Arg's Travel Log

[StoutKing]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Decided to stay in today. I'll hit the brewery tomorrow after my round at The Moab. Spent the afternoon paying bills, and booking golf in Grand Junction for early next week (Redlands Mesa and Lakota Links so far), an RV park in Provo, and planning my visit to Arches National Park on Friday.

 

Looks like quite a bit of hiking at Arches, as many of the arches are off the main road. Hopefully Canyonlands is a little more friendly. Lol. 

 

Oy. Just looked at the Arches National Park website, and apparently one must reserve an entrance pass. If one doesn't reserve a pass for May in February, then you have to wait until the day before. They note that passes sell out quickly. Hopefully I can snag one tomorrow, or it'll be a long drive for nuttin. 

 

Delicate arch is a good and popular hike.  Crazy that you need reservations now.  

[Argonne69]

15 hours ago, StoutKing said:

Delicate arch is a good and popular hike.  Crazy that you need reservations now.  

 

My local playing partner this morning said that one can enter the park before 7 am without a timed entry pass. If I don't succeed in getting a pass today, then I'll take a chance with an early arrival. If I can't get in I'll continue on to Canyonlands. 

 

[Argonne69]

Wonderful morning. Been on a lucky streak with the weather and pace of play for the most part. The Moab GC today. Another inexpensive muni with a semi-nice piece of property, but a lackluster design. I say semi because the holes near the clubhouse are your typical, boring, flat parkland style holes with zero character. The handful of holes east near the red cliffs are very good with a couple of elevated tees. Fairway bunkering is non-existent. Greenside isn't much better. Water on two holes, and only two holes with any left/right movement. 

 

Easy off the tee with generous fairways and zero bunkering. A couple of holes had some side slope that could kick a drive down into the rough. A couple more had trees at the start of the fairway, so if you're a really low ball hitter you could face issues. Minor misses were no problem. Big misses might get lucky in an adjacent fairway, but would most likely be lost in the desert. Approaches were moderately tough only because the greens were tiny. Bunkering was light, and almost all sat at fairway height. The greens had little contouring, but half did have some decent slope. Putts from above the hole were dicey. Up and downs were fairly easy, as the greens weren't raised. 

 

Par 3s were mixed. The 4th and 12th were pretty good. Good variety of lengths. 5s were meh. The 5th was reachable, but no real risk. The others were simply long. The sole short 4, the 8th, wasn't bad. Less than driver with a pond at the end of the fairway in play, leaving a short wedge to a small green over the water. 

 

Conditions were pretty poor. Must have had a rough winter. Fairways were either bare dirt, dead grass, or shaggy, uneven turf with weeds. Rough was actually decent. Bunkers looked OK. Greens were a little light on grass, but were rolling OK. Speed was 10. 

 

Played a Gold/Blue combo at 6420 yds (71.4/130). Driver has been a good boy lately, and the irons were solid, but hitting those tiny greens was a challenge. Luckily getting up and down was straightforward. One birdie and five bogies. Highlight of the round was having an empty course to myself after my two speedy playing partners played ahead on the 6th while I hiked up to the Gold tees.

 

I was originally thinking four, but I have to go with 3 cows. The handful of very good holes don't make up for the rest of the boring ones. Needs the usual stuff to make it interesting. Normally I can overlook a few blemishes in the conditions, but this one needs serious work. The $52 rate wasn't horrible, but I felt it was still overpriced. I believe the closest courses are Green River and Hideout, and each is 55 minutes from Moab. If you're willing to trek an hour north or south, they're probably worth the trip. 

 

Edited May 16 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

The Moab GC, Moab, UT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/nhd2gy43vhmjlqqpp19js/AISj2cII_tcKiJ-Fj2N-yes?rlkey=1rvr5hcsi5yx66g030qqqj7hy&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Seems like ages since I played an early morning round and then sat down at a proper brewery for a tasty pour from a tap. Alas, it'll have to wait for a few more days at least. I was looking forward to the Scotch Ale and Belgian Tripel at Moab Brewery, but the two beers are only available in (pricey) 20 ounce bottles. Went with the tripel, which is actually very good. Probably try the Scotch Ale tomorrow. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

I was able to purchase a timed entry pass for Arches for tomorrow morning, so I'm happy that I don't have to get up extra early. I'll try to get there by 7:30 am to beat the crowds, as I expect the limited parking spaces to fill up quickly at the viewpoints and trailheads. 

