OREM — It was 37 years in the making, but Orem finally has an 18-hole golf course. Well, sort of.
The new back nine at Cascade Fairways has been open for a couple of weeks. Even though it gives Cascade and the residents of Orem 18 holes for the first time, the new nine will probably have to be operated as a separate nine, rather than an extension of the front nine.
Why?
First, it's about a five-minute cart ride from No. 9 green to No. 10 tee. Second, it's a similar cruise from No. 18 green to the clubhouse. But mainly the front nine is a leisure stroll along tree-lined fairways, while the new nine is an adventurous ride on steep mountain cart paths over hills and through gullies.
The back, which sits high on the foothills above the front nine holes, is a rider's nine only. So, if you're a walker, you'll have to stick to nine holes, play the front twice, or give in and get a cart. If a cart is the way for you, then you can now tee it up for 18 at Cascade.
Also, if you're a grip-it-and-rip-it kind of golfer, you'll enjoy the front nine a bit more. If you like the challenge of hitting to narrow fairways and target landing areas, no matter what club it takes, you'll find the back nine a definite challenge. There's not many opportunities on the new nine to pull out the driver and let the "big dog hunt," if any.
The new layout has three short par 3s, three short par 4s and three short par 5s. But you better hit it straight or you'll be searching the high weeds and brush for your ball.
"Most of the holes back here have a lot of risk and reward," said Cascade owner Keven Stratton.
The 10th hole is a 155-yard par 3, from the blue tees, that runs east along the hillside and is a little downhill. The left side of the green is an upper tier and there's a huge boulder that guards the left side. The 11th is an uphill par 5. If you hit a straight drive you'll have a middle iron or short iron remaining to get home in two to the severely-elevated green. No. 12 is a pitch-shot par 3 that shares the same horseshoe green with No. 11.
When you get to the par-4 No. 13 you'll have to decide for the first time whether to play it safe with an iron for a short pitch, or pull out a wood and try to drive the green on the downhill, dog-leg left hole. No. 14 is a sandwedge-to-nine-iron par 3 that is protected in front by a bunker.
The 15th hole is the second chance to hit a driver, unless you're a big hitter. A tee shot of about 230 yards with a little fade on it leaves about 170 yards around a hill to the green for another eagle opportunity.
The next two holes are both lay-up or go-for-it par 4s. No. 16 is straight away along the mountainside that is reachable for big hitters. The 17th hole is uphill, requiring a long-iron lay-up or a gamble to reach the green with a fairway wood off the tee.
The finishing hole is a par 5 like no other. It curves downhill through a gully around a hillside. From the elevated tee it's an iron shot to find the fairway, but if you avoid the hillside you'll have a short iron left to set up a final-hole eagle attempt.
"It will probably take golfers a few times playing the course to get familiar with where to hit it and then they can take advantage of their local knowledge," Stratton said.
The fairways on Cascade's back nine were sodded last summer and are in excellent shape. The greens, however, were seeded and are still a bit immature. But there's one part of playing Cascade's back nine that's been there from the beginning — an incredible view of Utah Valley.
More information on Cascade is available at www.cascadegolfcenter.com.
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com