[Mark Saltzman]

During a very fortunate summer of golf, I was able to spend a week in the Jackson Hole, WY area and played everything the area has to offer.  Over the next while I will be completing a photo tour of all the courses in the area, which include (in the order I played them):

Jackson Hole G&TC - RTJ Sr, Reno by RTJ Jr (and I believe the course that Keegan Bradley grew up on - his father is still the head pro).

Teton Pines    - Palmer/Seay

Huntsman Springs (ID) - David Mclay Kidd

Teton Reserve (ID) - Hale Irwin

Shooting Star - Tom Fazio

Three Creek Ranch - Rees Jones

Headwaters at Teton Springs - Nelson


Contrary to some of what I had read on this site, the quality of golf in the area was fairly high, though perhaps that is the result of newcomers Huntsman Springs and Shooting Star (which was the standout of the group).

Photo tour of Jackson Hole G&TC will begin tomorrow ... as always, enjoy and please comment!

[Mark Saltzman]

First up, Jackson Hole G&TC





Course History (taken from http://www.jhgtc.com/info/golf.asp without permission)

Laurance Rockefeller, an avid golfer and resort property pioneer, saw a diamond in the rough when he purchased the Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club in 1967.  In 1971 Rockefeller contracted Robert Trent Jones II to develop a major remodeling plan for the original Bob Baldock designed course.

In 2004 Jones was contracted once again for a second redesign of the course.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Jackson Hole after 30 years, and to have a hand in enhancing this wonderful course.  This has always been one of my favorite places and now that the Club has asked me to return and lead this project, it is as much an honor today as it was when Mr. Rockefeller first hired me in 1973.”
- Robert Trent Jones II


Scorecard Information




USGA Course / Slope Rating  

Men

 Blue                     74.4/133
White                   71.3/129
 Red                        67.4/123



General Impressions

1) Along with 3 Creek Ranch, easily the most scenic of the golf courses in the area.  It is obvious that the course was designed with the line of play to have the mountains as a backdrop.

2) The course does not have trees on many holes.  Where there are trees, there are too many of them and they intrude on corridors.

3) The weakest set of greens in the area.  In-line with many older courses, the greens have more tilt than undulation, but at least at the speed I played them, there was little movement.


Hole-by-Hole Photos and Descriptions - All yardages will be from the 6700 yard green tees.

Hole 1: Par 4, 350 Yards

Not a bad view from the first tee!




Straightforward first hole.  Tee shot to a gently undulating fairway with plenty of width and bunkers the protect the outside of a gentle dogleg.  Homes are in sight but should not be in play.




Approach is to a green protected front-left and front-right.  This does not appear to be a course where I will be using the ground-game.










Hole 2: Par 5, 556 Yards

Another tee shot with plenty of width. Bunkers on the right are a bad spot to be.




A tee shot that challenges the bunkers on the right is preferred as it leaves the easier angle for the lay-up, which must be on the left side of the fairway.  From the left, one must challenge the left bunker to have a clear view of the green.




The bunker in view on the left impacts decision-making on the entire hole.  Cleverly placed 140 yards from the green, laying-up to the bunker is a possibility, but the aggressive player will want to get past it to leave a wedge into the green. 




One cannot simply play well to the right of the bunker or they will be partially blocked out by a tree protecting the green.




The green forms a gentle hog's back, with the centre of the green being raised and flat and small run-offs from all sides.









Hole 3: Par 3, 176 Yards

A difficult P3 with water short and left and the bailout right protected by a bunker.  The trees are very much in play to a back-left pin.  From the back tees, the angle becomes even more difficult and the pin becomes blind from the tee (the ol dogleg par-3).

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 4: Par 4, 410 Yards

This is one awful hole.  The tee shot has tall grass both left and right of the fairway, and a hazard that crosses the fairway at 260 yards.  From the tee, it also appears that there are 'goalpost' trees that one will have to negotiate on the second shot.




When one gets out into the fairway, he realizes that the goalpost trees will block a view of the green from any angle.  From the centre of the fairway, one gets a clear look at the right side of the green, but the tree blocks the left half of the green.  A tee shot up the left is completely blocked out.  Picture is from centre of the fairway.




A tee shot up the right has only a small window to shot through to find the green, but will have to carry the fronting bunker.






