It’s pitch black and I have no idea where I’m going. Well, my GPS does, but even that has been a bit spotty given my surroundings. I’m in St.
Nestled in the wilderness among geographic wonders including Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, and Sand Hollow State Park, I begin my early morning drive to the latter and the nearby Sand Hollow Resort.
Boasting the first time of day to use means I start my journey in the dark of night and, boy, is it a lot darker here than in New York City, where I call home. After successfully navigating detours from new construction, as the Greater Zion area continues to expand and develop—thanks in part to the transformation into growing golf destination– I arrive.
Waiting for the sun to come out, I head to the range with other tired players looking to shake off the morning chill that is a combination of Hurricane Utah, over 10,000 feet, and a mid-autumn day.
Warmed up enough and with enough sunlight to see our photos, we begin our spin on the Sand Hollow Resort Championship Course.
Playing Sand Hollow Resort
I don’t know if you’ve played golf on another planet, but if you haven’t, Sand Hollow might be the closest thing to it, especially if we’re talking about Mars.
Opened in 2008, this John Fought-designed course boasts red rock outcrops, natural vegetation, native red sand bunkers and fairways that become increasingly difficult and breathtaking as move forward. There’s a reason it’s celebrated as one of the best courses in the state and region.
Like the sun’s steady ascent in the sky, a round at Sand Hollow is a slow build. The first fairway is open enough to give golfers much-needed early confidence, which, like errant tee shots on the back nine, can easily go downhill.
The 573-yard par-5 second features a bunker in the middle of the fairway and some rough terrain left of the green, so it’s best to aim straight or short to be safe. Use the large rock on the left side off the tee at no. 6 as a line to aim right, if you want to conquer handicap hole no. 1 of the course.
You certainly won’t walk away, the back nine is where Sand Hollow shines the most.
No. The 10th is a long downhill par-5 followed by the par-3 11th with a huge hill and massive bunkers to the right of the green, so attack the pins at your own risk. A taste of what’s to come, especially when you go through a steep cart path to get to no. 12, the next few holes will leave you wanting to grab your camera more than clubs.
Played on the side of a cliff, the picturesque hole is all about accuracy. If you miss to the left, you can say “goodbye” to that ball as it’s probably still rolling down a desert canyon. Large boulders and red rock outcroppings provide a barrier to the right of the fairway, so you may encounter an accidental bounce or lose your ball bouncing between the rocks.
With two par-3s and two par-5s on the back nine, you end up soaking in the scenery as much as you do good golf shots in one of the most unique settings in the country. Don’t be scared off by any runaway rabbits, road runners or chipmunks you might come across, but beware of snakes, especially if you’re looking for errant shots amongst the desert terrain.
As if you didn’t get enough of the views and topography, a path winding through the red rocks on your way back to the club leaves a lasting impression.
MyGolfSpy Experiences: Final Thoughts
Coming from the Northeast, where most golf courses are surrounded by pines and broad green grass, visiting Greater Zion and playing Sand Hollow was a welcome escape from the norm. I’ve played a bunch of desert golf in Arizona, but Southwest Utah is really special.
St. After Dixie Red Hills opened as the region’s first golf course in 1963, today Greater Zion boasts 14 courses within a 20-square-mile radius.
While Black Desert Resort has garnered much of the recent buzz as the region’s newest high-end golf resort and host of the 2024 Black Desert Championship—the first PGA Tour event in Utah since 1963—the championship course at Sand Hollow The resort is a must play if you are in Southern Utah.
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