 

[Argonne69]

Gorgeous day at Arches National Park. The timed entry practice may be a pain, but it does help manage the crowds. Only had a couple of short waits for a parking spot at the viewpoints. 

 

Beautiful park with grand vistas, and of course the rock formations and arches. The main road is 18 miles from the entrance to Devil's Garden Trailhead. There are a pair of short spur roads to The Windows and Delicate Arch. There's also a 7.5 mile unpaved road to Tower Arch best suited for high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles. While there are a few viewpoints that offer great views of the park, most of the arches require a hike. A couple are short, but some of lengthy. Plan to do some walking. 

 

I hit most of the viewpoints to snap a few photos, including Park Avenue, La Sal Mountains, Courthouse Towers, Petrified Dunes, Balanced Rock, Salt Valley, Fiery Furnace, Sand Dune Arch, Skyline Arch, and Tapestry Arch. A few required a short hike to get a good view of the formation. 

 

The first hike was a 1 mile loop around the North and South Windows. It was worth the hike to get a view from the sunlit side. 

 

From the same trailhead I hiked a half mile to Double Arch. Very nice. 

 

The next lengthy hike was the highlight of the day, a 3 mile out and back hike to Delicate Arch. The hike includes 500' of climb. There are a pair of viewpoints that don't require a lengthy hike, but they only offer distant views of the arch from across a canyon. Nothing beats seeing it up close. If you're going to do one hike, this is the one. 

 

The final hike of the day was through Devil's Garden to Landscape Arch. Beautiful rock formations along the way. The DG trail is a 7 mile loop that includes a primitive trail that is primarily sand and scrambling. If I get a chance to visit the park again, I'd like to tackle the full loop. After stopping at Landscape Arch, I continued on with the intention of stopping at Navajo Arch and Partition Arch. However, the trail got extremely steep a few hundred yards north, and by that point I was out of gas. Decided to call it a day. 

 

Very different experience than Zion and Bryce. Rather than a small canyon, the park is quite expansive. I bet the backcountry is beautiful. If you don't hike, it's still a wonderful drive through the park. 

 

[Argonne69]

Arches National Park

 

Park Avenue 

 

 

 

Balanced Rock 

 

 

North and South Windows 

 

 

Double Arch 

 

 

Delicate Arch 

 

 

Skyline Arch 

 

 

Tapestry Arch 

 

 

Devil's Garden 

 

 

Landscape Arch 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5ytp0csmw1f41wg0brphq/ALOVAlryR75KOfVMfXchcZE?rlkey=95t4amoucyumxamao3sdeysth&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Lol. I'm beat. It was only in the 80s by late morning, but there's very little shade on the hikes, and it felt much hotter. I probably covered 6 miles today, which was more than enough. I'm hoping that Canyonlands tomorrow is a little more driving, and a lot less hiking. 

 

Stopped for a Scotch Ale at Moab Brewery. Quite tasty. Early start again tomorrow morning. The drive to the Island in the Sky Visitors Center at Canyonlands is 50 minutes north from the RV park. Unfortunately the park appears to be split into two sections. The southern "Needles" section is 75 minutes south. I doubt I'll have time to hit both areas. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Ended the day with barbeque. After a big meal, I'll be in bed by 8 pm. Lol. The Blu Pig is a Cajun/Blues themed joint. Started with a bowl of gumbo. That was mighty tasty. Unexpected for the area. Nice kick. 

