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On June 18 in
2007, Tooele City announced a new era of golf at the Oquirrh Hills golf course.
A grand opening ceremony ushed in the new, long awaited, back nine holes, which
made Oquirrh Hills an 18-hole championship facility.
Many city dignitaries, past course champions, past high school state champions
and even a few of the “originals” from the front nine's construction were on
hand to celebrate this big event in Tooele City golf history.
Home of the historic Western Amateur and many legendary Utah club professionals,
Oquirrh Hills golf course has a celebrated significance within the Utah golf
scene. The new addition was designed to blend seamlessly into the old course.
“My goal (for the back nine) ... was to create an old-school course with
modern-day challenges,” said architect Andy Johnson.
“It is so much fun playing a golfer-friendly layout like the original nine at
Oquirrh Hills that I wanted to continue that fun throughout the back nine,” said
Johnson, an award-winning architect based in the upscale Colorado mountain town
of Edwards.
While the new nine, sitting under the “T” on the mountain, seems to have a links
look, that's only temporary. With the planting of 425 trees, the new nine “will
age gracefully,” according to Johnson, as the trees “grow to match the feel and
strategy of the original nine.” |
