When you look at the scorecard for the Sky Mountain golf course, you may think this it’s an easy peasy track. 6392 yards from the tips. To anyone who thinks that, all I can say is “Yeah, right!” Here are my views on Sky Mountain – The Course.
Sky Mountain Golf Course – Photo courtesy John Armijo
Even from the forward tees at a distance of 5044, Sky Mountain is a challenge.
There are no easy par 3’s, and the terrain plays tricks on your eyes.
Take the second hole, at 100 yards for example. Standing on the tee box, the hole looks like it’s downhill and that may make you change your mind about which club you’re going to take on the tee. Bad choice. Walk the hole and you’ll see: it’s actually uphill! After playing it a few times you decide to take a longer club and of course you nod up in the bunker at the back of the green.
The eighth hole is from an elevated tee to an elevated green from all tees except the forward tee. From the forward tee it is uphill 112 yards to a green that is almost impossible to keep a ball on it once it has landed unless it comes in really high. This green slopes drastically from left to right and the best way to attack this hole is to land it three feet from the green and have it roll on!
The 12th hole, 131 yards, has a lake along the left side to a bunker protecting the green and desert is to the left with an outcropping of rocks and a few trees. Long and right are out of bounds.
The 16th hole, 151 yards, is so well bunkered that you need to land the ball on the left centre of the green to keep it from rolling into a bunker. When I first played this hole there was NO bunker on the left and you could land the ball short and left and it would roll onto the green. Not now. They added a bunker there to compliment the two bunkers in place both to the right of centre. Long is OK as there is plenty of grass behind the green.
My duck friends. They would come running! to meet me when they heard my voice as far away as 150 yards. !
When I play from the forwards, the par 4’s are all reachable with my second shot. The first hole, 296 yards, is definitely an iron off the tee to around 110 yards. With a driver or three wood the ball ends up in the valley that is sloping to the left. A wedge from there is pretty tricky to the green. The green slopes AWAY from the fairway. Land on the green and your ball may just go into the desert over the cart paths. An iron from 110 is a much better choice to keep the ball on the green.
To read about Sky Mountain and Spring Break, click here!
Number three is 226 yards and driving this hole is possible but the hole is a dogleg and you need to carry a bunker at the green. A better choice is to play a wood or an iron so you can use a short iron into this green.
The 4th hole, 293 yards, has been my achilles heel from the very beginning. It’s a dog leg to the left with an uphill green protected by bunkers. Although the hole was re-shaped a couple of years back, it’s still a little devil of a hole. It has a two-level green with quite a bit of undulation. In order to place your tee shot for easy entry into this green you have to be able to draw the ball. From the tee you must carry the hill that is at the 150 yard marker. This hill slopes extremely to the right and a tee shot straight or with a fade will end up in the right rough. Good luck on this one.
My second Eagle at Sky Mountain Golf Course Hole #9
The 5th, 11th, 13th,15th and 17th are not long par 4’s. These holes are comfortable lengths and give you time to enjoy the course and the views. The 7th hole, 356 y arms is almost impossible to get on the green in two shots. From the 150 yard marker it is downhill all the way to the water! This pond goes all the way across in fron of the elevated green. A bogey is good.
The 14th hole is 347 yards but a dogleg to the left with bunkers along that side as well. The hole is downhill, then uphill, then slopes down to an elevated green. Par is great on this one,
The par 5’s are not too long, but each one is a challenge just the same.
The 6th hole, 406 yards. The 9th hole, 437 yards. The 10th hole, 368 yards and the 18th hole, 401 yards. All thes holes you can be on in regulation. Birdies can be had and even a few Eagles.
The views of the desert are always changing depending on the light on the red rocks and the time of day. It is truly amazing how different it can look from one day to the next. The desert is very appealing in that way. If I could put my finger on it, I’d say that’s what makes Sky Mountain Golf Course the most beautiful course in southwestern Utah.
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