Sand Valley

The Sand Valley Resort is incredible. The golf, the staff, the food, the location, everything was amazing. I went for a quick 2 day trip and was able to play Mammoth Dunes twice and Sand Valley once. Mammoth is not as challenging as SV, but is such a fun course. Super wide fairways, large greens and large bunkers make this course a bombers paradise, but accuracy still matters if you want to have the right angles into pins/greens. The course was in excellent condition and the onsite staff and amenities were all very pleasant. The food here is a hidden gem with $1 sandwiches, hot dogs and tacos. Also reasonably priced beer and liquor. Overall an amazing experience and I can't wait to go back.

This was my 2nd trip to Sand Valley resort, but it was my first time actually playing Sand Valley. Sand Valley sits away from the main clubhouse, and seems mysterious given that all you really see from the main site is Craig's porch.

Standing on the first tee, you're greeted with a sprawling layout, where it's obvious very little dirt was moved to create the tough, but fair and fun layout you're about to tackle.

The opener is actually fairly easy, and is driveable for longer hitters. But it isn't very long before you're hit with a series of really challenging holes where great shots are rewarded, but less that stellar shots are repelled by the runoff areas around the greens.

Sand Valley really presents a nice contrast to Mammoth Dunes. While Mammoth is wide and forgiving and more "shaped", Sand Valley is rougher around the edges, a bit more penal and definitely requires more thinking to get around. Our caddies said that most golfers shoot 7-10 shots higher on Sand Valley. This was definitely true for me.

Speaking of caddies. Our foursome had two great ones. I definitely recommend spending for the caddies. They made the entire experience even better.

With Sedge Valley opening in 2 years, and options for guests to play Lido, Sand Valley is going to be the premier Midwest golf resort. And the namesake/original course will always be a must play!

First off-SV is notches below Bandon Dunes .Service from front desk was lacking big time. I still haven't received a cop of my bill a month later.I cant possibly describe how bad my caddie was but in general I paid for a forecaddie for the group and not once in 36 holes was any fore caddying done-just to give you an idea.The courses are good not great-SV was blah.Mammoth dunes was very enjoyable.My room was excellent.Not worth the trip from the East Coast-go all the way to Bandon or head overseas

No golf course has ever made me feel like Mammoth Dunes did. I pride myself on a great sense of direction, but I was completely lost while traversing Mammoth’s incredible landforms. Some courses make you feel like you’re separated from the rest of the world, but here, you feel like you’re on your own planet. I have never been as excited to hit golf shots in my life. The variety of landscapes and shot requirements are out of this world. There’s nothing like watching a golf ball bound, ricochet, and tumble on these enormous golf holes. You have a stadium all to yourself and it’s hard not to smile. It’s a routing masterpiece. Sand Valley is a really special place and Mammoth Dunes just might be the best (and most fun) course I’ve ever played. I’m already planning my next trip.

I don’t normally go on vacation to get my teeth kicked in by a golf course, but that’s what happened at Sand Valley (and I still had a blast). Not much can compare to that anxious feeling I got while standing on Craig’s Porch, waiting for the starter to call me over. It’s hard to take everything in while mentally preparing for what lays ahead.

The course is immaculate, views are surreal, and shot requirements are unmatched. The incredible routing makes for a surprisingly easy walk, despite the massive inland dunes you traverse. It’s one of those courses that you need to feel your way around; you can throw your normal golf game out at the door (thankfully, the Sandbox prepares your short game).

Each hole throws you a new problem to solve and you won’t find yourself pulling the same clubs very often. The magnitude of this golf course paired with the resort experience made for some incredible fun. Sand Valley is a pretty unforgettable golf course.

If you’re looking for endless fun, look no further than the Sandbox. It’s so good that my group was rushing to play it after a 36 hole, 12-mile day. The masterminds at Sand Valley know not everyone enjoys golf in the same way and the Sandbox serves as a place to let loose and play the game your way. We hit shots on this short game playground until the pitch-black night sky overtook us both days we were there. I don’t think there’s a better metric for success than that. The food truck and hang-out space by the 1st tee is a nice touch as well. I could play the Sandbox every day for the rest of my life and not run out of ways to enjoy myself (and sharpen my short game).

