Hart Ranch Golf Club

$46 (cart included), played on Friday, March 2021 at 9:30 AM

This eighteen (18) hole Championship course was designed by Patrick Wyss Associates located right here in Rapid City, SD in 1985 (Front 9) and 1995 (Back 9) for Public play. Playing four (4) tees from Brown's at 6,833yd/72.8/129 down to Blue's at 4,991yd/69.2/122 for a Par 36/36, its easy to see why it's always busy during the prime playing when I visit this area. Arriving here (Thursday) after the last snowfall melted and the next one three (3) days away (Sunday 10") they were open w/carts for full play. The Front 9 is mostly flat and open where your biggest hazard is the wind sweeping through the valley as the fairways are green, generous and friendly. I chose the Orange tees that played 6,277yd / 70.3 / 123 and found the 200-220yd landing areas were very fair but leaving many 160-200yd 2nd shots a little trying on those Par 4's. Starting out with first two (2) Par 4 holes straight into the wind at 374yds and 404yds from the Orange tees made me second guess my tee selection but the large flat greens, eased my pain. The #3 is a 470yd Par 5 but has a stream crossing around 180-230yd from the tee boxes, so check before swinging away. Raised green here holds good but extra club is needed as thick grassy front face holds back those coming up short. The #4 176-93yds Par 3 plays downhill into the wind with three (3) traps protecting this green. The #5 351-226yd Par 4 has that stream crossing the fairway 100-150yds out and then running along the left side up to the green, so stay to the right center. The #7 Par 3 plays across a pond with choices from 201-117yds with wind swirling from tree behind the raised, wide green. The #8 at 381-313yds Par 4 has a stream crossing again but is further out than the earlier holes, but demands respect. The #9 at 542-412yd Par 5 has the wind at your back and a stream crossing around 100yds out from the green to catch those trying to get home in two (2) shots. This is a shared green with #18 as shown on the course photo above with the nice sand traps. The Back 9 starts out playing downwind but with the stream/ponds coming into play on the first four (4) holes, somewhere's. The #10 Par 4 at 426-310yds is straightaway but hidden stream crossing about 100yds from the green. The #11 Par 5 at 515-405yds has a left-side fairway pond your last 180yds to the green with stream/trees framing the right-side, very narrow. The #12 at 469-290yd is your Hcp 1 hole because this dogleg right has a long pond ready to catch your tee and 2nd shot going for the narrow fairway and green. Having a large front sand trap also helps to protect this raised green. The #14 Par 4 is a narrow treelined 436-306yd hole with a grassy gully in your fairway landing area that leaves a blind shot to the green. The #15 is a blind dogleg right tee shot but staying to the left side will offer the best choice as the fairway slopes right. Your 2nd shot needs to carry the deep grassy gulley (50') protecting front and righthand side of the hillside green. The #16 is a great Par 3 elevated tee box looking down to the large round green 140-87yds below that is slightly raised to reject missed shots. The #17 Par 4 is a narrow treelined fairway going downhill, sloping right-side, that has you hitting uphill to a hillside green. Don't miss right as it falls off, ALOT. The #18 Par 5 has a narrow treelined tee box but generous landing areas on this 541-470yd hole to the shared and protected tipped green. This was a great conditioned course considering winter snow melt and could only be better when spring raises it head. Enjoyed shooting 40/42 w/35putts on this windy day and having GPS on the carts was a real advantage targeting landing areas.

$51 (cart included), played on Thursday, June 2011 at 8am

Yes, it is vacation worthy. My earlier post was wrong. Several good courses in this area.

$51 (cart included), played on Thursday, June 2011 at 10am

Great course, #15, 16, 17 real killers. .