Tom Weiskopf’s last design, routed through black lava below the red cliffs of Snow Canyon.
Black Desert sits on the edge of Ivins, a few miles north-west of St George, where an old lava flow spills out below the red walls of Snow Canyon. It is Tom Weiskopf’s final design, finished after his death by his partner Phil Smith, and it opened in full in May 2023. Within eighteen months it was hosting the first PGA Tour event in Utah since 1963. Unlike most tour venues, it sells tee times to anyone, resort guest or not. The price is high, but it covers more than a green fee usually does: cart, forecaddie, food and soft drinks on the course, and the practice ground.
Book online through the resort’s tee-time page or by phone on 435-222-7830. Hotel guests and outside visitors use the same system, but guests pay less in every season. The resort does not publish how far ahead the sheet opens for non-guests, so call if you are planning around fixed travel dates; there is also a waitlist for full days. Tee times run every 12 minutes. Carts are limited to 15 mph and carry GPS with recorded hole-by-hole commentary from Weiskopf himself. Expect cart-path-only days in late February and early March while the course recovers from spring aeration, and limited tee access with hitting mats on the range during August and early September.
Non-resort-guest rate, 2 Jan–12 Mar and 7 Jul–3 Sep (after 10:15am in summer); US$450 in peak spring and autumn. Includes cart, forecaddie, on-course food and soft drinks, and range.
| Non-resort guest, 2 Jan–12 Mar | US$325 |
|---|---|
| Non-resort guest, 13 Mar–6 Jul | US$450 |
| Non-resort guest, 7 Jul–3 Sep | US$325 |
| Non-resort guest, 4 Sep 2026–1 Jan 2027 | US$450 |
| Resort guest, low season | US$250 |
| Resort guest, peak season | US$325 |
The holes are cut through black basalt, with sandstone cliffs and the openings of Snow and Padre canyons behind. The resort’s scorecard lists a par-72 course, and for the tour the PGA Tour sets it up as a par 71 of 7,421 yards, with creeping bentgrass on tees, fairways and greens. Weiskopf borrowed openly from courses he admired. The resort says the 3rd draws on Riviera’s sixth, the 13th on the 14th at Pebble Beach, and the 18th green on Augusta’s fifth. The 2nd and 8th share a double green. Drivable par fours were a Weiskopf habit, and the resort points them out here too. After the round there is a short bonus 19th hole for settling bets; Golf Course Architecture described it as an 85-yard par three beside a lake.
Read the rate calendar before you choose dates. The cheaper summer rate applies only from 10:15am; early starts between 7am and 10am are charged at the peak price, which is the trade-off for avoiding the afternoon heat. Food and non-alcoholic drinks from the Oasis and Club 73 outlets are included while you play, so you will not need to budget for halfway snacks. The practice area has a Trackman-equipped range, a chipping green and a 36-hole putting course. The resort makes no price adjustment when the course is in maintenance, so a cart-path-only spring day costs the same as a perfect one.
St George Regional Airport (SGU) is the closest commercial airport, roughly 25 minutes by road through St George. Many golfers fly into Las Vegas Harry Reid (LAS) instead for a wider choice of flights; it is about two hours north-east on I-15, then west through St George to Ivins. A hire car makes sense, since the other courses in this area are spread along the interstate.
Nearby: 1. Coral Canyon Golf Course (18 km) · 2. Sand Hollow Resort (22 km) · 3. Wolf Creek Golf Club (51 km) · Compare all St George & Mesquite tee times
The resort itself is the obvious base, and staying there brings the lower green fee in every season. It sells several room collections, from hotel rooms to residential-style Terrace homes, and has a 15,000-square-foot spa and a 21-court pickleball complex. Dining covers a steakhouse, barbecue and a taqueria. If you would rather pay less for the bed, St George has a wide spread of chain hotels and rentals about 15 to 20 minutes away, and the Kayenta and Ivins area has smaller private rentals beside the red cliffs.
Sand Hollow’s Championship course in Hurricane is about 40 minutes east and makes the strongest second round in the area. Coral Canyon in Washington is a cheaper, quieter day off I-15. Off the course, Snow Canyon State Park begins almost at the resort gates, with short hikes over lava tubes and sandstone, and the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins stages musicals in the open air under the cliffs.
These packages have a confirmed round at Black Desert Resort in the itinerary, with the other courses, nights and hotels listed so you can compare like with like.
5 nights, 4 rounds
Rounds: Black Desert · Sand Hollow Championship · Wolf Creek · Cascata
Stay: 3 nights at Black Desert Resort, St. George; 2 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Black Desert and Sand Hollow from St. George, Wolf Creek on the drive south, then two nights on the Strip with Cascata to finish.
Prices are Golfbreaks’ published per-person guide prices in US dollars, checked November 2026; your quote depends on dates and group size. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
In 2026 the course was closed to all play from 14 September to 6 October for the tour event, then reopened. Check the 2027 calendar before booking late September. Winter days are mild and dry but early starts can be chilly. Summer afternoons are fierce, which is why the resort cuts the rate after 10:15am from July to early September.
Explore golf by monthYes. The resort publishes a separate non-resort-guest rate, and outside golfers book through the same online system or by phone on 435-222-7830. Staying at the resort cuts the fee by US$75 to US$125 a round depending on the season, which can offset part of the room cost on a two-round trip.
For non-guests the published 2026 rates are US$325 from 2 January to 12 March and on summer tee times after 10:15am, and US$450 in spring and autumn. Resort guests pay US$250 or US$325. Every rate includes the cart, forecaddie, practice range, and food and soft drinks at the on-course outlets.
The Black Desert Championship launched in October 2024 as the first PGA Tour event in Utah since 1963. In 2026 it was played as the Bank of Utah Championship in early October, the second of eight FedExCup Fall events. The LPGA Tour has also played its Black Desert Championship here.
Tom Weiskopf, the 1973 Open champion, who died in August 2022 before it opened. His design partner Phil Smith saw the project through, and Troon was appointed to run golf operations and agronomy. Weiskopf’s recorded commentary plays on the cart GPS hole by hole.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
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