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KEYSTONE — Most people might go into a High Country round of golf expecting the course to mimic its surroundings. That is to say, it's expected for a mountain course to have changes in elevation as dramatic as the peaks that jut up alongside them.
I know that was the case for me when I first moved to the county.
But as you traverse the local tracks around here, you realize that most of them remain relatively — I use this next word loosely — flat considering the terrain they're built on.
The Keystone River Course, though, is a whole different story.
As the younger sibling of the Keystone Ranch, the River Course is about as up and down as a golf course can get. Really, it might be the county's best example of “mountain” golf.
(Side note: Being called the “River Course” may be a bit deceiving, as the course only has four holes where the Snake River is even visible. And not a single hole on the back nine has water.)
From the opening tee shot on the 551-yard first hole to your final swing on the par-5 18th, you're likely to see more elevation change in one round of golf than you've had in a whole season combined.
This can be a good thing and a bad thing while playing. For instance, two of the course's par-5s (Holes 1 and 18) are significantly shortened by downhill tee shots. And the course's only real long par-4 by today's standards (the 506-yard 16th) can be hit with a short iron after a solid drive. By the end of the round, it doesn't seem the course plays to its full distance of 6,886 yards from the back tees.
But that elevation change seems to be what actually makes the course pretty tricky to score well on.
Sure, you can blast a tee shot right down the middle on the 408-yard 10th and only have a wedge left into the green. It should be a birdie chance, right? Well, not necessarily. You see, the 10th hole gradually drops in elevation from the tee to the green. So when you grab the tape for that wedge shot, you're not quite sure what the yardage will play. The sprinkler head might say 96 yards, but it could play as short as 80 yards with the slope. Then you factor in the wind, which has much more time to attack a downhill shot, and you're pretty confused.
At least, I was.
The course's main defense, though, doesn't take away from enjoying the experience of playing the course. Far from it, really.
For the most part, the best part of a round of golf is being outside on a beautiful course. Golf is the best four-hour break you can get in a day.
And the River Course is great for it. From its lush fairways to rolling greens, it's one gorgeous up-and-down ride.
I know that was the case for me when I first moved to the county.
But as you traverse the local tracks around here, you realize that most of them remain relatively — I use this next word loosely — flat considering the terrain they're built on.
The Keystone River Course, though, is a whole different story.
As the younger sibling of the Keystone Ranch, the River Course is about as up and down as a golf course can get. Really, it might be the county's best example of “mountain” golf.
(Side note: Being called the “River Course” may be a bit deceiving, as the course only has four holes where the Snake River is even visible. And not a single hole on the back nine has water.)
From the opening tee shot on the 551-yard first hole to your final swing on the par-5 18th, you're likely to see more elevation change in one round of golf than you've had in a whole season combined.
This can be a good thing and a bad thing while playing. For instance, two of the course's par-5s (Holes 1 and 18) are significantly shortened by downhill tee shots. And the course's only real long par-4 by today's standards (the 506-yard 16th) can be hit with a short iron after a solid drive. By the end of the round, it doesn't seem the course plays to its full distance of 6,886 yards from the back tees.
But that elevation change seems to be what actually makes the course pretty tricky to score well on.
Sure, you can blast a tee shot right down the middle on the 408-yard 10th and only have a wedge left into the green. It should be a birdie chance, right? Well, not necessarily. You see, the 10th hole gradually drops in elevation from the tee to the green. So when you grab the tape for that wedge shot, you're not quite sure what the yardage will play. The sprinkler head might say 96 yards, but it could play as short as 80 yards with the slope. Then you factor in the wind, which has much more time to attack a downhill shot, and you're pretty confused.
At least, I was.
The course's main defense, though, doesn't take away from enjoying the experience of playing the course. Far from it, really.
For the most part, the best part of a round of golf is being outside on a beautiful course. Golf is the best four-hour break you can get in a day.
And the River Course is great for it. From its lush fairways to rolling greens, it's one gorgeous up-and-down ride.
