Wasatch Mountain (Mountain)

Wasatch Mountain, on the east side of Salt Lake City, has bloomed with municipal golf options and architect Gene Bates has benefitted the most (outside of local residents, of course). He was responsible for both the Gold and Silver Courses at the Soldier Hollow facility, projects he earned after renovating the second 18 at the Wasatch Mountain facility.

The Mountain Course was originally laid out by William Howard Neff — who had designed the longer Lake Course five years earlier — during 1972, and Bates came through to give it a modern renovation during 1998. Unlike his work at Soldier Hollow, the mountain route at Wasatch Mountain is considered the more gentle loop at this park.

Much of this is due to the lack of water hazards on the Mountain side, compared to Lake. That said, don’t underestimate the distance on the Mountain scorecard: Although it comes in significantly shorter than the Lake, part of this is because the route features six par threes. There are also five par fives, and No. 12 rules over all of them: At 635 yards, this long hole requires three stiff shots to reach, even in the mountain air.