HEADWATERS AT TETON SPRINGS
RUNDOWN: To say we have been looking forward to playing this course, would be an understatement! We were invited to come and fly the drone and do a review in October of 2017. We were able to get our schedules to line up and made the trip over to play here, as well as Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club. The weather was cold and windy throughout our morning round at G&T but we avoided the snow that was dropping in the mountains around us. We made the drive over the pass to Victor, ID and right as we got on the first tee the heavens opened and dropped two inches of snow in a matter of minutes. We had to postpone our trip all winter and couldn't wait to tee it up here this year!
The course was in pristine condition and the greens rolled true and quick! They seem to prioritize course conditions here at the club and it definitely shows in the air and on the course. You will need to bring your game with you in order to avoid all the water that you will face on the course. While there are some great "grip it and rip it" type holes, you will be rewarded with accurate play throughout the day. While the focus may be on accuracy here, you will enjoy watching your ball sail through the air with the pine covered mountains surrounding the property. Both of the nines have some magnificent holes that will capture your attention and the focus of your iPhone camera. It was hard to narrow down what holes to focus on in this review because there are so many great holes on the property! Hopefully you have the chance to play this here often because this is a course we could play every single day!
COURSE INFO AND DIRECTIONS
Designed by Steve Jones, Gary Stephenson and Byron Nelson in 2004.
The Club is Private but allows very limited public play. Must call to inquire.
There are 5 sets of tees which truly provide everyone the opportunity to enjoy this course. Furthest tees (Gold) play 7,323 yards.
www.tetonsprings.com
(877)787-8757 10 Warm Creek Lane Victor, Idaho 83455
The course was in pristine condition and the greens rolled true and quick! They seem to prioritize course conditions here at the club and it definitely shows in the air and on the course. You will need to bring your game with you in order to avoid all the water that you will face on the course. While there are some great "grip it and rip it" type holes, you will be rewarded with accurate play throughout the day. While the focus may be on accuracy here, you will enjoy watching your ball sail through the air with the pine covered mountains surrounding the property. Both of the nines have some magnificent holes that will capture your attention and the focus of your iPhone camera. It was hard to narrow down what holes to focus on in this review because there are so many great holes on the property! Hopefully you have the chance to play this here often because this is a course we could play every single day!
COURSE INFO AND DIRECTIONS
Designed by Steve Jones, Gary Stephenson and Byron Nelson in 2004.
The Club is Private but allows very limited public play. Must call to inquire.
There are 5 sets of tees which truly provide everyone the opportunity to enjoy this course. Furthest tees (Gold) play 7,323 yards.
www.tetonsprings.com
(877)787-8757 10 Warm Creek Lane Victor, Idaho 83455
REVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS
Hole 3 Par 4 - 503 Yards
Slicers beware! This long, dog leg right, par 4 plays difficult through its entirety. Depending on the tee you choose to play, and your abilities with the big stick, you may be able to challenge the corner here. However, hit it weak or off to the right and you will definitely be playing three from the tee. You will also have to traverse some large bunkers that sit just off the fairway in some very popular landing zones. A cautious tee shot to the middle of the fairway will lead to a long approach shot to a large green. You will have to decide just how much you want to test things out in the early stages of the round. Large numbers can occur here quickly and you may spend the rest of the day just enjoying the scenery instead of your score.
Hole 5 Par 5 - 601 Yards
The par 5's on this course really stand out in the overall layout of the property. You will not walk away from this hole asking for things to get more difficult. From the back tees you will almost certainly be hitting three into this green. Don't get ahead of yourself though as the drive is your first big task to complete. You can try to take some off of the corner here but be ready for a hefty carry over the water to do so. Playing to the right opens up a little for you but you can quickly run out of fairway as well. Drop your drive into the short grass and you will still most likely be laying up short of the creek that crosses in front of the green. Hopefully you have laid up to a comfortable distance here because you are left with a tough approach shot. Bunkers guard the front and back of the green and water continues down the left side of the putting surface. You do have a bail out area short of the green as well as long right. The green is relatively flat and if you have avoided the water, you have a good shot at birdie here.
Hole 9 Par 5 - 544 Yards
The second par 5 on the course will offer you a great risk/reward approach. Cover the forced carry off the tee and keep your shots to the right if possible. There is a large bunker on the left side that will capture wayward drives and make it impossible to get on in two here. You will need to have a plan for what you want to do on the approach because there is plenty of trouble. Bail out of your shot and there is an abundance of water as well as sand that you can end up in. If you are shooting to get on in two, get prepared to carry your approach shot all the way to the green. There is pretty much no room to run anything up to the putting surface. I went for this green both times that we played the hole but ended up bailing out to the right both times. I got nervous of the pull hook but it ended up working out for me as I birdied the hole once and pared it the other time.
Hole 10 Par 3 - 169 Yards
Here is the best par 3 on the property and probably the signature hole of the course. It plays relatively short but requires a solid shot over the water. The setting is great as the green seems to sit back in the large pines against the mountainside. Weak hits will for sure find the water and if you get nervous there are some bunkers that will attract your golf ball. The green slopes from back to front so do not be afraid to pull an extra club and try to spin something back towards the hole. We ended up playing through a group on this tee and it brought in some added pressure for sure! We didn't want to be the chumps that dumped the ball into the water as we were playing through. I am happy to report that we both hit solid shots that left us each about 10 and 15 feet from the hole. One birdie and one par later, we looked like pros and continued on our way confident the group was ok with their decision to let us play through.
Hole 11 Par 4 - 452 Yards
Confidence in your game off the tee box is paramount here. A layup in front of the large bunker in the middle of the fairway will bring more trouble into play on your approach shot. However, pulling driver out on the tee will for sure bring more trouble into play off the box. A well placed driver will lead to an easy approach to this deep green and will give you a solid chance at a well earned birdie. The long approach brings the hazard into play that is short of the green. So if you are confident in your longer irons, you can still make this hole work, but par is probably a great score for you.
Hole 15 Par 4 - 301 Yards
Nothing on the golf course brings about more risk/reward than a good drivable par 4! If it is designed well then you actually have a chance to succeed, if you hit the ball well off the tee. In my opinion, this is a very well thought out drivable par 4. To hit the green you will need to have pinpoint accuracy and the ability to carry the ball well off the tee. You will be required to carry the water pretty much all the way to the putting surface. There is a little land if you are slightly short, but do not count on that saving your bacon. The green is also surrounded by bunkers that can save you from the water, but will not provide an easy shot around the green. The layup area to the right still requires a strong shot to avoid the water on the left and the bunkers on the right. Kevin can attest that the bunkers to the right do not provide an easy approach shot to this green. They can quickly bring that water back into play and will only help bump your score up higher. Keep it in the short grass and you be left with nothing more than a wedge into this green. If you were solid off the box you may even have an eagle putt to look at!
Hole 18 Par 4 - 488 Yards
One thing that I love about this course is, it never takes driver out of your hands. That is not saying driver is always the smart or best play, but it can almost always be used. If you have been hitting it well all day then feel free to stripe it on your last hole of the day. The white ball sailing through the air with the dark backdrop of the trees will bring about an even greater appreciation for where you are playing. The water runs the entirety of the hole on the right side and the bunkers pinch the fairway down, making it almost non existent. Driver will need to hit a very small opening but will provide a wedge into this green. Laying up short of the bunkers will bring more water into play on the approach, so make sure you strike that iron shot well! I myself really enjoyed this as a finishing hole as we both scored well on it and left the round feeling accomplished on the day.