With Seven Peaks Golf Course now open, golf no longer has to be an all-day event.
Located east of the water park along the mountainside of east Provo, the 3,100-yard, par-58 course offers quick access and quick golf for those who don't have the time to spend all day on the links.With a short and fairly easy layout, and carts mandatory for the back nine, golfers can expect to play nine holes in less than two hours and 18 holes in a little more than three hours.
With 14 par threes and four par fours, Seven Peaks is a good place to work on your iron play. Though most holes are short, accuracy is a must. Golfers likely will find holes 1 through 5, 14 and 15 the most challenging.
If you only want to play nine holes, play the front nine; they're more mature than the back nine and offer more variety.
The short layout also makes Seven Peaks a good place for beginners to play without fighting the crowds. And for those who want to play golf but don't know what to do with the kids, the water park across the street can be a good baby sitter.
For a new course, most of Seven Peaks' greens show maturity. That could be credited to the fact that Seven Peaks is the only public golf course around that mows its greens with hand mowers.
Perhaps Sevens Peaks' biggest asset is its practice facilities. The course has an excellent driving range with yardage markers staggered about every 50 yards to help golfers with distances. The range prices, $2.50 for a small bucket and $3.50 for a large bucket, are competitive with the prices of surrounding ranges.
The course also has a practice putting green and a green for chipping and hitting green-side bunker shots. Only a few blocks from downtown Provo, Seven Peaks is perfect for the golfer who wants to get a little practice in during lunch. This week golfers can get a large bucket of balls and a gourmet hamburger for $5 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
If you're looking for variety and a challenge, however, Seven Peaks will probably disappoint you. Most of the holes on the mountainside are alike, either short and straight uphill, or short and straight downhill.
Also, most holes don't play to the distances on the scorecard. Golfers likely will not hit more than a wedge on about nine holes. Even the average golfer will want to play the blue tees at Seven Peaks.
Seven Peaks' prices also may keep golfers away. At $15.50 for 18 holes and $9 for nine holes on weekdays, and $17.50 for 18 holes and $11 for nine holes on weekends, Seven Peaks is the county's most expensive golf course. The prices do include carts, but many golfers don't like playing golf out of a cart. And if you choose to walk the front nine you only get a $2 discount.
However, even though the steep prices and lack of variety may keep some golfers away, they'll also likely keep Seven Peaks as the place to go for a quick round of golf.