If you ever find yourself with a long layover at the Salt Lake City airport, you may want to consider playing a round at WingPointe Golf Course.



Built in 1990 by Arthur Hills the course is a faux links style course routed thru wetlands that literally sits right next to the airport.  While the fairways are fairly wide and forgiving, the approaches into the greens are demanding and often well guarded by bunkering in front and wetlands behind.  As the pictures will show, it is guilty of containment mounding, but the conditioning is good and it offers a nice variety of long and short holes.

The fun starts right away at the 2nd hole, a short par 4 of less than 300 yards.  But it requires an exacting shot to hold the green even with a wedge in hand after a layup.  The 3rd is a bite off as much as you can chew hole over the wetlands, while the par 3 4th requires a long carry over the same hazard to a well protected green.  While the par 5s are shortish, the greens are well protected and require good play to score well.

The course climaxes on the back 9 which meanders thru faux dunes that at times requires thoughtful tee shots and layup planning.  Ironically, after completion of the course, the wetlands on this section of the course had to be abandoned as they attracted too many water fowl which don't mix well with low flying aircraft.  To add insult to injury the last 2 holes are well...I'll let the picture of the 17th do the talking.

Overall though I'd put it in the range of 3 to 4 on the Doak scale as some of the holes are IMO very interesting.  While its not worth a special visit to see by any stretch of the imagination, it is a great economical option at $27, and can make a long layover at SLC International that much more palpable... Enjoy.


Par 4 - 2nd Hole

I had this tough approach from right of the green at the short par 4 after having a go at the green.




Par 4 - 3rd Hole

The approach in after playing well clear of the water on the left:




Par 3 - 4th Hole

A closeup view of the green complex that presents plenty of awkward lies if you choose to play safe away from the water.




Par 4 - 6th Hole

The approach in guarded short by a bunker and long by wetlands:




Par 5 - 7th Hole

If going for the green in 2, these bunkers must be negotiated.  I choose to lay up back for a short 3rd in.




Par 3 - 8th Hole

This is a pretty little temptress that requires a precise shot in.  Short, left, and long are all wrong, but you can bail out to the right.



A closer look at the green complex:



Selected holes on Back 9 to follow..

I played WingPointe back shortly after it opened and it was a lot of fun.

Am I losing it or was Keith Foster the design associate responsible for the Arthur Hills design?

I played it this summer on a 100 degree day and shot the best 9 holes of my life!  The only time I've been under par for a nine (4 birdies, 3 bogeys on the back nine).

It was a fun course.  The front had plenty of doglegs and so identifying the right line off the tee was tricky since we didn't have any locals in the group.

I think it also advertises itself as the least expensive Arthur Hills course in the country.

Great pictures.

What's with the spelling?  Did the owners expect to lend the course more character with that Middle English e?

Kalen,
Thanks for posting. For $27 looks like a worthwhile course to play. That said, once I finally get up there to tee it up from your profiles both Thanksgiving Point and South Mountain look like more fun to me than this one. The architecture itself looks pretty good for the site, just doesn't look like it was a very interesting site to begin with. All a guess anyway from the photos.

Mike,
You make a very good point about architects. I've had situations go like that both ways where I played a clunker by an architect I normally really like and where I play a gem that really surprises me. Part of the fun of discovery.