Snowboarding on a golf course
One feature of snowboarding at a multiple-use area is that you can try to figure out, as you’re riding the chair lifts, what the ground underneath you is used for in the off-season.
For example, at Afton Alps, you can go snowboarding or skiing in the winter, and return in the summer to play golf or ride the mountain-bike trails. I’ve seen some of the mountain-bike trails from the lifts. Some people poach them during the winter, but most look too narrow for my comfort. I’ve played the golf course a few times, and each outing makes me appreciate snowboarding.
Here’s an introduction to Afton during the golf season.
During the summer, the Highlands chalet (one of four at Afton) serves as the clubhouse for the golf course. The Highlands area doesn’t have very steep terrain, but it does have what qualifies as long cruisers by local standards. It’s also the site of several holes on the golf course.
The back teebox for the first hole is just a step or two down from the exit ramp of lift #16.
Unless you’re hitting from the forward tees, you have to hit your first shot over a valley, which is the start of the winter trail “Pandora’s Pass.” The funnel makes the winter scene more interesting, though it’s a bit of a workout if you’re playing golf with a pull cart. It’s amazing: A slope that is small potatoes on a snowboard is bigger and steeper when you walk it, carrying or pulling a golf bag.
That’s lift #17 in the background. It serves as the edge of the ski area.
If you want to use the forward tees, you can save some of time and effort by taking a bridge over the valley. The bridge is roped off during the winter.
During the winter, you ski or ride underneath the bridge.
The first fairway is a dogleg right, and ends up skirting the top of both Rosie’s Run and then Vicky’s Valley before dipping down (and away from the normal flow of winter traffic) again just before the green.
By the way, Rosie’s Run is one of two black diamonds in the part of Afton known as as the Highlands. Highlands they aren’t, but they do have some of the longer runs in the metro. Rosie’s has a (relatively) steep section that you get to only after suffering through a long flat run. Vicky’s Valley, while flat, is a fun through-the-woods road on the outer boundary of the ski area. During one of those rare powder days, I’ve been able to snag some of the good stuff available in the mini-bowl that is the start of VV. Get there by dropping in from the top of lift 17.
Speaking of lift 17, when the snow starts melting, you’ll be able to glance off to your right and see the second teebox once you get off the lift. Holes 2 is the beginning of many rather uninteresting holes.
After you finish out the second hole, you cross the road (“why did the snowboarder-turned-golfer cross the road? …”) for holes 3 through 8. Here, the course is flat and for the most part treeless.
You head back across the road to finish up the ninth tee, which, after the first whole, may be the most interesting of the front nine.
The ski area is pressed into use on the back nine, though not all holes actually cross or use a winter slope.
Hole 10
The fairway for hole 10 is a dogleg right. A dogleg usually means that a course is cut through the woods. In this case, out of bounds isn’t a forest; it’s a hill–the other side of which is part of the ski area.
Finish the hole and you’ll be looking at the Alpine chalet.
That chalet serves a beginner’s area during the winter.
Hole 11
But before you get to the chalet comes the teebox for hole 11. It’s a short par 4 that carries over a pond. To the left side of the fairway is a collection of maintenance buildings that are visible from the “front side” of the ski area (lifts 1 through 4).
If, instead of looking down the fairway from the teebox, you turn around and look up the hill that you just played around, you’ll see chair #13 in the Higlands area.
The 11th hole is on the top of lift 5, which you’ll also notice on the next hole.
Hole 12
During the winter, lift 5 takes you within spitting distance of the teebox of hole 12. This par 3 has an unusual water hazard on the left side of the fairway: It’s the pond that is used for storing water for snowmaking. (The pond is also on your left as you ride up the lift).
Even with my tendency to hook, I’ve seldom hit the ball into the water.
On a snowboard or skis, you run off lift 5 and take Lisa’s Lane as the start to a ride that will take you in several different directions, but be warned: it’s flat.
Hole 13
Once you hole out on the par 3 twelth, take a peek through the woods behind the green. You’ll be looking into “Nicole’s Nook” , part of the learning area served by the Alpine chalet. You should also see lift 18, which services that area. Then move over to the teebox for hole 13, which has another down-and-away fairway.
During the winter, you’ll ride lift 6 over the yardage marker. (You’ll be on the opposite side of the pond from lift 5, and the par 12 fairway). The 13th fairway becomes, depending on your line, “Deb’s Drop” (a terrain park), “Polly’s Powder” (which, sadly, seldom has powder), or “Patti’s Pass.”
During the summer you’ve got another killer drop for a drive.
Hole 14
This par 14 drops away, though at this point I’m not sure where it drops FROM, but for a golf course, it’s a sizable drop. I’m guessing that it’s still within the area served by lift #6.
It ends up at the top of the Meadows area.
At this point, you’ve probably reached as far down from the top of the hill that you’re going to be.
Hole 15
Once you get to the green of hole 15, you can look down into one of the winter terrain parks. Lift 11 will be on your left.
I suspect that this short par 3 (130 yards from the back tees) takes you slightly uphill from an area where, roughly, lifts 12, 11, and 8 (roughly) converge.
Hole 16
There’s only one par 5 on the back nine and it’s 16, coming in at 477 yards from the back tees. The back teebox is down a stairway from the top of lift 12. Hit uphill through “Mary’s Meadow,” and past lift 18 until you’re back at the Alpine chalet, and a short walk from the 11th teebox.
During the winter, traffic flows in the opposite direction, though sometimes it comes to a stop as riders who don’t maintain enough speed through the area have to unstrap and skate.
During the summer, the banked right edge of the fairway adds some interest to the play.
Hole 17
The penultimate hole is a “downer,” since you’re hitting down the top portion of winter’s Monica’s Highlands. During the early winter, you can use the back teebox as a launching pad for catching 2 feet of air. After a while, the snow fills in and the jump disappears. You’ll be riding down to the left of chair 13.
During the summer, long hitters can hit a fade to send the ball to the green, 317 yards away. The green is, I believe, tucked into a stand of trees and positioned in a way that it doesn’t get much winter traffic. In fact, it’s probably roped off.
Hole 18
During the winter, you ride over the teebox for hole 18 if you’re on lift 13, and the fairway starts going on the other side of the lift from hole 17.
During the winter, the teebox is the launching pad down Amy’s Lane, a fun narrow slope that opens up to the bottom of a terrain park. You can also use it to launch yourself, halfpipe style, down into the valley of Monica’s Highlands, a wide-open freeway that narrows into a a funnel towards the end.
During the summer, send your drive 130 yards or so from the shadow of lift 13, over Monica’s Highlands, to the bend in the fairway, and then head up through what serves as a winter terrain park. Lift 14 crosses over the fairway, and then as you approach the green, the lift lines will be to your right. The last green is immediately downhill from a winter information
During snowboarding sessions, I sometimes look for golf course markings. The ride up the lift is not terribly interesting, so trying to figure out whether a named run is also a fairway on the golf course makes the trip more enjoyable. The stone markers at the tee boxes are usually covered in black, plastic bags, making the job of identifying them easier. The two seasons do converge in the summer, if you hit an errant shot. A local rule governs what happens if your golf ball hits one of the chairlifts that stay motionless during the summer. I had to rely on that rule once after making an attempt at a pitch onto the green.
All in all, it’s an awkward course, but if you’re a golfer and snow sports enthusiast in the area, worth checking out at least once or twice. Season-pass holders get a discount on summer passes, for either golfing or mountain biking.