 

 

Q was decent. The burnt ends were a mixed bag. The tips were a tad too burnt, and dried out. The remainder was very good. Ribs were disappointing. Meat was dry, and the wet sauce wasn't quite a barbeque sauce. The Cajun link was very good. Nice and juicy with a nice kick. Beans and mac and cheese were good. Cornbread was borderline dry, but I've had worse. The sweet sauce was OK. The black pepper and garlic sauce was interesting. Don't recall ever having something similar. Can't say it's must visit, but if you're craving BBQ in town, it's passable. 

 

 

[StoutKing]

Are you headed into SW Colorado?  It's a beautiful drive with hiking and hot springs.  Not sure about the golf though...

[Argonne69]

8 hours ago, StoutKing said:

Are you headed into SW Colorado?  It's a beautiful drive with hiking and hot springs.  Not sure about the golf though...

 

I'm heading to Grand Junction tomorrow morning. Might take route 128 along the Colorado River to I-70 instead of retracing my steps on US-191. Not sure if the river route is good for a large RV.

 

I have rounds booked at Redlands Mesa, Lakota Links, Battlement Mesa, and Devil's Thumb.

 

After that I'm heading back west to Millsite and then on to Provo and Salt Lake City.

 

[StoutKing]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I'm heading to Grand Junction tomorrow morning. Might take route 128 along the Colorado River to I-70 instead of retracing my steps on US-191. Not sure if the river route is good for a large RV.

 

I have rounds booked at Redlands Mesa, Lakota Links, Battlement Mesa, and Devil's Thumb.

 

After that I'm heading back west to Millsite and then on to Provo and Salt Lake City.

 

Sounds good.  I've always liked the area around Telluride, Silverton, Durango and Pagosa.  Really pretty.  Might be a tough drive in Bessie though.

[Argonne69]

Wonderful morning at Canyonlands National Park. Pesky clouds spoiled a few photos early, but they cleared out for the most part. The park is very different than Arches. The main draw are the stunning vistas instead of rock formations. The park is split into 3 sections by the Colorado River and Green River. There are no bridges over the rivers, so the sections must be visited separately. I was in the northern Island in the Island in the Sky section. It's called Island in the Sky, but it's more of a peninsula. The main road south of the entrance is on a plateau with the Colorado River and a vast canyon to the east, and the Green River and a vast canyon to the west. The road forks six miles south. Hang a right and it's a 5 mile drive northwest to the endpoint at Upheaval Dome. Continue south for six miles and you terminate at Grand View Point Overlook. The park is often referred to as the mini Grand Canyon. The canyons are half as deep as the Grand Canyon, but twice as wide. Stunning views. Unfortunately there was a bit of a haze in the air today.

 

There are a handful of overlooks that can be visited without the need to hike. The Grand View is the best of the bunch with a fantastic southern view of the confluence of the two rivers. Shafer Canyon Overlook isn't too shabby. The park is visited by less than half of visitors to Arches, but it's certainly worth a visit. My biggest complaint was that parking was very limited at the overlooks. Expect to wait for a spot at times. 

 

There are several unpaved roads that descend into the canyon for the adventurous. I noticed a handful of 4x4s heading down into Shafer Canyon. Bet that's a blast. 

 

Started, and ended, the visit with a stop at Shafer Canyon Overlook. Wanted to get a few nice photos with some sun after the cloudy start. One can stand at the rail, or take a short hike down to an outcrop with wonderful views of the canyon. 

 

Next up was a short hike to Mesa Arch. Not an overly impressive arch, but the views of the canyon through the gap are pretty cool. 

 

Stopped at Whale Rock for a one mile hike to the top. Nice 360 degree views. 

 

Next up was a 1.5 mile hike to the 1st and 2nd overlooks at Upheaval Dome. The science is split, but the leading theory is that the dome is a meteor crater. 

 

Stopped at the Green River Overlook for some fantastic views of the Soda Springs Basin. Candlestick Tower Overlook and Orange Cliffs Overlook provided similar views. 

 

Grand View Point Overlook was the next stop. Stunning.

 

Stopped at Buck Canyon Overlook for a nice view of the Colorado River side, and views of the mountains to the east. 

