Played 3 courses in the St. George area with a large group outing this week. We were charged a $280 green fee, which was an increase of $30 from January. We were provided bag tags with our names eng... Continue »

Played 3 courses in the St. George area with a large group outing this week. We were charged a $280 green fee, which was an increase of $30 from January. We were provided bag tags with our names engraved, free food from the taco truck, free unlimited refreshments and a forecaddie (tips not included in rack rate). Free range balls in the great practice area. Course has plans to go private and for resorts guests only in the future. The course is in pristine condition. From the tees, fairways, roughs, traps and greens. You can literally putt from the fairway to the green. Landed in some green side bunkers which contained fluffy white sand. The layout of the course was challenging but not difficult. However, if you hit your ball into the lava rock area, consider it lost. Also, we had to play with 22 mph gusts. Carts are equipped GPS that provide a short narrative of hole layout. The forecaddie was very helpful with where to hit on the course and how to align your putts. He earned a great tip from each player in our foursome. We saw the cart girl 3 times during our round providing the free snacks and refreshments. All the staff members we encountered were very friendly and professional. Unfortunately, there are some cons to this course at this time. The course is in the middle of a construction zone as they are rapidly building a resort and homes around the course. So, there was a lot of dust clouds with all the trucks driving around the area. Our bags became dusted with dirt. There is no clubhouse and the proshop/checkin is situated in a small trailer. The taco truck staff were not that friendly and appeared to be disgruntled when you placed an order. The truck left the course way before we all finished, and players will have to share the truck with all the construction workers which created long lines. No food at the turn since you do not go by the taco truck, so you will have to settle with potato chips and candy for refreshments. No alcohol but they do allow you to bring your own. My overall review is that at this time it is pricey for all the construction noise, flying dust and food situation. Maybe closer to the $200 level right now. Will I play it again in the future? Yes, but maybe once the construction is completed.

Wow, look at all of these rocks! Lava rocks that is, around this spectacular golf course in Ivins, Utah. Their social media and marketing team has done an excellent job promoting it, and after seeing ... Continue »

Wow, look at all of these rocks! Lava rocks that is, around this spectacular golf course in Ivins, Utah. Their social media and marketing team has done an excellent job promoting it, and after seeing countless pictures and ads, I convinced my friend Rob1563 to join me and play this course. Although the rack rate is high at $250, it's worth it because the course is about to become semi-private, and the only way to get on is to stay at their 5-star resort. Plus, they're hosting both LPGA and PGA tour events in 2024, so I thought we should try it out before it becomes too expensive.

Apart from the golfing experience, the price includes all food and non-alcoholic drinks, making it a great deal. The temporary clubhouse has a taco truck outside, and inside there's a fridge stocked with Gatorade, soda, water, candy, chips, and hummus cups. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they even loaded our bags and escorted us to the range when it was ready.

Speaking of the range, it was beautiful, but today we had to use mats because of the 38° weather at 9 am. However, the highlight was the gigantic putting course, which had lots of undulation and different lines to try out. They played some great rock music throughout the practice area, which I enjoyed, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

As I embarked on the course, I was already expecting a visual feast. However, the reality was beyond my expectations. The striking contrast between the dark rocks and the vibrant green grass was truly breathtaking. The Tee Boxes were lush and level with 4 or 5 to choose from. Fairways had some good elevation changes with lots of rolling undulations and lava outcroppings throughout. The back nine is more spectacular as there are a few lakes mixed in which just add to the visuals however the 18 hole is not the greatest finishing hole layout wise. Rough was on the shorter side but would keep rolling shots from getting into the rocks. The greens were fantastic, just soft enough to accept well struck shots and a medium pace. The greens do have a lot of bite to them with false edges and strategic white sand bunkers.

The carts are very nice with a small GPS screen with a Wieskopf narrated flyover for each hole explaining the layout and why he chose that design. There were maybe 4 or 5 holes where he copied ideas like the postage stamp and hole 14 at Pebble Beach. Each of these was a place that made an impact on his golfing career. This is not a great course to play if you don't have the best accuracy as any shot offline will hit the lava rocks and sometimes could bounce back or farther away from the grass. Also, don't go walking through the rocks in shorts as lava rocks are super sharp. I ended up losing or tossing 9 balls this round from accuracy or damage to the cover of the balls so do be sure to bring extra balls just in case. I highly recommend playing here as soon as possible because once the resort opens who knows how expensive or easy it will be to get on.

Played July 3. Views are phenomenal. Since the course is brand new, most things are in pristine condition or (in a few spots) undergoing construction. Range and practice area is outstanding. The cour... Continue »

Played July 3. Views are phenomenal. Since the course is brand new, most things are in pristine condition or (in a few spots) undergoing construction. Range and practice area is outstanding. The course itself is interesting with a good mix of hole shapes and risk/reward opportunities. Hole 7 is the only blemish — but I understand that they are redoing that hole this month (to remove at least one mound of lava rock that sits in the middle of the fairway). They do not intend to offer any private memberships; rather, you’ll need to stay at the on-site hotel (when completed) or buy property within the development to be able to make a tee time (which will still cost $$$$$). Definitely worth playing at least once. A great addition to the St George/Mesquite golf community.