We covered a lot of ground on our week-long vacation and got to check out three National Parks, including the big ones of Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We spent the first part of our week exploring Yellowstone and then the last half in Grand Teton.

If these areas are of interest then I’d highly encourage you to save up and make the trip. We were happy to have visited Yellowstone, but liked Grand Teton more and would love to get back there. We stayed in Jackson, WY for the last half of the trip and while we were there I squeezed in a round of golf at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club.

Prior to the trip I researched golf courses and found that the number of publicly accessible courses in the area are limited. The only two semi-private options I could find in the valley were Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club and Teton Pines Country Club. Both are usually rated as top choices in Wyoming. Unfortunately, Teton Pines wasn’t going to work because it was closed to the public until the week after our trip. That left JHGTC and thankfully I was able to snag a tee time.

First, the bad news. JHGTC is a spendy course. The green fee was $250 (ouch), which is at the high end of what I’ve ever payed to play throughout the years. I’m not sure a round of golf is worth that much cash, but I figured I’d just be paying to see the awesome scenery. I am a sucker for scenery on a course so I knew I’d enjoy the round here.

JHGTC is located close to the airport, between the Snake and Gros Ventre Rivers. The course is in a valley so the layout is much flatter than I expected for this part of Wyoming. The most impressive thing about the place are all the incredible views of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. The opening and the closing holes have the best mountain views while the middle section of the course plays through the cottonwood trees, along the Gros Ventre River. Outside of the courses along the Pacific Ocean or maybe in the Rocky Mountains that I’ve played, JHGTC has some of the most dramatic on-course scenery I’ve experienced.

While the scenery overshadows the design, I thought there were many solid golf holes at JHGTC. The course was originally designed by Bob Baldock in 1965 and then Robert Trent Jones Jr. re-designed it in the early 1970’s. Then, RTJ Jr. re-worked the course again in 2004. For the most part, JHGTC has a resort feel to it with plenty of width and only a few forced carries. I thought the distance, the tree-lined holes in the middle part of the course and the deep, penal bunkers were the toughest parts about playing here.

I played the blue/white combo tees which are 73.6/135/7092 and there are many long holes, even with the ball flying through the thinner air. The par-5’s on the front nine are lengthy and then the 9th, 10th and 11th holes are difficult because accuracy is needed. I really liked the 11th, a 550 yard par-5, because of its visual appeal. The tee shot plays through a chute of trees and the rest of the hole hugs the river as it bends left.

The par-3’s on the back nine (the 13th and the 16th) are the signature holes because of their postcard views. Both holes are out in an open meadow where you can see for miles. The 13th is 169 yards and the 16th is 184 yards. The 13th plays over a pond while the 16th has three large bunkers guarding the green.

The maintenance at JHGTC was very nice, as it should be for the price. The tees and fairways were like carpet. The turf provided plenty of cushion and allowed a lush look in the high-desert terrain. The greens were smooth and quick. The sand looked newer but had some rocks in it.

Golf choices are limited in the area, but if you don’t mind spending the money then I’d recommend a round at JHGTC. The scenery is spectacular and I thought the design was interesting and fair. I golfed with a member who said he prefers JHGTC over Teton Pines because this one is more friendly. My golf experience here ends up among my personal favorites.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):