I loved sand valley. The hotel we stayed in was nicer than most hotels and is right next to the sandbox par 3 course. The clubhouse is massive with an amazing pro shop, food, and places to hang out. The main range is 400 yards long and their is a smaller range that is up by the sand valley course and a smaller putting green. Sand Valley has incredible views and is very fun to play with holes that are reachable with a drive and also has holes to lay up on. It is pretty easy and the greens are huge. It feels like a links course combined with a sand dune combined with a christmas tree farm. My favorite holes were 1,2,3,8,12

We were fortunate enough to stay on site for 4 days and play this course twice. It’s was enjoyable for me at a 12 handi and my brother in law who totes a 27. It was unforgettable fun, for everyone in our group of 16 golfers. The layout was great and with the wide fairways that you can’t miss....except the fairway bunkers that called to me a few times, made the pace of play just right. We never waited and never held anyone up. This is a top 10 destination for any golf group who likes to stay and play rather then drive all over to get to play a great set of courses like the two they have on site. Great caddies made golfing there a pleasure. Great pro shop also with fair pricing

I have booked golf trips for my brothers and our friends for 30 plus years at many great golf resorts.. Only a few would I say is a must and this property and it’s golf courses is a must. They know what the golfer’s needs are and delivery an over the top experience . The course and their caddies were a match made in heaven for every player regardless of their skill level. Everything was fantastic, the food, accommodations , golfing and the staff know how to make us golfers feel like we were the most important guests they would have that day..... and that was everyday. It’s a value based on what you got and how you are treated at every course and meal

Had an incredible time here. Fairways are slighter tighter than Mammoth Dunes but still provide ample targets. Course was in superb condition with very fast greens. Tee boxes are links style so not always flat. Holes are challenging to the eye with deceptive fairways and hidden greens and if you're not in the sand you'll be hitting from a very firm lie.

The accommodations here are super nice and very clean. So many picturesque spots. If you can go for a couple days I highly recommend. Staff was super nice and the caddies were helpful and amenable.

We had called weeks ahead to schedule an actual tee time here as we were staying 30 minutes away. We got there an hour before our tee time and the pro told us no rush, but he could get us off early if he wanted. When we went to tee off 15 minutes early, they told us they were going to have to kick us off earlier to get a bigger group in. Pretty disappointing,to get no call ahead of time or even tell us when we got their early to start right away. Seems like sandbox is super casual and if you aren't staying at the resort I would not recommend heading over cause it seems unorganized.

Need to kill time while onsite at Sand Valley? Probably not but the Sandbox is worth 2 hours of your time. The 17 par-3 holes all play shorter than 150 yards and yet you'll struggle to score better here than at just about any other short course you've played.

From mind-boggling slopes to extra firm surfaces, The Sandbox is best enjoyed as a casual round to have fun and not for scoring well. Many of the pins are in impossible locations and the best way to play each hole is often the most indirect way with a club you'd never normally consider (arguably the best way to play the course is with just three clubs: a putter, a sand wedge, and a short iron).

However you choose to play the course, just make sure you don't leave Sand Valley without playing it, you won't regret it.

There are few golf courses I've played that ellicit an emotion other than just "this is a great golf course" or "I'm having a lot of fun out here". There's a handful of them that raise that emotion to another level, to an almost spiritual nirvana. I'm talking about that feeling of "I wish I could stay here forever" kind of thing. Tobacco Road, Gamble Sands, and now Mammoth Dunes is added to that list (along with its sister course, Sand Valley).

Like Gamble Sands (central Washington), Mammoth Dunes is a David McLay-Kidd design and incorporates some of my very favorite golf course features. It's very much a links-style course with very firm fairways and greens that reward you for creativity and strategic play. Aiming for the center of fairways and at the pins on the greens isn't the best way to play here. The design pushes you to think outside the (tee) box and look left, right, front, and back of where you think the target landing spot is because often times the best option is one of those.

There are so many incredible holes throughout the course and amongst the group of 16 that I played with, each golfer had their own favorites. For me the highlights were the par-4 6th with the horseshoe green, the par-3 13th that is nestled in the ridge, and of course the driveable par-4 14th.

The course conditions are world-class (as you'd expect for the price) and it's a lot of fun to experience the tough, firm, fescue turf. You just don't get this kind of golfing experience hardly anywhere else in the US.

