Travel – Black Desert Resort
For a destination long reputed for its national park play, the Red-Rocked canvass of southern Utah is living a visitor script flip in real time.
Since the stated 2023 debut of Black Desert Resort (Ivins, Utah), the region is now more apt to see travelers arriving with Titleists, instead of off-road tires, and soft spikes, in lieu of hiking boots. True, the area’s deservedly famed Zion National Park has enjoyed its own surge of outdoorsy popularity in the recent past (about a 90 percent rise in visitors since 2010), yet the unveiling of Black Desert has recast the Greater Zion spread as a nationally reputed true turf town.
Texas travelers take note: Three-hour direct flights from Dallas to St. George, Utah, are seeing a whole lotta’ golf bags.
“I’ve been out here in this area for 26 years, and, yeah, there used to be a time of a pretty compact, select few golf destinations (in the country),” says Colby Cowan, general manager at Black Desert Resort. “Now, it’s more and more; and southern Utah has always been a destination, but now, with places like Sand Hollow and with us, it’s elevated the area. Years ago, you’d see groups, families out here and maybe they’d throw their clubs in the trunk. Now, it’s taking the clubs and finding a day to fit in for a show or a day in one of the parks; it’s flipped into more of a true golf destination.”
The final design in the prolific career of Hall of Famer Tom Weiskopf, Black Desert wasted little time finding a Utah throne; upon its debut, the course charted by one national outlet as the state’s top public-access play, while another leading publication charted the grounds as the nation’s No. 2 new course.
Just as the mid-handicappers took the Red Rock route to fresh play, so did the pros. In October, the Black Desert Championship (captured by Matt McCarty) represented Utah’s first PGA TOUR event since the JFK administration and, this upcoming May, the LPGA will end its own six-decade absence in the Beehive State with a same-named tourney from May 1-4, 2025. With the double-dip, Black Desert will become one of just two courses in the country to now host both tours.
A Palate of Play
Situated across a 600-acre property spread, Black Desert’s course and resort are, at present, both confirmed winner and vision-in-process. Per the later, the on-site hotel debuted in October (with the Tour players as first guests), as did a host of food and beverage offerings. As for the rest – including massive spa; ample commercial/retail; 36-hole night-lit putting course – guests should track progress in months to come.
As for what is completed, Black Desert proves worthy of its instant, national renown.
Sporting a bold palate of electric-green bentgrass routed with and cutting through couverture chocolate-colored, ancient basalt lava rock and with 360-degree framing compliments of southern Utah’s signature Red Rock Mountains, spires, arches and hoodoos – yeah, this property is a postcard stunner.
On-course, the design from Weiskopf and Phil Smith proves a scorecard of beauty, opportunity and trial.
“The course, obviously, is pretty unique in its setting,” says Cowan. “From the green grass to the lava rocks and red rocks; it’s pretty remarkable. At the same time, I think it can be extremely playable, as well. The landing areas are a bit narrow in some locations, depending on tees, but if you play the right boxes, you’ll enjoy yourself. At the same time, if you get a little wayward, it’ll present some challenges.”
Per many, if not most courses traversed by both Tour pros and mid-handicap ams, the former tackle with seeming ease (McCarty won at 23-under) what the duffers suffer with askew.
Coupling intimidation with aesthetic, Black Desert flows with natural contouring (i.e., balls often above/below one’s spikes), some blind boxes/approaches/sightlines, man-made water features and the unknown lava bounding which finds accompanying forecaddies waiting just an extra few seconds to sign off on either safe passage or reload. Well-manicured greens need but an earnest roll to take true course, though the tight-cut bentgrass putting surrounds all but demand that chippers keep the 60 in the bag and achieve the surface with either the flat stick or an 8-iron bump shot.
While a pair of Weiskopf’s trademark, drivable par 4s (Nos. 5 and 14) and some getable par 3s present scoring opportunity for all levels, most players need to bring a few sleeves.
Myriad guests will (or should) enter the round with “experiential” expectations, which the Black Desert brass has wisely sated with A-grade course grooming and ample in-round trimmings for a concierge-style resort experience. Along with the (needed) forecaddie per each foursome, the round comes compliments of a trio of snack stops along with way, with everything (breakfast sandwiches, tacos, sodas, candy, etc.) sans booze included with the rate.
The Tour’s autumn visit no doubt galvanized what proves an exceptional commitment to service for the resort’s daily fee player.
“It (Tour stop) reinforced the need for that real front-facing experience for the guest,” Cowan says. “It’s easy sometimes to get caught in the cubicle; we learned, or perhaps reinforced, the great importance of being super-attentive to the guest. We need to be sure to be on-point, at the top tier of service.”
Golf & Rock
Replaced by Black Desert as the state’s longtime top public option, nearby Sand Hollow Resort in Hurricane sports a terrific Championship Course, along with a must-add, nine-hole Links play. Inspired by the game’s overseas origins, the John Fought-designed grounds route with subtle camber, and the Championship’s ledge-laden run across its latter nine prove among the best stretches in the entire southwest. While the property’s ongoing residential buildout has removed a bit of the grounds’ natural flow, Sand Hollow remains a required round for the destination golf guest.
To make it a trifecta golf tour, know that locals rave about Copper Rock GC, also situated in Hurricane.
For those seeking a highly recommended off-course addition to a Greater Zion trip, southern Utah’s “Mighty 5” park scene tracks among the most popular outdoor bounties in the nation. Guests of and visitors to Black Desert are situated near a quad of said destinations, in Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, respectively, along with Snow Canyon State Park.
An ideal two-some day of golf & rock can be had with the veteran outfitters at Zion Guru, which presents an expert menu of guided hiking, e-biking, rock climbing and canyoneering tours for all levels and ages of guests. Wanna’ rappel a 100-foot rock wall a few hours before your tee time? No worries – this carabiner crew will have you instantly outfitted and box-checked in short time, with greenhorns fast breaking-maiden on a diverse descent of walls, slots and outcrops.
And while southern Utah may not own the rep of a drink & dine getaway (though Black Desert is working to alter said perception), travelers seeking some post-round or after-park respite will find quality quaff at Zion Vineyards in Leeds. Situated near the west entrance to Zion (and the east entry of Snow Canyon), the appellation produces some legit varietals in the ways of Cab, Zinfandel and Tempranillo, and will soon add to its visitor allure with an in-process, new tasting room set to debut in the spring of 2025.