 

Hiked 1.6 miles on the White Rim Trail to an overlook on the east side. Almost missed this one because it's not on the brochure, and the trailhead starts in the picnic area. Definitely don't miss it. The end of the trail has a rocky outcrop that looked a little too crazy for me. Lol. 

 

Unfortunately time doesn't allow for a visit to the southern Needles section of the park. Apparently it's the better part for hiking. Maybe next time. 

 

Beautiful national park that plays 2nd fiddle to Arches, but it's not to be missed. If you love the Grand Canyon, you'll definitely enjoy a visit here. It's quite a hike from Moab, but it's worth the drive. With more time, and a little more energy, I would have liked to hike down into the canyons, but the shortest hike is still several hours. 

 

Edited May 18 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Canyonlands National Park 

 

Good morning 

 

 

Mesa Arch 

 

 

 

View from Whale Rock 

 

 

Upheaval Dome 

 

 

Green River Overlook 

 

 

Grand View 

 

 

Buck Canyon Overlook 

 

 

White Rim Overlook. You walking out there? I'm not walking out there. Let's ask Mikey, he'll walk out there. 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wll5lfq4zksw762hqd5rm/AEZ1QZSbjq3yYGsvh6wKnLA?rlkey=e9rdyyb7nmlke3wbm1cdq3xgu&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Quick stop at Proper Brewing Company at the north end of Moab for a nice Proper Beer English Golden Ale. I believe the beers are brewed in Salt Lake City. 20 taps, but not much for my malty tastes. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

El Tapatio in Moab. Salsa was very tasty. Mole enchiladas were pretty good. Plenty of moist chicken, but the mole was underwhelming. Not bad, but I've definitely had better. Not a lot of options in town, but it's better than average. 

 

 

[StoutKing]

7 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Wonderful morning at Canyonlands National Park. Pesky clouds spoiled a few photos early, but they cleared out for the most part. The park is very different than Arches. The main draw are the stunning vistas instead of rock formations. The park is split into 3 sections by the Colorado River and Green River. There are no bridges over the rivers, so the sections must be visited separately. I was in the northern Island in the Island in the Sky section. It's called Island in the Sky, but it's more of a peninsula. The main road south of the entrance is on a plateau with the Colorado River and a vast canyon to the east, and the Green River and a vast canyon to the west. The road forks six miles south. Hang a right and it's a 5 mile drive northwest to the endpoint at Upheaval Dome. Continue south for six miles and you terminate at Grand View Point Overlook. The park is often referred to as the mini Grand Canyon. The canyons are half as deep as the Grand Canyon, but twice as wide. Stunning views. Unfortunately there was a bit of a haze in the air today.

 

There are a handful of overlooks that can be visited without the need to hike. The Grand View is the best of the bunch with a fantastic southern view of the confluence of the two rivers. Shafer Canyon Overlook isn't too shabby. The park is visited by less than half of visitors to Arches, but it's certainly worth a visit. My biggest complaint was that parking was very limited at the overlooks. Expect to wait for a spot at times. 

 

There are several unpaved roads that descend into the canyon for the adventurous. I noticed a handful of 4x4s heading down into Shafer Canyon. Bet that's a blast. 

 

Started, and ended, the visit with a stop at Shafer Canyon Overlook. Wanted to get a few nice photos with some sun after the cloudy start. One can stand at the rail, or take a short hike down to an outcrop with wonderful views of the canyon. 

 

Next up was a short hike to Mesa Arch. Not an overly impressive arch, but the views of the canyon through the gap are pretty cool. 

 

Stopped at Whale Rock for a one mile hike to the top. Nice 360 degree views. 

 

Next up was a 1.5 mile hike to the 1st and 2nd overlooks at Upheaval Dome. The science is split, but the leading theory is that the dome is a meteor crater. 

 

Stopped at the Green River Overlook for some fantastic views of the Soda Springs Basin. Candlestick Tower Overlook and Orange Cliffs Overlook provided similar views. 

 

Grand View Point Overlook was the next stop. Stunning.

 

Stopped at Buck Canyon Overlook for a nice view of the Colorado River side, and views of the mountains to the east. 

