Tri-state cliffhanger

Wed 9th

Today I played Sand Hollow in Utah. This course is very new and my GPS map from last year didn't have the correct roads to get there. Fortunately I left earlier enough that this didn't matter. The journey itself was quite interesting. It took about 50 minutes and I cut across the North west corner of Arizona on my way from Nevada to Utah. This takes you along a pass through the mountains which was quite spectacular but unfortunately I didn't get and photos, thinking I'd do it on the way back. When you finally come through the pass and into Utah you see a spectacular snow capped mountain range. This backdrop could be seen from any where on the course. Despite been told to turn around and go back by the GPS I did finally find the course.

I played with 2 retired Engineering professors from Oregon and the 3 in front of us were there 2 wives and a friend who's husband has passed away. The 6 of them had done a lot of travelling around the world and even been to Perth. We had a very pleasant day and Owen had a 77 which he was very pleased with.

The carts had GPS screens in them showing distances to bunkers and green fort each hole as you played. it. Fortunate for me since I no longer have my laser range finder.

The first 9 was not too different from Casablanca other than the sand colour which was the red typical of iron oxide (not unlike our Pilbara). Green fairways, not quite as lush as CB and fast greens, with sudden edges and desert as rough.

I was generally playing well but every time I strayed into the rough I had a double bogey. I also seemed to get doubles if I got into a sand trap despite getting out in one shot every time.

Once you get to the back 9 things get quite dramatic. The par 5 10th is well below the clubhouse level and after a par 3, there are the 4 cliff side holes that make this course so spectacular. They consist of 3 par 4s and the signature par 3 15th.

There are at least 7 tees for this hole ranging from the far left over the cliffs to the more friendly tees on the right where you are at least hitting along the short fairway.

You then head back through the desert to the club house. On the 16th I did my best drive of the day. The greenside bunker was (according to the GPS) 281yds to the front but I was 20yards past that and about 10yds off the left.


In the end I had and 86, playing of the white tees with the men. The red tees  were over 1000m shorter so I didn't think that was a bad result. I had 8 pars and 1 birdie. I didn't lose any balls (or drive into any lakes)

The group asked me to join them for dinner and we headed back to the nearby city of St George and had steaks at the Texas BBQ place. They were a friendly group and I enjoyed the company and the meal. One of the ladies had also been a professor and one of the others commented that she couldn't believe she was sharing a table with 4 PhDs.

It was about 7 when I left and by then it was dark, hence no photos of the pass on the way back either.

I stopped off at an outlet store place I'd seen on the way in and finished up buying 2 pairs of slacks from the van Heuson shop. These were originally priced at $133 (for the 2) marked down to 50%, then and extra 15% on that price and then a 10% discount on the total purchase. Came down to under $50.