Summary:   Value Rating = C++

The general feeling about the St. George course is that it is average – nothing too spectacular about the course – an average course that offers a good golf challenge but lacks some of the features offered by other courses in the area.  I would be more interested in playing some of the other courses in the St. George area first before I would play this course again.

The St. George golf course is a municipal course nestled in the city of St. George, Utah.  The course winds its way through the Ft. Pearce Wash area of the city.  The course does provide some nice views of the mountains surrounding this part of south west Utah.

It does have some good qualities in that it is a nice layout that you can easily walk, the par 3s require you to shot over water, and there are a number of waste areas that you should avoid.  The course still requires you to hit good, accurate shots as you can end up in some trouble spots, including residents back yards.  Some unique features include the fact that it is a par 73 and there is a double green on 9 and 18.

The green fees are very reasonable – we paid $40 (US) including cart in 2005.  Check out the website for additional information www.sgcity.org/golf/sgsggolfclub.php.  The course offers good value at the current prices.

Play and Value Evaluation Rating Table

Refer to my evaluation criteria – www.lifepast50.ca/topic-list/golf/reviewcriteria

Some Details:

We played this course on March 21, 2005.  This was our first stop on our Utah golf trip and we were anxious to get going as it was our first round of the year.  We did enjoy the course but when we finished my buddies and I concluded that it was pretty average.  After we had finished playing some of the other courses in the area we confirmed our initial conclusion that the St. George course was just average.  The course was reasonably busy and we played at a nice pace for the first round of the year.

Although the course isn’t very tough you do still have to keep the ball in play.  Hitting good drives off the tee leaves shorter iron shots to the greens – I didn’t use my utility clubs much or my 3 or 4 iron.

I shot 94 and was pleased as this was the my first round of the year after a long winter.  Some missed shots and poor chipping were expected for the first round and my buddies and I all experienced the “get back into the swing” issues associated with the first round.

All in all, playing the St. George course was a good start to our golf season……we were happy to be playing while friends back home were still experiencing that last little bit of winter.

My Evaluation Details:

Scenery – Some nice views of the surrounding area are available.

Mix of holes – Just average on this front.

Consistency and condition – The course was in good shape but did have some flood damage due to a flash flood earlier in the year.

Character – just average on this front.

Golf Challenge – the course does offer some challenges…..

• tee shots – the course does require accuracy off the tee.
• fairway shots – mostly low iron shots into the greens on the par 4s.
• pin placements – most of the pins were near the centre of the greens on the day we played.
• putting – the greens were average speed, pretty much flat and of average size.
• greens – the condition of the greens was very good.
• a chance to recover – The rough was very fair and we didn’t encounter any huge difficulties playing from the edges of the course. There are houses around the course so you do have to stay out of the backyards.

Other Observations

The service was very good and the staff was very friendly.  The views of the course from the elevated clubhouse are nice.

Enjoy the pictures that follow:

Lane Smith – Lane@lifepast50.ca