 

Hiked 1.6 miles on the White Rim Trail to an overlook on the east side. Almost missed this one because it's not on the brochure, and the trailhead starts in the picnic area. Definitely don't miss it. The end of the trail has a rocky outcrop that looked a little too crazy for me. Lol. 

 

Unfortunately time doesn't allow for a visit to the southern Needles section of the park. Apparently it's the better part for hiking. Maybe next time. 

 

Beautiful national park that plays 2nd fiddle to Arches, but it's not to be missed. If you love the Grand Canyon, you'll definitely enjoy a visit here. It's quite a hike from Moab, but it's worth the drive. With more time, and a little more energy, I would have liked to hike down into the canyons, but the shortest hike is still several hours. 

 

Waiting for the national park cow rating...

[Argonne69]

8 hours ago, StoutKing said:

Waiting for the national park cow rating...

 

Lol. Highway 313 is the road into the national park, and there are signs along the road warning drivers about cows on the road. The land on both sides is grassy pasture, and sure enough there were cows slowing down traffic as they crossed back and forth across the road.

 

[Argonne69]

Very scenic drive to Grand Junction today. I took the River Road, UT-128. It's 40 miles of twisty two lane highway that hugs the Colorado River for most of the way. Steep red cliffs on both sides are a visual treat. If you get a chance to drive it, do so.

 

Only downside is that there are no passing lanes, and very few paved turnouts, so it can get stressful with a parade of cars on your bumper as you poke along at 40 mph on the primarily 45 to 50 mph highway. There are plenty of straight stretches that allow passing in the oncoming lane, but for some odd reason many drivers would prefer to crawl on your bumper rather than simply pass when it's safe.

 

The roadway is also rather wavey. I don't mind a dip, but the depressions can rock an RV back and forth like a rowboat. It's a little frightening when to get rolling the wrong way on a negative banked curve. Absolutely hate highway engineers that design banked curves that bank the wrong way. It's especially annoying when you're driving a vehicle with a high center of gravity. 

 

Anyway, made it to the RV park in one piece. Nice, new park with large gravel spaces and nice views of the hills to the southwest along the Colorado River. The gravel isn't level, but it's not too bad. 

 

Probably going to stay in today and watch the PGA Championship and (time shifted) Mizuho. 

 

 

 

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Not far from Devil's Thumb is Cedar Edge GC. It was a fun little course some good good views on some of the holes up on the ridge. I loved Redlands Mesa GC, fun course with some awesome houses high up.

 

[Argonne69]

Wonderful day to get back on the links. Plenty of sun, but not too hot. Redlands Mesa today. Beautiful layout with great views. The course ranks #2 on GolfWeek's best in state list. Might be a tad high, but it's certainly a top 5. The course was designed by Jim Engh, one of my favorite designers who tends to be very underrated. The front does have a few too many homes on it, but the back only has a handful up on the canyon walls. If you're a sucker for elevated tees you won't be disappointed. Fairway bunkering was light. Greenside was a little better. Water on five holes, but it really only came into play on three. Six holes with left/right movement, including four actual doglegs. Nice. 

 

I thought it was fairly easy off the tee with generous fairways on most holes. There were a couple of holes with elevated tees that felt tight, but there was enough room out there. Minor misses were fine with the generous rough. Big misses were goners in the desert scrub. Approaches were tough primarily because the greens had some funky shapes with pins tucked in little fingers. Lol. Greens had plenty of tiering, contouring, and slope. I was mightily impressed for a housing development course. Putting was an exercise in head scratching, as the ball just didn't want to go in the direction that you're eyes were telling you. Up and downs were also tough with plenty of uneven lies, and greens that always seemed to be running away. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Good looking, plenty of trouble, and a decent mix of lengths. Would have liked to see a short one. 5s were also very good. The 10th and 13th were excellent risk/reward holes. The 10th had a deep front bunker guarding the green. The 13th was even better, with the green tucked right behind a pond the 5th was a tough hole with its elevated green that was shaped like a gourd. Don't believe I've ever used "gourd" to describe a green before. Lol. Only one short 4, and it was a beaut. The driveable 14th was a blind dogleg with the green tucked right behind the sandstone mounds. Small green with practically zero room for error if you went for it. 

