Cedar Hills Golf Course is located right at the mouth of American Fork Canyon on the south side of the point of the mountain and offers nice views of Utah County.

Course Condition

The course is really split into 2 parts with the front 9 in the valley and the back 9 more elevated bringing the mountains into play.  The course recently changed the layout adding a few par 5’s and taking away a par 5 for a par 3.  The greens are always in good shape because they have workers drive around and repair ball marks.  The recent changes are definitely a down grade from the original layout making #9 and #18 VERY reachable par 5’s instead of tough par 4’s.  Both holes should really be considered par 4.5’s.  The course layout is very interesting and entertaining and we feel the back 9 at Cedar Hills is as good as any 9 holes in Utah County.

Customer Service

Utah County is by no means the “Mecca” of customer service, but Cedar Hills is one of the best in Utah County.  Director of Golf, Jim Madsen, is a very savvy businessman and definitely understands the importance of customer service.  Overall, they treat you right and are happy to welcome golfers to the course.

Signature Hole

There are a few holes that could be considered the signature hole, but #1 takes the cake.  The hole features a 250 foot drop off with a spectacular view of holes 2-8.  #1 is a Par 4 playing 391 yards from the tips.  REALLY long hitters can actually take a shot at the green because the tee is so elevated, but there is a small river that runs about 40 yards short of the green.  The average player should hit your 200 yard club and accept a 120-140 yard shot for your second.

Price Value

The course charges $38.00 for 18 holes w/cart Mon-Thurs. We feel this is definitely a fair price and gives golfers a great bang for their buck.

Difficulty

At Cedar Hills it really depends on which set of tees you play.  If you play the tips and the canyon breeze picks up the course can be difficult.  However, with the recent changes to the course the par 5’s are ridiculously easy.  If you don’t take driver off every tee you will score MUCH better.  The course is not really long, but punishes wayward drives.  0-15 handicaps will ALL have a great chance at reaching most of the par 5’s in 2.  0-5 Handicappers should play the tips, 6-11 should play the gold and 12-Up should play the silver tees.

Overall Rating: 6.25/10

The Ranches golf course is located in Eagle Mountain about 15 minutes west of Lehi. The course is now operated by Van Guard Golf Management and has improved greatly in the past year.

Course Condition

The Ranches is a link style golf course with high winds and long deep rough. Van Guard has done a great job keeping the golf in good shape despite a lower traffic of golfers. Because of the link style, the course does not require large amounts of maintenance, making the greens, fairways and tee boxes in pretty good shape.

Green Conditions

The greens at the Ranches are typically hard and fast. Because they are hard, the greens usually run pretty smooth.

Customer Service

Because the Ranches Golf Course is in Eagle Mountain away from the core of Utah County, the staff goes out of there way to welcome golfers to the course. The head golf pro, Tele Wightman, was very friendly and a gentlemen to work with.

Signature Hole

The 435 yard par 4 #4 brings in the essence of the golf course. When golfers reach the tee box of #4 the wind is typically blowing left to right, but the hole is shaped from right to left. All along the left side of the fairway is a ravine/out of bounds making a shot left an absolute no-no. Golfers that bail out to the right may catch the right fairway bunker or be left with a 200 yard shot to a difficult green. The ravine extends all the way to the front of the green making the approach shot difficult. Golfers with a par on #4 should gratefully run to the next tee!

Price Value

The course charges $43.00 for 18 holes w/cart. This seems a little high for a course that doesn’t have high traffic. However, the course is always in good shape so golfers will never feel ripped off.

Difficulty

If the winds pick up and reach the 20-30 mph mark the course can play extremely difficult. However, if you are lucky to catch it on a calm day the course plays SIGNIFICANTLY easier. 0-5 handicappers should be pretty comfortable playing the tips.

Overall Rating: 6.19/10