RAWLINS - Bob Ross stood next to the fifth fairway at the Rochelle Ranch Golf Course and contemplated not the lie of his ball, but the situation.

"We've waited for this course for the last, what?"

"30 years!" interjected Ross' buddy and playing partner Gary Koontz. Both golfers laughed and continued with their inaugural round at Rochelle Ranch on Saturday morning. They practically skipped down the fairway toward the fifth green.

Rawlins residents finally have their own golf course, and Rochelle Ranch is to public golf courses what the Big Bertha is to golf clubs. The 18-hole gem, which has been in the works for four years and was paid for mostly by Saratoga philanthropists Curt and Marion Rochelle, opened for business Saturday to enthusiastic reviews from the patrons, who bought tee times at an auction Friday night.

Until now, Rawlins golfers have had to make the 12-mile drive to the Sinclair Golf Club along the North Platte River or made the 40-mile trek south to play the Saratoga Inn Golf Course.

"We're awful lucky to have this," Koontz said.

Koontz and Ross, along with their wives Barb Koontz and Cindy Ross, were the first to play Rochelle Ranch's signature hole, the par-4 fourth. Players set up with a lake in front of the tee box and have a choice: blast the ball 230 yards over the lake straight to the hole or play it safe and hit onto a fairway to the right. Both Koontz and Ross went for the green from the "horseshoe" tees, and Ross made it over the water. Koontz got all wet.

If you're wondering what a "horseshoe" tee is, so will most people who glance at Rochelle Ranch's scorecard for the first time. The course has five different tees on each hole, as opposed to the more common three. The tees aren't colored, they're named: Brand, Spur, Coyote, Antelope and Horseshoe.

From the Brand tees, the course plays 5,706 yards. From the Horseshoe tees, it's 7,925.

"You could accommodate a PGA Tour player out here just as well as a 40-handicapper," Rochelle Ranch head pro Kevin Gannon said. "That's what's really unique about the course."

The course layout is another unique feature. Course architect Ken Kavanaugh, a Tucson, Ariz., native, employed what he calls a "natural" technique to the course. He didn't cart in much dirt, and carved the holes straight out of the already-existing terrain.

"Like we just took a golf-hole cookie cutter and placed it around 18 times," City of Rawlins representative Kevin Skates said.

The result is what Skates dubbed "prairie links" style. The fairways are wide and forgiving, unlike true Scottish links-style courses like Wisconsin's Whistling Straits, the site of this weekend's PGA Championship. But skip off into the brush and you're in trouble; The prairie bushes creep up right next to the fairways on most holes.

The fairways themselves are still spotty in places, but the grass has come in nicely on the greens. There are 104 bunkers on the course, and most of them are tight and look like they're not fun to hit out of. There are four lakes, all of which were there before the course was built. Kavanaugh made sure each lake comes into play at least once.

On the back nine, the signature hole is the 12th. The hole has the regular five tee boxes plus two more, and players hit their tee shots from atop a hill. The tee box offers a view of the entire course.

Curt and Marion Rochelle are known for their large donations to the University of Wyoming. The Rochelles put up most of the money, but turned the course over to the city to run on a day-to-day basis.

Curt Rochelle said he hasn't played a round of golf in his life, but wanted to give something back to the place where he grew up.

"We kept coming back to the fact that Rawlins didn't have a golf course," Rochelle said. "In fact, it seemed like it was one of the few towns in Wyoming without a course."

Rochelle, who is 89 years old, said he isn't about to pick up a five-iron just because he has a course bearing his name. But those who dream about five-irons say they're thankful for the opportunity.

"Thank God for the Rochelles," Koontz said. "Without them, this course wouldn't be here."

A huge banner on the side of the clubhouse Saturday proclaimed "Thank You Curt and Marion" and the two were honored at a banquet Friday night. Everybody from the average golfer to Gov. Dave Freudenthal was there. At the tee-time auction after the ceremonies, the 18 holes (in a shotgun start) went for a total of $8,000.

And if Wyoming needed any more proof that Rawlins was starving for a golf course, Rochelle Ranch already has almost 300 members.

The golfers from the rest of the state will just have to fit their tee times between Rawlins residents.

AT A GLANCE

n WHAT: Rochelle Ranch Golf Course.

n WHERE: Rawlins.

n BY THE NUMBERS: Bewteen 5,706 and 7,925 yards; par 72.

n GREENS FEES: $20 Monday-Thursday; $22 Friday-Sunday.