Golfing At Heaven On Earth

Heaven on Earth Ranch on the Smith River has a 9 hole golf course with some challenging holes.

Sometimes, part of the challenge is keeping your mind on golfing and not gawking at the jaw-dropping scenery or spending tee time taking photos of that scenery!

Ranch owner Gary Anderson drove a cart for us – there are some steep inclines here and Gary was proud to tell us how the course was developed and about some of the more well-known golfers who have stayed and played here.

Gary is a lot of things but story-teller best fits him. Funny, interesting, sometimes a bit off-color, but mostly just humorous, and the stories seem never ending. We could have listened to him all day.

But, golf was calling and my golf buddies finally snapped enough photos and got their clubs a-swinging.

We played our 9 hole round in the morning and when we started the air was crisp and fall-like. I didn’t see the deer that had been hanging around the golf course the night before but there were some draft horses across the river, Percherons I think. Beautiful white horses.

Heaven on Earth Ranch owners have placed several old-time sheepwagons along the edge of the Smith River, also a tipi and an old wagon.

What a wonderful setting whether you are golfing or fishing.

Heaven On Earth is tucked down on the Smith River bottom. If you were driving from Ulm to White Sulphur Springs on Upper Millegan Road, you wouldn’t have any idea that it was there. You need to turn off that road and then begin the amazing drop down in to the canyon.

I’m not sure what hole my golf friend was playing here but, I’d like to report that no golf balls were lost in the river while they golfed these unique 9 holes. Some came close though.

I was beginning to wonder if the guys remembered that their “relief putter” was hoping to get to swing a club.

Finally, on a beautiful slope, someone called “substitution” and I was in the game!

Now, it appears that I wasn’t that far from the hole on old #6 here but just take a look at that slope. In reality, it was quite a bit more sloped than what the photo shows. Really!

Not only did I NOT make the putt, by time I got done I was farther away from the cup than when I started. All in all, a bit embarrassing but I still had fun.

And, having fun is what it was all about on this fine day at Heaven on Earth ranch!