Golf All Night in Alaska

“Let there be light” is the golfer’s mantra in the Land of the Midnight Sun. During summer months, visitors to the 49th state can golf literally nonstop from sunup till sundown, which in Alaska around the summer solstice can translate to nearly 22 straight hours of sunlight.

If you visit Fairbanks, Alaska’s second largest city after Anchorage, you’ll have the option of golfing on two distinct courses. The oldest is Fairbanks Golf and Country Club, which bills itself as the “Farthest North Golf Course.” The other option is North Star Golf Club, with its self-proclaimed title of “America’s Northernmost Golf Course.” Regardless of the venue, golfing at the 64th parallel is a unique experience to behold.

To clarify which golf course is truly northernmost, here’s the historical scoop. The nine-hole, semi-private Fairbanks Golf and Country Club was built in 1946. For the next 47 years it was indeed the farthest north golfing establishment in the United States.

However, in 1993, Jack Stallings and Hawley Evans built North Star Golf Club three miles north of Fairbanks Golf and Country Club, thus outright procuring the title of America’s northernmost golf course.

Special Offer
One of the enticements offered at North Star Golf Club is its special visitor’s package. For $59 the special includes a golf cart and18 holes of golf, rental clubs, North Star logo towel and ball, certificate of play and a custom yardage book. If you golf just nine holes, the package is only $49, says Evans.

This golf special is not the only special offered, however. The wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery are priceless, and cost absolutely nothing. According to North Star’s second-year golf pro Tim Cagle, it’s a good idea to bring along a camera while walking or riding the 160-acre, 6,500 yard course. Wildlife regularly seen include moose, red fox, voles, owls, red squirrels, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, coyotes, snowshoe hares and hawks. “Moose are often seen in the wetlands near the back nine,” says Cagle.

Wildlife also figure in the local golf rules. According to Evans, when a raven or fox steals a golf ball, a replacement may be dropped without penalty at the scene of the crime Likewise, if an errant shot falls dangerously close to a mother moose and her nursing calf, a free reload is an option.

Though North Star Golf Club is a links-style course, it offers a unique setting created by the ubiquitous underlying permafrost. “This creates an ever-changing pattern of dips, swales and mounds reminiscent of the great courses of Scotland,” says Evans. “No two shots are alike at North Star. For example, the number 8 green was once flat. But with the melting permafrost, it’s now one of the most undulating, yet playable, greens anywhere.”

Oldest Course
A little farther south, visitors will find the state’s oldest golf course, the venerable Fairbanks Golf and Country Club. This scenic course is open 24 hours a day from June 1 through July 20 and measures 3,132 yards. According to general manager Santina Meath, Fairbanks Golf and Country Club offers its share of wildlife viewing as well. “Moose, fox and ducks can be seen frequently on the course,” she says. “We recently saw a black bear out on the driving range, although I’m not sure what club he was using.”

The nine-hole course was redesigned in 1989 by Robert Muir Graves. The narrow fairways are lined with birch, alder and fir trees, and there are two natural lakes to contend with on three holes.

In addition to golfing 24/7 during the summer, visitors to the Golden Heart City, as Fairbanks is named, may want to consider taking the two-hour drive to Denali National Park, home of the picturesque 20,320-foot Mt. McKinley. There’s no golf, but the spectacular scenery may make up for that.

North Star Golf Club
330 Golf Club Dr.
Box 81090
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: (907) 457-4653
Web: www.northstargolf.com
E-mail: northstargolf@hotmail.com
Green fees: $28/18 holes; $18/9 holes

Fairbanks Golf & Country Club
1735 Farm Loop Rd.
P.O. Box 83590
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: (907) 479-6555
Web: www.fairbanksgolf.com
E-mail: fairbanksgolf@gci.net
Green fees: $30/18 holes; $20/9 holes

The 19th Hole (and a few chip shots)
El Rio Country Club, a new 18-hole championship golf course, recently opened in Mohave Valley, just south of Laughlin, Nevada. Golf course architect Matt Dye designed the course with the goal of providing a challenging and enjoyable golfing experience for all abilities. The par-72 course is spread over 90 acres of turf, offering 83 bunkers placed throughout the 7,115-yard layout. A brand new fleet of 80 golf carts with GPS is also available. Green fees range from $32 to $89. For further information, call toll free at (866) 389-2445, or visit online at www.elriocountryclub.com.

The 19th annual TaylorMade Father and Son World Invitational and inaugural Generation Cup will be held simultaneously Oct. 25-30 in Vista Vallarta Golf Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Tournament rules for both events are quite simple. For the father/son invite, participants must be fathers and sons, fathers and stepsons or fathers and son-in-laws.
Participants must be at least 12 years old by Oct. 25.

The Generation Cup is open to two-person male teams with an age difference of 15 years or more. Generation Cup participants must also be a minimum 12 years of age by Oct. 25. For more information on either tournament, visit the Web site at www.taylormadefatherson.com/details.htm.

And finally, a Georgia golfer celebrated the recent Father’s Day in memorable fashion. Pete Whitaker had just received a new set of golf clubs from his wife. Anxious to try them out, he convinced her to accompany him to the local course, since his regular golfing buddies were unavailable that day. On the third hole, a par-3, 160-yarder, Whitaker christened his new 5-iron—with a hole-in-one.

Rick Stedman is an avid RVer, golfer and writer who lives in Yakima, Washington. He can be reached at rick.stedman@charter.net