🏌️♂️ Desert Golf Adventure: Exploring St. George, Utah's Premier Courses
May 7
10 min read
1
68
0
5/20 Update!
As a physical therapist specializing in golf at Back9PT & Performance, I recently had the opportunity to combine work and play by heading to St. George, Utah, to cover the LPGA's Black Desert Championship and the LPGA Legends Championship at Copper Rock. Arriving a few days early, I embarked on a desert golf adventure, playing some of the region's most renowned courses.
Having done some extensive research beforehand, these are the courses I was able to grab a tee time at and a couple to add in with some time to sneak in nine holes a few evenings.
Falcon Ridge
The Ledges
Sand Hollow: Championship and Links
Copper Rock
Wolf Creek
Coral Canyon
Black Desert
Flying into Las Vegas and renting a car made for a smooth journey, with Interstate 15 providing a direct route to St. George. The area offers a variety of lodging options, some of which provide access to private courses:
Entrada at Snow Canyon: A private club requiring onsite lodging for play. This course can be seen from some roads in town and looked pure!
Black Desert Resort: Offers booking priorities to guests but is generally accessible to the public within a 30 day window but tee times go fast!
Stepping onto the first tee of round one, it was clear I wasn't in Kentucky anymore!
Falcon Ridge: $200
Although not technically in Utah, Falcon Ridge Golf Club is in Mesquite, Nevada about a 45 min drive away with some great options to round out your trip.
This was the first course that I played during my trip as it is on the way to St. George if you fly into Las Vegas. It was a great introduction into desert golf where hitting to targets and managing extreme winds seem to be a requirement. Prior research had deemed this course "Wolf Creek Lite" so knowing I would be playing Wolf Creek itself to finish off my trip this seemed like a good place to start.
My biggest knock with the course was that there is NO DRIVING RANGE!! Having flown four hours and then drove an hour and a half, that was not great for me haha. The starter actually advises you to take two off the first tee due to the inconvenience. They are in the process of building a range, but it did not appear to be that close to being done during my time here.
#12 is their iconic hole, but I found several others throughout the round to be very unique and fun as well. With the elevation changes and strength of the wind, club selection can vary widely when you play.
If you are looking for a place with some views to play and don't want to splurge on Wolf Creek, I would definitely consider getting out to Falcon Ridge. It's one I'd be willing to play again.
The Ledges Golf Club: $246
This was my first round of true St. George golf which had me excited. The check-in and range experience here were very good and superior to Falcon Ridge, Coral Canyon, and even Sand Hollow.
The front nine is a links style course with more generous fairways, a few reachable par fives, and a drive-able par four. This was a great spot to work out some driver inconsistencies before the more narrow desert style back nine. If the course were to stop here, I am not sure this one would be very high on the list as most of the holes could likely be placed in any state.
After opening with a par three on the back, you move right into desert golf with the sand fully in play (although not really playable in most areas) and some great mountain views. #12 was a shorter par three with mountains flanking the right side. #15 was a risk-reward 260 yard par four with a ravine short and desert surrounding the green. And the tee for #16 is perched up high from the previous hole leaving some great views looking back.
Overall this is a pretty solid course and good experience from clubhouse to 18th green. It would definitely be worth considering for your trip.
Coral Canyon: $88 Twilight (Approx $188 normally)
This was one that did not make my original plans but I added in an evening nine to round out one day and it did not disappoint! Although I was only able to see the front side, it provided enough fun and intrigue that I would be willing to officially add it to the books next trip.
The front nine provided some nice elevation changes and beautiful views throughout the whole time. The course was in excellent condition and comes in at a slightly lower price tag than the others on the list. I know Chicago is hailed as the "Windy City" but after playing four straight days here I'd definitely put in a vote for St. George to hold that title. Even with an evening round starting at 6 pm it was fierce. A par five down wind became reachable but the following par four played over 600 yards with everyone in my group having their third shots form over 100 yards out.
The desert can definitely come into play here at Coral Canyon, especially when the winds are up and it did provide some areas where you can play the shot from the sand but many where it requires a drop.
Even though a few holes on the backside of The Ledges held some amazing views, I think I would play this one over that course just based on playing the front nine at Coral Canyon and see what the backside has in store.
5/20 update:
Making it back into town for the LPGA Legends event, I made sure to get in 18 holes this time and the back nine did not disappoint! It had some great holes once again that were a nice compliment to the front with several risk reward opportunities with two drivable par fours. There was one short par 3 (78 yards) which felt like they just ran out of room to add it in, but it did have a cool rock backdrop to it. I started at 5:20 pm and was able to play 18 in 2.5 hours as a single on a Monday evening which was AWESOME! I still think this may be a better play over The Ledges based on the course although their range and overall experience is going to be better than Coral Canyon.
Sand Hollow: $256, $48 for replay of Links course
Coming in at #2 on most lists of golf courses in the St. George area (Black Desert holding onto the #1 spot since being built in 2023) and #96 in America's 100 Greatest Pubic Courses, this one did not disappoint! There is a range onsite, although it is mats only which isn't my favorite but after Falcon Ridge I would take anything!
Although the front nine does not have a lot of elevation change outside of the first tee, it provides you with a great introduction into desert golf where you are able to find and play a lot of your errant tee shots off the red sand (trust me, it felt like I was living out here for a bit). The green complexes are massive and have a ton of undulations making even the shorter putts more tough.
The second nine was STUNNING. #12 is one of their signature holes and it's easy to see why. With cliffs off to the left and red rock mounds along the right the fairways were a premium on this side. But good shots are rewarded with birdie chances and some great backgrounds for swing videos to send to your golf buddies. #15 was a stunning par 3 over a canyon with cliffs to the left that is not a shot you will find on many golf courses even in the St. George area.
