Village offers golfing opportunities galore
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Village is home to eight
18-hole golf courses and one 27hole golf complex. With more than 160 holes, there is a golfing opportunity for players of all skill levels.
Hot Springs Village is home to four of the top 10 courses in Arkansas, and Isabella and Diamante were ranked nationally by Golf Digest as “Best New Courses” when they opened.
The credit for the magnificent courses must go to Tom Clark of the architectural firm of Ault, Clark and Associates of Kensington, Md., and the talented maintenance staff. Clark designed eight of the Village’s nine golf courses.
The courses in Hot Springs Village offer a variety of experiences and price points to meet the needs of individual golfers.
Balboa Golf Course
111 Balboa Way
501-922-1504
Opened in 1987, Balboa Golf Course is one of the most-challenging courses in the Village and offers one of the most picturesque finishing holes in all of HSV. This is the course for players who like fast, well-maintained greens. Golf Digest even rated Balboa Golf Course the No. 7 course in the state’s best rankings for 2005-06.
The fairways, which are wider and have less slope than some of the other courses, present the golfer with a great opportunity for par. This is a walker-friendly course that gets better with each round played. Fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda grass and the greens are a blend of Penn Cross and Crenshaw Bent Grass. A par-72 layout, it measures at 6,725 from the back tees to 5,362 from the forward tees.
The course was designed by Ault, Clark & Associates, and according to the low handicap
golfers in the Village, Balboa is a great test of golf and has some very tricky par 3s.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, short game, sports lounge.
Coronado Golf Course
199 Surtidor Way
501-922-2355 Coronado is the only executive-length par 62 golf course in Hot Springs Village. Designed by Ault, Clark & Associates, it is a great course to play for those looking to get in a quick 18 holes, a beginning golfer or a veteran wanting to perfect their short game.
Coronado opened in 1982 and was the third Village golf course. This is the course for players who don’t like bunker shots. Although there might not be any sand, Coronado is as challenging from 150 yards as any in the Village. The fairways, tees and roughs are Common Bermuda and the greens are Penn Cross Bent Grass.
Course includes: Golf shop, putting green, restaurant.
Cortez Golf Course
299 Cortez Way
501-922-1590
Cortez is known as the “shot maker’s course.” Some consider hole No. 10 as the most difficult par 4 in the Village, and the par
3 No. 17 is definitely the most recognizable.
Originally opened in 1977, this scenic 18-hole championship course is located in the northern section of the Village and was the POA’s second course. At Cortez, it’s not the length of the drive, but the position that counts. The course demands that players hit the landing areas or they are in trouble. This course plays 5,378 yards from the forward tees to
6,610 yards from the tips. The course was closed in
2006 to begin a $1.5 million renovation. The two-year project included a new irrigation system, new hybrid Bermuda grass on the tees, fairways, and roughs, new Bent Grass greens, new cart path overlay, the elimination of eight bunkers, rebuilding 25 bunkers, enlarged driving range, and extensive drainage work. The course reopened for play in August 2008.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, restaurant-bar.
DeSoto Golf Course
102 Clubhouse Drive
501-922-0001
DeSoto Golf Course opened in 1972 as Hot Springs Village’s first course. Renovated in 2001, this traditional course now has an updated, player-friendly look enjoyable for all skill levels. The fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda grass and the greens are Penn Cross Bent grass. This course plays at 6,733 yards from the back tees and 5,562 yards from the forward tees.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, restaurant.
Diamante Private Golf Course
2000 Country Club Drive
501-922-1114
One of the most-challenging, yet flexible golf courses ever built, the unique design of Diamante Golf Course challenges both the low and high handicapper and every shot hit on the golf course has its own challenges.
This private membership golf club, located in Hot Springs Village, opened in 1995. Diamante hosted the First Tee Arkansas Classic, a Nationwide Tour event, for four consecutive years. It was also rated the No. 1 golf course in Arkansas by Golf Digest from 1997 to 2002.
Diamante Golf Course has the only Zoysia sodded fairways in the Village. The roughs are
419 Bermuda and the greens are
SR1020 Bent grass. The par-72 layout measures at 7,560 yards from the back tees to 5,322 yards from the front.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, short game area, restaurant.
Granada Golf Course
250 Maderas Drive
501-922-3095
Opened in the fall of 2004, Granada Golf Course is an 18hole championship course. Granada is the most scenic course in the Village. With something for everyone, rolling hills, amazing views, beautiful creeks and pine forests make this course unique. Granada was recently ranked in the top 10 in the State of Arkansas by Golf Digest.
The course ranges from 5,014 yards from the forward tees to more than 7,000 yards from the back. With almost 7 miles of cart paths, Granada plays shorter than it reads.
Although located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains may have disadvantages for walkers, the great views, long fairways and large driving areas make up for it in playability. Granada features Tif Sport Bermuda in the fairways, tees and roughs. The greens are a blend of L93 and Crenshaw Bent grass.
The signature hole on this course is the beautiful 18th with a meandering waterfall that stretches the length of the fairway and was built entirely out of rocks that were removed during course construction.
One of the best and most difficult holes on the course is the par 4 No. 17, which has a green 60 yards in length.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, short game area, restaurant-bar.
Isabella Golf Course
110 Iniciador Way
501-922-5505 Designed with wider fairways and generous driving areas, Isabella is a player-friendly course, where tee times are a premium. Isabella has five sets of traditional square tee boxes, which aim the golfer toward the appropriate landing area.
This course has a great feel and is fun for the avid golfer as well as beginners. The signature hole, No. 15, doglegs left from the tee and is protected by a water feature on the left and a bunker on the right front of the green. Fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda and the greens are a blend of L93 and Crenshaw Bent grass.
This 27-hole facility plays as three 18-hole rotations: Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Isabella was rated No. 7 best new course in the U.S. when it opened in
2000. Recently, it was ranked as No. 1 best course in the state from 2002-06 by Golf Digest.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, short game area, restaurant-bar.
Magellan Golf Course
451 Ponce de Leon Drive
501-922-4497
Long on great golf holes, Magellan Golf Course is one of the shorter courses. This course plays shorter, but its tricky greens will challenge all skill levels.
It is a favorite for both men and women and is consistently one of the top three courses played. Magellan began as a golf school with three holes. In 1996, the POA expanded it to 18 holes and opened its sixth course. This course measures 6,494 from the back tees to 4,877 from the forward tees.
Magellan continues to boast the best practice facilities in the Village with a large driving range, a putting green, and several short game areas. The fairways, tees and roughs are
419 Bermuda. Magellan was converted in 2012 to Ultra Dwarf Champion Bermuda.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, short game area, deli.
Ponce de Leon Golf Course
300 Ponce de Leon Drive
501-922-4250
A favorite among lower handicap golfers, Ponce de Leon has tree-lined fairways and consistently true greens. Opened in
1991 by John Daly, this course is a challenging 6,946 yards from the back tees.
The fairways, tees and roughs feature Tif-way II Bermuda and the greens are a blend of Penn Link and Crenshaw Bent grass. Ponce de Leon Golf Course hosted the qualifying rounds for the PGA Nationwide Tour for three consecutive years.
As good as this course is for the low handicap golfer, by moving to one of the forward tee boxes, it is equally enjoyable for the average to high handicap golfer. All in all, this course has something for everyone including a complete practice facility with driving range, short game area, and putting green.
Ponce de Leon obtained national attention upon opening in
1991 with its ranking as one of the top 100 courses in the nation by Golf World Magazine. Golf Digest also ranked it the No. 3 best golf course in Arkansas 2005-06.
Course includes: Golf shop, driving range, putting green, short game area, restaurant-bar.