Lack of Character
Surrounds Ute Creek Golf Course

By Nathan Jansch
Rockiesgolf.com Course Reviewer

July 12, 1999

LONGMONT, Colo. - As I walked away from Ute Creek Golf Course, I tried to come up with a theme, something that would describe the overall course or the general feeling that you'll get walking down the fairways.

I first thought about something like, "First Impressions" and then thoughts of "Saving the Best for Last" loomed in my head, but nothing seemed to fit. Then it dawned on me. Ute Creek doesn't have a theme, nor did it provide with me with any general feelings of grandeur. That's not to say that Ute Creek is a course that shouldn't be considered for play. Far from it.

The well-manicured fairways and consistent greens play quite nicely, while providing a challenging, but not-to-difficult, round for nearly everyone. The lack of character that I experienced does, however, reflect the slight disappointment that I felt after playing the 18 holes.

The clubhouse is less than extraordinary, but sufficient as a starting house and small pro shop. Its roof line unnecessarily stands out against the backdrop of the mountains and blue Colorado sky. The building, on the whole, is less than what most expect from a marquis 18-hole course.

Combined with a less than pleasant reception by the pro and starter, I must admit that my view of the course was already skewed a bit before I even got to the first tee.

The view from the 1st tee box is dramatic, with wonderful vistas overlooking the city of Longmont and 14,000 foot peaks in the distance. The hole itself is a very parable par 5 at 533 yards from the blue tees. As you make your way down the well manicured fairways two things become readily apparent, 1) the course is young and still maturing, and 2) the course designers did the best with what they had.

Ute Creek opened in 1997 and unfortunately, it's evident. Trees are a rarity and a well-developed underbrush is not yet in place. There is potential, though, which is something that can't be said for many courses. Improvements are in progress and the construction of a course side community on the back nine will be a pleasant addition once things are complete. As I mentioned, it is apparent that the builders of the course did the best they could with the lands that were provided them. The course was placed in the middle of a plains area and the vertical distances on the course are kept to a minimum.

The 2nd hole provides an early challenge off of the tee, which I always like. A set of fairways bunkers sits on the left side of the fairway 200-225 yards off the tee and few bunkers lie on the far right side. From the tee box, these traps make the hole appear much more difficult than it actually is. A well struck drive can easily clear the hazards, while too strong of a shot may not be beneficial, making your shot to the green a challenge on this dog-leg left.

The green is set a few meters above the landing area making it a bit difficult to stick the approach shot, but a set of grass bunkers on both sides of the green has a much greater influence. Getting out of these bunkers proved very difficult, with a front left pin placement taunting me as I tried to pick my ball out of the rough while not sending myself long into more of the same on the far side of the bent grass.

I was introduced to the most detracting element of the course on the 3rd hole. I'm not certain if it was a matter of the grounds keeping staff having a bad day, or if it was by design, but what I found on No. 3 and on many other holes was that the fairways were cut very poorly.

Rather than in a traditional cross-hatch manner, the fairways were cut length-wise, making the left side of the fairway appear to be rough, creating a very deceptive environment. After making my way down from the tee box, it was apparent that the fairway was actually quite wide and generous, but you wouldn't know that unless you had been to the course before; an unfair challenge in my opinion.

The same problem existed on the 7th. Combined with ridge that ran length-wise down the middle of the fairway, the perceived landing area is about half the size than in actuality. For some this may be good, allowing an errant shot to be in better position than one would initially think, but it irritated me quite intensely. I like to be able to know what I'm getting myself into when I step up to the tee. Bring on the hazards, challenge me with distance, just let me know what I'm facing, rather than throwing me a curve after I've already committed myself to an approach.

But before I get too far ahead of myself I have to give proper recognition to the par-4 4th hole. With a quaint little silo and farm house set just to the left of the tee and a lake on the left side of the fairway and green, the 4th is most certainly one of the more picturesque holes on the course.

The water forces many to push the approach shot right, making a well placed bunker on the right come well into play. There is a slight incline in back of the green creating a bit of a backstop for any shots that are hit a bit long.

The 5th isn't a bad hole either, an uphill 431-yard par 4. It would have been even better, though, had a grounds keeper not driven into the middle of the fairway while I was in the middle of my back swing. The result was a perfectly sliced ball that made its way onto the driving range which runs along the right side of the hole. So, should you find a Titleist 3 in a bucket of balls you'll know where it came from.

