Summer Golf in Park City – A Golfer’s Paradise

The Park City area is home to several world-class golf courses. Many are comfortably couched in elegant country club settings or gated communities. Some are open to the public. All feature stunning vistas and challenging terrain. Ranging in elevation from 5,000 to 8,000 feet, most of the courses covered here are well over 7,000 yards in length. Fortunately for area golfers, the ball flies a long way in Park City’s thin air. Here are snapshots of several outstanding area courses:

PROMONTORY CLUB PARK CITY
promontoryclub.com

Jack Nicklaus called the Painted Valley golf course at Promontory one of the best golf course design opportunities of his lifetime. At a stunning 8,100 yards in length, the links-style course rewards big hitters. “There aren’t many courses in the nation that are longer,” says Promontory Director of Golf Ryan Kartchner. The veteran PGA professional admits it’s a very challenging course, but says forward tees and wide fairways that slope toward center make the course “very playable.” The Pete Dye-designed Canyon course is more player-friendly according to Kartchner. “It has very wide fairways, so it’s very forgiving off the tee and especially on the greens. There’s a lot of slope and undulation and incredible views. On the back nine there are a lot of elevated tee shots and smaller greens. It’s just a lot of fun to play.” The 12th hole is the signature hole and Kartchner’s favorite on the Painted Valley course. “It’s a long par five, 678 yards from the elevated back tee. You hit down to quite a drop-off, very scenic. On the Dye Canyon course, I like the 14th. It’s a risk/reward hole with lots of options for approaching the green.”

It has very wide fairways, so it’s very forgiving off the tee and especially on the greens. There’s a lot of slope and undulation and incredible views.”
– RYAN KARTCHNER
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

CANYONS GOLF
parkcitymountain.com

Canyons is the shortest course on our list, but more than makes up for it with an astounding 550 feet of elevation change. Designed by veteran course architects Gene and Casey Bates, the public course is crammed into just 97 acres and features dramatic views from many elevated tee boxes. Justin Johnson, Canyons Director of Golf, has played golf around the world and says he has never seen topography like this. “We actually ski on this course in the winter, that’s the allure of Canyons golf. It’s not traditional, it’s unique and memorable. It’s not a bombers paradise, so you play a lot of hybrids and irons off the tee.” Johnson’s tongue-in-cheek advice for first-time players is “Grab a drink, don’t keep score and leave your driver in the bag. This is a course where you need to just have fun and think your way around it.” The signature hole and Johnson’s favorite is the short, par three 5th, “You’ve got the most amazing views of the whole property and it’s also one of your better chances at birdie.”

“This is a course where you need to just have fun and think your way around it.”
– JUSTIN JOHNSON
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

REES JONES GOLF COURSE AT VICTORY RANCH
victoryranchutah.com

The Victory Ranch course in Kamas, designed by renowned designer Rees Jones, has been dubbed “a setting that rivals the game itself.” It’s an apt description for a course highly rated by Golf Digest magazine. With an impressive elevation change of some 400 feet, the course offers spectacular views of Jordanelle Reservoir and surrounding Wasatch mountain peaks. Director of Golf, Chris Brandenburg says most fairways are wide so you can miss, but you can’t miss big. “All the fescue grass and sagebrush we have up here can really mess up your day. The greens are well-bunkered, tough but true.” Brandenburg says the signature 17th is probably the most photographed hole in all of Utah.” It’s a par three coming back down over Jordanelle. It’s tough but it plays easier than it looks.” His favorite hole is the 5th, a par five over a ravine. “Every shot is a risk/reward. You can lay up off the tee and get there in three or you can take a chance and reach the green in two.”

“The greens are well-bunkered, tough but true.”
– CHRIS BRANDENBURG
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

JEREMY RANCH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
thejeremy.com

The iconic Jeremy Ranch golf course is the oldest private golf and social club in the Park City area. The only Arnold Palmer signature golf course in Utah, Jeremy opened in 1981 to rave reviews that hold true over 40 years later. This magnificent course drapes across a ridge north of Summit Park before spilling into a wide, lush canyon flanking East Canyon Creek. The creek meanders lazily through the beautiful course, gathering its fair share of errant golf balls. Jake Hanley, Jeremy’s Director of Golf and PGA professional, says the par three 4th is their signature hole. From the 191-yard elevated tee, sluggers swing mid- to long-irons or hybrids to reach a well-bunkered green, surrounded by aspen and spruce trees.

