Blessings Golf Club, Arkansas
The tee shot at my favorite par three, the sixth, at the Country Club of Sioux Falls.
While researching where to stop and play on last year’s Arizona trip, I could not believe that Fayetteville, Arkansas was just 90 minutes out of the way. The northwest region of the state is known distinctly for three things: WalMart, Tyson Foods, and the University of Arkansas. The Blessings Golf Club, located in nearby Johnson, encompasses a bit of the first two and a whole lot of the last.
The course is the home of the Arkansas men’s and women’s teams and hosted the 2019 Division I Golf Championships. In essence, the Blessings is a shrine to the Razorbacks and their history. Stacy Lewis and Maria Fassi teed it up here, and even though John Daly didn’t, his presence is still felt around these parts. That sentiment is especially true now that his son, John Daly Jr., is a Razorback golfer. The clubhouse is modern and showcases great views of the golf course, and the practice facilities—especially the indoor short game space—are second to none.
In recent years, the Blessings has shot up national rankings. In some lists, it is ranked first in Arkansas while others list it runner-up to the Alotian Club in Little Rock. Golf Digest, in its newest edition of the greatest golf courses in America, names the Blessings 144th in the entire country. In a nutshell, the 2004 Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design is elite by any stretch. I was very excited to get a chance to play.
The member I teed it up with, Steve, a Midwest native himself, was extremely flexible in getting me out to the Blessings. We were slated to play in late January—on my drive down south—but had to reschedule due to an uncharacteristic blizzard in northwest Arkansas. He told me it was no problem and asked if I was headed to the area anytime soon.
“As a matter of fact,” I told him, “I’ll be on my way home next month.”
“Excellent,” he replied, “Let’s get something set up.” In short, golf needs more guys like Steve.
For late February, the course was in fantastic shape. Don’t let the dormant Bermuda grass colors from my pictures fool you; the Blessings’ turf is immaculate and the yellow is a result of the time of year. The greens had some fun and interesting undulations, and they rolled true. A fun quirk you’ll see on the course is the crossing of the second and 17th tee boxes. During my round, my drive on the second hole went straight over the area where your tee shot on the 17th hole would typically fly past. However, the two shots were far enough apart that they would never have interfered with each other, unless a rare Randy Johnson-bird type freak accident would occur. Golf Digest calls this “a course within a course”.
There are a lot of elevation changes at the Blessings, and the track is set up with two distinct tiers of golf holes divided by a ridge that separates them. The golf course is one of the most challenging you’ll ever come across. In fact, the rating from the tips, which measures at a cool 7925 yards, is a whopping 80.9. To put it in perspective, the average golf course has a rating of 70. That means the Blessings is nearly 11 shots more difficult than your public muni. As Ben Bernie would say, yowza!
My best shot of the round came at the par three third, a medium length one-shotter with a pond short, when my ball landed six inches from the pin, bounced, and hit the flagstick before rolling three feet away. I leapt at the thought that my first ace might come at this special place. Alas, the wait continues.
The course has a few spectacular par threes, none more so than the scenic, rock wall-bearing eighth. Measuring just 171 yards from the tips, the eighth shows its teeth with a ravine on the right and two penal bunkers front and left. It is a gorgeous golf hole. So, too, can be said about the next two, the ninth and 10th. The 10th is the best par five on the course, and believe me when I say holes two and five are no slouch. On 10, the golfer has to navigate an uphill tee shot short of a ravine and then decide whether to take on the green—which features another slippery creek just short of the putting surface—or lay up. On one of my best shots of the day, I hit my fourth from the sand over the green to three inches from the pin. I’ll take a tap in par on that 565-yard beast any day. Did I mention the tips lengthen the hole by 60 yards? I have to go back and mention hole seven, a beast of a par four with a shot played over Clear Creek, as one of the best par fours on the course. There are so many good golf holes at the Blessings that you’d be hard pressed to remember them all.
My favorite stretch other than seven through 10 is probably 14 through 17. The 14th is an awe-inspiring dogleg right that fits into the “bite off as much as you can chew” category, as any tee shot that fails to make the short stuff can be swallowed up by fescue. The approach shot is beautiful, not only because of the slightly perched green and terrific bunkering short, but also the incredible views beyond the green. If my memory serves correctly, you can see at least six or seven of the pins from that spot. It is a wonderful moment to take the experience in.
The Blessings has a lot of sidehill lies, which can be frustrating at times. Having Steve there to explain every nook and cranny was, well, a blessing. Another skeptic might point out that, due to the difficulty of the course, novice golfers would not have fun here. These criticisms are so minor, though, and do not outweigh the entire Blessings experience.
The Blessings Golf Club is, point blank, one of the most underrated golf courses in the country. I love a distinct parkland layout, and that is exactly what you get at the design that was recently renovated by Kyle Phillips. Yes, it is listed in Golf Digest’s Second 100 greatest, and sure, it is undoubtedly a top two course in the state, but just because a top tier golf course is highly regarded doesn’t mean it cannot get overlooked. An invitation here should never be overlooked. I read somewhere online before teeing it up that you will remember your round at the Blessings. This attitude certainly rings true, as I vividly recall the place that instantly elevated itself to a spot among the top 10 best courses I've ever played.