What off-road motorcycle rider wouldn't jump—literally—at the chance to go tear it up on a golf course without the risk of getting arrested? Participants in the most recent round of the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro got the opportunity to do exactly that.
Golf is sometimes referred to as "a good walk spoiled by a small white ball." Hidden Valley Golf Course seems to have recognized the wisdom of this philosophy and has changed its focus to something we find far more interesting: motorsports. Rather than shoo away bikers ripping up the fairways and greens, two years ago, the facility built an eight-mile enduro track on the former golf course.
"We held a race last year and a pro racer actually participated in it," Hidden Valley co-owner Rhonda Calloway told the Register-Herald. "He wrote a big blog about the race and his experience, and Kenda Motorsports ended up picking us up after that." Hidden Valley made all of its standard golf course facilities available to racers, including camping and fishing facilities.
After an absence of three events, Ryan Sipes returned to dominate the event, winning nine out of 12 tests and finishing nearly two minutes ahead of runner-up Cory Buttrick.
“I think everyone enjoyed racing on the golf course, it was awesome,” said Sipes. “It’s a nice course and we were actually racing down some of the fairways and jumping off of tee boxes. It was pretty cool.”
“The owners of the golf course are into motorsports and they were looking for ways to get people out here, so they thought if they hosted a race it would be good publicity,” said Full Gas Sprint Enduro promoter, Jason Hooper. “I think everyone enjoyed it. It was one of those things you always fanaticize about doing.”
For a rider's eye perspective of the full course, take a ride along with Jesper Borjesson, who placed ninth.