Rope Rider Golf Course
No. 1 Par 5 485 yards (White)
We list the white tee distance, because it’s the most commonly played, but to truly experience Rope Rider’s No. 1, you have to play it from the “Jake” tee, a championship tee box smack dab on the back patio of the Swiftwater Cellars winery, which houses Rope Rider’s pro shop. It only adds 50 yards to the hole, and sets up a thrilling elevated tee shot (before an often appreciative gallery of wine tasters), followed by either a 3-wood to the green (avoiding the water on the left) or an iron-wedge approach. Played from the whites, the lure of reaching the green in two, and starting off your round with an eagle, is devilishly tempting. — B.B.