Sand Hollow

Sand Hollow Resort
Hurricane, UT

Sand Hollow is ranked the top course to play in Utah according to my friends over at the Golf Course Gurus and it did not disappoint. I would need a few more rounds to give it fully my top spot for the state but I can comfortably put it in a 1A/1B situation with the Gold Course at Solider Hollow.   We played from the black tees, which can stretch the course to over 7300 yards, but the course was playing closer to 7000 for second 18 of our 36 hole day (we played Coral Canyon first). Distance isn't the toughest part of the course, rather it's the big undulating greens and well placed bunkers. It seemed like the real grit of the course was found between holes 3-7 (a 200 yard par 3, two par 4's that are close to 500 yards and a par 5 that is near 600 yards) and how you played there could make or break the rest of your round. The back nine is along the edge of the canyon and provides some of the best views I've seen on the golf course. The in-cart GPS that gives you an accurate reading to the flag is always a nice bonus and should improve your scoring, if you trust it. We took advantage the twilight rate ($80/person) and teed off around 2:30 pm. The course was fairly empty for the great conditions and we finished with plenty of daylight. This is definitely a course I'm looking forward to playing again.

Coral Canyon

Coral Canyon Golf Course
Washington, UT

Coral Canyon was the first course to be played during our guys weekend this March. It was the second time I've played Coral and it was as good as I remember. As far as the layout goes, this course has a little bit of everything from par fives that lend themselves to birdies to short par threes where if you miss the green it's certain doom, as is the case with my favorite hole #6. My second favorite hole is the drive-able par 4, #8, which from the tips is only 312 yards. It forces a decision and you are just as likely to birdie as you are to bogey (as I did last week). There are a total of five par five's on the course including three in the last five holes, allowing you to make up (or lose) some serious ground in stroke or match play events. The course has great red-rock and desert views. Though you aren't that far out of the metro area, there is definitely a resort feel. The fairways were in good shape but the tees (not-level) and greens (cut short and nearly bald) weren't as good as they could have been.We were able to play the a course for about $50/person including cart thanks to Dixie Direct Card.

Golf Club of Estrella

A year has past since I wrote any reviews but after just returning from my annual trip to Arizona with my father, I'm dedicated once again. I have also given some thought to ranking courses after reviewing them by using the CIPA metric. (Don't worry if you don't know the acronym, I made it up. It stands for: Courses I'd Play Again.) Similar to last year, we played two new courses for us and enjoyed three Spring Training games. More on the the baseball later!

Golf Club of Estrella, Goodyear, AZ

After looking for courses on the west side of the Phoenix Valley, Estrella popped up as one of the Top 20 Courses You Can Play in Arizona according to GolfWeek. The pictures on the website lead you to believe that this course a Nicklaus designed desert golf paradise. That was far from the truth. For the most part, the course was generic, nestled between a planned community, and worn down thus making the $115/person rate seem very over-priced. You could see where the last 30 cups had been cut on each green and there were plenty of un-replaced divots. This was much different than what we had experienced at the last Troon managed course, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, we played which was in great condition. The worst hole on the course in my opinion was #5, ironically named "Oasis", with a large fake pond guarding the left side of the green and lined by homes. The first 16 holes of Estrella could have been dropped in any locale (Nevada, California, the flat parts of Idaho) almost as a "strip-mall" of desert golf. Jack Nicklaus II did save the best for last, the 17th (pictured) and 18th holes had impressive elevation changes and views, but that was about all worth remembering from the course.

Papago Golf Course

Papago Golf Course

I didn't quite know what to expect from Papago but we needed a course close the airport and I had viewed plenty of interesting pictures and videos from the The CartBarnguys. I was pleasantly surprised! But not by the looks of the place... The clubhouse is a modular and has been for the last eight years according to one of real Cart Barn guys. The staff looked cozy in there, baking cookies and telling jokes. Cart Barn guy went on to explain that the Arizona State University golf teams will soon use Papago as their home facility and when they do, they will build a new clubhouse. At this time though, no visible clubhouse construction. Anyways, once you get past the modular clubhouse and the unkempt desert areas, the red rock views and immaculate condition of the tees, fairways, bunkers, and greens made Papago a memorable experience. The course was a classic competition course with a great mixture of long and short holes according to their par. There were plenty of scoring opportunities on a few short par 4's and plenty of opportunities to make mistakes with properly placed bunkers. Overall, though far from a resort, Papago was a great track and a place that I would be happy to call home if I lived in the area. The round cost roughly $85/person with cart.