Heading back along the course, you come to the par three 8th, one of the best holes on the course. A lake lines the left hand side and cuts severely into what would be a small fairway area. Houses lie beyond the green and a bunker sits nicely on the right side, making the shot from tee to green a bit of a challenge.

The lush green of the fairway and green is accented by the reflections from the water and, once again, the mountains in the distance highlight this wonderful little hole.

After making your way up a par 4 9th that isn't anything spectacular, you come to the hole that has the most room for improvement on the course. The 10th isn't that poor of a hole. With a few minor additions and alterations, this ordinary hole could easily become the best of the course. The tee box is slightly elevated with a fairway that doglegs left to a fair to small sized green.

A dry creek runs in between the tee box and fairway and extends down the left side of the hole, creating a large sized ravine that forces play to the right and limits your length from the tee. A large sized lake that sits outside the clubhouse lies just behind the tee, providing for what could be easy access to water to flood the low lying ravine.

Water along the left here, and possibly a more pronounced creek 60 yards from the green could present a number of challenges, while the addition of a few more trees and foliage on the right could make the hole as close to perfect as one could imagine.

The flatness of the course is most apparent on the par 5 11th. While the hole isn't poor in its design, it lacks any vertical relief and character. A creek on the front side of the green forces most to lay up short and work on their short game, which is something I like. A small mound in front of the green also makes the hole play somewhat harder than you would initially think. The green, itself, though, is too flat in my opinion and lacks character.

With the addition of a few slopes in the green, perhaps a Pinehurt-esque drop-off on the back right, this hole would challenge the best players to better par, while its distance would still allow many to achieve a five.

The 13th is a delightful par 5 and one of my favorites. Two fairway bunkers sit on either side of what appears to be the landing area, causing a few nervous moments as you strike the ball. Their distance, however, is deceptive and are usually not in play. The back lip of these sand traps measures only about 230 yards from the tee and can be cleared by the average player.

After a good drive, the green appears inviting, but precaution must be taken and the urge to go for the green in two must be resisted. With only 200-230 yards remaining after a good drive, thoughts of birdies and eagles start appearing in your head. The only problem is that a slight uphill makes the hole play longer than it looks and an usual westerly wind can drive even the best shots into the grass bunkers and sand traps on the right side of the green. Trust me on this one, I tried twice to reach the green in two and failed miserably both times. So unless you're an outstandingly long and straight hitter, I'd highly recommend laying up short and going for birdie by sticking the approach.

The 14th is a bit uncharacteristic for the course, in that it's entirely lined on the left by homes and features an incredible, wonderfully sloped green. At only 126 yards, the distance is certainly not an issue, but wow, what a green. A valley lies in the center, dividing two slightly pitched plateaus.

Anything placed anywhere close to the center of the green will be caught in the ravine and funneled off to the front side, making for a difficult second shot and erasing most hopes of even saving par. Two bunkers on the front side, on either side of the low lying center green area, force you to aim to the middle, or long of the green, making for a fun time on this short par 3.

The 16th is another short par 3 that challenges your spirit just a little, especially if you're the slightest bit hydrophobic. A lake abuts the tee box and guards the right side of the green, while a strategically placed bunker the size of Kansas is placed on the left to devour all the shots you pull in a desperate attempt to stay dry.

The green is also sloped gently down to the water, making almost any shot out of the bunker long, especially with a pin placement on the front edge or left hand side. And that brings me to the final 18th. I'd have to say that Ute Creek did save the best for last in this magnificent 450 yard par 4. A lake on the right, a few ideally placed bunkers along the way and properly placed swells in different areas of the fairway and rough, provide for nicely contoured hole that brings you home nicely.

The distance can be a little hard for some and a narrow green can easily lead to plus numbers but, with smart play, a bogey is more than manageable. A flower bed along side the lake, accenting the clubhouse, would be a welcomes addition to the hole. But even without this addition, the hole is beautiful and saves the course nicely, as you walk away from your 4 hour tour.

In short, I'd have to say that I was a little disappointed by my round at Ute Creek. For a course that is supposed to be the up-and-coming leader in Longmont golfing, I'd have to say that the course is very average. A number of holes do show great potential for improvement, so hopefully my opinions will be outdated in no time, but as of now, I'd say that for the money, there are a number of other courses in the Longmont area that offer a much greater value for your golfing dollar.

Note: For a tee time at Ute Creek, call (303) 776-7662.