Written by Scott Dunford
Yes, it’s true. There is a golf god and he has blessed us locals with a great deal during peak season! Sand Hollow has elected to make peak season golf competitive with most of the city and local courses here in Southern Utah. They’re making this offer available immediately, so read on for all the details.
Sand Hollow was first designed by John Fought, and the course became a reality in 2008. The vision was to create something very special – a golf course that rivaled one of those illustrated “Impossible Hole” paintings with its incredible views of red rock blended with rolling green fairways, blue skies and immaculate greens perched high atop one of Southern Utah’s most impressive desert views. When teeing off those vistas on the back nine Championship course, you can’t help but dream about it months and even years later.
This impressive course was completed nearly six years ago. Because it was so unique and incredibly beautiful, peak season rates were a deal to outsiders at $125 for 18 holes with cart. However, for us locals who play more often here, we’ve had to limit our Sand Hollow peak season play and hope for early morning tee times in the heat of summer when rates are lower.
The good news is Sand Hollow has conceived a marketing plan that allows them to continue selling a full-rate tee time starting on the No. 1 Championship course while informing us locals and the readers of The Independent Golfer about an early a.m. tee time on the back nine No. 10 at nearly half that rate. Once finished with the back nine, you’ll complete your 18-hole round by playing the challenging nine-hole Links. Or you can start your front nine on the links in the early afternoon and complete your back nine on the front nine of the Championship course! Make sense? Once you understand it, it means you’ll get to play all three Sand Hollow nine-hole courses at nearly half the Championship rate during peak season!
So, now that you’re completely confused (or not), the bottom line is that this 18-hole combination is not only some of the best golf you’ll experience, but it also offers a fun and unique mix of golf course styles. Myself, my cousin and a couple from Salt Lake gave it try last month. We played the back nine Championship course with a tee time of 9 a.m., then played the Links course to complete our 18-hole round. That round took about five hours to complete, but we stopped for a delicious brat served at the turn. Adam Jasperson, head golf professional, said the average time should be about four hours and 40 minutes for the Championship course and close to that for this combination. We spent some time looking for errant tee shots, three putted several of the slick greens, but all in all had a memorable round of golf. And at a price we could afford. It’s like playing two different courses in the same day. The Links is wider and a little more user friendly, for those who need a wider fairway to keep the ball in play, and way long from the tips for those who like a serious challenge.
Everyone in my group agreed it was well worth the price of admission. The quality of grass on both courses was excellent, full and consistent, making for well-positioned ball height on just about every shot – unless, of course, you hit it in the desert. Risk reward was still the message of the day on both courses. Here’s how the yardage plays out:
Red Tees 5,300
White Tees 6,298
Blue Tees 6,786
Black Tees 7,287
This yardage is pretty comparable to playing 18 holes on the Championship course, making it just as challenging and fun for all levels of play. If you use the GPS to keep track of your score, make certain you record your first round. Otherwise when you reprogram for the back nine Links, your front nine score will be lost. They haven’t figured out how to keep both nines on the system yet, but I’m certain if this concept takes off they will.
If high prices have deterred you in the past, give them a call and ask about the “Championship back nine locals rate.” This special rate is restricted to specific tees times and availability, so book your tee times in advance. Don’t count on it being available to walk-ins. It has opened up my options as an active player to include Sand Hollow in my monthly golf mix while the weather is near perfect. Of course, beginning in June, rates will once again lower due to the summer heat; but from now until the end of May, this is a local’s best option to play in peak season at one of the area’s best courses. See you on the links. Sand Hollow Links, that is!
Rates good thru May 31, 2014, for the Championship back nine locals rate:
Mid-week rates are Sunday through Thursday: $55 w/cart and range balls
Weekend rates are Friday, Saturday and holidays: $75 w/cart and range balls
Reservations required and restricted to specific tee times.
Sand Hollow reserves the right to alter or discontinue this offer at any time.
