BY RYAN SPELTS
It is just a happy coincidence that there are actual crane birds that visit the Crane Field Golf course in West Davis County. It is actually a family name. James Crane was one of the pioneer settlers of Bear Lake Valley where General Manager Zach Aland’s parents, Marian and Jim, grew up. Course developer Jim Aland picked the name to honor the family name. Jim is a believer in sustaining open areas in our beautiful communities. That is why he chose to build golf courses and to protect them from being developed in perpetuity. Crane Field is protected with a conservation easement.
The golf course is located in Clinton City, and it is on the border of three other cities: Roy, West Point, and Hooper. Being one of the newest golf courses in Weber and Davis County and having opened in 2010, Crane Field is off the beaten path, which adds to its appeal. There is no traffic noise nor power lines to obscure players’ views, and it is located in a Club Ivory Development in Clinton. The ground crews had to work hard to overcome the alkaline soil to be able to develop the beautiful green 18-hole course you will find today.
When first looking to develop the raw land into the course, it was very easy to see a golf course; it felt like the course was supposed to be there. There appeared to be natural places for bunkers, elevated tees, and other golf course features which were in existence before the course was even built. Jim wanted to make sure that, as the course was built, they would change the natural ebbs and flows of the landscape as little as possible to maintain the natural feel of the course.
Crane Field is more challenging than some local courses. It has smaller greens and requires a bit more skill to score well. However, it also has a good balance of open fairways to make it playable by all skill levels. The course is developed in the Modern Parkway style with Bentgrass Greens and play length of 6400 yards. Hazards include white sand bunkers, grass bunkers, hills, ponds, wetlands, native areas, and trees. It is also a great place to spot wildlife: deer, frogs, and many varieties of birds, like pelicans. The look and feel of Crane Field has been compared by some to a links course, though it has a wetland feel to it with cattails and natural water hazards. The course features waterways and foot bridges to help navigate them. Because of the natural wildlife that call the course home, ground crews seek eco-friendly and sustainable fertilizers to ensure the safety of the plants and animals.
The Alands also own the Remuda Golf course in Farr West, which has been around for longer, but they actually applied to build Crane Field course first. It took five extra years to get all the approvals ready. The course is in a beautiful location surrounded by an Ivory Homes development known for creating great golf communities. The course is also a popular wedding venue. Its growing popularity comes from the fact that they allow wedding parties to bring their own catering, and it is a nicely decorated clubhouse for those who don’t want to decorate a gym or recreation center.
I am excited to go give Crane Field a try and experience my first wetland course. Hopefully, while there, I’ll happen to see a crane, but I’ll settle for a pelican or two.
VISIT US!
3648 W Crane Field Rd
Clinton, Utah 84015
801-779-3800
cranefieldgolf.com