“The par three 4th is our signature hole, an occasional moose or deer like to visit this hole as well.”
– JAKE HANLEY
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

TUHAYE AT TALISKER CLUB
taliskerclub.com

Hovering at 6,800 feet above nearby Jordanelle Reservoir, surrounded by elegant custom homes, the Mark O’Meara-designed Tuhaye course is magnifi cent. Sited among undulating stands of scrub oak and sagebrush, several of the par four holes are over 500 yards in length from the back tees. A number of natural ravines must be cleared on the back nine and the closing holes all run uphill. “Th e golf course can be visually intimidating off the tees, but the fairways are actually very wide. O’Meara did a good job of making the tee shots look scary,” says Thomas Barksdale, Director of Golf at Tuhaye. The longtime PGA pro considers the 580 yard, par five 3rd the signature hole. “It plays downhill toward Jordanelle Reservoir and looks straight up the backside of Bald Mountain. It’s absolutely beautiful,” says Barksdale. His favorite hole is #4, a long par four at 483 yards. “It’s not a complicated hole, but it’s very fun to play. You can take a bunch of different lines from the tee. A long high fade puts you in position to go for the green with a 9 iron or wedge. It never plays the same from one day to the next, depending on wind conditions.”

“The golf course can be visually intimidating off the tees, but the fairways are actually very wide.”
-THOMAS BARKSDALE
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

RED LEDGES GOLF CLUB
redledges.com

Nestled in beautiful Heber Valley, this striking club course is yet another Jack Nicklaus designed signature course. Wide fairways meander through brilliant red rock, sage and juniper trees overlooking the picturesque valley. Abundant elevated tees drop sharply to well-bunkered greens. “With the dramatic natural topography and stunning views, the course we designed at Red Ledges is among the finest in the West,” says Nicklaus. “The course is not only beautiful, it’s fun to play,” says PGA pro and Director of Golf Jon Paupore. “Each hole is very unique and very memorable. The first time you play it can be very visually intimidating, but the more you play it the more you know where to place your shots. It’s a golf course that I never get tired of after 12 years.” When Nicklaus was asked to choose his signature hole, he slyly responded, there are 18 signature holes.” Paupore says his favorite hole is the 14th. “It’s a risk/reward, par five overlooking the valley. If you hit a good tee shot you can go for the green in two. There’s some trouble around the green, but if you hit it you can go for an eagle.”

“The course is not only beautiful, it’s fun to play. Each hole is very unique and very memorable. It’s a golf course that I never get tired of after 12 years.”
– JON PAUPORE
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

PARK MEADOWS COUNTRY CLUB
parkmeadowscc.com

This traditional Scottish links course, which opened in 1983, occupies the heart of Park Meadows on the northern edge of historic Park City. The Jack Nicklaus designed course features wide fairways, laced with 105 bunkers, an abundance of water and quaint wooden bridges. Like Jeremy Ranch, it’s also been home to many PGA senior tour events. It’s a classic country club golf course,” says Eric Johnson, PGA Director of Golf at the Meadows. “You can walk it, play it a couple of times a week and there’s still variety and excitement, depending on which way the wind is blowing. There’s not much elevation change but it’s a clever design. Precise approach shots are key.” Johnson says the 12th hole, a short par three from an elevated tee, is his favorite. “It’s a really cool view and fun to watch the ball in the air.” He adds the most notorious hole on the course is the 15th, a par 5 with an island green.

“You can walk it, play it a couple of times a week and there’s still variety and excitement, depending on which way the wind is blowing. There’s not much elevation change but it’s a clever design. Precise approach shots are key.”
-ERIC JOHNSON
DIRECTOR OF GOLF

SOLDIER HOLLOW
soldierhollowgolf.com

Rising up Midway’s Wasatch Back near Heber City, Soldier Hollow’s two 18-hole public courses are among the best in the state. Designed by Gene Bates (who also fashioned the near vertical Canyons course) the championship “Gold” course winds through native grasses and scrub oak for just over 7,700 yards from the championship tees. Lower on the mountain, the “Silver” course is the tamer of the two courses, with shorter and wider fairways. Chris Newson, the Head PGA Professional at Soldier Hollow, says his signature hole would have to be the par four 18th. “It’s a difficult driving hole with a pond on the right and structures on the left, uphill to a two-tiered green,” he says. His favorite hole is the 4th, a dogleg par four, 400 yards long.” It’s a blind shot from the back tees, looking up at Mt. Timpanogos and down over the Heber Valley. You can lay up on your second or go for the green. I think it’s the most challenging and picturesque hole on the course.” His signature choice on the Silver course is the par three 15th. Newson has this advice for playing both courses, “If you select the proper tee box you’re going to set yourself up for a better day. The fairways are generous on both courses, but you can get out of
position rather easily if you end up in the weeds.”

“If you select a proper tee box you’re going to set yourself up for a better day.”
-CHRIS NEWSON
HEAD PGA PROFESSIONAL

SOURCESteve Phillips
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