Blessings Golf Club
Fayetteville, AR • Private
Walt Beazley
Walt Beazley
Walt Beazley
Walt Beazley
Overview
George Thomas conceived of the idea of a “course within a course” when designing Los Angeles Country Club in the early 1920s, creating various tees for different holes that changed the angles of play and even the par values on different days. That’s part of the concept of Blessings in northwest Arkansas, where Robert Trent Jones II built a multifaceted routing that can be played in a variety of different lengths and combinations intended to challenge the game’s best collegiate players (Blessings hosts a variety of NCAA tournaments and was the site of the 2019 National Championships), including one setup with a USGA course rating of 80.9 and a 155 slope. Several holes cross over each other in the manner of old links courses, though there’s nothing linksy about the rural, wooded and sloping property bisected by Clear Creek. When you build a course for an individual owner—in this case John Tyson of Tyson Foods—you get to break the rules. In 2018, architect Kyle Phillips remodeled Blessings to make it more walkable, creating a new first hole, relocating several greens, and shifitng and rebuilding bunkers to increase strategic diversity.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Making its inaugural appearance on our national rankings.
2023-'24 ranking: 144th.
Best in State: Ranked second, 2013-'24. Ranked third, 2011-'12. Ranked inside the top 5, 2007-'10.
2023-'24 ranking: 2nd.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“The Zoysia fairways are superb and you will be well taken care of at this private club. A supreme challenge from the back tees - don't do it unless you are a good collegiate player or better."
Read More2024
Review
“Well-conditioned course that meanders through wooded valleys. No two holes are alike and there is challenge from tee to green. There are a large assortment of tees from which to play which should accommodate all players. Holes 1 and 18 use the same fairway in opposite directions which is unique. Well worth a play if you get the opportunity."
Read More2023
Review
“Tough and scenic Robert Trent Jones II design in Northwest Arkansas. Has hosted NCAA Championships and a high-level college tournament. Home of the Arkansas Razorbacks golf team. Bring your A-game because this course will punish any and all poorly struck shots. Short Par 3 8th hole is a beauty. Definitely play here if offered the opportunity."
Read More2022
Review
“The Blessings is one of the best courses in the state and is definitely one of the hardest courses I've ever played. It's a unique piece of property and no two holes are alike. It transitions through a variety of landscapes, from open and flat to more of a hilly parkland style course. The course gives you a lot of options off the tee and with each approach and definitely makes you think. It's always in great shape, but can be borderline unfair depending on the conditions. Definitely worth putting on your list of places to play."
Read More2022
Review
“Blessings Golf Club is a hidden gem located near downtown Springdale, Arkansas. The course is home to the University of Arkansas golf team and boasts an impressive indoor short game practice facility as well as an extensive practice range including indoor hitting bays that open up to the range for colder weather months. The course is thoughtfully laid out over an interesting and varied piece of land featuring many elevation changes and features representative of the greater northwest Arkansas topography. The course has several unique sections that play through areas of the property offering different prodominant features, playing up and over large hills, over severe ravines, through valleys and along a river that meanders throughout the course. The first four holes for example take you from the relatively flat area by the clubhouse, to the 2nd hole which is a long par 5 that plays severely uphill to a platau which you then turn around and play all the way back down via a short par 3 and severely downhill par 4. The course then moves up into the hills where the middle section of the course plays along ridges, up, over and around severe elevation changes. From the tee shot on the 15th hole through the end of course, you are back on the mostly flat ground near the clubhouse. The 18th hole plays back up the 1st fairway and off to the left instead of the first tees which are right of the fw. A very unique feature that frames the course exceptionally well. The clubhouse and Arkansas golf team buildings are extremely modern in design and stand out in the surrounding area. The apparent goal of the club is to provide state of the art facilities for the U of A golf teams and to offer a challenging course that will test all shots and make the golfer have to think their way around the course while offering a playable and enjoyable experience for members. The course's repuataion as one of the most difficult in the counrty seems a bit over stated although the tips tees would certainly test the very best and longest golfers."
Read More2022
Review
“Excellent practice facilities, very neat clubhouse and a fantastic layout. If you find yourself in the area and able to get on the course it is well worth it! The hospitality is top notch and the course can play as long as you want it and more. You also just may run into some Arkansas Razorbacks training on the range, which is a fun experience."
Read More2022
Review
“The course is highlighted by double fairways, narrow landing areas and heavy bunkering. It was clear with the design and renovations that they wanted to make this a US open style course. It is far too penal and unnecessary on some holes. "
Read More2022
Review
“A course which both wows you on first visit, but that would be enjoyable to play over and over as a home club. The original routing was awkward and required too much movement. This has been remedied to a large degree. The conditioning is second to none, but this place is still about the golf, not just manicured fairways and greens (which were flawless). The land has two distinct movements, a low land 9 which still has great undulation and character, and then the 9 truly in the foothills of the ozarks, with dramatic elevation changes, used to great (but not gimmicky) effect. An enjoyable, serious, and challenging round of golf."
Read More2022
Review
“This is a really challenging course for an accomplished golfer. It's probably impossible from the very back tees (8000 yards, 80.9/155) and only almost impossible from the next box up. Many of the tee shots require a long fade. This course is an example of how hole width can produce shot options, as a number of holes can be attacked from different angles. A picturesque landscape with varying terrain and elevation changes. This is a pure golf facility that is also home to the Univ. of Arkansas golf teams. A great test for accomplished golfers—if you shoot a good score here, you've earned it. Conversely, it's probably quite difficult for a novice player."
Read More2021
Review
“The conditions are always good. The Blessings is the home of the Arkansas Razorbacks golf teams. It hosted the 2019 NCAA championship and annually hosts the Blessings Collegiate tournament. This is a top 5 course in Arkansas with potential to be a top 200 in U.S."
Read More2021
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