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Course Guide: The Black Desert Resort is a brand new facility built in Ivins, Utah. Set 120 miles North-West of Las Vegas, Ivins sits 3,100 feet above sea level. Part of the Greater Zion region, this whole area has plenty of golf courses which cater for the amateur golfer. Black Desert is Tom Weiskopf’s 93rd and final golf course design prior to his untimely death in 2022. Black Desert Resort is owned by Reef Capital Partners, who are bringing the PGA Tour to their resort for the next 4 years, plus the LPGA early in 2025.
Black Desert Resort, Ivins, Utah: Designer: Tom Weiskopf / Phil Smith, 2023; Course Type: Resort, Desert, Altitude, Short; Par: 71; Length: 7,371 yards; Number of Holes with Water In-Play: 2; Number of Sand Bunkers: 44; Acres of Fairway: 51; Fairways: Dominator Bentgrass; Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass, 2″; Greens: 7,000 sq.ft average 007XL Bentgrass.
Fairway Widths (yards): Below are the fairway widths for Black Desert Resort and how they compare to recent courses that we’ve seen on Tour:
- Black Desert: Average 30 yards up to 70-100 yards wide.
- CC of Jackson: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:28; 300:29; 325:28; 350:25.
- Silverado: 250 yards from the tee: 27 yards wide; 275:26; 300:24; 325:25; 350:24.
- TPC Southwind: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:29; 300:28; 325:31; 350:25.
- Sedgefield CC: 250 yards from tee: 29 yards wide; 275:28; 300:26 325:23; 350:22.
- TPC Twin Cities: 250 yards from the tee: 38 yards wide; 275:38; 300:31; 325:30; 350:36.
- TPC Deere Run: 250 yards from tee: 41 yards wide; 275:40; 300:36 325:33; 350:30.
- Detroit Golf Club: 250 yards from tee: 34 yards wide; 275:34; 300:35 325:34; 350:33.
- TPC River Highlands: 250 yards from the tee: 38 yards wide; 275:36; 300:29; 325:29; 350:28.
- Pinehurst Number 2: Average 35-45 yards wide.
- Muirfield Village: 250 yards from the tee: 34 yards wide; 275:32; 300:28; 325:24; 350:27.
- Hamilton G&CC: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:29; 300:29; 325:27; 350:28.
- Colonial: Average 25-30 yards wide.
- Quail Hollow: 250 yards from tee: 33 yards wide; 275:32; 300:31; 325:30; 350:29.
- Harbour Town: 250 yards from tee: 29 yards wide; 275:26; 300:22; 325:26; 350:22.
- Oaks Course: 250 yards from tee: 33 yards wide; 275:34; 300:29; 325:27; 350:26.
- Memorial Park: 30–40 yards at 300 yards.
- Copperhead: 250 yards from the tee: 24 yards wide; 275:20; 300:21; 325:23 350:19.
- TPC Sawgrass: 250 yards from the tee: 31 yards wide; 275:32; 300:30; 325:28 350:20.
- Bay Hill: 250 yards from the tee: 32 yards wide; 275:33; 300:33; 325:39 350:29.
- PGA National: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:27; 300:25; 325:27 350:25.
- Riviera: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:27; 300:26; 325:26 350:28.
- TPC Scottsdale: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:30; 300:28; 325:27; 350:27.
- Pebble Beach: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:33; 300:29; 325:30 350:26.
- Torrey Pines South: 250 yards from the tee: 26 yards wide; 275:27; 300:25; 325:24; 350:23.
- Pete Dye Stadium: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:27; 300:26; 325:26; 350:24.
- Waialae: 250 yards from the tee: 34 yards wide; 275:32; 300:34; 325:37; 350:34.
- Plantation Course: 250 yards from the tee: 59 yards wide; 275:61; 300:65; 325:60; 350:62.
Course Designer Links: For research purposes other Tom Weiskopf designs include (including re-designs):
- Stadium Course, TPC Scottsdale – Waste Management Phoenix Open
- North Course, Torrey Pines 2017-2023 Farmers Insurance Open
Course Overview: The basic details of Black Desert Resort are that it’s a 7,371 yard, Par 71. However take 6% off yardages due to the course being over 3,000 feet above sea level and in reality the professionals will be playing a mid 6,900 yard Par 71, which features 3 reachable par-5s, and 2 reachable par 4s.
Fairways and Greens are Bentgrass – pretty unique in Utah where Poa Annua dominates, with Kentucky Bluegrass rough quoted at 2″ in height. Greens are large at 7,000 sq.ft average featuring 007XL Bentgrass. Beyond the rough, the unique nature of this golf course is the fact that stray balls enter a lava field. It’s effectively desert golf though as rocks, sand and even cacti that we find on most desert set-ups in Western United States are replaced here by rocky, black lava outcrops.
Knowing there would be lava in play, and knowing that winds here in the Utah desert can reach 40 mph, course designers Weiskopf and Smith came up with a routing that provided plenty of room to swing away. That width therefore provides strategic options for plotters and it also allows plenty of room to avoid the lava and allow for power play for the longer hitters. Under the fairways, sand has been positioned above the lava which provides excellent drainage and the firm, bouncy conditions that are the hallmarks of a desert course in Utah.