The price is, well, it's daunting to say the least. I think this will be my last $200+ round I ever play and it's not because this course doesn't deserve the price tag--it very much does. But I played poorly and paying $50/hour to play poorly just doesn't sit well with a "budget golfer" like me. This is a tough course and I think I could better endure some rough play when it's in that $110-165 range.

Even still, this is a fantastic course and a one-of-a-kind experience. Every golfer should play here at least once.

You can't believe the size and scale of Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley resort until you see it with your own eyes. I thought I was prepared, but I was totally blown away by the sheer width of the fairways and size of the greens. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.

Mammoth Dunes is definitely a 2nd shot golf course. While there are a few well placed fairway bunkers, the majority of your tee shots will find the fairway, but that's where the challenge begins.

The greens at Mammoth Dunes are firm and fast with an unreal amount of slope. You have to hit your ball to the right spots on greens to have a chance at birdie, while wayward shots will leave you with a difficult 2 putt. Bogey is an easy score to get on this course, but par and birdie is a bit tougher.

The fine fescue in the fairways and greens is a really firm playing surface, so the course plays much shorter than it's yardage. That being said, I still recommend you play it forward as you'll want shorter clubs into the challenging greens.

The greens to come off as gimmicky in a few places to me. There were a couple of times when I hit the shot exactly where my caddie told me to, but ended up just on the wrong side of a slope or on top of a slope, leading to a 3 putt.

Overall Mammoth Dunes is a must play if you love golf. At $225 it's an expensive round. When I go back I will look for shoulder season opportunities, as the course would be an incredible value at half it's stated price.

My favorite hole is the long par 4 5th. The view from the tee is incredible, the approach offers options and the green is very fair.

The Sandbox at Sand Valley Golf Resort is a nice little add-on to any round at the resort. It's a good way to tune-up for a round on one of the big courses, or to wind down after a round at one of the big courses.

This Coore/Crenshaw short course has a wide variety of holes, ranging from very short (39 yards at 13 the day we played) to 120+ yards. Many holes can be played along the ground, but some do require flying it on the green.

The greens are very demanding and firm, such that many less than perfect shots end up being rejected, leaving a challenging up and down.

At $65, I'm not sure The Sandbox is worth multiple plays when you're on-site, but it should be played at least one time.. Additionally, it can get to be a longer round, as 17 holes (even short ones) takes 90+ minutes to play, so make sure you budget enough time.

My favorite hole is the 3rd hole, which has a green that I feel will lend itself to holes-in-one!

Much like its sister course Mammoth Dunes, Sand Valley offers a unique golfing experience that rises to a near-spiritual level. The ambiance of the scenery and the contours of the course elicit an emotion I've rarely encountered anywhere else. To walk this course is like a 4-hour glimpse of heaven.

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are the perfect architects for this plot of land. The design fits so seamlessly with the terrain you'd swear it was already here when they built the resort.

Sand Valley is also the perfect compliment to Mammoth Dunes. Its features are more subtle and conservative but perhaps even more beautiful and pristine. The variety of holes and shots to play will entertain you from now through eternity. You could probably play the whole course with just a single club from your bag 14 different times and have fun each time in different ways.

The conditions are immaculate, every aspect of the course is in perfect shape and looks and plays wonderfully. That does come at a cost: at $225, there are few who would call this place a "great value" but it certainly earns its premium price tag. But perhaps playing it in the off-season would be worth the chuck of change saved.

The resort is great as well, with friendly, professional staff and great food.

Make the trek to Sand Valley, spend 4 hours walking the course then spend another 4 hours walking Mammoth Dunes and soak it all in. It will be the highlight of your year, I guarantee it.

After playing our morning round at Sand Valley... it was time to play the second of the two courses. Couldn't believe it, but thought Mammoth was even better! Not sure if it was because we got the first round jitters out playing at Sand, and were much more ready for our Second Round on Mammoth. Regardless, what a great time on Mammoth. Fairways were even more wide open, same goes for the greens. Have not stayed on property yet as a friend of ours has lake house on Castle Rock Lake. For Labor Day Weekend, we are staying on site at Sand Valley. Further reviews to come! You gotta make the trip up to Sand Valley Golf Resort!