The drive goes past the silo, off the cliff, across the racetrack, over the waterfall, around the corner, over the trees, up the hill and onto the green.
Just another routine shot in Utah golf.
Thanks to dramatic elevation changes, scenery and backgrounds, Utah is home to some highly unusual golf holes. Making this nine-hole list is not entirely a compliment or a criticism, because some would call these holes goofy, while others would say they are intriguing - probably depending on how the golfer has just played one of them.
Regardless, they are memorable. This is not a "Divine Nine," necessarily, just a collection of holes from Utah public courses that are the most striking because of their design, setting or topography, occasionally resulting in some unusual local rules.
No. 7, Canyon Breeze GC, Beaver
Horses have the right-of-way, according to the signs, the barns are out of bounds and the dirt is considered a lateral water hazard. That's all fair, considering how this par-5, 485-yard hole plays through the adjacent race track.
The tee is in the infield, creating the widest fairway in Utah - except that half of the manicured grass is out of bounds, funneling golfers to the left, away from the barns on the other side of the track.
The second shot must carry over the track to a fairly narrow opening between trees on the left and barns on the right, and balls occasionally take crazy bounces off the rails. As they go in and out of the track, golfers are cautioned to watch for horses exercising during the mornings and evenings. The hole is closed on race days.
No. 2, Millsite GC, Ferron
For roughly four weeks a year, beginning in mid-June, the tee shot on this par-4 hole requires dealing with possibly the most intimidating 50-yard carry in golf. That's because the water is pouring over a spillway at Millsite Dam, creating a loud, spectacular scene in front of the tee.
Golfers "think they're hitting over Niagara Falls when that thing's roaring," said Millsite pro Jordan Leonard.
The hole plays less than 300 yards, so most of the challenge is in focusing long enough to deliver a decent drive across the canyon.
No. 4, Palisade State Park GC, Sterling
This par-3 hole offers a spectacular view of the valley to the right. The straight-ahead look is more frightening, setting up a shot of 159 yards from the middle tees that must carry over a vast canyon and yet not be too long, because the thin green is backed by a shelf. There's a small bail-out area to the left, but otherwise, the shot has to be perfectly placed - and club selection is tricky from the elevated tee.
No. 4, Canyon Hills GC, Nephi
The 50-foot-high silo to the right of the tee on this par-4 hole is a tribute to the site's agricultural history. Looming like former Jazz center Mark Eaton, the silo blocks some shots and influences a lot of others.
The hole is a slight dogleg-left, and the silo is not designed to come into play. Yet from the back tee, it is not uncommon for right-handed golfers worried about hooking to start their shots too far right, and have the ball carom back over their head into the parking lot. During a recent men's league outing, two golfers in one foursome hit the silo.
No. 15, Cascade Golf Center, Orem
Cascade's second nine was originally envisioned to be built across 800 North, only to have that property long ago become the site of the Osmond Studio. So the only place for new holes, when they finally came into being, was in the other direction - straight up the mountain. The holes can be fun to play for those who know where they're going and have perfect aim, but the practicality factor is quite low. The evidence is in the local rule for the dogleg-right, par-5 No. 15, which instructs golfers who can't find their drives to use a drop area in the fairway, with only a one-stroke penalty.
No. 1, Cedar Hills GC, Cedar Hills
One of Utah's newest courses has been controversial, with management changes, property issues and revenue shortfalls. Regardless, the layout is striking and it gets golfers' attention, right from the start.
The first tee stands some 175 feet above the fairway and requires a significant carry over wasteland just to get there. First-time Cedar Hills golfers "are awestruck, because they've never played anything like it," said course manager Jim Madsen. "We tell people to watch out for the first step, because it's a doozy. It's literally like hitting off a cliff."
No. 16 Old Mill GC, Salt Lake County
Built in an old gravel pit, Old Mill unfolds into a giant bowl with mostly wide fairways for 15 holes, and then shrinks to fit its last three holes amid the scrub oak below Wasatch Boulevard. Standing on the par-4 16th tee is a shock - "Like you wandered off the course," said Fred Siler, an Old Mill regular.
Playing only 244 yards from the white tees, No. 16 is a slight dogleg-right hole that yields some holes-in-one. But the green is hidden from the tee - that's why golfers finishing the hole are asked to ring a bell - and reaching it takes a perfect drive.
The fairway is only 22 yards wide at one point and few foursomes avoid losing at least a ball or two.
No. 9, West Ridge GC, West Valley City
This par-4 hole features a 90-degree, dogleg-right design.
From the blues tees, flanked by trees, there's really only one strategy: a straight shot of some 200 yards to the flat area that lies well above the green, followed by a demanding, 180-yard shot to a green with bunkers in front and back and a pond encroaching on the right. The white tees offer the option of driving over a maintenance shed and the pond to the green, requiring a 260-yard carry.
No. 5, Eagle Mountain GC, Brigham City
Built at the mouth of Sardine Canyon, Eagle Mountain incorporates the land flowing from the highway into the valley. Or the other direction, in the case of the par-3 No. 5. Squeezed into the available space, the hole climbs so steeply that even though the blue tees are just 110 yards from the green, only the top of the flagstick is visible. So our tour ends with a surprise, upon arriving at the green and discovering where the shot ended up.
kkragthorpe@sltrib.com
