Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield

Rankings: 

 

The Takeaway:  One of the best municipal courses in the Beehive State, the Gold course at Soldier Hollow is an excellent test on an impressive site with a noteworthy back nine. While the visuals can get monotonous at times, the Gold course is a solid course and great value.  Grade B-

Quick Facts

Designer:  Gene Bates 2004

Cost:  $55 - $75 (includes cart) Click for current rates

Phone Number:  435-654-7442

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Soldier Hollow Golf Course (Gold)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - 1370 West Soldier Hollow Lane, Midway, Utah  84049 – UNITED STATES

Photos:  See additional photos of Soldier Hollow Golf Course (Gold)

What to Expect:  The better of the two courses at Soldier Hollow that were built on the former biathlon site from the 2002 Winter Olympics that Salt Lake City hosted, the Gold course goes to the highest point on the property where the more interesting land exists. The clubhouse gives a tip of the cap to its biathlon roots with a ski lodge inspired facade and design. The course is located just 30 minutes from Park City where the vast majority of courses are private, so to have a public 36 hole offering so close and be located just five miles from another government owned 36 hole facility is pretty remarkable. If I were to describe the Gold course in one word I would simply say, "Solid." Other than the mountain backdrop, there isn't anything exceptional at Soldier Hollow but little to be disappointed with either. Virtually the coloring can get monochromatic with green fairways blending with the native green long grass and green bushes that cover the surroundings. In addition, the greens and bunkering are good but nothing special, and the 7700 yards from the tips doesn't seem too daunting when you are playing more than a mile high in elevation. That being said, the Gold course has hosted the Utah State Amateur multiple times and is worthy of doing so as a solid test, but if you play the Gold and Silver on the same day you are going to start feeling like, "Didn't we already play a hole just like this" after a while. You will rarely find anyone walking the course given the strong changes in elevation and heavy amount of play the facility experiences. In the end, Soldier Hollow is a perfect example of how good of a value Utah golf often offers and is worthy of teeing it up on.

By the Numbers

Tees	Par	Yardage	Rating	Slope
Gold	72	7719	75.4	141
Black	72	7197	73.5	137
Blue	72	6629	71.0	127
White	72	6131	68.1	120
Red (Ladies)	72	5554	71.5	131

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  16th Hole – 233 Yard Par 3 – Located at the summit of the course, the 16th enjoys a panoramic view that isn’t soon to be forgotten. With Mount Timpanogos to the right and Soldier Hollow’s Gold and Silver courses routed out to the player’s left, concentration will need to be summoned before hitting a tee ball that will descend 80 feet to the green below. With being above a mile high in elevation, you'll have to do some calculus to figure out which club will work best for the thin air and large descent. A lone bunker sits at the front left of the green and will catch balls that may otherwise be destined to kick into the brush.

Best Par 3:  14th Hole – 195 Yards – This hole reminds me a bit of the infamous Calamity Corner par three 16th at Royal Portrush with the green set on the other side of a chasm with some safety left and then death both short and right. While not quite as long or uphill as the 2019 Open host one-shotter, the heroics and risks are similar and can mark a turning point in the round. A large bunker on the right side can catch balls from tumbling down the hillside but will also create a challenging scenario to save par from. The par threes on the back nine at Soldier Hollow's Gold course are one of the best tandems in the Beehive State.

Best Par 4:  10th Hole – 434 Yards – The lone water feature on the course comes into play on the opening hole of the back nine; an uphill two-shotter with a pair of bunkers in play. The first bunker can be cleared by most players off the tee and is best used as an aiming guide with the goal of not going to the right of it. The second bunker is 80 yards short of the green and sits on top of a hill 10 feet above the fairway. The elevated putting surface makes it one of the most exciting reveals during the round.

Best Par 5:  7th Hole – 589 Yards – The Gold course starts on the eastern side of the property before crossing a maintenance road to the western side where the terrain gets much more engaging, and players get a sense for it right off the bat with the 7th hole. The tee shot plays over fescue grass to a fairway that slopes right to left off the hillside with a pair of bunkers on the high side of the fairway being a great aiming point to take your drive just inside of. Keeping up the right side continues to be the theme as 45 yards of sand front the green with an opening being afforded on the right edge of the green where balls can be worked off the bank. The sloping terrain and bunkering offers some solid shot making opportunities here.

Birdie Time:  13th Hole – 400 Yard Par 4 – The Gold course at Soldier Hollow is one of the longest tracks in the state, so if you've been getting beat up a bit, now is the time to take some revenge. The dogleg left 13th affords players an opportunity to cut some yardage off by challenging the inside of the dogleg and then utilizing the slope of the fairway to generate some extra roll. Players should have a wedge in their hand for the approach shot and go pinseeking at any flag on the right half of the green. The left side features more movement in the green, so if the flag is on that side the best play is to stick your approach in the middle of the green and give yourself a good look at rolling in a birdie.

Bogey Beware:  15th Hole – 511 Yard Par 4 – Acting as the bridge between the two best par threes at Soldier Hollow, the 15th is a long par four that tips out over 500 yards and will test the best of players. The landing area is semi-blind from the tips which can reduce confidence in players teeing it up for the first time and not knowing what lies in wait over the ridge in the fairway. The short grass gets to 50 yard wide 200 yards from the green and is the ideal place to be, while being short or long of that offers less fairway to find. With the fairway sloping right to left, the natural inclination will be to avoid the bunker fronting the left side of the green and try to work the ball in from the right. While this is certainly the preferred play, the swell in front of the putting surface on the right side has a tendency to suck balls left and into the rough where getting up and down will be the call of the day to save par. Going long and left is death and will almost certainly result in double or worse.