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Photographs by Julie Gibson
SANCTUARY SANCTUARY
PAR 3 2-6 YARDS
Sadalia,CO
303224.2860
sanctuarygolfcourse.com
10
T
he character of a par 3, no matter where it is, always seems to be
heightened when it is located in an amphitheater setting.
There cannot be too many amphitheater settings more imposing
than the one that houses the 10th at Sanctuary—the unique course
devoted to the preservation of wildlife and the work of charitable
causes.
Just by itself, the hole is a wonderful example of golf architecture.
The green presents a sizeable target, but when it is missed, the
surrounding perils can quickly inflate the stroke total.
What sets this hole apart, however, is what lies beyond the reach of
even the longest of tee shots.
Over there—about 30 miles away—and very much within eyesight is
the Front Range. Pikes Peak rises up beyond that, easily visible on
a clear day despite the fact it would take about 500 perfectly struck
2-irons to reach its base.
The 10th green at Sanctuary contains 7,840 square feet of putting
surface, making it the largest on the course. The right-hand third of
the green falls off into a lower level and is separated by a ridge that
runs from front to back.
Just getting on the green, therefore, by no means guarantees a par.
But getting on the green is certainly more preferable than not getting
on it.
To the left of the green is an impressive mound about 10 feet high
with a solitary pine sticking out of it. A multi-fingered bunker sits below
the right-front corner of the green with the putting surface wrapping
around it.
If a ball comes to rest on the very front of the green and the hole is
cut in the back-right portion, it becomes impossible to putt directly
at the hole.
Such are the complexities that exist at Sanctuary's 10th, although the
view from the tee tends to make what happens during the playing of
the hole pretty much irrelevant.
