Hart Ranch Golf Club

Hart Ranch is a course I always liked to go play while growing up in Rapid City. It was generally less busy, and was always fun. Going back after not playing it in 15 years was a real treat.

Hart Ranch sits south of Rapid City in a valley, and Spring Creek winds it's way through the course, coming into play multiple times. The location results in swirling winds that always seem to switch around into your face!

The golf course is in excellent condition. It plays firm and fast, and challenging! The greens are true and fast, with enough slope to make you tentative. The fairways and tees are in great shape. I was only in one bunker, but the condition of the sand was very good, similar to other area courses.

Hart Ranch is a tale of two 9s. The front 9 is the original 9 holes. It's a bit more open, and definitely the more fun 9. The newer back 9 is narrower with more trouble in play. Best bet is to get scoring done on the front 9!

A couple of items keep Hart Ranch from being a 5 star course. First, there aren't enough tees available. They really need an Orange/Brown combo set. The Brown tees are a bit long, but the Orange tees are too short and take driver out of play quite often. And then second is the stretch from 15-17 is not good. Hole 15 has a blind tee shot with OB right and hazard left. Hole 16 would be a great short par 3, but for some reason there are boulders in play that can carom balls OB. And 17 has a green that is too sloped, creating very few pinnable locations. It's just not a fun stretch of golf. With some work on those 2 items, Hart Ranch would be a 5 star course.

It was fun to be back and take another crack at Hart Ranch. It's one of the must plays on my Black Hills golf list!

Hart Ranch is a well manicured, interesting but enjoyable layout in a valley right outside of Rapid City and not far from Mt Rushmore. The course has a mix of very playable, straightforward holes and a couple of extremely challenging holes that require well struck shots and well timed fortune in order to avoid big numbers. The greens are as smooth and pure as anywhere in the state and there are some incredible views as well. If you are playing in the Black Hills area it is as good as any course out there.

Just played this course in Sept. 2018 for the first time. I booked it while traveling with family - snuck in a round while they slept in!

I had to rent clubs and buy balls etc and the prices were fair. The clubs were new Rogue irons/woods - which was nice. The gentleman also put a stiff driver in the bag at my request. The carts had good NAV on them and were in good condition. The overall course was really fun to play. The fairways, rough, bunkers were all in good condition. The best part of the course was the greens! They were in perfect condition - they were probably running around 9 or so that day.

I would give a 5 star rating but for two things:

1. We never saw a cart girl - would have liked a bloody mary.

2. I paid about $125 all-in with golf, cart, club rental, and a sleeve of balls. Don't ask me to buy a bag of tees after all that! Seriously - I have not bought a tee in 20 years.

Thanks - play this course if you get a chance.

PS - was directed to your course via Billy my tour driver the previous day.

Top notch privately owned and operated course open to the public. This course is just over 6800 yards and has to be experienced walking. Just watch out for snakes and rattle snakes. Seriously if your balls goes in to the deep. Best just to leave it and play a drop not worth the potential scare or bit. The course sits nicely with in the valley before the foot hills. The front nine has a great spread out layout with plenty of room to play a variety of tee shots. Once you round the corner the back nine tends to tighten down and play a little more strategic to your tee and approach shots. The course tends to dry out quickly in the heat of the summer. July and August the course is best played in the early morning. The practice facilities within the course are great and provide realistic greens and chipping centers that are comparable to the on course features. They also have an indoor simulator to practice your game in the rainy days and snowy days in South Dakota.

The off course amenities are good. The proshop is always well stocked with knowledgeable staff. The bar is decent but has a limited food selection. This course is a must experience and play course for your next Black Hills trip. Just stay out of the tall grass.

Another good choice and would certainly recommend it to any visitors in the area. For me, the cost of the round was a little high for a weekday price, but it was vacation and we just dealt with it.

Pretty scenic, the pace was good, ( even the 10th hole cut ins were out of our way pretty quickly after a few holes.

Different type of holes and that was good.

I am a tourist. Based on price, location, and quality, Hart Ranch is probably the top golf option in the Rapid City area for visitors. That said, it is not the perfect course, either. There are a few things that could be done to elevate Hart Ranch from 4-star to 5-star territory. First, I really like the hole-by-hole flyovers on the website, but on the course, some areas could be marked more demonstratively. One example is the creek that breaks the fairway 70-80 yards in front of the green on #9. Also, bunkers, tee boxes, rogue branches, and some peripheral areas could be more manicured, which would take Hart Ranch to the next level and more commensurate to its resort course billing. Much of the front nine, and part of the back nine are rather generous off the tee, making it hard to lose a ball unless you are way off line, or find a water hazard. The greens are receptive and true, but very fast. Putts can get away from you if you are not careful. So, pick a line and go for it because, with very few exceptions, it will get to the hole. My one major criticism of the course is the design of holes 14-17. Chiseled into the ridge of the adjacent hills, these holes are non-sequitur to the rest of the course. I appreciate diversity, but the universally uneven lies, blind landing areas, severely sloped and unusually shaped greens on these four holes differ so much from the characteristics of the remaining holes, that it is somewhat unfair, in my opinion. By no means does this adversely affect my recommendation of Hart Ranch, nor my desire to play here again someday. This criticism is merely based on personal preference. With multiple rounds, adjustments would be made, but for the one-time, out-of-town visitor, this situation might be an issue. Of course, some golfers might like this stretch of anomalous holes. You can't know unless you play. Best of luck!