Industry News

Black Desert Resort Golf Course opens to glowing reviews

LPGA Tour announces 2025 event at Southern Utah’s newest course

Ivins, Utah (June 20, 2023) – Black Desert Resort Golf Course in Ivins, Utah near St. George, has opened to glowing reviews, from everyday golfers to experienced golf course raters. The 18-hole Tom Weiskopf-design with its emerald fairways carved amid ancient black lava fields and surrounded by Southern Utah’s red rock mountains, opened for daily-fee play on May 27, 2023. Since then, the course has played host to hundreds of rounds and the positive reviews are now pouring in:

“Black Desert blew me away,” said one Golfweek rater. “It has everything I would want in a modern course.  The combination of setting, vistas and course itself is the total package. The black lava rock is so unique, I've never seen it anywhere else in the mainland. You also have the beautiful sweeping vistas of the red canyons visible from every hole.”

Black Desert Resort GC - Photo by Brian Oar.jpg

“An amazing design and absolutely stunning contrast of the lava rocks with the greenery and surrounding red mountains,” commented another Golfweek rater. “Truly an oasis.  Several holes can be played in multiple different ways depending on your confidence that day as risk/reward options abound. It’s a beautiful course, one you’ll remember for a lifetime.”

A golfer on GolfPass rated Black Desert five stars, stating, “Tom Weiskopf did a wonderful job working with the natural terrain to produce a course that flows beautifully through the area lava fields with the beautiful Kayenta sandstone as a backdrop. Nothing felt forced or tricked out.”

In addition to the flattering reviews, the LPGA recently named Black Desert as a future host of an LPGA Tour competition beginning in 2025.

“We are thrilled to welcome Black Desert Resort into the LPGA family as a tournament partner and title sponsor,” said Ricki Lasky, LPGA Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer. “This spectacular venue will undoubtedly provide an incredible test to our LPGA Tour athletes. We also greatly appreciate the dedication of the Black Desert Resort team to elevating the stature of the women’s game by making this partnership a key element of their corporate platform as they welcome golf fans to their venue.”

Black Desert Resort Golf Course is characterized by the presence of ancient basalt rock formations seamlessly integrated into the landscape, creating a visually stunning contrast against the lush fairways. Tom Weiskopf's visionary design captures the spirit of the surrounding natural wonders, offering a captivating golf experience that goes beyond tradition. Weiskopf and his design partner, architect Phil Smith, designed the par-72 course with playability in mind, with most fairways 70 to 100 yards wide. The course features two drivable par 4s – the 5th hole and 14th hole – a Weiskopf hallmark, bringing both strategy and risk/reward elements into play. 

As a Troon Golf-managed facility, the golf experience and service at Black Desert Resort is on par with the awe-inspiring natural surroundings and incredible Weiskopf design. Amenities include a creative snack bar specializing in unconventional finger foods that cure mid-round cravings, a text service for on-course, on-demand food and drink delivery, as well as high-tech carts with GPS and well-stocked coolers. 

For more information on Black Desert Resort or to make a tee time, visit https://www.blackdesertresort.com/black-desert-experience.

About Black Desert Resort 

Reef Capital Partners is developing Black Desert Resort. Black Desert Resort, upon buildout, will offer a full hotel and conference center overlooking the beauty of Snow Canyon State Park and the championship course; 1,000+ residences; miles of on-property trails; a wellness spa; and 80,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The property will also feature 75 single-family estate lots mingled in the black lava flows and approximately 214,000 square feet of commercial space, with the amenities of the resort center available for full-time residents.

In addition to the 18-hole, Weiskopf-designed golf course, guests of Black Desert will enjoy a 36-hole illuminated putting course for day or night play. The resort’s 19th Hole, an amphitheater-style lakeside-gathering place terraced into the black lava, will be the ultimate venue for winding down after a day of golf.

About Troon

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 770-plus locations, including 760-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses around the globe. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 600-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 45-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, CADDIEMASTER, ClubUp, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, Peter Burwash International, True Club Solutions, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design, Casa Verde Golf and ICON Management. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.

Media Contact:
Rob Myers
Troon 
480.477.0506
rmyers@troon.com


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