St. George's Bucket-List Golf: Sand Hollow, Black Desert, and Entrada
The three St. George courses worth flying in for: Sand Hollow, Black Desert and Entrada — and what each actually asks of you.
St. George has plenty of good, affordable golf. It also has three courses that are the reason people build trips around this town. These are those three.
For the full picture of all fourteen, see the best golf courses in St. George.
Sand Hollow — the one at the top of most lists
The Championship course at Sand Hollow Resort in Hurricane, designed by John Fought and opened in 2008, is routed along red-rock cliffs and slickrock above the reservoir.
It has the only bentgrass tees in southern Utah, and it is consistently ranked among America's best public courses.
What it asks of you: the cliffside stretch is genuinely intimidating and there is real penalty for a loose shot. Play the right tees — this is not a course that rewards ego — and take the time to look up, because the setting is half of what you came for.
It is public, which is a substantial part of its appeal: a course of this standing that anyone can book.
Black Desert — the most dramatic
Tom Weiskopf's final design, routed through ancient black lava rather than around it, and the course that brought professional tour golf to St. George.
The contrast is what makes it: fairway green against black volcanic rock, with red cliffs beyond. Nowhere else looks like this.
What it asks of you: the lava is unforgiving in a literal sense — a ball in it is gone, and reaching in after it is a bad idea on rock that sharp. Accuracy matters more here than distance.
Entrada — the private one
A private members-and-guests club on the edge of Snow Canyon, completely reimagined by David McLay Kidd, a designer with a serious international reputation.
The access question is the whole thing. You cannot simply book a tee time. Play here comes through membership, a member's invitation, or arrangements available to guests of the community — so if Entrada is on your list, sort that before planning the trip around it.
What it asks of you: it is the most exclusive round in the region, and the setting against black lava and red rock beside Snow Canyon is the quietest of the three.
Building a trip around them
Two of the three are straightforwardly bookable. Sand Hollow and Black Desert need only a tee time and a season.
Book early, particularly in winter, which is peak.
Do not stack all three in two days. These are courses to be played rather than ticked, and the region's other layouts — see the municipals — make excellent filler rounds between the marquee ones.
The logistics — when to come, how many rounds, where to stay — are in planning a St. George golf trip.
Frequently asked questions
Which St. George courses belong on a bucket list?
Sand Hollow's Championship course is the most celebrated public round in the county. Black Desert Resort is the high-end resort course and has hosted professional tour events. Entrada is the top private course; it sells no public tee times, so a stay at the Inn at Entrada is the practical route on.
Can you play Black Desert and Entrada?
Black Desert is a public resort course, so you can book a tee time (early, since it is popular). Entrada is private, so you need a member or a stay at the Inn at Entrada.
Who designed the Sand Hollow championship course?
John Fought, and it opened in 2008. It is routed along red-rock cliffs above the reservoir and holds the only bentgrass tees in southern Utah.
What makes Black Desert different from other courses here?
It is routed through ancient black lava rather than around it, so the fairways run green against volcanic rock with red cliffs behind. It was Tom Weiskopf's final design and it brought professional tour golf to St. George.
Can you play Entrada without knowing a member?
Not by simply booking a time. There are routes in for guests of the community as well as through members, but every one of them has to be arranged ahead — Entrada is the course that decides whether it is on your itinerary, not you.
Should you retrieve a ball from the lava at Black Desert?
No. The rock is genuinely sharp and a ball in it is gone anyway. Accuracy matters more than distance on that course for exactly this reason.
How many of the marquee courses should you play in one trip?
Not all three back to back. Spacing them with the municipal courses in between makes for a better trip than ticking them off — these are rounds to play rather than collect.