St. George, Utah: Gorgeous Golf
A Unique Golf Destination Worthy of a Visit.
(Photos courtesy of Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office)
Utah is famous for its magnificent landscapes and a stunning collection of National Parks that take full advantage of Mother Nature’s fine work. The state is also known for its deeply rooted connection to the Morman faith and spectacular temple architecture found in many of its cities. The city of St. George, tucked in the southwest corner of Utah, is a place that embraces both, while providing a concentrated array of golf options difficult to rival.
St. George was once the summer home to church leader Brigham Young. He helped to develop the city into a cotton farming center to supply the church with the needed textile during the American Civil War. The arid region wasn’t able to fulfill the vision of it developing as a thriving cotton industry, which pushed the settlement of St. George to reinvent itself. Embracing the surrounding natural wonders, the city is now a thriving tourist enclave of more than 80 000 residents.
St. George now has a thriving tourist vibe. The city is situated on I-15 and perfectly suited as a staging ground for visits to some of the most inspiring National Parks in the U.S. However it is the concentration of affordable high quality golf options that makes the city a stand-out for consideration when looking for a destination golf experience. St. George is a city blessed with an array of public access golf facilities that can rival some of the traditional coveted golf destinations. The region has more than a dozen facilities ranging from the original nine-hole facility that started it all to a number of ultra-luxurious resort enclaves. The city has a fine collection of municipally owned courses that set a high bar for quality and fun golf experiences and an equally fine roster of premium public access courses that are both memorable and challenging.
Here is a recap of a wonderful week spent in St George, Utah. What I found was a fantastic year-round golf destination offering something for everyone, with a range of accessible facilities all at a fraction of the price of other more recognized destination golf experiences.
The Magnificent Munis:
Dixie Red Hills Golf Course: This wonderful nine- hole treat was the first golf facility in the city, opening in1960. Wedged in a picturesque valley between massive red rock hills, the course is both forgiving and playable for all. Combined with the beautiful backdrops, it is a perfect place for a family outing or a quick round of golf before sampling all that the city and region has to offer.
Southgate Golf Course: This highly regarded city-owned par 71 design opened in 1965, but has been recently upgraded and renovated. The front nine navigates along and over the meanders of the Santa Clara River flats and a collection of ponds. The back nine is a stark contrast to the front as the routing takes you up and down steep and rugged hillsides and the neighboring residential community. The final quartet of holes features three par 5’s which offer a great chance to make birdies or better on the way to the clubhouse.
Sunbrook Golf Club: This sprawling 27 hole facility offers a bit of everything you could ever want in your golf experience. Each of the nines has a different feel to it. The Pointe offers significant elevation changes and a desert feel to many of the holes.The finishing quartet requires you to navigate strategic ponds guarding landing areas and the greens. The Woodbridge nine starts with a plunge into the Santa Clara River Valley then ascends to a high plateau. It is here, at the fourth hole, where you are faced with perhaps the most memorable tee shot at the facility. The island green par 3 is beautiful and daunting. The Blackrock nine winds its way along a pair of rivers until it reaches the final four holes. Here you will encounter the namesake blackrock from ancient lava fields lining the holes.
Sky Mountain Golf Club: The neighboring city of Hurricane, Utah, is the proud owner and operator of this 1994 Jeff Hardin design. The course is perched high on a plateau overlooking the Virgin River Valley with a panorama of jagged multi-colored peaks in the distance that provide a stunning backdrop. The trio of opening and closing holes all line the steep ledge that plummets down to the valley, while the remaining holes route through an exposed desert and through a residential community. The tips stretch Sky Mountain to about 6400 yards, but with the visuals all around you, it is focussing on the golf that is the major challenge here.
Premiere Public Play Facilities:
Coral Canyon Golf Club: Keith Foster carefully crafted this lengthy brute through a rugged landscape. The course traverses a wash valley that is flat in places, while steeply elevated in others. The course was added to the city’s collection of facilities in 2001 and is one of the most challenging. Stretched out to the back tees, the course plays to a beastly 7030 yards, but with four other tee decks this can be playable for anyone. The par 3 sixth hole is one of the most memorable short holes in the area, requiring a forced carry over a natural wash played to an island-style greensite that is fronted by a craggy rock wall face.
Ledges Golf Club: The northwest corner of the city is home to one of the newest golf facilities in St. George. Ledges Golf Club opened in 2004 as a Matt Dye design. The opening nine is routed over a relatively flat meadow of desert scrubland and is quite forgiving and scorable. The back nine bring the customary stunning visuals and rugged elevation changes expected in red rock country. The exacting par 4 15th features an island of fairway and another serving as the green complex. The course has a number of accommodation properties to serve as your base camp for any St. George golf trip.
Sand Hollow Resort: The resort is located adjacent to the recreational playground of Sand Hollow State Park. Opened in 2006, Sand Hollow is the largest golf complex in the city. The resort has three different playing options. The Wee Course is Utah’s only Par 3 routing. The Links Course is a nine hole tribute to old world stylings and a great place to rent a set of hickory clubs and take a step back in time. The Championship Course is a Jon Fought and Andy Staples design and has been ranked amongst Utah’s best courses ever since it opened. It is both challenging and visually stunning. The striking ribbons of green fairways starkly contrast with the rich red desert tones that surround all the holes. The back nine is built along the western edge of the property and features some of the most remarkable cliffside golf imaginable. Holes 11 -15 are a stretch every golfer needs to experience as you seemingly hang on sheer cliffs, soaking in the magnificence of Mother Nature’s surrounding beauty. The resort has a range of accommodations, activities and amenities to make any stay more than just about outstanding golf.
Private Resort Enclave:
Entrada at Snow Canyon: In a city filled with as fine a collection of public-access facilities as found in St. George, the Johnny Miller designed Entrada at Snow Canyon provides a luxury private club experience for those staying at the 4 star Inn at Entrada. The routing takes advantage of a footprint that embraces elevation changes, rock formations with an amazing colour palette and a trio of holes set amid an ancient black rock lava field. Everything about the round here is top-notch; from the customer service and accommodations, to the quality and variety of the holes to the conditioning of the course. The course is currently undergoing a renovation by David McLay Kidd and will be reopening to a highly anticipated new level of premiere private club experience.
Additional Courses:
Bloomington - St. George’s first private club which opened in 1969. It is recently renovated and offers a classic, walkable golf experience.
St. George G.C - This city owned routing is set along the Ft. Pearce Wash with many of the tricky greens well protected by ponds.
Green Spring - Another of the region’s municipality owned facilities, this Gene Bates design is considered one of the state’s most challenging courses.
Sunriver - This master-planned golf community features a championship layout with stunning mountain and desert views.
Copper Rock - The latest addition to the St. George golf scene, opened in 2020 to high acclaim. It features a varied canvas and a creative challenging routing.
Whether you are looking for a vacation destination to bask in the natural splendor of Utah’s National Parks or if a destination golf experience is more to your liking, St. George, Utah, is the perfect location for both. Combining a trip to the Grand Canyon, Zion or Bryce Canyon with a few rounds of golf in St. George would make a most memorable trip. Booking a week-long golf extravaganza to sample all the region’s courses would be both affordable and an experience you will want to tell all your golfing friends about. I know I do every chance I get.
If you are looking for more information about St. George as a golf destination, check out the Greater Zion website for all the terrific experiences available.
This blog article is based on content originally published by On The Tee magazine.
