Palmer Golf Course Review

Right off the bat I am going to say Palmer Golf Course was a treat for me to play. It all started when Ian (a friend that I met in Hawaii) saw that we were on our way to Alaska. He sent me a text telling me to check out Palmer Golf Course in the Anchorage area. I looked it up and found out that it had recently held a US Open qualifier round. I was very excited about this round of golf. I would be able to see how well I could play on a course that was set up for professional conditions.

It is not often in any sport that you could see how close you are to being the best. That is the one thing you can do in golf that you can’t do in many other sports. See your skills on the same playing field as the pros.

In golf you can….and at Palmer Golf Course, I did!

Ian sent me a second text the day before I went to play. He told me to find George. I was able to find George and say hi. George is very proud of Palmer Golf Course – and he should be. It is a solid course set up on 7125 yards of picturesque land, surrounded by the most beautiful mountains you will ever see.

I am getting ahead of myself. As you drive up to the unassuming course. You see a modest clubhouse with a burger kitchen. Everyone is friendly and happy to help you. Gail checked us in and got us briefed on the course.

As you step up to the first tee you see where the beauty of the course is. It is all around you. You are surrounded by mountains. Big, beautiful mountains. Everywhere you look it is like a picture. No matter how I described the mountains or how many pictures I show you, I would never be able to convey how beautiful the setting is for Palmer Golf Course.

The cherry on the cake – there was a municipal airport next to the course in the valley as well. Which means you got to see small aircraft practicing all day. We even saw a helicopter carry a small plane across the valley and set it down at the airport. The day was so clear you could see for more than twenty miles. 

Palmer Golf Course is a solid course to play. The difficulty is in the distance. You can see 16 of 18 flags from the tee box. But they were far away. The course was there for you to see. To play one shot at a time. To see where you needed to be for a good approach shot. 

I played one of my best rounds of golf. I didn’t expect a lot.

The course was still set up like it was played for the tournament. I expected it to be hard. I decided to just play one shot at a time. Not to try and figure Palmer Golf Course out from the tee box. Just put something on the fairway, a full swing out from the hole. Then to get on the green or close to the green and not in trouble. I didn’t overawing anything. It all came together. I had some poor shots but I was able to recover and score well. I ended up shooting a 78. One of my best scores in a few years. 

There is two things that stood out to me about my round of golf.

• One – it was easy to do. I tried to play within myself. Not to overawing and to finish my swing. To be smooth.
• Two – I didn’t get any birdies. To me that means, I played very consistent. Sometimes I get hot and get a birdie. It helps get my score down. But that means I screwed up somewhere else. I felt steady all day. 

Palmer Golf Course is the first golf course we have played in Alaska. We hope that the next courses we play in Alaska are as good as Palmer.  They put some simple elements together to produce a golf course that the sum is greater than its parts. Palmer Golf Course works. From the first step on the course to the left turn out of the parking lot. 

I rate Palmer Golf Course a Birdie.

Playing in Alaska is a once in a lifetime thing for me. And I am sure for most of you it would be the same. It is special and the courses I choose have to be special. If you are in Anchorage or Palmer Alaska, play Palmer Golf Course. You will not be disappointed.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting

Written By Marc Festa

COURSE REVIEW SCORE CARD

Course:  Palmer Golf Course – Alaska

Type: Public Course

Date Played:  26 May 2022

HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	4	Plenty of tee times available. It is a short season and may be booked June and July. Call for a tee time
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	You get a good course for the price.
3 – Starter/Marshal	3	2	Gail was the starter. She announced your name on the tee box. It was fun.
4 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	3	All of the tee boxes were in good condition.
5 – Condition of Fairways	5	5	The fairways were in good shape. Two more weeks and they will be perfect.
6 – Condition of Greens	4	4	The greens were also in good shape.  Again, just a few more weeks of growth and the rest of the season will be perfect.
7 – Length of Course	5	4	Good length and layout. Fun to play. Perfect for every skill level. Plenty of tee boxes
8 – Hazards	4	4	Hazards were maintained well.
9 – High Handicap Friendly	3	3	There are different tee boxes for the all skill levels. There was a halfway house. It had food and drinks.
OUT	36	33	
10 – Practice Area	5	5	There was everything. Driving, chipping and putting areas.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	Small locker room. But, it has everything you need.
12 – Pro Shop	4	4	Nice shop. Everything you need to play golf.
13 – Location	4	4	Easy to get to.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	They have sets available.
15 – Restaurant/Food Cart	4	4	There was a halfway house with food and drinks. There was a restaurant.
16 – Club House	4	3	Fantastic staff.
17 – Parking	3	2	Parking lot right in front of clubhouse.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	Friendly staff that will get you on the course.
IN	36	33	
TOTAL	72	66	Player: Marc F.  ATTESTED BY: Kathy F.