Aspen Lakes (Whites)
6535 yards – 71.9 Rating – 131 Slope – 85 Score
Day 1; April 21st, 2017
One of the first things you notice about Aspen Lakes is the red bunkers. Ground from the local cinder (as a choice by the course designer to avoid shipping in white sand from out of state), the bunkers give the course a distinctive (dare I say christmas’y) look.
Beyond being visually appealing, though, it should be noted that the bunkers do play differently since they are essentially ground up lava. I was fortunate to have a chat with a local before playing and it helped on the one fairway bunker I found as well as the single green-side trap I needed to play out of. Simply put, the cinder bunkers pack down and play a little heavier than regular sand. It’s not “bad” like wet or “dirty” sand… but it is different. What I was told is that often (when possible) even the green-side traps should be played like a fairway bunker or waste area.
Another aspect of the “course” I really enjoyed was the driving range. The first couple hundred yards are fairly standard fair, however, the back side of the range simply slips into the forest. At least one of the target flags is actually behind some of the trees. It really creates a neat feel as you warm up. In some cases, literally just driving your ball into the woods.
Beyond the traps, there is plenty to love about Aspen Lakes. The course is in fantastic shape, especially given that it spent a significant chunk of the winter under as much as four feet of snow. It lays out very nicely among creeks, ponds and enough in the way of elevation changes to keep you actively testing the various capabilities of your clubs.
I actually played a very good round (relative to me) and carded an 85 just inside of three hours. I was second out, playing as a single behind a local who was also playing by himself, so I don’t think this is something you should typically expect. However, pace of play seemed to be good all day long as far as I could tell.
I was fortunate to avoid any real trouble, however I can see how you could have a completely different scoring experience with a few breaks going the wrong way. There is no shortage of challenge on the course. I also played the whites, protecting myself from some of the tougher shots. The #2 handicap 14th was (by far) the toughest hole for me, with a waste area in the landing zone of the typical driver, it almost requires a 200+ yrd approach shot (albeit from an elevated fairway) from just about anyone playing the hole.
The staff at Aspen Lakes were energetic and enthusiastic about their work, and it really created a good vibe heading out to start the round. Laurie even took time out to give us a quick tour of the Sisters Mountains from the deck outside the clubhouse; a view well worth taking in especially when the “girls have their dresses on” as the locals call it when the mountains are snow capped.
Overall, Aspen was a terrific experience; Beautiful course, great staff and set against an absolutely stunning backdrop of major Pacific Northwest Mountains. I not only recommend the course, but have every intention of making the trek back to play again myself.
