Deciding on one hole to highlight out of the 18 at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course did not seem like a tough decision for club professional Christian Scott.

Hole #12 stuck out to Scott and not just for being a difficult hole to play, but for the breathtaking views of Middle Canyon as the back drop.

"The view of Middle Canyon kind of reminds me of playing a course nestled in the mountains," said Scott. "It is almost like playing out of town because of the sights."

After the back nine opened at Oquirrh Hills, people soon found out how much skill goes into playing the third consecutive par-4 on the back. From the back tees it measures at 392 yards from 306 yards for the ladies.

If you don't have much confidence in your driver hitting it straight then hole #12 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Hit your drive left and you are in trouble of hitting your ball into the long native grass, where it would be hard enough finding a small child let alone a small white golf ball.

For the slicers there is also trouble. A large grass bunker on the right drops down more than six feet and seems to swallow any ball near its path.

Lets say you nailed your drive straight down the middle of the fairway on hole #12, you are not out of the woods yet. Your approach shot will need to land on a green that resembles more of long crunched soda can instead of a welcome green. It is so narrow that even the best player that slightly miss hits the ball will find themselves grabbing their wedge on their next shot.

Of course a lot of players think that a deep green means they can club up and be safe but that is not completely true either. If you hit your ball too long you will end up in more native grass that will gobble up any ball.

Even with its stunning views, hole #12 is just one of many exhilarating holes on the 18-hole course.

Oquirrh Hills is also making history in the kickoff of their youth league additions. Junior golf clinics are headed by assistant professional Nick Waters and directed by Scott.

"We are the first family friendly facility in the state," said Scott. "We had 100 boys and near 50 girls in last year's junior activities and we would like to continue the popularity of the sport for younger golfers."

July is family month at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course, which means that any junior playing with a paid adult golfs for free. The attention to junior golfing is meant to continue the great golf teams coming out of the county.

Specific tees for junior golfers are now cut and club rental is free for juniors. Also on July 21 is family golf day where range balls are absolutely free for the day at the driving range, which always stays open until dark, in case of a late evening urge to hit golf balls.

There is also a new menu at the cafè, which is a good place to eat even if a round of golf is not in the cards, and currently there is a new patio being constructed on the south end of the pro shop that will be used for tournaments to better accommodate the players.

Tee times can be made by calling the course at 882-4220 and rates are available online at www.thehillsgolf.com.

jgordon@tooeletranscript.com