Next On the Tee: Spectacular St. George

Southern Utah abounds with colorful, year-round golf—and much more

Daytime temperatures are still in the 90s in glorious southern Utah, but that will soon change for the better, enticing avid golfers with cooler weather, bluebird days and landscapes rife with red-rock mountainscapes, effervescent high desert vistas and some of the Southwest’s most explosive outdoor recreation.

In and around St. George, the attractions are considerable. At the forefront are 11 terrific golf courses—the Red Rock Golf Trail—all located within a 40-mile radius and crafted by top architects like Keith Foster, John Fought, Ted Robinson, Matt Dye, Gene Bates and Utah's own Johnny Miller. Plus, more courses are on display in nearby Hurricane, Lehi and Mesquite, making St. George the ideal stay-and-play destination.

(c) Brian Oar

That makes easy pickings for club-toting golfers who intend to mix it up on challenging fairways and greens, yet still demand plenty of daylight for off course activities. Around St. George the non-golf attractions are sizable—both in quantity and photogenic quality. Here are just a few:

1. Watch the sunset catch fire from your private patio at The Inn at Entrada, St. George’s esteemed golf and spa resort. The gated property offers privileged access to private Snow Canyon Country Club and its Johnny Miller signature golf course, 40 luxury guest casitas, and a 12,000-square-foot fitness center with indoor lap swimming, tennis, pickleball and sand volleyball.

2. Southern Utah’s Kodacolor countrysides are underscored by 229-square-mile Zion National Park and its world-famous sandstone cliffs, majestic Snow Canyon and Sand Hollow state parks, and the spectacular northeastern reaches of the 54,000-square-mile Mojave Desert. That’s satisfying fodder for balloonists, hikers, rock climbers, bikers, skydivers, zip-liners, horseback riders, ATVers and water sports enthusiasts.

3. Sports mecca St. George hosts a distinguished list of annual events, including the St. George Marathon (Oct. 3), fifth largest in America and ranked among the continent’s most scenic footraces; the 10,000-athletes-strong Huntsman World Senior Games (Oct. 5-17); and the preeminent Ironman 70.3 U.S. Pro Championship (May 7, 2016), which welcomes 2,500 athletes and 10,000 visitors to the area.

4. Envied for its views of Zion National Park, Pine Valley Mountain and an inspiring red sandstone formation that backstops the property, Sand Hollow Golf Resort in near Hurricane is simply extraordinary. The luxury hotelier further wows with fabulously appointed guest suites and casitas, gourmet dining and 27 holes of stunning John Fought-designed golf.

5. In 1997, Golf Digest rated the Miller-designed Thanksgiving Point Golf Course in nearby Lehi among America’s 10 best new courses. Nearly two decades later, the 7,714-yard routing remains a premier facility, recently earning an impressive No. 5 “Best Courses You Can Play in Utah” ranking from Golfweek.

Vacationing golfers relish the online reservation convenience offered by the Red Rock Golf Trail, which specializes in tailored trip planning, stay-and-play packages and insider’s information about the region’s world-class golf and tourism destinations. For even more about St. George, click here.

RELATED LINKS

St. George is Sensational

St. George’s Vacation Playground

There’s More to St. George Than Great Golf

Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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