New Canyons Golf Course in Park City, Utah: Beautiful and tricky
PARK CITY, Utah -- Some 17 years in the making, the new Canyons Golf Course at Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, has opened up to somewhat mixed reviews. What everyone can agree on is that the course has dramatic elevation changes with stunning views.
All the holes are memorable and it's in great shape for a new course, which is operated out of a golf shop in the Grand Summit Hotel in Resort Village.
Controversial, perhaps, are the first four holes, which are very difficult for every level of golfer, so bring lots of golf balls.
The third and fourth holes, in particular, are tough. The third is a short downhill par 5, but it's such a severe dogleg that any attempt to cut the corner on a blind tee shot will most likely result in a lost ball. The fourth tee is several hundred feet above the green and the fairway is very narrow for such a demanding tee shot. Additionally, the firm greens have lots of movement and a few false fronts, meaning approaches have to be very precise and usually short of the hole.
No doubt, architects Gene Bates and Casey Bates were working with a dramatic, but difficult piece of land (just 97 acres) and were limited in their routing of the holes.
The course goes through the heart of the Canyons Resort footprint, featuring more than 550 feet of elevation change with spectacular views of the Wasatch and Uinta mountains and surrounding valleys. It begins near the Orange Bubble Express lift and heads up the Willow Draw area before winding its way around the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and down by highway 224 and back up toward the Orange Bubble Express. So if you throw out scoring expectations, especially the first time you play the course, it's a thrill ride from start to finish.