Ute Creek Golf Course
Longmont, CO
303-774-4342
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us
Design: 4 stars
Difficulty: 3.5 stars
Maintenance: 4 stars
Value: 4 stars
As mentioned in my Robert Trent Jones, Jr. posts, I was due to play golf with the man himself and needed to shake off a bit of dust, while also familiarizing myself with some of his work. Now, coming off of The Golf Fanatic’s Guide to Hawaii, in which a full 20% of the book is dedicated to his courses (ten out of 50), his style is not new to me but I thought it would do to see what he can do in the mountains.
The 18th at Ute Creek Golf Course
Ute Creek Golf Course, as it turns out, is not in the mountains, though you can see them in the distance on a reasonably clear day. The course is spread along the prairie at the edge of the town of Longmont, Colorado, and is actually owned and operated by the city. Approaching the course, agricultural land gave way to thick residential settlement, and it became clear that the course was going to be the centerpiece of cookie-cutter McMansions. This type of development is, of course, so prevalent across America today that it almost isn’t worth stating. It’s like proclaiming that there are depressions filled with sand scattered around the course, or making sure my readers know that colored flags are affixed to thin sticks to mark the location of holes.
Once through the subdivision, however, there’s a spacious lot, modern clubhouse, and a particularly fine practice area. A wide grass driving range, large putting green, as well as a big practice bunker and a pitching green complete the warm-up facilities. I would imagine that with such fine amenities, the aggregate handicap for golfers in the subdivision is probably a few strokes better than their friends across town who lack such pleasant facilities. Or at least it should be.
The price was modest at $34, but it was a work day so I bucked out another $15 for a cart. I had no trouble getting off as a single on an early-September, mid-morning Thursday, and I zipped right through four holes before I had to play through my first group. By the time I was ready to go off on #10, there was a wall of foursomes in front of me and I coupled up with another single who caught up with me.
The course features four tee placements, with the back tees measuring in at 7167 yards and the “gentlemen’s tees” amounting to only 6196 yards. Since the course sits at about 5000′ above sea level, all of these distances are pretty manageable. There are five lakes to avoid, and the eponymous Ute Creek snakes its way through the course and factors into many holes. There are only 55 bunkers dotting the course (a relatively paltry amount for a RTJ II course), but these punishments are deviously placed, and I found myself in an inordinate amount of sand. I found the local blue grass rough also quite difficult, as it is exceptionally grabby and shots that just miss the green may cost you when chipping (don’t forget to take a few hacks onto the pitching green before your round).
In my estimation the back nine holds the best holes: the par-5 11th (see diagram right) and the long par-4 18th. #11 is a dogleg left that tempts you with a chance to cheat a whole lot of distance off of the hole. A creek and waste runs along the left side, but if you hang it out over that and clear the fairway, you’ll have a good chance at taking the green in two. If you play it safe,a large bunker lurks at the corner to hurt on you. A creek crosses the fairway a hundred yards out and then angles into the right side of the green, meaning it’s risky to do anything but layup if you haven’t taken a big bite off the tee.
The closer is straight and long and into the prevailing winds. A lake sits along the right side from a full drive out all the way into the green. It’s easy to lean left off the tee, away from the wet, but a well-placed bunker is there to catch you if you show some faint of heart, and the green is not reachable from the beach.
The course was well maintained, with true-rolling greens and playable sand in the bunkers. The strategic aspects of the design mean that the course will hold up to repeated play, and I’ll be sure to get back that way as soon as possible. It is, without question, the most affordable Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course in the state.
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March 26th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Ooh Colorado? That might be too cold for me!