Hole 1
Par 4
447 | 432 | 414 | 404 | 371 yards
The opening hole is a great par 4 to ease into your round. Not a short hole, but a massive fairway is offered since the first and ninth hole share this area. There is OB down the right side but there is plenty of room off the fairway down that side before you would find that.
The line off the tee is just straight down the hole at the Resort's hotel or the greenside bunker complex. The scrub down the left is pretty far away, around 290 yards, depending on your tees.
If you play down the right side of the hole you will need to then carry the large bunker complex that sits about 65 yards short of the green.
Looking to your left is the first of many stunning views that you will find on the course. I mean come on, this is ridiculous!
From the left side of the fairway, the approach into the green is much more open than down the right side. The fairway does narrow to a small neck as it passes by the bunker complex.
As you hit your approach into the green be aware that this green, like many on the course is enormous. A pair of bunkers does flank the left side of the green but really this green is so large that only a terrible shot is likely to find a home down in that sand.
A shot of the first green taken from the back right corner. This green is a large oval and is almost 60 yards from front to back. While not the most undulated surface, that is a good thing as you can have some very long lag putts on this one.
Hole 2
Par 5
577 | 556 | 545 | 497 | 446 yards
The first par 5 of the day is a long one. From the tee your view to the hole is partially obscured by the scrub brush in front of the tee. The fairway you can see is dominated by a large center bunker that sits about 230 yards from the tee. It is possible to carry that bunker. While the bunker plays tricks on your eyes, this fairway is actually pretty large. At the bunker the fairway actually stretches almost 80 yards across.
This is the first hole where you start to experience some of the tremendous red rock formations on the course. While these are not in play they do make for a great backdrop to the hole.
The large central bunker has a rather elevated face, making a lengthy exit from it unlikely.
Beyond that bunker the hole descends towards the green. Another bunker jumps out from the right, narrowing down the hole about 100 yards from the tee. At this bunker the hole turns to the right, with the green tucked off the center line of the hole.
Closer to the green, a pair of bunkers frames the far edge of the fairway and will collect wayward long second shots. For those playing this as a three shot hole, you just need to layup short of the right cross bunker, or just to its left for a wedge into the green.
The approach from the left side of the fairway, here from about 120 yards, is fairly open. The green here slopes back left to front right. A slope to the left of the green is to be avoided, as is the bunker that guards the front right corner of this triangular shaped green. Finally, a pair of bunkers sit behind the this much smaller green, than you find on the first hole.
Hole 3
Par 3
208 | 195 | 182 | 170 | 134 yards
Set in front of an outcropping of red rocks, this longer par 3 at first appears rather unimposing.
However, subtle hazards await you off the tee. A pair of bunkers visually frame the front corners of the hole but should not come into play. A false front of the green, especially on the right half of the hole can repel balls not hit far enough.
The green is about 50 yards wide and 35 yards deep so even if you find the green off the tee, you may have a very long couple of putts. As you can see, the green also runs off to the left and back behind the hole.
Hole 4
Par 4
463 | 439 | 429 | 402 | 344 yards
The 4th is a dogleg left which features a pair of waiting bunkers down the right side of the fairway off the tee. The closer of these is about 200 yards away and the further is 280 yards. Finding the fairway is key here as the boundaries of this hole is framed by the same brush that sits in front of the tee boxes. In general this brush is some really thick stuff, so unless you get really lucky any ball hit into it is likely not to be found much less played.The fairway narrows to only about 30 yards adjacent to the second bunker. If you play short of that or can get over it you have a little more generous landing zone.
Our playing partners included William Dale Beddo. Here, Dale is teeing off on the 4th hole. Dale is an accomplished golf architect, having worked with both Nicklaus and Palmer at times. His career is winding down with his final work being the BYU course. He also was involved in a new private course being built nearby to Sand Hollow called "The Rock"
Dale was a great guy to play with. He put up with my Dad and I hacking around with him. Dale is probably the best golfer I have ever played with personally. It was just awesome to watch him play.
Check out this card on found online of a tournament he was in, enough said:
Anyways back to the 4th hole, the closest bunker off the tee is shown here. If you get into this one, or the next one on the wrong side you have to just chip out with those high faces towards the green. You can see the green off to the left as the hole turns and then descends back towards the resort's hotel.
The approach into the green is largely unguarded. There is a large bunker on the left but it is some 40 yards short of the green and is more a visual distraction than an actual hazard. There is one small bunker sitting of the right side of the green.
This is another large oval green, close to 40 yards at its widest. After you finish this tough long hole, make sure to stop and admire the view back up the hole to the mountains beyond. Wow!
Hole 5
Par 4
355 | 347 | 306 | 292 | 244 yards
The 5th turns back and plays opposite and just adjacent to the 4th hole. Significantly shorter this is an easier hole for that reason and for the wider fairway to tee off into. A large bunker sits down the right side about 250 yards out. There is plenty of room to miss that and stay in the fairway, which is 80 yards across at its widest point.