The front bunker makes things very difficult, and I wonder if it was original.  Over the bunker, the green slopes severely toward the back.  Any shot that carries the bunker will likely kick over the green.  Left and right of the bunker, the fairway slopes severely toward the tee, meaning that any shot landing just short will not kick onto the green.  This is a very exacting approach.




A look back down the fairway shows the tiny opening in the trees.  Nice view though.

[Andy Troeger]

Mark,
You really thought 3 Creek Ranch was more scenic than Shooting Star? That's absolutely stunning to me...all of the courses in the area have great views but IMO the views at Shooting Star blow away 3 Creek Ranch (as does the golf course itself). 3 Creek is a good course, Shooting Star a few notches better.

[Chris Johnston]

Mark,
You really thought 3 Creek Ranch was more scenic than Shooting Star? That's absolutely stunning to me...all of the courses in the area have great views but IMO the views at Shooting Star blow away 3 Creek Ranch (as does the golf course itself). 3 Creek is a good course, Shooting Star a few notches better.

Andy - 3 Creek has better views of the centerpiece Teton Range than does Shooting Star, which is at the base of a hotel ladened ski resort and with few Teton views but JHG&T has by far the best views in the area.  Teton Pines is the best conditioned and most vibrant/healthy club in the valley but, like Shooting Star, is hard against the mountains.   JHG&T is flat but fun.

Most locals rank 3 Creek last in terms of layout, shot values, and fun.  Shooting Star and 3 Creek are more "exclusive" used by monthly or seasonal out of town second-fifth home owners - most days you could light off a bomb and never hit a golfer.  Most Locals and long time seasonals play Teton Pines and G&T.  I had a good buddy play 3 Creek as a guest of the Super back a few years ago, he wasn't "permitted" inside the clubhouse to use the restroom - not very Jackson Hole or Wyoming like.    

The best layout (by a long shot) was Snake River Sporting Club...Sadly, closed for 3 seasons now.

Teton Pines and G&T welcome non-member play.

[Andy Troeger]

Chris,
Interesting. You're right of course in terms of what you see and location, but I'd take the close-ups from Shooting Star over the distance views from 3 Creek any day. I haven't played JHGT but it looks more like 3 Creek--I guess that's why aesthetics is even more subjective than most of the stuff we talk about!

[Mark Saltzman]

Mark,
You really thought 3 Creek Ranch was more scenic than Shooting Star? That's absolutely stunning to me...all of the courses in the area have great views but IMO the views at Shooting Star blow away 3 Creek Ranch (as does the golf course itself). 3 Creek is a good course, Shooting Star a few notches better.

Andy,

I have to respectfully disagree.  I thought the views at 3CR were far better than those at SS.  3CR felt like you were at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by beautiful mountains.  Perhaps it was that they were snow covered while the mountains around SS were not.  I'm not sure exactly.

I fully agree that golf-wise, SS is miles ahead of 3CR.  I've said it before, but I think SS is exceptional and is my 2nd favorite Faz design behind Victoria National.

Of the two public options around Jackson, I much preferred the Palmer/Seay designed Teton Pines over JHGT.  Teton Reserve, just over the mountain in Idaho is not in the same category as Teton Pines, but should be in the running for the best value in the entire country (and this is not an exaggeration).  I paid something like $20 including cart for a very solid golf course - you just can't be bothered by many of the players wearing jeans - I'm not.

And although I was only there for one day, I agree with CJ that Teton Pines seems like a great place to play everyday.  Staff was very accommodating and the members I played with were as friendly as can be.

[Andy Troeger]

I went back through my photos from 3 Creek. I may have undersold the mountain part of the scenery--and admittedly I had a much nicer day to play Shooting Star although you can see the tops of most of the peaks in my 3 Creek photos. There was also snow on top both days, with far more at Memorial Day in 2008 than July 4th in 2011!

I think some of it though has to do with the on-course scenery.  Fazio does aesthetics very well--it would be a pretty course even on a day with low-hanging clouds. 3 Creek is very average aesthetically except for the backdrops, which more than make up for it.

[Mark Saltzman]

I think some of it though has to do with the on-course scenery.  Fazio does aesthetics very well--it would be a pretty course even on a day with low-hanging clouds. 3 Creek is very average aesthetically except for the backdrops, which more than make up for it.

This statement is bang-on.

Did you play anywhere other than SS or 3CR in the area?  Where would you put each of those courses on the Doak scale?

