18 Reasons Why To Go To Rawlins, Wyoming

[redanman]

Redanman,
I just tried calling. Turn your cell phone on!

It was, I was just in the jacuzzi with four supermodels, didn't hear the ring.........

[Scott_Burroughs]

This course looks like 18 forced carries.  There are no holes where you can walk-off the tee onto fairway or walking path.  All of the tee boxes seem to be little islands of grass.

While I don't mind even more than half of a golf course having these style holes, I do find it more enjoyable when courses don't require walkers to stay on cartpaths after tee shots for a couple of hundred yards before getting to walk on some nice grass .

Joe,

A good many courses in the western part of the U.S. are like this... in some areas it's required, due to the limited amount of acreage of turf allowed to be irrigated and otherwise very low amount of natural rainfall.  Basically, it's to conserve water.  

While it is nice to be given the option of walking straight to the fairway, it's likely safer to not walk through where rattlesnakes may be hidden.

[Brad Swanson]

Joe,
  While I agree with you, I must say that after encountering more than my fair share of large snakes when blazing trails from tee to fairway during my days in Colorado, I resorted to almost always taking the high/cart road.  Rattlesnakes (found in spades at KeKa B's Murphy Creek in Aurora CO) are bad.  

Cheers,
Brad Swanson  

[Scott_Burroughs]

Tommy,

Thanks for taking the time and effort to present the pictures in such a professional and entertaining light....no wonder you are so loved....For more information on Ken Kavanaugh his new website is up and running at http://www.kenkavanaugh.com ...I just found out about the site today and all I can say is I had no idea...

Pretty good site.  No mention of wacky brothers, though.

Of note is this article on Rochelle Ranch's opening day:

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/08/15/sports/b44973a69df28b6187256ef000721798.txt

Note the mention of the green fees:  $20 M-Th, $22 F-S.


Another pic:

[Joe Perches]

I think it's bad design to require walkers to follow cartpaths on all holes.
It spoils the walk and makes it more a trudge.

About water consumption:  given the choice between a fully grassed driving range or walking paths tee to fairway, I'll take the walking path thanks.

[Doug Wright]

Ed G,

Yes the imposing and entertaining presence of one Brad Swanson can distract from what's going on around you...

I didn't say anything about Murphy Creek being better or worse than Riverdale Dunes. I might agree with you there...  ;)I was comparing MC to what I saw in the photos for this new course. The bunkering (including centerline bunkers eg MC #3) and some other features I see look similar.

[ed_getka]

Doug,
   I'll take your word for it. I'm sure you've seen MC more times than I have. If I had to make a snap judgement of what RR reminds me of, I would come up with Wild Horse before I would come up with MC. I remember a couple of holes at MC that would sort of fit. In particular I remember a short par 4, almost driveable, with death left off the tee, and a bunker field out in the center area.
    Thanks a bunch for the DCC history you e-mailed me, I really appreciate you taking the time.

[Doug Wright]

If I had to make a snap judgement of what RR reminds me of, I would come up with Wild Horse before I would come up with MC.

I agree. Looks more like Talking Stick North too, though neither has water like this course or MC.

I remember a couple of holes at MC that would sort of fit. In particular I remember a short par 4, almost driveable, with death left off the tee, and a bunker field out in the center area.

MC #9

    Thanks a bunch for the DCC history you e-mailed me, I really appreciate you taking the time.

You are welcome sir...

[Dan Smoot]

Some of the comments about Wyoming in this thread have been hilarious.  I live in Rock Springs.  Not exactly the location to many nearby quality golf courses mentioned on this web site.  I stopped by the Rawlins clubhouse late one afternoon a couple of weeks ago.  The Rawlins golfers are very excited about the towns new addition.  This course seemed to take a long time to open.  I had heard rumors of soil problems - alkali?  Up close from the club house, it looked in good shape.  Getting on the course to see if it plays firm like Wild Horse - I will have to see.

Wind is always a factor in Wyoming and especially in Rawlins.  I wonder if KK took that into account when routing the holes.  Even at 6200' elevation, 7900+ yards is long when it turns into a strong west wind.

Golf in Wyoming: an end of April 4 man scramble, wind blowing at 30+ mph, wind chills in the high teens.  You putt your ball after it quits quivering and turn around and see your partners huddled up, backs to the wind, not even watching.

