At left, No. 4 at Granada Golf Course. Above, Balboa Golf Course. At right, No. 2 at Diamante Country Club. course in Arkansas from 1997-2002 and is the only private membership facility in the community. The demand for quality golf keeps all the courses active, as each track averages more than 57,000 rounds per year.
The 1970s and 80s
DeSoto was the first course built at the Village, opening in 1972. From the back tees, the par-72 course plays at a hearty 6,733 yards from its back set of five tees (forward tees are at 4,653 yards). The track was renovated in 2001 to add new forward tees and a new irrigation system and now has an updated, player-friendly look enjoyable for all skill levels. Clark made dramatic changes to hole Nos. 3, 4, 7, 11 and 17 in the renovation. DeSoto has three great finishing holes to top off a good round as it comes in with the 535-yard par-5 16th, the 365-yard par-4 17th and the 545-yard par-5 closing hole. The fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda and the greens are Penn Cross bentgrass. DeSoto features full facilities including restaurant, lounge, grill, pro shop, putting green and driving range. Opened in 1977 as the second of the community’s courses, Cortez is located in the northern section of the village. The par-72 course plays to 6,672 yards and has just two par-4s (both on the back-nine) that play at more than 400 yards. But this beauty is not to be taken for granted, as its routing winds tightly through the trees and brings water into play on nine of its holes. Many of its holes also bring elevation changes into play and the greens complexes on Cortez are exciting and demanding. Perhaps the best stretch at Cortez is holes
8-11, where you get a little bit of everything and a lot more difficulty than many golfers can handle. The 173-yard par-3 eighth is an all-carry drive over a huge lake to a shallow, well-protected putting surface. The ninth – a 393-yard par-4 – heads straight uphill off the tee and on the approach, adding 30-some yards to each shot. No. 10 is one of the Village’s toughest holes, a 425-yard par-4 moving downhill then back up and around a tree stationed at the focal point of the dogleg right. The fairway is rolling and off-camber, making the approach to a green protected by two bunkers even more trying. Opened in 1982, Coronado is the only executive-length par-62 golf course in Hot Springs Village. It is a great course to play for those looking to get in a quick 18 holes, a beginning golfer or veterans wanting to perfect their short game. But don’t be fooled. Coronado is as challenging from 150 yards as any in the Village. “It is the hardest course in the Village to shoot par,” Paul said. The fairways, tees and roughs are Common Bermuda and the greens are Penn Cross Bent grass. There are no sand bunkers at Coronado, and a three-hour round is the norm. Balboa was the next course to open in HSV, with the first tee in the ground in 1987.
Clark said that Sam Snead was brought in to help with the course’s design and even was on hand for the course’s opening, which was rained out. Rain also had a lot to do with Balboa’s early existence as the sprigs for the course’s fairways were washed away by a week-long deluge of precipitation (some say as much as 15 inches). According to low-handicap golfers in the Village, Balboa is a great test of golf and has some very tricky par-3s. The course continues to be a Village favorite, with fairways that are flatter and more wide-open, allowing golfers a mistake or two and still recover. Balboa doesn’t have as many sand traps as other Village golf courses, but has four holes where water comes into play. Balboa is a walker-friendly course that gets better with each round played. Fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda and the greens are a blend of Penn Cross and Crenshaw Bentgrass. Balboa has full country club facilities including restaurant, grill, lounge, pro shop and driving range. Golf Digest rated Balboa No. 7 in the state’s best rankings for 2005-2006.
The 1990s and 2000s
Opened in 1991, Ponce de Leon is a favorite among lower handicap golfers, as the routing is a real players’ golf course, www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 11