For me they'd be:
SS - 8
3CR - 4

Like you said, a few notches apart.

[Andy Troeger]

Mark,
Those are the only two I've seen in the area. Neither trip was golf related, so I managed to sneak one round in around other activities! I agree with your ratings in both cases.

[RJ_Daley]

JHG&T reminded me of a muni-like bland design, with a couple of 'what the heck' moments on some of the tees while trying to figure out why the hole as designed that way, like you point out #4 Mark.  It was a disconnect to see very flat uncontoured fairways, amidst the backdrop of the Tetons.  Yet, it may be the most enjoyable bland golf design I've played.  I returned to play it 2X on different trips because of the beautiful place that it is to play.

[Mark Saltzman]

RJ,

Very accurate description of JHGT.  Without knowing much about the course / area, I figured I would be playing some seriously hilly courses as the only thing I knew about Jackson was mountains.  I was surprised and amazed at how flat JHGT was.  All of the courses are flat in the area, except Shooting Star, which apparently was very expensive to build to get the bit of elevation change.

And there are a couple more what the heck moments and a couple of 'I think I've played this hole before' moments as well.  Still, like you said, it is quite enjoyable to play even if not architecturally significant.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 5: Par 4, 379 Yards

One of the best holes at JHGT, from the tee the player has the choice to lay-up to the left fairway bunkers, challenge them, or try to carry them, each proportionately rewarded.  The fairway runs out around 270 yards.




Laying up to the bunkers leaves only 130ish yards, but the view is limited by the bunkers straight ahead and the player must carry a deep greenside bunker.




Challenging the bunkers leaves a clear view of the green and a preferred angle into the green.




Carrying the bunkers leaves just a pitch into the green and a very good look straight up the throat of the green.




A look from behind shows a green bunkered on three sides and with a general back-to-front tilt.





Hole 6: Par 3, 195 Yards

Yawn.  Long P3 with bunkers on three sides.




Green does provide some interest.  A fairly severe back-to-front slope stops in the back 1/3 of the third and the green begins to slope away from the player - this makes it almost impossible to get to a back pin.




Much like the 3rd green at Crag Burn in NY, there is a hidden back-left lobe to this green.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 7: Par 4, 393 Yards

A good solid hole, though a bit forgettable.  Staggered bunkering gives the player something to think about, though in truth no one will purposely lay-up short of all the bunkers.  For most the play will be to aim at the right-side fairway bunker, leaving the preferred angle and a short-iron into the green, though some will attempt to carry the left-side fairway bunkers.






Green is open in front and is protected by two back bunkers that I suspect receive very little play. Green slopes back-to-front, again.







Hole 8: Par 5, 574 Yards

Dog-leg right P5.  The play is at the left bunkers, not to challenge the right bunkers.  The right bunkers are a long carry and there is nothing but rough and a tough angle beyond them.




The second shot looks almost identical to the tee shot.  The line is over the left-edge of the right bunker.




A small creek runs across the fairway just short of the green.  From the fairway, the green looks tiny and very sloping.  It is neither.








Hole 9: Par 4, 418 Yards

Straightaway P4.  Green opens up from the right, fairway is open on the left.  Fairway bunker on the right is carry-able, but, of course, nothing but rough awaits over it.

[Jason Topp]

Mark:

Thanks for posting this tour. 

While I realize it is dangerous to form opinions from pictures, this looks like a very average course in a wonderful setting.  Do you agree with that viewpoint?  If not, what sets it apart?

[Mark Saltzman]

Mark:

Thanks for posting this tour. 

While I realize it is dangerous to form opinions from pictures, this looks like a very average course in a wonderful setting.  Do you agree with that viewpoint?  If not, what sets it apart?

Jason,

I agree completely.  A perfect definition of a Doak 4.

I could find very little info on Jackson, WY golf using the search function and since I played everything in the area I figured I would post about all of the courses for people to use a future reference.

Hunstman Springs and Shooting Star should attract more interest.

[Dan Kelly]

Played it once,  years ago.

Had one thought the whole way 'round: How can a course in the shadow of the Tetons be the flattest golf course I've ever played?

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 10: Par 4, 389 Yards

Straightaway P4 with trouble close on the left and well to the right (actually there is a pretty river running through those trees).




Simple approach with bunkers left and right.




