Golf Courses: Sand Hollow

[caption id="attachment_4121" align="alignright" width="300"] Championship Course - Hole 13[/caption] Golf in Las Vegas can run $300-$500 per round.  Most of the courses there are great, but really, that's a bit steep don't you think?  I find it hard to imagine paying that kind of money there, when I can drive about 1.5 hours northeast to Sand Hollow in southern Utah.  Sand Hollow is an amazing facility.  Lets take a look. Location Sand Hollow is a desert golf resort located in a small town called Hurricane in southern Utah.  WIth a name like that one can imagine that the area can be quite windy and that is very true.  Hurricane is about 10-15 minutes north of the famous golf area, the city of St. George. [caption id="attachment_4120" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Championship Course - 10 Tee[/caption] Weather conditions in this area are very warm in the summer, often over 100 degrees.  Though it can get cold and snow occasionally in the winter, courses in this area are generally open all year. Overview Sand Hollow's facility is top notch.  First there are two, soon to be three golf courses on site. [caption id="attachment_4119" align="alignright" width="300"] Championship Course - Hole 12[/caption] Championship Course The main course is the 18 hole Championship Course.  This course was designed by John Fought.  Fought did a fantastic job working with the red sand desert area that Sand Hollow occupies.  The par-72 track has two distinct nines and styles.  The course starts out relatively easy, with some wide fairways to find players' drives.  The greens are very large, similar to those in Scotland.  Hitting greens in regulation isn't super-tough.  Putting however, can be as the putts may be quite long.  In Scottish style, the front nine is very much a desert links course with dunes and a links flavor.   The back nine takes on a completely different flavor.  Holes wind through red rock canyons and plateaus, featuring massive elevation changes and highly dramatic red rock scenery.  Holes 12-15 comprise the signature holes, providing so many great shot opportunities, both with golf clubs and cameras.  The back nine is amazing. [caption id="attachment_4117" align="alignright" width="300"] Links Course Bunker[/caption] Links Course The second course is the "Links" course.  The links course is a very fun nine hole track which obviously is built in the tradition of Scottish links courses.  The only difference is that the terrain is Mars-red and there's no water nearby.  The links course is an easy walk and features large and welcoming fairways.  There's even a shared green, just like in St. Andrews. Stats Championship Course

• Par: 72
• Yards: 7,300
• Slope: 137
• Rating: 73.7
• Tee sets: 4

Links Course

• Holes: 9
• Par: 36
• Yards: 3,600

[caption id="attachment_4118" align="alignright" width="300"] Links Course - shared green[/caption] Amenities Sand Hollow just built a big shiny new clubhouse which is wrapped in windows.  Fantastic views of the amazing landscape all around.  Inside is the pro shop, cafe and large dining area which could also handle banquets. The practice areas are great.  The range is giant and there are plenty of practice putting, chipping and sand areas.  Great place to work on the game. Contact Sand Hollow Resort 5662 W. Clubhouse Dr. Hurricane, UT 84737. Tel: (435) 656-4653 www.sandhollowresort.com