My golf day began with a wakeup call at 6 a.m. Too early for
Father's Day or any other day, for that matter. A bit bleary
from a late dinner reservation the night before, which included
spirited dancing between courses to the Homestead Orchestra with
my girls, I nonetheless made my 7 o'clock tee time. I wasn't
sleepy for long though. The first couple of fairways here tilt
to the point of dizziness, and a misplayed tee shot will result
in a ball careening across the short grass and nestling in
shaggy rough. The course conditions were another eye-opener as
well. I've played extensively in Utah and Vermont among numerous
other mountain environments, and have never glimpsed a similar
track that was as remotely well conditioned as this. The
fairways are carpets, the greens just a step below lightning,
and rolling smooth and true. I cavorted across Cascades for some
30 holes in little more than three hours, playing holes a second
or third time to marvel at the design strategy, or cutting back
through the woods to play another four-hole loop. It was a rare
pleasure to be unencumbered by foursomes stacking up behind me.
HOMESTEAD RESORT OFFERS MORE THAN GREAT GOLF
The
par-70 course plays almost 6,700 yards from the tips and 6,250 from the
white tees, carrying a 137 and 131 slope, respectively. Like many
mountain tracks, there are some quirky doglegs shoe-horned into the
property. The third and 10th holes fit this description. These par 4s of
290 and 380 yards require careful tee balls that must come to rest
before tumbling into ravines that front the greens. There are several
superb and full-bodied par 4s as well. The seventh might be the best
example. It's 420 yards with an elevated tee and green, and features a
severely sloping landing area where the ball will run hard right when
landing. The uphill approach will funnel back down the fairway 20 yards
or more if the shot comes up short of the green.
The single best
stretch are a trio of par 4s on the inward nine. Holes 12 through 14 are
all long, strong and demanding. The tee shots need to avoid woods and
water, and the greens are fortified by simple but maddeningly
well-positioned bunkering. The closing stretch features back-to-back par
5s and a par-3 finisher. The long holes are both reachable, both
doglegs, both with water either fronting or flanking the green. It's a
memorable conclusion to a magnificent golf course.
It's true, there's
no place like home. But there's also no place quite like The
Homestead. For more information call 800-838-1766.
