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Being someone who knows how to work with what they have at hand, I have the utmost appreciation for Haystack. This is a course that comes with no pretense, or snobby elitism that one often finds at other courses peopled by mostly rich old white men.
Instead, some very friendly, cool staff greet you respectfully at the counter, send you on your bucolic round, or pour you a beer and catch up on news and niceties.
Because the course is not manicured with a toothbrush and green spray paint, you may find some pine needles on a green, or some deadfall that blew out of the Cottonwood stands along the beautiful waterway. You may also encounter a large friendly king snake on a fairway, and see evidence of elk, deer and bear in places. Even Haystack Mountain is a picturesque sight, especially with the snow covered Divide as its backdrop.
I have been golfing on and off at this course since the 80's, as a permanent rank amateur. It has recovered nicely from the flood damage it incurred, and is beautiful year-round. It is a Hidden Gem, as far as I am concerned. My only regret about giving this review is the props I'm giving the course, and the subsequent crowds that will soon be filling the fairways.