My approach from 120 yards out!!! 









Hole 5: Par 5, 500 Yards


As beautiful a cape hole as one will ever see.  With mountains as a backdrop, the golfer is confronted with a tee shot over a meandering stream that acts as a diagonal hazard. Bailout is to the right and a bomber could probably hit it over the trees on the left.  Very reachable in two after an aggressive tee shot.

Back tee view:




Green tee view:




The second shot is very intimidating with water left and what seems like nothing but bunkers right.  Fortunately, the bunkers are staggered and create some real decisions.




After a good layup to the right, it is clear that the right bunker is actually a greenside bunker.  The green opens up from here.




A purdy green, though a wee bit flat.






Hole 12: Par 4, 333 Yards

Narrow tee shot.  Those looking to drive the green will have to aim over the right tree.  Line of charm in effect here as the golfer will likely want to hit it farther right than is advisable.  Tee shots up the right will find nothing but rough and a tough approach over a series of bunkers.  The ideal line is actually down the left.




From the left side of the fairway the green is there for the taking.




From 50 Yards Out




Green slopes from right to left making approaches from the right more difficult to hold

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 13: Par 3, 150 Yards

As beautiful a P3 as you will ever play.  What is not obvious from the tee is how severely this green slopes back toward the water.  From where my ball is located in on the green in the picture I putted off the front of the green.










Hole 14: Par 4, 408 Yards

This was not my favorite hole.  Tee shot felt very pinched with trees right and bunkers left.






Though it is not obvious from the pictures, downslopes over each greenside bunkers meant that shots that carry these bunkers are 'rewarded' with a kick over the back of the green.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 15: Par 4, 434 Yards

A cookie-cutter penal P4.  Long and straight with flanking bunkers in the DZ.






One of the most undulating greens on the course on one of the longest P4s on the course.  Interesting.






Hole 16: Par 3, 188 Yards

Difficult hole.  190 yard shot to a green at a diagonal to the tee, surrounded by bunkers.  A very penal hole with no bailout.  Line and distance must both be spot on.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 17: Par 4, 388 Yards

It sure looks like the line is over the 17th bunker, but at JHGT carrying a bunker is usually rewarded with a nice lie in the rough --- not so here, the line is over the bunker.




A good drive leaves nothing more than a wedge to a fairly undulating green.









Hole 18: Par5, 528 Yards

Very long hitters will try to carry the bunkers on the right, but this is a very exacting shot.  At 275 yards to the bunker straightaway, most will simply aim at it.




For the second shot the player has to choose whether or not to challenge the flanking fairway bunkers about 100 yards short of the green.




The green is protected on 3 sides and just a few steps off the back there is a steep run-off into the trees.

[Kalen Braley]

Mark,

I hope its just the picture angles that make that course look flat and featureless.  But I've played tons of munis that look more interesting than this one.  Although the mountain views look pretty nice!!

Thanks for another write-up

[Michael George]

Kalen:

I was thinking the same thing.  Those mountains are absolutely gorgeous but the course looks normal from pictures (which we all know can be totally misleading).

Mark - how would you compare it to other mountain courses?  If in Jackson Hole, is it a must play or just worth a stop?

[Jim Franklin]

I played here a half dozen times and it will never crack my top 500 courses played, but I always had fun. As Mark said, a few of the holes were total head scratchers, but all in all, it is a good ego boost course.

[Mark Saltzman]

Kalen:

I was thinking the same thing.  Those mountains are absolutely gorgeous but the course looks normal from pictures (which we all know can be totally misleading).

Mark - how would you compare it to other mountain courses?  If in Jackson Hole, is it a must play or just worth a stop?

Michael,

The pictures tell the story correctly. The course is OK - flat, boring and very pretty. Like I said earlier. A perfect example of Doak 4. Take away the mountains and it's a 3.

Public golf options in the Jackson area are quite limited. In close vicinity there are only two choices, JHGT and Teton Pines. Of the two, I think Teton Pines is the very easy choice, especially if you consider cost, with JHGT around $200 and TP around $125. If cost is a big issue, I would drive 30 minutes into Idaho and play Teton Reserve for $20 incl cart - a course with very big ambitions which were largely struck down by the poor economy. But, this course should be in the running for the very best value in the entire country. No, it is nowhere near as good as a course like Wild Horse, but it is quite good and half it's price.

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