If anything, most new golf courses are guilty of opening too early, trying to get those cash registers ringing and the revenues flowing in as soon as possible.
Not the new South Mountain course in Draper, which has had the opposite problem. The course has been ready and waiting for play for months, but the opening has been postponed while construction of a new road to the clubhouse, delayed by wet spring weather, was completed.It's not the first obstacle the course has overcome since it was begun in 1995. In 1996, it appeared the course would be purchased by Salt Lake County for $7.9 million, but the deal fell through, and eventually Crown Golf Properties of Chicago, Ill., purchased the majority ownership from developer Terry Diehl, who still has minority ownership.
Finally open for play, South Mountain is poised to take its place as one of the Salt Lake Valley's premier courses.
Part of South Mountain's attraction is that it's no ordinary golf course. Located at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley on the bench near where the widowmaker motorcyle races were held every spring, South Mountain was designed by former U.S. Open champion David Graham and Gary Panks. Situated on the side of a mountain, just above where hundreds of new homes are being built, it beautifully incorporates the natural mountain terrain into the layout.
No water hazards. Not a single tree planted on the whole layout, although a few natural scrub oak trees affect play on a couple of holes.
Besides a lack of water hazards and trees, the course is characterized by several two-tiered greens, roller-coaster fairways and beautiful views of the Salt Lake Valley to the north. Although there are no trees, clumps of natural scrub oak are found all around the course, mostly between holes and out of play.
The course isn't real long, just 6,145 yards from the middle tees, but like most new courses, it has anywhere from four to six tees on each hole. It can stretch to 7,080 from the tournament tees and 6,645 from the championship tees. While there are no lakes or streams that come into play, the course has plenty of bunkers - 60, give or take a couple.
"There are a lot of good holes with character," said director of golf Rob Kohlhaas. "It's a fun course, but very fair. As long as people don't play their egos, it's a fair course. The greens are extremely fair, with some subtle breaks. You won't find any elephants buried in them."
Each hole has its own name. Pioneer Crossing, Pipe Dream, Alta Pass and Quick Draw are a few, but the most appropriately named hole is No. 7, called Moguls because of its bumpy terrain.
After opening with a fairly wide-open 350-yard downhiller to a good-sized green, the par-5 No. 2 hole turns to the northeast and features a beautiful mountain backdrop.
No. 3 is a short par-3, just 125 yards from the middle tees over a small ravine. The green appears to be a narrow target, but the two-tiered green is one of the longest on the course. The short par-4 No. 4 hole also has a long green with a swale running through the middle. The fifth hole is one of the only holes without a bunker.
By the time you get to No. 6, you're at the southwest edge of the course, almost hanging out over the valley. This hole has seven bunkers with three in front to catch your drives and four up near the green.
Then comes "Moguls," with all its mounds, knolls and bumps along the fairway. The eighth hole is the longest par-3 at 230 yards from the back tees and 185 from the middle. The hole is designed with an amphitheater-like setting surrounding the green that should make most stray shots bounce back toward the double-tiered green. The long par-4 No. 9 heads back toward the clubhouse.
While the front nine is all southwest of the clubhouse, the back nine is situated to the northeast.
The 10th hole requires a drive over a chasm and a single pot bunker sits in front of the green. No. 11 might be one of the best on the course, a par-3 that requires a full shot over a ravine to a green that has more undulations than any on the course, with a lone bunker in front.
The 12th is one of the few doglegs on the course, and better golfers may try to cut the corner and try for the small green to the left. No. 13 is the longest hole on the course at 605 from the back tees, but at least it's downhill.
The 14th and 15th are uphill holes, while No 16 is a short par 3 that measures just 140 yards from the tournament tees and a mere 65 from the front.
The final two holes are toughies. The par-4 17th has an imposing tee shot to a target that is narrower than it looks and a small elevated green with a bunker in front. The long par-4 18th is called "The Wall" because of a wall of rocks that sit beneath the elevated green with loads of trouble below that.
The course also features a state-of-the-art driving range that includes five greens with flags to hit at.
Now for the bad news. Although it is a public course, South Mountain is the first real pricey golf course to hit the Salt Lake area. Weekday prices are $55, rising to $75 for the weekend. Those prices do include the cost of a cart, which will be mandatory because of the hills and distance between holes, another drawback in the design. Often the distance between holes is longer than the holes themselves.
To get to South Mountain, take the Bluffdale exit and go east on Highland Drive to Rambling Road (approximately 1300 East) and turn south. Another approach is through Draper on 1300 East to Highland Drive.