 

Conditions were decent. They had the sprinklers going this morning, so there were plenty of saturated areas. Fairways had numerous areas roped off with iffy turf. Rough was decent. Bunkers had standing water in a few, and could use more sand. Greens were excellent. Speed was a good 10. 

 

Played a Black/Blue combo at 6428 yds (71.6/142). A little longer than I normally play, but with the altitude and elevated tees, it was playing a little shorter. The grip change has finally settled in, and it's paying off in spades. One of the better days ballstriking. Two birdies and four bogies. Highlight of the day was (nearly) having the course to myself after letting my three speedy playing partners bolt after the first hole. I could tell they weren't pleased with having a single disrupt their morning routine, and honestly, with me taking photos from the tips, I'd probably slow then down anyway. Lowlight was hitting the cartpath on the inside corner on the dogleg par 5 15th. Has a cartpath actually ever helped? Lol. Instead of winding up in the fairway, the ball took an enormous bounce and sailed through the fairway to the bunker on the other side of the short grass. 

 

I was thinking seven cows, but I'm going with 8 cows. The course checks most of the boxes. Great views, fun par 3s, risk/reward 5s, and a tough driveable par 4. Would like to see more bunkering, and fewer homes, but those are minor nits. Drinking water on the course would be nice, as would allowing walking. Would have been a nice workout. The $161 price tag was high, but compared to Vegas and St George it was very reasonable. Definitely a must play. 

 

Edited May 20 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Redlands Mesa GC, Grand Junction, CO 

 

 

 

 

What a view 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8ve7wnse1s79l5agaq732/AMFtcYnx3OsWn4SJzRAYvHY?rlkey=zbbfeedq7boafdy84eq3aee37&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Nice to be back to the "regular" routine. Early morning round and a decent brewpub. Ale House doesn't brew their own, but they do have 32 taps with a decent selection of regional brews. The Epic Brewing (Salt Lake City) 2020 Bigger Badder Baptista imperial stout is wonderful. The bartender is a golfer, and we had a nice chat about the local courses. He was kind enough to reward me with a "slightly" bigger pour than expected. 😊

 

 

Edited May 20 by Argonne69

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

I loved Redlands Mesa GC, awesome course. 

[eboettne]

5 hours ago, BEND OF THE RIVER GC said:

I loved Redlands Mesa GC, awesome course. 

 

Funnily enough the first course that came to mind when I saw this picture was Hawktree in Bismarck, ND... also designed by Jim Engh

[Dancin]

2 minutes ago, eboettne said:

 

Funnily enough the first course that came to mind when I saw this picture was Hawktree in Bismarck, ND... also designed by Jim Engh

His courses share a lot of similarities. I still think Lakota Links is a better design of his than Redlands although conditioning is generally not as good.

[Argonne69]

Lol. What an up and down day. Definitely picked the wrong day to drive east to Lakota Links. Rain moved through the area last night, and there was a chance for more this morning in New Castle. The temps really dropped overnight, and it was a chilly start to the day. The seventy minute drive on I-70 was wonderful. I believe that stretch is part of Glen Canyon. I've traveled it twice before, each time on Amtrak's California Zephyr. I arrived at Lakota to an empty parking lot. Someone definitely knew something. It was nice to be the first one out on a beautiful course, but unfortunately I only managed 9 holes before the rain hit. It didn't help that the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped to 40 degrees. Had a great round going up to that point, but then the wheels came off. The sideways rain continued until I reached the 18th tee. Well, at least I got to play the final hole without having to futz with towels. At that point I could barely feel my hands as the wet rain gloves didn't provide any insulation from the cold. 

 

As mentioned, Lakota Links is another Engh design. Beautiful piece of property with plenty of elevated tees. There are homes on the course, but they're unobtrusive. The fairway bunkering was rather light. Greenside was better, but many were hidden, which I found rather odd. Water on just four holes. Six holes with left/right movement. 