After finishing up on the championship course, I got back out on the 9 hole links course to round out the day. This was a fun little track but clearly not on the same level as the championship course. Bunkers were not as kept up on this nine and even had cheaper rakes (Not really something that would keep me from playing it but I just noticed as I had to play from a few!). Green complexes on this side were still massive with a ton of movements which can make for interesting approach shots with the wind. I still found this to be a nice way to round out the trip out to Sand Hollow Resort and one that would be fun to settle up any bets with your group or get in some bonus holes without committing to a full round.
This would be one you HAVE to include if you are going to make the trip out here!
Copper Rock: $225
Host of an annual Epson and LPGA Legends event, Copper Rock was probably the best manicured course I have played this week from tee to green. The course layout is funky having to drive by two full holes from the clubhouse to the driving range/hole one. But the holes themselves were fun and provided some unique challenges battling the desert and wind. This course is back to the more traditional sand for its' bunkers and white sand out in the desert. The desert was playable but definitely had a few more rocks to watch out for and a little more water was in-play at this course.
There are some elevation changes throughout, mainly on the back nine which provide some unique and beautiful views. A common trend I have seen this week are massive green complexes with a lot of undulations. The green on #5 was about seventy yards long, ten yards wide slopping front to back while being perched up on a hill. My birdie attempt either had to be a chip onto a downslope from 6 inches off the green or putt through 20 feet of fringe.
Overall I found the course to be enjoyable and a good compliment to some of the others in town. This would likely be one you would want to include with the overall shape the course is in and the beautiful views that is provides. Just be ready for the wind as it is a known commodity here!
Wolf Creek Golf Club: $360 (extremely dynamic pricing here so check dates)
Made popular by its' appearance in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour games, Wolf Creek is an extremely unique track with huge elevation changes that I had thought growing up was just a fantasy course. Currently ranked #47 in Golf Digest's Americas 100 Greatest Public Courses, I can see why Wolf Creek has stayed in the rankings since its conception in 2001.
Having looked at reviews online from the last year or two, I almost didn't commit to a tee time here because most people seem to have had bad experiences since then. The green fee is very expensive, but you don't get a lot of the amenities that you would expect at that costs (No GPS on the carts, no little memento for the experience, and a lack of pristine conditions from club house to 18th green) and a lot of the buildings and parts of the golf course that are just for looks could really use some touch ups. But overall the course was in pretty good shape and the greens were rolling pure. Some tee boxes were a little beat up and there was still construction going on near the range and parking lot it appeared. The range is irons only, which I found annoying for what is suppose to be a high class club. But this was an upgrade from Falcon Ridge in Mesquite since they didn't even have a range.
Teeing off as a single at 6 AM, I was set for a sunrise out on the course, and after stepping onto the first tee I knew this was going to be fun! I was even greeted with a rainbow for a few holes which was beautiful against the morning sky.
The views start quick at Wolf Creek and then pretty much just stay at a high level with every hole providing a unique view of the terrain and some with large elevation changes. Using a range finder or GPS app is a must with the elevation changes, canyons to carry, and well placed hazards. Fairways were in good shape and the greens were fast and pure for this round in early May. There are definitely some quirky holes or shots at times but the views and overall layout make this a must play at least once if you are in the area.
This ended up being one of the highlights of the trip with its' unique layout providing and unforgettable experience!
Black Desert: $350 ($250 if you stay on site)
Just walking the course itself during the LPGA event, this course looked amazing and would definitely be the best manicured course and very unique with the black lava rock terrain.
After playing it during my second trip out here, this course is a must and has jumped to #1 on my list for your next trip to the region. This may be the best course I have played so far in my life and definitely one with some of the best views!
Upon arrival you are provided with a bag tag that you can have personally engraved after the round which was a nice touch. All food and drink is included with your green fees (except alcohol) before and during your round so load up and try everything!
The range was on mats today but was Trackman enabled which was pretty cool and something that I had not experienced before.
A forecaddie is required here (only of the trip) but is much needed as this course requires a lot of precision off the tee and has several blind shots throughout. The fairways and greens were perfectly manicured and rolling well. The rough was in U.S. Open condition requiring near pitch outs from some lies but also holding the ball up from scurrying up into the rocks at times.
Pace of play was fantastic! We went off early for our tee time and did not wait at all until a couple of shots on #13. Having played a couple of slower rounds that was great.
Overall I loved this experience and the course/views were amazing. I actually had a hard time staying locked in at times because I wanted to stop and take some photos since the terrain is so unique.
Final Thoughts:
After playing some of the most highly rated courses in the area here is my current rankings of the courses I played to help you better plan your trip to the area:
Black Desert
Wolf Creek Golf Club
Sand Hollow Resort: Championship Course
Copper Rock
Coral Canyon
Falcon Ridge
The Ledges
Sand Hollow Resort: Links Course
St. George, Utah, and nearby Mesquite, Nevada, offer a plethora of exceptional golf courses set against stunning desert backdrops. Whether you're a seasoned golfer or a casual player, this region provides a unique and memorable golfing experience that I would highly recommend! Golf is booming in this area requiring tee times to be made quite a bit in advance and with a high price tag (most of these ranging $200-350). There are some other cheaper municipal options, but those stay booked up as well. Make sure you have your trip booked out ahead of time or you might miss out on these beauties!
For those looking to enhance their golf performance and longevity for an upcoming golf trip such as this, consider exploring our specialized golf fitness and physical therapy programs at Back9PT & Performance here in Louisville, Kentucky!
