I know my golf buddies in AZ will want to know that I had a 9:40 start time at Vail Golf Club on August 20th, 2015.  What’s interesting is that my start time was delayed by 35 minutes due to frost!

Highlighted by views of the Gore Mountain Range, Vail’s mountain-style, 18-hole course features plush fairways, smooth putting surfaces and a scenic layout amidst the White River National Forest that has you constantly looking at the scenery.  The haze was caused by all the forest fires in California, Idaho and Washington.

The fairways are tree-lined and generally flat, but numerous greenside and fairway bunkers, as well as beaver ponds.  Most of these holes test your accuracy.  Another gift of altitude is the fact that the ball will fly further.  My drives were consistently 250 to 270 yards.   My best drive on the day was on number 6, 275 yards with 150 left to the green.  I took out an 8 iron and flew the green by 20 yards. There were several challenging holes, number 14 is 400 yards to a dog leg left fairway that extends 270 yards to a creek.  Once in the fairway (hopefully the middle)  it’s 150 yards to a elevated green with a back pin placement that leaves no room to miss on the right.

Then we get to the number 17 par 3 playing 209 yards into the wind.  Oh, did I mention that the day I played the wind was blowing 25 to 30 with gusts.  The front nine the wind was coming from behind, while the back nine you were playing directly into the wind.

You can walk, take a cart or ride.  I mean ride a bicycle built especially for a golfer to ride this course.

All in all it was a great day temperatures in the low 70’s and I shot 82 from the blue tees.