Play Black Desert Golf Course, Utah's Stunning Lava Field Masterpiece

Ancient black lava fields collide with vermilion cliffs in southern Utah, and from this volatile but beautiful landscape rises Black Desert Golf Course, a 7,500-yard testament to Tom Weiskopf's architectural genius — and his final contribution to the game.

Construction crews were already blasting through volcanic rock near St. George when Weiskopf received his cancer diagnosis. He would never see the finished course. But his design partner, Phil Smith, made certain every hole, every contour, every sightline reflected Weiskopf's original vision.

When Black Desert opened in 2023, it validated the extraordinary effort required to build a golf course through lava fields. Crews had carved emerald fairways from black volcanic terrain, creating undulating playing surfaces that challenge elite professionals while remaining approachable for resort guests. Red rock mountains frame nearly every shot.

Recognition came quickly. Golf Digest praised the course's design and setting, ranking it among America's finest public layouts. Then came something unprecedented: both the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour selected Black Desert as a tournament venue. No other course in the world hosts annual events from both tours. The facility was barely two years old.

Black Desert stretches to 7,500 yards from the tips. But length alone doesn't define the challenge here. Weiskopf built a course that rewards strategy over pure distance.

Each of the 18 holes has a distinct character. Some demand precision. Others offer multiple routes to the green. The black lava rock isn't just scenery; Weiskopf and Smith wove it into the strategic fabric of the course, using it as both hazard and visual guide. The contrast between dark volcanic fields and bright playing surfaces creates an aesthetic found nowhere else in golf.

Fairways are generous. Weiskopf believed in giving players options rather than forcing a single correct answer. His signature flowing lines and subtle undulations create natural collection areas that complicate approach shots without feeling contrived. Elevation shifts throughout the property affect club selection on nearly every hole. No two shots feel the same.

The greens are large but nuanced. Hit your approach close and you'll have a reasonable birdie look. Miss slightly and you face a legitimate test. Weiskopf understood that great courses should challenge tour professionals without destroying the amateur's scorecard.

October 2024 marked a milestone. Black Desert hosted the Black Desert Championship, Utah's first PGA TOUR FedExCup event in over six decades. The tournament was successful enough that the Bank of Utah stepped in as the title sponsor for 2025 and beyond.

This weekend, players will face a course that tests every aspect of their game on the tournament-tweaked Par 71, 7,421-yard layout. Television cameras will capture some of the most photogenic terrain in American golf this week, and it is well worth the watch. This event has quickly evolved beyond a simple tournament. It's become a regional celebration.

But Black Desert's professional golf calendar doesn't end with the PGA TOUR. The LPGA Black Desert Championship also calls this course home, making Black Desert one of the only venues to host both tours annually. That commitment to equality in professional golf sets the resort apart in an industry still working toward balanced representation.

All that's come to Black Desert would make Weiskopf proud. His final course stands now in the Utah desert, a synthesis of strategic architecture and raw natural beauty spread across fairways carved from volcanic stone. It plays host to Utah's first pro golf tournaments in years, but countless more rounds, too, where golfers wonder with awe.

Black Desert? Yeah, it's truly one-of-a-kind.