Professional and amateur golfers in the region have had June 16-19 marked on their calendars for a long while. Finally, with clean grooves and high aspirations, they’ll be heading to Durango this weekend for the 55th annual Navajo Trail Open.
On the same weekend as golf’s U.S. Open, the field of 220 competitors, 180 amateurs and 40 PGA professionals, will arrive for Thursday’s pro-am to find a different Hillcrest Golf Club than the one they might remember.
However, by the end of the 54-hole, three-day tournament, some participants will be disappointed to find out the hard way that the treacherous greens stayed the same.
Hillcrest received a facelift in the offseason. New tee boxes and fairway bunkers were strategically placed, or moved, and the changes give players new looks in a variety of spots. New sand was added to every bunker, making the once firm, easy-out traps more penal than ever. Also, the long rough that gobbled up and swallowed wayward shots in years past has been trimmed significantly.
But, with hot and dry weather in the forecast, the heavily armored defense that Hillcrest is known for will be standing guard once again.
“It’s no secret that our greens are the true defense out here,” Hillcrest Golf Club PGA Head Professional John Vickers said. “Last year, our superintendent, Ken Kirby, did a great job getting the rough up. It was knee high in some spots and, although I loved the look and it made the course tougher, it made an already long day longer. After all, the goal is to have fun.”
Hillcrest plays as a par 71. The yardage can be stretched out to 7,100-7,200 yards, which is short for the big hitters at high elevation. The predominantly back-to-front sloping, fast, hilly greens are the course’s final defense, and they do a heck of a job protecting par.
If players keep the ball in play and are able to put themselves on the green in the correct spots, the course can be had. Last year, Utah pro and tournament winner Dusty Fielding shot a tournament and course record 61 on Saturday.
“If they make putts and drive it in the fairway, guys can go low,” Vickers said. “Even though the course is small and the rough is low, if it’s playing firm and fast, the way we want it, that’s when this course is at its toughest.”
Fielding will not be there to defend his title, but local legends and past winners like Cortez’s Conquistador Golf Club PGA professional Micah Rudosky, and Durango’s own Bobby and Tom Kalinowski, are likely to be near the top of the leaderboard Sunday afternoon.
With a deep field loaded with talent, it is hard to predict a winner, but it’s clear that whoever wins Colorado’s second-oldest golf tournament will have conquered a formidable test. He will also earn a prize of $5,500, with the second-place finisher taking home $3,500.
“We’re not comparing this to the U.S. Open, but you’ll see the same thing here,” Vickers said. “If they hit bad shots or get on the wrong side of some of these pins, they’ll make bogey or worse. It’s going to be a great field of professionals, so whoever wins this thing will earn it.”
The 180 amateurs who make up five amateur flights will also be eligible for prizes. The top six players in each flight will win cash payouts, with the low gross and low net winners of each flight pocketing $750.
Hillcrest will be closed to the public Thursday through Sunday, but spectators are welcome. The professionals will tee off Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.
jfries@durangoherald.com