[Dan Kelly]

I like how the tee shots end up right IN the center bunkers on Nos. 8 and 15.

[Jason Hines]

Dan S.,

What would you guess the elevation is at in Rawlins?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Dan S.,

What would you guess the elevation is at in Rawlins?

I posted the elevation in Rawlins earlier in the thread.

[Jason Hines]

Got it Scott,

Does the course like this need a water hazard?  (drainage pond?) Please tell me that there is not a fountain off to the left of the picture?

Jason

[ed_getka]

Dan S,
  You make it sound so glamorous. Let us know what you think when you get out there and play it.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I predict that this course will be the Black Mesa of 2005!!!!

[Steve Lang]

 

A 19th reason would be to go on to the Tetons!

Would this be defined neo-classical GCA?

Could it be that the heartland of the USA will displace the NY/PA area as the 21st Century's best public golf destination? Reserving old money privates as still best in NE?

[Matt_Ward]

Steve Lang said:

"Could it be that the heartland of the USA will displace the NY/PA area as the 21st Century's best public golf destination?"

Steve -- the NY / NJ / PA area doesn't have the best public courses in the nation. It does on the private side when you include the corridor stretching from the Phillie suburbs running through NJ and then including NYC and its surrounding counties including all of Long Island.

The public side of golf in the area you referenced is good but IMHO a borderline call fro being grouped in the top ten in the USA. Private golf is still the dominant ingredient in the area you referenced minus the few outstanding examples (e.g. Bethpage Black) that are also located there.

[redanman]

A 19th reason would be to go on to the Tetons!

A mere 300 mile trip.....

Geography lesson:You guys don't get how big the states are out west.......

You can basically fit all of New England in Wyoming.........



Note the map scale.  
MA, CT and RI, note scale 18mi=40mi size-wise related to the first map comparing equal measures.......

[Doug Wright]

BillV/Redanman,

We love them wide open spaces. 700-750 miles in a day is no problem out here. Did Denver to Montana and back (via Jackson Hole) this summer. Lots of great land for golf en route, too. Maybe Rawlins can team up with Gothenberg and other bergs along the Interstate to create the I-80 Trail...

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Steve Lang said:

"Could it be that the heartland of the USA will displace the NY/PA area as the 21st Century's best public golf destination?"

Steve -- the NY / NJ / PA area doesn't have the best public courses in the nation. It does on the private side when you include the corridor stretching from the Phillie suburbs running through NJ and then including NYC and its surrounding counties including all of Long Island.

The public side of golf in the area you referenced is good but IMHO a borderline call fro being grouped in the top ten in the USA. Private golf is still the dominant ingredient in the area you referenced minus the few outstanding examples (e.g. Bethpage Black) that are also located there.

This maybe the best, most accurate Matt Ward statement of all-time.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Bill,

I understand the sizes we're talking about here, but there's no way you can drive from Philly to Providence in 3 hours.  Ya got major cities, traffic/congestion, tolls, cops, etc.  245 miles out west is set the cruise on around +-90 (or more) and fly.  Even the back roads out west you can fly.

Distances in different places are not the "same".  Of course, you knew that.  

[Scott_Burroughs]

I hear ya.  My cushionless arse gets tired fairly easily, too.

It goes by faster if you have either plenty of CDs and/or you have/subscribe to satellite radio.  Satellite radio was an option while renting a car in Denver a few weeks ago.

[Larry_Keltto]

How much of a presence/distraction is the interstate at this course?

[Doug Siebert]

It isn't really hard up against I-80, is it?  Even if it is, there's a little cow pasture course just outside of town here that's hard up against I-80 -- I've always thought that on the par 5 it'd be theoretically doable for me to hit a bad enough hook on my approach to hit a car, its that close.  I'm sure you can hear it there, but I just I must just tune it out since its so constant because I don't really even notice it when playing that course, other than these idle thoughts while I'm waiting for the green to clear of wondering what kind of a giant pileup would result if I caught a semi in the windshield with my Titleist

Its funny because at a consulting gig last year I had a corporate apartment in Dearborn, MI I stayed at during the week that was a block north of I-94, and that seemed 10x as loud as I-80 ever is, at least here in IA, probably because they allow those super heavy 42 wheeled trucks on the roads in MI and combined with the bad roads that result from those trucks makes a lot of noise when they pass by.  I could actually FEEL them pounding over a particularly bad section of road while lying on my couch on the 3rd floor!