The Buzz: Located just off Buffalo Soldier Trail at historic Fort Huachuca, this is one of two public courses available in Sierra Vista, which lies about 70 miles southeast of Tucson, near the border of Mexico. The military course is operated by the Fort Huachuca Morale, Welfare and Recreation Directorate, but is open to the public with no vehicle or visitor pass required.
The majestic Huachuca Mountains serve as a backdrop on several holes of this course, which was designed by Ed Collett and Art Sneider, was built in the 1960s and is relatively flat with a traditional layout that features tree-lined fairways, bunkering around the greens but water in play on just one hole. There are four sets of tees on the par-72 course at 6,879, 6,514, 5,805 and 5,661 yards. It is rated at 71.7 with a slope of 127 from the back tees. Green fees won’t set you back much at this course which handles about 40,000 rounds of golf per year.
The front nine has one particularly nice four-hole stretch starting at No. 3, a 408-yard par 4 that is the No. 1 handicap hole for men. It has out-of-bounds on the right, rugged desert left, a drainage area that bisects the fairway at about 200 yards and an uphill shot to the green with a large bunker on the left side and trees guarding the right side.
Next up is a 175-yard par 3 with an elevated tee and a green that slopes severely from back to front. That green has a sand bunker on the left front, a grass bunker on the right and a deep dry wash behind. No. 5 is a risk-reward par 4 at 382 yards with a dogleg right, a water hazard in play and a deep bunker on the left side of the green. T
he sixth is a 540-yard par 5 with an uphill drive, downhill second shot and an approach that is slightly uphill, with trees in play on both sides and grassy mounds protecting the front of the green. On the back, the 14th and 15th holes are another nice combination.
No. 14, formerly a short par 4, now is a 199-yard par 3 with a new, 8,000 square foot green and a very deep bunker on the right front. That is followed by a risk-reward par 4 at 381 yards that has a severe right dogleg, tempting big hitters to cut the corner, where a huge waste area awaits. A tall tree and high mound front an undulating green.
Mountain View has full practice facilities, including a new putting green, and the 19th Hole bar-grill offers food, beverages, large-screen TVs and free Internet service. As for the surrounding area, Sierra Vista-Douglas is a popular recreation site surrounded by the Huachuca, Dragoon, Whetstone, Mustang and Mule Mountains, is bordered on the east by the San Pedro River and provides some of the state’s best hiking trails.