OCR Text |
Show 5 E ACTIVITY GUIDE ^———^^—————.—~ — www.dailyutahchronicle.com European-style links in the heart of Utah Marco Villano s STAFF WRITER Built in 1991 through the marshes of Salt Lake City, Wingpointe Golf Course is reminiscent of a European links-style golf. A course in which trees aren't a factor, Wingpointe features native grass and water that give players second thoughts about pulling out their driver on many holes. The first things you'll notice when pulling up to the golf course are the airplanes that are practically flying on top of you. With their loud jet engines only a couple hundred feet above, you would think that this would be a major distraction, but once you stand over your ball and peer down the narrow fairways, the sound of the planes is the last thing on your mind. Most holes feature a half-pipe shape. The hitting fairways are key components to scoring well at Wingpointe. If players find themselves in the rough, they will be guaranteed an uneven lie, which can be brutal when approaching the greens. The putting surfaces are surrounded by bunkers, mounds or water—a classic component to links-style golf, making the golfer think about attacking or just playing it safe with a shot to the middle of the green. With the addition of wind that typically howls out in the flats of Salt Lake City, this course will surrender many high scores and devour a few bucks' worth of golf balls. The whole course will pose a problem for the average golfer, but the holes that can really freak a player out are holes No. 3, 4, 8,12 and 14. Holes three and four introduce a lake that bothers the tee shot for both holes. No. 3 is a dog-leg left par 4 that calls for both a demanding tee and approach shot. The angle from the back tees will test a player's will, because with a lake on the left and difficult pot mounds on the right, a straight tee shot is an absolute necessity. No. 4 is a par 3 that plays completely over water. With a front pin location, players will typically bail out to the right where there are' mounds that penalize those who are afraid of the water. No. 8 is also a par 3 that plays over water, but is much shorter than hole No. 4. This hole is more difficult because there isn't much room for error on this tight little par 3 and when the north wind kicks up, it's vicious. No. 12 is a long par 4 in which the proverbial risk-reward shot comes into play. It's a dog-leg right that dares players into cutting off some of the hole by taking it over the corner with a slice shot. The native grass and bunkers will shy most players away from taking this risk, but it's a fun hole that will make you, as a golfer, think. No. 14 is a par 5 that is lined with what used to be a water-filled lake. The dry lake bed can still cause troubles for most—how many amateur golfers can hit off of cement? Not many. Although the hole plays just 540 yards from the tips, it's not a wise choice to go for the greenin two, unless the hole is playing downwind, because the lake cuts in front of the green, which will lead to an impossible green-side dry-lake bunker shot. PHOTOS COURTESY HEATHER BARNUM Timbersports athletes will display their speed and skill with axes and saws at Thanksgiving Point this weekend. :limbing and boom running. In boom running, the object is to run across logs that are chained together ind floating in water. Speed climbing competitors must use metal spikes ittached to their boots called "toe gaffs" and a hand jstrap to race to the top of a 6o-foot pole and then slide back down. All the events are impressive in their own right, put must be viewed in person for full appreciation. | Erica Brown, media coordinator of Thanksgiving Point said, "These events have been made possible through tremendous efforts by the Utah Sports Commission and the Utah Valley Borough of Commerce. They are both constantly looking for new and unusual outdoor sporting opportunities for the whole family, and for individuals from all walks of life." Although the timber industry may be in the protess of phasing out in the United States, these competitions provide a wonderful venue for their heritage to live on. k.turner@ chronide.utah.edu ad trail series is a Utah runners [own the newly completed Green Mile [Vail, which runs down a series of gradlal hills with the finish line right at the •ase of "Oh My Heck" Hill. After the conclusion of the trail run at Volf Mountain, the Utah traS series will »ick up again June 28 for an 8K event at Inowbird. The last two legs of the series irill be a little more of a test for contesants, as they will have to battle through 12K at Antelope Island on July 19, then tnally cap off the series with a grueling iK in Wheeler Canyon in Ogden on Auust 16. Points will be awarded according to imes finished, and the participants with be most points at the end of the four racs, which make up the Utah lYail Series, Christopher Kamrani STAFF WRITER The U outdoor recreation department continues its excursion of the Cascade Mountain regions with its next adventure being the most adventurous and difficult. PHOTO COURTESY ASSOCIATED PRESS will be invited to the XTERRA TVail Run Championship on September 27 in Bend, Ore. Top finishers in Oregon will then be sent to the world championships at Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii, which take place December 5. So, whether you're looking for a personal challenge or trying to punch a ticket to Oregon and Hawaii, the XTERRA TYail Run at Wolf Mountain promises to leave you breathless. You can register online at wwwstridersrunning.com. The entry fee is $25 or $35 if you sign up the day of