 

Didn't find it overly difficult off the tee. Fairways weren't super wide, but they weren't narrow. Bunkering was light. Minor misses would likely catch the rough, but it was fairly narrow. Big misses were goners. Approaches were tough. Greens weren't small, but once again they had some fun shapes with a handful of tucked pins. Greens had a decent amount of contouring and slope, but I thought Redlands Mesa's were better. Putting required due diligence. Up and downs were very tough as there were few easy lies around the greens. 

 

The five par 3s were picturesque, and tough. No variety in length, though. Four of the five played long (195 to 218), with the shortest at 162 from an elevated tee. The five par 5s were a little disappointing. All were tough three shot holes. The 18th was a beauty, with three forced carries as it zig zagged across a ravine. No short 4s was a bummer. 

 

Conditions were soft. The overnight rain had the fairways a tad squishy. Turf conditions were spotty with plenty of thin areas. Rough was decent. Bunkers were a little compacted from the rain. Greens looked good, and were rolling at 10. 

 

Played a Black/Blue combo at 6582 yds (71.5/140). Good length for me until the rain and wind hit, and then it was a punch in the face. One birdie, six bogies, and two doubles. Highlight was having a beautiful course to myself. Lowlight was the poor timing with the weather. The afternoon turned out gorgeous, so it would have been a wonderful afternoon round. 

 

Solid 7 cows here. I definitely thought Redlands Mesa was the better design with better bunkering, more variety in the par 3s, risk/reward 5s, and a driveable short 4. Lakota is no slouch, though. Beautiful looking piece of mountain property. The $79 weekday rate was ridiculously good. I wouldn't have blinked at twice that price. Why the course doesn't show up on GolfWeek's best in state list is a mystery. Definitely a must play. 

 

Edited May 21 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Lakota Links, New Castle, CO 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/aoij5ys00p96ktdp1wnno/AMgQmoMvktG_ed_gwYIzgYE?rlkey=6mzmvfbm4lei93vcy68mscvlu&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

I was cold and wet, but I didn't quite feel like driving 45 minutes back east tomorrow morning, so I decided to make it a 36 hole day with a stop at Battlement Mesa. Definitely made the right choice. The rain and clouds passed, the temperature rose 20 degrees, and the course was empty except for two groups. Not quite Lakota, but an enjoyable layout. Very nice views of the hills along I-70. The back nine has a few too many homes, but one is generally looking at the mountains on the opposite side. Modest amount of elevation changes. No towering tee shots, but it's definitely not flat. Bunkering was very light. Water in play on just two holes, and just two holes with left/right movement. 

 

Easy off the tee with generous fairways. No real knee knockers. Minor misses no problem. Big misses could get lucky with an adjacent fairway. Approaches were a little tougher, but not overly troublesome. Greens had a decent amount of contouring and slope, so putting was less than easy. Up and downs were mixed. Miss in the right place and they were straightforward. Still plenty of opportunities to find a funky lie, though. 

 

Par 3s were OK. Nice mix of lengths. The short 8th had water in play, and a nice windmill for good measure. Lol. The 16th was tough with a bunker across the front of most of the green, and a pin no more than 3 paces on. 5s were meh. The 5th was reachable, but not much risk. Short 4s were benign. 

 

Conditions were once again soft, but the turf was in better shape than Lakota. Rough was fine. Bunkers needed serious grooming with plenty of compacted sand. Greens were still recovering from aeration. Bumpy and slow. Maybe 8. 

 

Played a Monarch/Royal (Gold Silver) combo at 6325 yds (69.4/119). Amazing what a little sunshine can do. One birdie and five bogies. Highlight was drying out. Lol. It was nice to play a late morning round on an empty course. 

 

Solid 5 cows here. Wonderful views, but the design needs a number of tweaks starting with the par 5s. A little more danger on the short 4s would help. The $45 walking rate was better than expected, even though I added the $24 cart. It's not a must play, but it's not a bad addition to Lakota if you want to make it a 36 hole day. Glad I stopped by today.