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<\/a> Talk about tight holes, the 14th is as narrow as it looks in this photograph.\u00a0 Scotty Creek is immediately off to the right.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club is a really fun and testy course that sits on a scenic hillside not far from the airport.\u00a0 It was designed primarily by landscape architect J. Bruce Carr and opened in 1990.\u00a0 In the meantime,\u00a0 real estate development has surrounded portions of the course, which takes advantage of its gorgeous hillside views.\u00a0 Fortunately for golfers, this is core course as opposed to one that winds through a housing community.\u00a0 As such, the housing borders only one side of four holes in a most unobtrusive way so that feature is really not a negative factor.<\/p>\n
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The layout is known as a favorite among the better area players, and I would imagine that they would hold a huge advantage in hosting any visiting matches.\u00a0 Sunset Ranch plays through narrow corridors throughout.\u00a0 On the very first hole you will discover Scotty Creek in the trees just to the right of the fairway.\u00a0 After a rainy spring, it was loudly roaring during my visit.\u00a0 It comes into play on several holes in a most strategic lateral or forced carry manner.<\/p>\n
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The most demanding aspect of the golf course is that the designer cleared just enough earth for the course to be reasonably playable \u2013 which it thankfully is.\u00a0 There are many very narrow corridors with a couple of more generous ones as well.\u00a0 The play is often up-and-down the terrain and Sunset Ranch’s full length is less than 6,500 yards, but don\u2019t be fooled.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n So you think you might \u201ceat up\u201d Sunset Ranch?\u00a0 Think again.\u00a0 There is trouble galore.\u00a0 Errant tee shots and mis-clubbing can spell disaster on more than half the holes.\u00a0 This is a layout that must alternately be caressed and attacked, but since there are a number of uphill semi-blind approaches, getting close to your target is anything but automatic.\u00a0 Take the stretch between 13 and 17.\u00a0 On a good day, a pretty fair player might well go 2 to 3 under par, but on a bad one the same person might be 7-8 over!\u00a0 The same variability goes for the opening and second holes.\u00a0 And then there is the little 161-yard slightly uphill 5th<\/sup>.\u00a0 First, it plays at least a club longer than it looks and if no one tells you, Scotty Creek roars just short of the putting surface. When you add in the challenging putting surfaces, Sunset Ranch is \u201ca wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing.\u201d<\/p>\n And you notice that I’ve said nothing about the putting surfaces.\u00a0 Let us just say they are challenging enough and don’t necessarily conform to the putting rules of mountain golf.\u00a0 In other words, your work is not finished by just conquering the narrow tee shot corridors.\u00a0 Sunset Ranch tests you all the way!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The par-four 6th<\/sup> and par-five 7th<\/sup> holes play a distance from the rest of the layout and present of very different look, but also afford some attractive vistas.\u00a0 The drop-shot par-three 8th<\/sup> is a beauty and returns you back to the core of the course.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I very much liked Sunset Ranch and recommend it to anyone who is reasonably accurate off the tee.\u00a0 If not, this little honey will eat your lunch and spit you out!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a> The 10th (left and green) and 18th (right) holes, side-by-side par-fives, provide about as much for driving as you will find at Sunset Ranch. <\/strong>(Courtesy of Tourism Kelowna and Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Looking toward the tee on the deceptive uphill 161-yard par-three 5th.\u00a0 Scotty Creek that runs immediately in front of the putting surface is not visible from the tee.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Don’t go long on the little downhill 132-yard 8th hole!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n