the run. For more information on the XTERRA TVail Run Series, you can check out www.xterraplanet.com. b.chouinard@ chronicle.utah.edu 1 Wingpointe Golf Course, located by the Salt Lake International airport, offers golfers a European links-style of golf. Wingpointe is home to a couple of Utah Golf Association tournaments during the summer. Both will draw large playing fields. The first tournament that Wingpointe hosts is the Wingpointe Amateur, which will take place on Sunday. The Amatuer will draw many locals who play the course on a regular basis and possibly a few avid Utah amateurs' tournament junkies. It's a fun prep tournament for the big one that is played in August: the Burton Lumber Salt Lake City Open. The Open is played between two courses: Wingpointe and Bonneville golf coursfe, and is a tournament for the best amateurs who are looking to top the Player Performance Rankings. With this being the last PPR tournament of the season, the best of the best will be competing for the coveted honor of best amateur in the state of Utah. Wingpointe is a fun course for golfers of all levels. If the wind is blowing, it can be extremely challenging, but with smooth greens, a European feel, and great views, most would have a nice round at one of Utah's top municipal courses. m.villano@chronicle.utah.edu U outdoor group continues annual trip, sets sights on summitting Mount Rainier Mount Rainier sits just above the city of Tacoma, Wash. It is considered the most hazardous of all the Cascade Range volcanoes because it is closer too more populated communities. I PHOTO COURTESY SALT LAKE COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION About 14,410 feet of Mount Rainier adventure to be exact. The annual summer trip to the Washington-based Cascades for the outdoor recreation department continues in the Northwest. The department has already made the trip to Northern California in early May where it hiked Mount Shasta, the second-largest peak in the Cascade Mountain Range. Nate Smith, trip coordinator and climbing expert at the U Outdoor Recreation Center, spoke of the immense difference Rainier brings to the table compared to mountaintops that the department has already summitted. "This is our annual trip," Smith said. "We summit Mount Baker and Mount Shasta, but (Rainier) is simply more of a climb. It becomes much more technical." Mount Rainier, located in Pierce County, Wash,, is the tallest peak in the Cascade region. The region surrounding Mount Rainier has the largest amount of glaciated areas in the continental United States, with 26 major glaciers around the mountain. ' The Cascades feature non-volcanic and volcanic mountains in tneir three-state-long spread. Rainier features two extremely large volcanic craters at the summit. The two craters are more than 1,000 feet in diameter. Often referred to as "The Mountain" by residents of the major cities of the Northwest, Rainier last belted the scream of eruption in 1854 and geologists expect the peak to erupt again in the future. Mount Rainier became the nation's fifth national park in 1899 when former President William McKinley dedicated the park. Smith and the crew will tackle the "standard mountaineering climb" of Rainier with strenuous training for the glacier climbs. Once the group reaches the craters, they will have the pleasure to enjoy and hike around them. "This hike is a typical multi-day mountaineering climb," Smith said. If is one of the toughest climbs in the nation for a reason. Every year, hikers are turned down from reaching the summit because they're not in prime physical condition. The outdoor department has advised that participants should be in very good physical condition and must be ready to work hard. "I love snow, but I am more of a summer guy," Smith said. "We have a really great overall program here. It will be fun." The trip includes food, transportation, experience in leadership and group equipment. The trip's estimated cost is $325, including a mandatory $50 non-refundable reservation deposit. The trip is slated to run from June 23 through June 29. In order to go on the excursion, students must attend the mandatory pre-trip meeting which takes place June 12 at 5 p.m. The group will go over rope techniques^ ascending toward the summit, training information and trip details. c.kamrani@chronicle.utah.edu Weekend Utah Rivers Paddle Festival is the place for water workshops, food and music If you've ever had an inclination to learn how to steer a kayak, navigate a sailboat or even flyfishand you didn't have a dad to teach you, your options for learning how were pretty limited. You could peruse the classes offered at your local college- or university, or you could attend the nth Annual Utah Rivers Paddle Festival. On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., anyone interested in learning how to use Whitewater orflatwaterkayaks, canoes, dories, rafts or sailboats can do so at Little Dell Reservoir, which is 15 minutes east of Salt Lake City, just off I-80. The festival offers clinics and workshops for begin- ning watermen and women and offers live music as a learning backdrop. There will also be informal competitions, food and activities geared toward children. It truly is a way for the whole family to enjoy themselves in the great outdoors while learning along the way. All proceeds from the festival go to the Utah Rivers Council and will benefit the Council's river protection program. The cost of the festival is $10 for adults and $6 for children between ages 6 and 12. For more information and a list of events, visit www.paddlefestival.org. Tony Pizza |