Shenvalee Golf Resort
Shenvalee has the destination hub concept down. They have all the amenities to make a golf destination happen – clubhouse, restaurant, bar, hotel, views, grills for guests, and the opportunity to network. The variety provided by the three nine-hole configurations, gives golfers options for at least two days worth of golf. In addition, the proximity to Caverns Country Club, Packsaddle, Heritage Oaks and Lakeview make Shenvalee a place to come back to after spending several days in the Valley. This is a special place with the Robert Trent Jones hitting the first tee shot in 1927.
Shenvalee has three distinctly different sets of 9s. Before hitting the links, we hit a few balls off the range – conveniently located next to the No 1 tee of the Creek Course. Overall, the course was in excellent shape. Tee boxes were well marked. Fairways are wide and as you get to the green – they get more narrow and challenging, leading to large accommodating greens. The sand traps/bunkers are well kept, clean and the sand was plentiful, soft and took some getting used to, but we love the way Shenvalle takes care of the bunkers – especially around the greens. Hole 6 (Par 4 over the water) tempts you to go for the green over water!
The Miller Course is a unique experience, and not an easy walking nine, although we saw some. The distance between holes can be 150 – 300 yards (between Holes 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 7-8. But, I love the design of this nine – the views, blind shots (while we don’t particularly like them, we didn’t mind them). The bunkers guarding Miller Hole 7 in front and back of the green are well-placed; giving the green a much narrower feel. The Miller nine is a challenge from the first tee to the last – from a reachable par 5 (No 1) in two to a driveable par 4 (No 9) this course has everything to challenge the golfer. Hole 6 is my favorite Par 4 ever! It’s length and slight uphill makes it a challenge to get par.
The Olde Course – the original 9 – is the shortest of the three nines, and the hardest due to the size of the green’s – they are just slightly smaller. The fairways are a little tighter as well. It’s a fairly easy walking nine, except for hole 8, it’s a good uphill walk to the green. This is a fun, short nine.
The variety of lengths of the holes on all three nines was challenging and I ended up using all the clubs in my bag – finding sand occasionally really helps that as well!
