EAGLE RIDGE

Eagle Ridge, which is owned by Chris and Suzie Becker, opened in 1997 and quickly established a favorable reputation for its smooth, fast greens.

This par-3 course, the shortest in the region, sits just across Highway 195 from The Creek at Qualchan and features a rustic, park-like setting with holes that range in length from 81-111 yards and play around a small barn and several outbuildings.

A large pond comes into play on the second and fifth holes, but what really makes the course are the greens and surrounding areas of deep rough that can produce some dicey lies for short chips.

The greens are relatively small, but they hold well-struck short-iron shots and have plenty of undulations and character.

“We have changed the rough a little since the course opened,” said the Becker’s son, Blake, who manages and maintains the course while his father tends to the family landscaping business. “We’ve grown an inner rough and outer rough around the greens, which makes it a little more challenging when you get in the thick stuff.”

For the more accomplished golfer, most of the holes at Eagle Ridge require little more than a half-swing with a pitching wedge – hardly the easiest of shots, and one that most could stand to work on.

“It’s a great course for getting a feel for how hard you have to hit short irons,” Becker explained. “What happens when I go out and play an actual golf course is that I try to remember by looking at the yardage – ‘O.K., I’m 60 out, that’s about the same as No. 6 on the short course,’ which really seems to help me.”

Rates are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for juniors, with an additional nine holes costing just $3.