The Greater Zion Golf Story: Desolation to Destination

Greater Zion is a dream golf destination. With 14 courses in a 20-mile radius, our extensive golf offerings – and approaching PGA and LPGA events – speak for themselves. 

But the Greater Zion golf story isn’t as simple as you would first think. It is a tale of perseverance, triumph, and dedication to sharing the unique wonders our corner of Utah has to offer by way of the elegant, every-man’s game of golf.

The pioneers were the first to dare to settle in the desolate desert elements. Employing the same persistence this region was born from, they carved out a humble existence and learned to live harmoniously among the forces of nature and the daunting canyon walls of Zion National Park that once seemed unconquerable.  

As time marched on, the fledgling settlements in Greater Zion blossomed into a sturdy collection of communities. A determination to survive morphed into an aspiration to thrive among the pioneers’ descendants, who sought to share their desert home with a new group of people: visitors. More specifically, golfers. 

Informative and heart-warming, this documentary is tourism’s coming-of-age story, fueled by dogged determination and golf, a modern ingredient for growth and a binding force between our tight-knit communities. A once desolate land now cradles 14 Hurricane, Washington, and St. George golf courses.

Here, wild, red-red rock scenery meets magnificently manicured greens. Elite, professional golfers play where the determined pioneers once fought to make a way for themselves. A Land of Connection – from club to ball, from local to visitor – beckons to those who seek scenic rounds of golf followed by epic outdoor escapades in this monumental destination. 

We stand tall at this unique intersection where rugged beauty and man-made marvels reach out to each other and shake hands. 

This is Greater Zion. This is Golf Elevated. 

Connect beyond the greens

The ambitious, pioneering spirit is still alive and well in Greater Zion.

At its core, Greater Zion is a place of constant evolution. The vivid, red-rock landscape we are known for was once a flat sea basin. Time, a perfect combination of natural elements, steady forces of nature, and unwavering persistence slowly but surely carved out the awe-inspiring formations that draw witnesses to Greater Zion from near and far. 

These same forces persist today and combine to form an unrivaled desert haven beyond the pioneers’ wildest dreams. 

Greater Zion remains a Land of Groundbreakers, the generations of people who have formed this enchanting place into a Land of Opportunity. See more about Greater Zion Groundbreakers, including Black Desert’s Patrick Manning, in this 13-minute video.

Golf documentary highlights

Desolation to Destination a look at Greater Zion’s pioneer development and founding to the introduction of golf in the region in 1965, and through to today’s exciting developments of welcoming the world through the PGA and LPGA.

THE PIONEERS 

Trekking through hundreds of miles of barren terrain without the help of modern technology was not for the faint of heart. With grit and a vision of a brighter future, 309 pioneer families successfully completed the arduous journey south, where they founded the communities that would become St. George and Greater Zion. 

THE LPGA 

Women’s golf thrives in Greater Zion. Home to multiple LPGA and Epson Tour events, the most elite female golfers in the world – from amateurs striving to make a name for themselves to seasoned veterans taking another victory lap – compete among our reverent red-rock cliffs, inspiring the next generation of young women to swing for the stars.

THE PGA 

After a decades-long hiatus, the PGA is returning to Utah. Greater Zion is honored to reintroduce the athletes to our state by way of our stunning desert destination. The new PGA TOUR tournament, the Black Desert Championship, is set to debut in 2024 during the FedExCup Fall. 

THE LEGEND 

Jay Don Blake is a hometown hero. Born, raised, and now retired in St. George, Blake was well-acquainted with the PGA long before the announcement of the Black Desert Championship. He played 499 golf tournaments on the professional circuit before retiring from his long, successful golf career. Now, with the PGA hosting a tournament in his backyard, his love for the game will carry on in new, unexpected forms.