Monday, August 22, 2011

Bad Review of "Sand Hollow", Hurricane, Utah

4 in the morning and up and at 'em. Played the "best public course" in Utah, "Sand Hollow" (John Fought architect). Strikingly beautiful. Bunkers suck, red dead clay and stones. Can't be the best therefor. If they are going to do that dead bunker thing, just rather extend the desert in strips. Don't call a hole in the desert a bunker. That's not "natural" as the claim is. It's a hole with a big lip. BUNKERS HAVE SAND ON A REAL COURSE! Cost me and everyone I played with 6 strokes. Bunkers are not supposed to be for chipping practice off of hard-pan. I recommend the white tees here if you are not too long off of the tee. It's still worth playing once (with a camera) but I won't be back.

Then topped the day off with Land Hill petroglyphs in the Santa Clara River Reserve. Awesome stuff and 50 mile per hour winds on the hill where the "rock writings" (or Tempi'po'op in Southern Paiute) were.
Boy, when I'd rather drink water than beer it is hot! On the drive home was lucky to keep the temp gauge on the vehicle under 230 degrees. Got to get a fan clutch before I get to Scottsdale, Az. to play Troon North (The Monument), one of the best golf courses on the planet. Because the sand bunkers have sand! And it's strikingly beautiful. And it's a Tom Weiskopf.
Two really strong beers (1 Lithuanian, 1 Guinness Stout) and two great cheap cigars, then dinner at 8 brings me to bed with "She got legs and knows how to use them".

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Kokopelli Golf Course and Greetings from Kanab

Here's a gorgeous golf course in the middle of nowhere (Apple Valley, Ut.). Stunning desert scenery abounds, including lava fields. Bring your camera but not your golf clubs. I can't call this a "hidden gem" because for the average golfer it's penally unplayable. Like Wolf Creek in Mesquite, just stunning but cruel. I played this baby twice and birdied and parred the #3 handicap first hole. Unfortunately the numbers 1 and 2 handicaps are completely unscoreable.
 COURSE CLOSED
If you are normally an 18-22 handicap (average golfer) you have no chance on this track to stay in double figures, unless you cheat. The contours on the fairways and roughs, plus the terrible conditioning. tennis ball bounce the ball out of play unless shots have pinpoint accuracy. The greens are slick with ridiculously unreadable contouring. Pool table hard grounds, 20 yard wide landing areas, bad sand bunkers. Whoopee!
All that and Western Diamondbacks too!
This is probably a great challenge for a scratch golfer. I wouldn't know. The club pro said that his best score is 70. That should tell you something.
I was told that this was a Summerhays course but I'm seeing  Beddo on some websites. Whoever, it's some monster.
If it was taken care of there might be a chance here. This course just takes the will to score away.
BEFORE YOU SAY "YEAH BLAH BLAH BLAH", I've played Pebble, Pinehurst #2, all of the Bandon Dunes courses, The Prince, The Bear in Michigan. I know golf. I like penal, but Kokopelli is a torture chamber.