Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

The Gateway Hills Golf Course is an 18-hole, Par 72 course that measures 6,917 yards from the back tees, with a current rating of 73.1 and a slope of 125.  The original course designer is not known and the course originally opened in 1946.

This is a typical Texas layout with narrow mesquite tree lined fairways and a creek which you often encounter during your round of golf.  The 9^th hole plays up a steep hill and is a real challenge if not played correctly.  The same is true for the 18^th green.  The course has many extreme elevations changes, some with outstanding views of downtown San Antonio.

I played the course on a golf trip to San Antonio in 2010 and as the picture above shows, it rained on the second day and the creek became a LAKE.  After a day or two it was back to normal challenging course that will test golfers of all skill levels.

The golf course is for the military and their guests only.

United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

The Air Force Academy has two outstanding golf courses on the Academy grounds:  The Eisenhower Blue Course and the Eisenhower Silver Course.

The Blue Course-is an 18 hole championship course, this par-72 course measures 7,301 yards from the back tees with a rating of 73.6 and a slope of 135.  The course was designed by the great Robert Trent Jones Sr. and first opened in 1963.

We played this course in the fall and it was in excellent condition.  It is the most challenging of the two courses.  There are long holes, wide fairways, doglegs, bunkers, good seeded greens and water on one hole.  The layout has no two holes the same with the most amazing wildlife throughout the courses.  The greens are large and as tough as they come.  The beautiful Rampart Range Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains and can be seen from most fairways.  This is a must play and probably the best in the Air Force inventory.

The Silver Course, another 18-hole par-72 course also on the Academy grounds, measuring 6,510 yards from the back tees with a rating of 70.6 and a slope of 127.  The course was designed by Frank Hummel and opened in 1977.

This course is easier on your game, with light bunkering and three holes with water.  But it’s still demanding with a premium placed on accuracy rather than length.  A great mountain course with elevated tees and sloping fairways which can get very tight.  The greens are large, fast, and are very difficult to read correctly, and remember all putts break away from the mountains.  The Rampart Mountain Range offers numerous scenic views and also beautiful views of the low rolling foot hills, just outstanding. 

Both the Blue and the Silver golf courses are well worth the trip and the price and are open to the public.

Fort Richardson, Alaska

The Moose Run Golf Facility has two 18-hole, Par 72 courses.  The Hill Course and The Creek Course.  Both courses have numerous majestic views of landscape and wildlife, and are a challenging test of your golfing skills.

The Hill Course:  The original course was built in 1955 as a 9-hole course; additional 9-holes were added to make the existing layout.  The current course is an 18-hole, Par-72 course that measures 6,482 yards from the back tees and has a rating of 69.8 with a slope of 119.  A company of combat engineers built the course and it opened in 1955. 

  While the Hill Course has “postage stamp” size greens, the fairways are wide and forgiving to make a round of golf a challenging affair.  The wooded course has spruce and birch tree lining all the fairways.  The front 9 holes are hilly, while the back 9 holes are somewhat flat.  The water hazards come into play on a few holes and will promise a memorable golf experience for both the novice and the experienced golfer alike.

The Creek Course:   This 18-hole, Par 72 course measures 7,324 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 78.0 and a slope of 142.  The course was designed by Robin Nelson and opened in 2000.  Mr. Nelson has the ability to build a golf course that is sensitive to the topography of the land, preserves the character of the land and makes the game of golf fun.

The Creek Course is one of the most challenging golf course in the state and perhaps the most challenging that most golfers have ever played.  This is the longest golf course in Alaska and it has the longest single hole, the #11 hole, Par 5 at 649 yards.  Two of the holes, #6 and #11, play through reclaimed gravel pits and are known for their breathtaking scenic views, some of the best in Alaska.

Both golf courses are open to the public.

Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

The Eagleglen Golf Course was an 18-hole, Par 72 course that measures 6,687 yards from the back tees, and has a rating of 71.6 and a slope of 126.  The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and was built by the Corps of Engineers, and opened in 1970.

While the golf course was open, it was nestled in the ship wreck drainage basin.  The Eagleglen course can play to your liking depending on your selection of tees.  The golf course takes the golfer on a journey through part golf course, part arboretum, and part national park all-in-one.  The designer utilized the natural terrain and the meandering river that adds an additional challenge. This tree lined course is more traditional golf with “risk and reward” challenges throughout the course.  The best word I can us to describe the course is Majestic.  It has beautiful mature trees throughout the course.

 

Built for the military personnel of Elmendorf Air Force Base, the golf course was one of the premier golf facility in Alaska.  Unfortunately, the golf course was closed in May 2014 and became the Eagleglen Fitness Park.

Fort Wainwright, Alaska

The Chena Bend Golf Course is an 18-hole, Par 72 course that measures 7,012 yards from the back tees and has a rating of 73.6 with a slope of 128.  The course was designed and built by Jerry Matthews and opened in 1942.

Chena Bend course is nestled between the East end of the Fort Wainwright Air Field and the Chena River, with many holes that run along the river.  The tree lined course is more traditional golf with every hole in keeping with the natural topography along the river.  It is wooded, rolling and a spectacular course with varying degrees of difficulty that promise a memorable golf experience.

The course was rated by “Golf Digest” as Alaska’s best for 1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, and received a four-star rating in the 2008 and 2009 Edition of “Golf Digest” best places to play.   The golf course is the “Farthest North Military Golf Course” in the United States and in the summer the last tee time is 9:30 pm.  So if you’re in the area during the summer you can basically golf 20 hours a day if you choose.

The golf course is open to the public. 

Kodiak Coast Guard Integrated Support Command, Alaska

The Bear Valley Golf Course is a 9-hole, Par 36 course that measures 2,805 yards from the men’s tees.  The course first opened for play in 1986, and was designed by Richard L. Blackburn & Wayne Berry.

While in Anchorage Alaska in July of 2014, I decided to travel to Kodiak Island just to play golf.  The golf course is the only one on the island and is located in a valley next to Pyramid Mountain.  This well maintained course offers numerous majestic scenic views and numerous wildlife encounters.  I played the course and found a variety of uphill and downhill approaches which had me second guessing my next shot.  Like many other courses, the par three holes are incredible.  There are elevation changes combined with natural obstructions that definitely get your attention.  The trees come into play on the narrow fairways and the greens are small and fast.  Water hazards and ditches come into play on five holes and the course plays longer than the posted yardage.

This was the hardest course to get to.  The location of the golf course on Kodiak Island makes getting to it a massive challenge for most people.  You either have to take a ferry or a small plane, and the ferry doesn’t run very often.   However, the true die-hard golfers will always find a way.  Unfortunately, rumor has it that golf course is to be closed at the end of this season.

The golf course is currently open to the public and local wild life.