and valleys, the landscape of Southern California has helped create some of the most diverse golf courses imaginable. Rather than focus on the most expensive, best known or the most played, we’ve tabbed courses that eloquently show the two extremes of our climate and terrain — the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean and the unremitting sunshine of the Mojave Desert.Pelican Hill Golf Club (pelicanhillresort.com) in Newport Coast is one of the best courses in the nation. The bad news? This Tom Fazio masterpiece set atop a ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean bluffs is closed until next year. The good news? When it reopens, it will do so with a 208-room luxury hotel. A few miles south is Monarch Beach Golf Links, (stregismonarchbeach.com), a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course along the ocean. In San Diego, Torrey Pines Golf Club (torreypinesgolfclub.com) is one of the best municipal courses in the country and will host the 2008 U.S. Open. Golfers can stay either at the on-course lodge or a neighboring Hilton Hotel. Encinitas Ranch Golf Club (jcgolf.com/encinitas) also features ocean views, as does Sandpiper Golf Club in Santa Barbara (sandpipergolfclub.com). The best views of the ocean, however, are from the bluffs at Trump National Golf Club (trumpgolf.com) in Rancho Palos Verdes. If the $300 green fees scare you off, a more affordable option can be found at Los Verdes Golf Club a short drive away. Most of the holes at this mature course feature ocean views and green fees are under $30. With more than 125 courses in the Coachella Valley, multiple desert options are available. Many courses do everything they can to avoid a desert feel, but that’s not the case with the two courses at Desert Willow Golf Resort (desertwillow.com). The Firecliff course, in particular, is a quintessential desert layout with native vegetation, waste areas and elevation changes conspiring to make it a challenging test. Behind the 8th and 17th holes are replicas of stone formations found in nearby canyons that were the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Indians. There’s good reason why Smithsonian Magazine put this course on the cover in praise of its environmentally sensitive design. Desert Dunes Golf Club (desertdunesgolf.com) is another sterling desert course, with the Robert Trent Jones Jr. design taking full advantage of the desert dunes and vegetation. Golf options at La Quinta Resort & Club (laquintaresort.com), the area’s original resort, include two courses: the Pete Dye Mountain Course at the La Quinta Resort, which is carved into the Santa Rosa Mountains, and the PGA West Greg Norman Course. The latter is set in a plain 30 feet below sea level and every effort was made to make it seem as if the terrain was untouched by human hands. Native wildflowers and trees indigenous to the low desert, rather than palm trees and extensive water features, make this one of the most visually striking desert courses in the country. Though it has a new name, Terra Lago, formerly Landmark Golf Club, hasn’t touched a grain of sand, meaning there’s still the same beautiful courses there’s always been. Located in the foothills of Indio, Terra Lago (golfclub-terralago.com) includes two courses on rolling terrain that offer spectacular views. Of the two, the North Course is the most scenic. But a desert golf excursion wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Furnace Creek Golf Resort (furnacecreekgolfresort.com) in Death Valley. The course, built in 1931 and refurbished by Pete Dye in 1997, is 214 feet below sea level and coyotes and roadrunners are as common as golfers. Death Valley is a place of extremes where it’s not unheard of for the temperature to soar above 120 degrees, but in the winter months it’s a far more temperate place, particularly at its lower elevations, which includes the golf course. OregonWhen Bandon Dunes opened on the southern Oregon coast in 1998, it quickly became one of the most praised golf facilities in the country. But the acclaim generated by its three courses merely reinforced what locals, and a few enlightened tourists, have known for years: Oregon is one of golf’s best-kept secrets.The Running Y Ranch Resort (runningy.com) in Klamath Falls is Arnold Palmer’s lone design in the state. The course benefits from Klamath Lake and its wetlands, as well as a tree-lined canyon that includes dramatic drops. The 83-room Running Y Lodge, with its timbered ceilings and subtle luxury, is a nice place to stay if you want to explore some of the area’s biking, hiking, horse or wildlife viewing trails. Eagle Point Golf Club (eaglepoint-golf.com) is about 45 miles from Ashland and offers a 7,099-yard, Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed track that has some of the most diverse greens in the state. About 90 minutes west of Ashland is Grants Pass, as authentic a frontier town as there is in the Northwest. Located on the banks of the Russian River, Grants Pass is the portal to Oregon’s rugged coast and features some of the best whitewater rafting and fly-fishing in the country. It also includes Myrtle Creek Golf Club (myrtlecreekgolf.com), a course on rolling terrain that stretches more than 6,600 yards from the tips. The course partners with the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort (sevenfeathers.com), a 147-room facility on a tribal reservation. From Grants Pass, you’re a three-hour drive through the Coastal Mountains from the golf paradise of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (bandondunesgolf.com), which features two of the top-rated public courses in the country. The ocean property has been compared to a cross between Pebble Beach and Carnoustie, and the older Bandon Dunes, along with the newer Pacific Dunes, rank among the country’s best links-style courses. The Grove Cottages are designed with four golfers in mind, a perfect place to enjoy the secluded nature of the resort. About an hour north is Florence, which includes Sandpines Golf Links (sand-pines.com), a Rees Jones design that benefits from the natural coastal dunes landscape. The Sunriver Golf Resort (sunriver-resort.com), about 200 miles north of Ashland, was called one of the top 10 adventurous courses in the country by one national golf publication. ArizonaMost Southern California golfers think of Palm Springs or Las Vegas when it comes to desert golf getaways, but Arizona, which includes the most golf courses per capita west of the Mississippi River, is just as close as Nevada.With nearly 200 courses, ranging from nine-hole tracks to some of the most spectacular in the country, the Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe area is a great golf destination. The high season is January through April when temperatures are the mildest and green fees the most expensive. During the summer, the mercury often