Written by Scott Dunford
To play this 7,200 yard, par 72 course well, requires a bit of course knowledge. It has teeth that can chew you up even if you’re a single digit handicap! It can send you to the club house crying in your humility beer, yet you’ll find you can’t wait to play it again! Talking about the one that got away, the shot of day and all that fabulous golf BS…
It has everything a good golfer looks for in a well designed layout while providing the short hitters something to remember because they too had a challenging and fun experience. You’ve simply got to play the right tees for your game. That’s been hammered into us from the greats like Palmer and Nicklaus, to Golf Central and others.Play it forward and you’ll have so much more fun. That is so true at Coral Canyon GC in so many ways. If you smash and ask later “where did my ball go,” chances are it’s a lost ball. There are too many places on this course where you need to hit a precision tee shot to give yourself any chance of making an up and down par, or a birdie.
With all the subtle breaks in the greens, undulating fair ways that can sneak up from nowhere, sending your ball rolling into a wash, this course needs to be played more than once. However once you’ve played it 2-3 times you’ll begin to understand what Mr. Kieth Foster, the course architect, was trying to accomplish: create visual eye candy while understanding and managing what can happen in an ancient canyon wash. Every year it’s bombarded with an assault from sun, rain, and wind. Cut out of the same fabric as some of Southern Utah’s most scenic rustic areas like Zion’s National Park, Coral Canyon resembles Southern Utah at its best.
When I play this course I can’t help but wonder what it must have looked like in the beginning, before Mr. Foster and the city planners started work excavating and craving out fairways and greens. How can man change the course of natural events in an area so prone to severe flash flooding and erosion? Based on what happened during 2013’s monsoon season and subsequent storms there after that challenge remains a challenge! I had the opportunity to serve as one of their volunteers in 2013.
As a volunteer, one of your duties is to alert players that a storm is coming, such as warning people that they might want to consider seeking higher ground. That happened in 2013 three times in less than 10 days. Many, including myself, witnessed Mother Nature’s fury first hand as rain drops the size of quarters began to fall, swelling those once peaceful sandy washes into raging rivers! When it was finally safe, some unbelievers had to be rescued at both course bathrooms after spending nearly 2 hours seeking shelter there.
For me, it was one of those events I’ll never forget. I have told that story to all of my golf buddies and golfers I’ve been paired up with. I’m always amazed at this area’s extreme weather. Ever since I experienced a 70-90 MPH hurricane wind Labor Day weekend at Lake Powell, I’ve been impressed with the intense weather here! Coral Canyon and Vanguard Management have spent thousands of dollars in clean up efforts trying to manage what Mother Nature tirelessly works to take back. Course Superintendent Rhett Messersmith and other’s are trying to determine if a $10,000 bridge structure would provide a lasting solution to the ongoing wash outs on #12 and #13’s cart path. That’s just the tip of the ice berg according to Mr. Messersmith.
“That cost is only the materials and labor if we build it. Then we need to hire an engineer, get the necessary permits and environmental studies and so on.” Regardless of how they avoid costly repairs with the inevitable flooding once or twice a year, I can’t think of a better, more diversified layout anywhere in Southern Utah’s 12 world class golf courses!
With the occasional sight of Golden Eagles souring above or the verity of small fury animals and bird life there, I still say to myself approaching #16 green, “Man we live in a beautiful place!” Talking with Marco, their Head Professional, there are loads of new improvements you’re sure to appreciate. Like their choice of 5 different large eat-in or take-out pizzas. Check out their new lunch menu items and ever changing daily specials. They still have one of the best hamburgers in town and are making plans to offer a dinner menu available on specific days of the week, all in an effort to enhance the dinning and event planning options available in Hurricane, Utah.
Coral Canyon isn’t on the bargain list of least expensive courses to play but there are several ways to save some green. For $99 you can purchase their Players Card which gives you 25% to 50% off green fees Sun-Thurs in Peak Season at all five Vanguard courses. Coral Canyon, Sky Mountain, Falcon Ridge, Thanksgiving Point and The Ranches. Go to: http://www.vanguardgolf.com for all the details. Coral Canyon was voted the #1 Best New Public Golf Course by Golf Digest 2003/2004. That same year it was awarded a Top 50 position as Women’s Best Choice by Golf Digest. Coral Canyon is simply a must play (and must play often) golf course to totally appreciate it. See ya on the links!