Another shot from the forward tees and the absolutely stunning backdrop of Signal Peak, located in the Pine Valley Mountains in the Dixie National Forest.
Looking off to the right on the hole you can see the kind of thorny scrub that awaits wayward shots.
The approach into 5 must traverse a pair of bunkers flanking the fairway. The left bunkers is some 20 yards in front of the green but the right one wraps around the front corner of the green.
This green is circular and around 30 yards across. There is room to miss long with a sloped collection area wrapping around below the back of the green.
Hole 6
Par 4
493 | 468 | 442 | 430 | 354 yards
Another longer par 4. This one is a relatively narrow dogleg left. While the previous hole offered a wide fairway, this hole shows more teeth. Off the tee you see a long bunker down the left. This is not really in play as it can easily be carried. A good line is just on this bunkers right edge.
Over the crest of the hill from the tee the hole descends slightly all the way to the green. Sitting around 280 yards from the tee is a rock outcrop in the center of the fairway. I can imagine a few people having hit a good drive might land on this thing, sending there ball who knows where.
From that rocky outcrop you have maybe 170 yards to the center of the green. A big bunker looks to just out from the left. This hazard is again more visual intimidation than a true hazard being about 50 yards short of the green.
The other bunker, down the right stretches from about 30 yards out to the edge of the green and presents more of a problem on your approach.
With the high face of the bunker on the right, hitting into there can quickly spell problems. There is plenty of room to miss left of the green, and even room behind the green, where another slope behind the green funnels balls into a collection area. There is even a bunker located back there, though I can't imagine it gets a visitor more than a couple times a month.
The green is another large oval canted diagonal from the fairway. At its longest dimension it is close to 50 yards, so taking that into account on your approach is important so you don't end up taking more putts than you'd expect.
Looking back up the hole you can see the small elevation change as the hole descends from about 180 yards to the green.
Hole 7
Par 5
577 | 563 | 537 | 500 | 453 yards
The second par 5 on the front requires carrying the cross bunker that runs into the fairway from the left side. Another trap that is more of a visual challenge than one you'll need to contend with. A good drive will not have a problem carrying that.
Over the top of this first bunker is another expansive landing area before another cross bunker on the left squeezes the hole down.
On your second shot should you carry the left bunker, another one joins the fun from the right about 50 yards from the green.
A final pair of bunkers sit covering the front left of the green.
Should you play up the right side of this hole, and carry the bunker down that side, the approach into the green is wide open, like is shown here.
The green is another oval shape, with a much wider dimension then depth as you approach. The green is relatively flat to the rest of the hole so long shots in can run up, should youo avoid the various bunkers along the way.
Hole 8
Par 3
162 | 158 | 141 | 135 | 121 yards
A short par 3 that offers plenty of sand and a deep green to make up for the distance of the tee. A trio of bunkers hug the right side of the green. With another large bunker below the green on the left.
There is room to miss short but the green is elevated and the slope in front of the green will repel balls away that do come up short.
This hole is at the base of another great red rock formation.
With the green turned diagonally from the tee, there are a lot of possible pin placements with the green again stretching almost 50 yards from front to back.
Hole 9
Par 4
433 | 404 | 374 | 364 | 317 yards
The final hole plays back to the clubhouse. An uphill hole, this hole actually begins your slow climb up to the pinnacle of this course on the back nine. The backdrop of this hole is incredible with the clubhouse perched up above the green and in front of the large rocks.
It is about 240 yards to the first bunker down the left side. That sand squeezes down the fairway slightly, but over the top of it is a wider landing area some 50 yards across.
The hole plays uphill the whole length so on your approach make sure to take enough club to account for that. Your approach will need to carry the large bunker front and center. You also must navigate a pair of traps on the right side of the green
Up on top of the hole is another massive circular green that is 30 or more yards across.
A look back from near the clubhouse of the ninth green and the fairway down below.
Front Nine Conclusion
The first 9 holes at Sand Hollow were fun to play. The holes had length to them but the large firm fairways offered plenty of room to swing away.While I was playing here I found myself thinking it felt a lot like The New Course I played in Orlando. While this course didn't offer quite the wall to wall fairways like that course did I did feel it had a very "links-y" atmosphere to it. The holes didn't feature much if any of the "target" style golf I associate most of the courses in the Southwestern U.S.
Honestly though probable the most memorable thing about the front nine were 2 things not directly related to the golf course itself.
The first would be the marvel at watching Mr. Beddo control his golf game. That was a truly a thing of wonder to witness. I think it also elevated my game just trying to somewhat keep up, or to be honest, just not embarrass myself!
The other most memorable mention goes to the stunning scenery. With the distant snow-capped Dixie Mountains, and the more localized red rocks, the colors were just so amazingly vibrant.
And while these things made for a fun round, it wasn't the font nine that keeps me thinking back to this round as maybe one of my favorites played out in the Southwest. Nope, the reason this round shot to one of my favorites in a long time is what awaits on the back nine...
Back to the Introduction...
To the back Nine...
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