soars above 100, and the only thing hotter might be the nightlife. Some of the best high-end public golf is in Scottsdale, including the Pinnacle and Mountain courses at Troon North (troonnorthgolf.com), the two courses at Grayhawk (grayhawk.com) and the Rees Jones-designed Legend Trail Golf Club (legendtrailgc.com). The area also includes some fine resorts, including The Boulders (theboulders.com), the Phoenician (phoenician.com), the Shera-ton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, the Four Seasons Troon North (fourseasons.com), the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa (wigwamresort.com), and the Fairmont Scottsdale Prin-cess (fairmont.com). But if you’re looking for something more rustic, there are plenty of golf options in less- developed areas of the state. The Apache Stronghold Golf Club is 90 miles east of Phoenix on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation (apachegolfcasino.resort.com). At more than 7,500 yards from the tips, the course has ample challenge, and the resort includes a casino, hotel, museum and Native American culture. The artistic community of Sedona is the home of the 6,646-yard Gary Panks-designed Sedona Golf Resort (sedonagolfresort.com), which is set amid the natural splendor of red rock canyons and, at 4,000 feet, the temperature never climbs as high as it does in Phoenix. Oak Creek Country Club (oakcreekcountryclub) was designed by Robert Trent Jones and is another area option. There are ample hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts in Flagstaff and Sedona, but if you’re on a real Wild West adventure, consider camping in one of the region’s brilliant natural settings, including Slide Rock State Park between Sedona and Flagstaff. A Desert MasterpieceThe Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., makes a great first impression. The Sonoran desert in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains about 20 miles north of Tucson is love at first sight for people who enjoy the outdoors at its rugged best. Those who appreciate art and architecture will be mesmerized by the property’s clubhouse and its stimulating decor mere moments after entering. And after only two years of being open for play, The Gallery’s South Course — a pristine complement to the eight-year-old North Course — impressed golf officials so much that it was recently named the site of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship for at least the next four years. Golf fans, however, don’t have to wait until the matches next February to see the courses and acreage set aside for residences at Dove Mountain. The Gallery is a private golf community, but public play is allowed on the two courses on an alternating basis, and prospective members can rent one of the cottages on the property to get a firsthand look at what the club has to offer. The landscape, architecture and golf courses at The Gallery are stunning works of art in the Arizona foothills north of Tucson “We really like to be able to do that,” said project manager Wade Dunagan. “The two courses are equal in quality but different in design. Plus, word of mouth is the best advertising, and most of the people who visit or live here say wonderful things about us.” It’s easy to see why. There’s something eerily beautiful about the desert landscape, where colorful blooms, prickly vegetation and thousands of cacti stand sentry over the rolling, rustic terrain that stretches as far as the eye can see. The panoramic views of distant valleys, rock formations and mountains enhance the experience, whether you’re lounging on the patio or playing a round of golf. Both courses at The Gallery Golf Club take advantage of the location, and both layouts blend in with the surroundings and are immaculately maintained. The North Course, designed by John Fought and Tom Lehman, opened in December 1998 and stretches to 7,435 yards from the back tees. But unless you can play golf like Lehman, playing from one of the other three tee-box options — ranging from 5,301 to 6,693 yards — will be more enjoyable and take some or all of the forced carries out of play. Wide landing areas offer all players appropriate options from tee to green, and the bordering terrain is typically far enough out of play that the majority of risks are relegated to the interior of the course in the form of contours, bunkers and occasional water hazards. “Most desert courses penalize players for missing the fairway just a little bit. We don’t have that here,” Dunagan said. “We have a lot of native planting around the golf course, but it doesn’t necessarily come into play. We can’t save every shot, but we can save a lot of them, and that doesn’t happen on the more traditional desert golf courses.” The South Course, a solo effort by Fought that opened in December 2003, is slightly shorter (7,351 yards) than its older companion but feels more spread out. Part of that sensation comes from the massive, domed greens that Fought said are reminiscent of the putting surfaces at Pinehurt No. 2. “The greens at the South Course are turtle-back greens,” Fought said. “They are slightly elevated and built into the existing terrain. They feature edges that softly roll off and little subtle movements and hole locations that are distinct.” The course, which also has three other tee-box options that play from 5,215 to 6,928 yards, is designed to provide a stiff test for good players, such as the 64 professionals who will walk the fairways during next year’s opening WGC event, while allowing all golfers to enjoy an intriguing round. “We’re very proud of the South Course,” Dunagan said. “But I think a lot of people are pleasantly surprised by the condition of both of our courses.” As a privately owned, non-equity facility, The Gallery Golf Club offers regular and invitational memberships that will be capped at 390 members per golf course. A membership costs $65,000, with monthly dues of $475. Dove Mountain real estate options include golf cottages and a variety of custom lots. There are entitlements to build up to 13,000 homes, but in an attempt to preserve open space on the 6,200-acre property, ownership is limiting the planned development to no more than 6,500 homes. Lots range from $250,000 to more than $2 million. A 12-acre sports and fitness club opened in January 2005, and a network of paths and trails traverse Dove Mountain, including 23 miles that wind through the community and Tortolita Mountains, with a 2.5-mile private segment that climbs to 4,300 feet through Canyon Pass. Anyone curious about how The Gallery got its name will find out in the clubhouse, where the architectural style and numerous pieces of fine art will dazzle the senses. “The elegance of this place is evident inside and out,” Dunagan said. “I think that the beauty of this desert is unsurpassed.” |
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