Another brief tour of a very underrated golf course. I can't recall if the 'Dye Canyons' course at Promontory was in Golfweek's Next 100 Modern, but I'm not sure it is not in the Top-100, which is a shame. The golf course will not appeal to everyone as it is unwalkable (not unusual for Park City), but it is a very fun golf course that traverses some extreme terrain, shows a lot of flair in the bunker style, and features the wildest set of greens I've seen by Pete Dye.
Set on the side of a mountain, wind is a major factor at Promontory and with the first tee exposed and at a high point, that fact is obvious from the get-go. The first hole is a short, downhill par-4, but the predominant crosswind and the views of desert lining the fairway can add to first tee nerves. A subtle angled green at the first rewards golfers that play to the high (left) side of the fairway.
OK, you've had your birdie chance, the second is a soul-taking par-4 that plays near 470 yards and requires a lengthy tee shot to carry an anti-strategic water hazard to reach the width of the fairway.
The 3rd is the longest hole I've seen at 720 yards, though it doglegs some 120 degrees and probably plays 400 yards on a straight line. The hole moves hard right, fighting the terrain, and is an awkward hole at best.
The difficult stretch continues at the 4th, a boring but long par-3 that offers one of many bizarre fairway cut run-offs.
The 5th begins a trio of holes that lead the golfer up the mountain toward the clubhouse. The 5th must be the most forgotten hole on the front-nine.
The 6th is a mirror of the short par-4 11th and those that do not enjoy forced carries may find it offensive. The ambiguity of the tee shot gives way to the first of many highly contoured greens.
The 7th is a par-5 and another hole where the interest is created by a rolling green.
Ever wondered what a 300 yard par-3 looked like? Here's the view from the 299 yard back tee on the 8th...
At least the green offers a large target!
After a series of holes downwind, the par-4 9th plays uphill and into-the-wind. The use of water on the 9th is out of character with the rest of the golf course.
The back-nine is clearly the better nine at Dye Canyons. The 10th is a one of a kind golf hole, with the fairway set in a valley creating a fascinating tunnel-like effect.
As mentioned earlier, the 11th is similar to the 4th and the long forced carry is again required. Most golfers must resist the temptation to play too far left, challenging the longer forced carry.
The 12th represents Dye's complete understanding of the Line of Instinct. The hole plays downwind and very downhill and Dye tempts the golfer to play as far right as he dare, but at 300 yards just to reach the first fairway bunker on the right, the Line of Charm is miles left of the Line of Instinct! Oh, and another very cool green at the 12th.
The 13th is the shortest par-3 on the golf course, but with the putting surface completely hidden from view and a false-front waiting to catch any mis-hit tee shots, the hole is no gimme.
I found the 14th to be a pretty but awkward golf hole. The crosswind and downhill nature of the hole narrow the effective width of the fairway. As a result, the centreline bunker will not be challenged by any thinking golfer and will almost always dictate a simple lay-up from the tee.
Like the 14th, the 15th is downhill, moves left, and is over-bunkered. Still, the angled and contoured green will keep golfers interested.
Though the 16th is 220+ yards on the scorecard, it is downhill, downwind and played to a very long green (and remember, we're at 8,000 feet elevation) -- you may find yourself hitting 8i from 220, hopefully you're math is good!
The 17th reminds me of the 13th at Fazio's Mirasol CC in Florida -- the golfer knows he wants to cut the corner, but a hill blocks the golfer's view of the fairway and he is left to trust his instinct in determining the ideal line.
Challenging the right leaves a much shorter approach and a preferred angle.
Like the 10th, the 18th is fit into a valley, though this hole feels more cluttered. A back-tee at 600+ yards brings the water into play, but from other sets it is just eye-candy.