On a resort course designed for amateur visitors the only defence on this golf course are the desert winds which can be pretty severe here. The forecast though is for light winds pretty much throughout, so I’m expecting low scoring. A course flyover is available here.

Tournament Stats: We’ve published some key player statistics for this week’s event that are well worth a look. Naturally they’ll help to shape a view on players who could go well this week: Current Form | First Round Leader.
My published predictor is available here. Top 10 of my published predictor are: Keith Mitchell, Lucas Glover, Erik van Rooyen, Patton Kizzire, K.H. Lee, Seamus Power, Daniel Berger, Chez Reavie, Nick Taylor and Beau Hossler.
Weather Forecast: The latest weather forecast for Ivins, Utah is here.
It won’t surprise you to read that the weather in South-West Utah will be hot. 30-31 degrees Celsius – 90-91 Fahrenheit – temperatures will be on tap every day. The real defence of this course is wind that can howl up to 40 mph quite often. However winds this week look light, with the standard desert increase in breeze for the afternoon starters – bear this in mind for First Round Leader. I’m expecting a winning score around -22/262 or lower.
Player Strokes Gained Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the Wyndham Championship which includes both PGA Tour and DP World Tour events, where recorded. Player rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:
- Top 25 SG Off The Tee: 1) Cameron Champ; 2) Alex Smalley; 3) Ryan Palmer; 4) Austin Smotherman; 5) Scott Gutschewski; 6) Chris Kirk / K.H. Lee; 8) Michael Thorbjornsen; 9) Bud Cauley / Chan Kim; 11) Keith Mitchell; 12) Ryan Fox / Luke List / Greyson Sigg; 15) Wesley Bryan / Will Gordon / Stephan Jaeger; 18) Joel Dahmen / Norman Xiong; 20) Mark Hubbard; 21) Daniel Berger; 22) Chandler Phillips; 23) Patrick Fishburn; 24) Kevin Dougherty; 25) Kevin Chappell / Seamus Power / Nick Taylor.
- Top 25 SG Approach: 1) Tom Whitney; 2) Ben Kohles; 3) Patton Kizzire; 4) Lucas Glover; 5) Andrew Novak; 6) Mike Weir; 7) Pierceson Coody; 8) Brice Garnett / Nick Hardy; 10) Joe Highsmith / Chris Kirk; 12) Phillip Knowles / Keith Mitchell; 14) Callum Tarren; 15) Doug Ghim / Justin Lower; 17) Michael Kim / Henrik Norlander / David Skinns; 20) Ryan Fox; 21) Mac Meissner / Nick Taylor; 23) Patrick Rodgers; 24) Kevin Chappell; 25) Austin Smotherman.
- Top 25 SG Around The Green: 1) Camilo Villegas; 2) Chan Kim; 3) Ben Griffin; 4) Brandon Wu; 5) Adam Svensson; 6) Martin Laird; 7) Patton Kizzire / Robby Shelton; 9) Seamus Power / Andrew Novak / Ben Taylor / Kevin Tway; 13) Patrick Fishburn / Greyson Sigg; 15) Erik van Rooyen; 16) S.H. Kim; 17) Peter Malnati; 18) Beau Hossler / Chris Kirk; 20) Brice Garnett; 21) Zac Blair; 22) Mike Weir; 23) J.B. Holmes; 24) Trace Crowe; 25) Kevin Chappell / Chez Reavie.
- Top 25 SG Tee to Green: 1) Patton Kizzire; 2) Keith Mitchell; 3) Andrew Novak; 4) Austin Smotherman; 5) Chan Kim; 6) Kevin Chappell; 7) Joe Highsmith; 8) Mike Weir; 9) Lucas Glover / Seamus Power; 11) Doug Ghim / Beau Hossler / Chris Kirk; 14) Patrick Fishburn / Henrik Norlander; 16) Joseph Bramlett; 17) Justin Lower / Greyson Sigg; 19) Ben Kohles; 20) Bud Cauley / Erik van Rooyen; 22) Ryan Fox; 23) Michael Kim / Adam Svensson; 25) Michael Kim / Adam Svensson.
- Top 25 SG Putting: 1) David Lipsky; 2) Jacob Bridgeman / Stephan Jaeger; 4) Patton Kizzire / Taylor Montgomery / Kevin Tway; 7) Michael Thorbjornsen / Norman Xiong; 9) Lucas Glover / Chandler Phillips; 11) Sami Valimaki; 12) Bud Cauley; 13) Kelly Kraft / Justin Lower; 15) Wilson Furr; 16) Chris Kirk; 17) Wesley Bryan / Harry Hall; 19) Seamus Power; 20) Keith Mitchell; 21) Luke List; 22) David Skinns; 23) Alexander Bjork / Vincent Whaley; 25) Ben Griffin.
- Top 25 SG Total: 1) Patton Kizzire; 2) Lucas Glover / Keith Mitchell; 4) Seamus Power; 5) Justin Lower; 6) Bud Cauley; 7) Andrew Novak; 8) Chandler Philips; 9) Wesley Bryan / Austin Smotherman; 11) Patrick Fishburn; 12) Kevin Chappell; 13) Chris Kirk; 14) Chan Kim; 15) Michael Thorbjornsen / Vincent Whaley; 17) Kevin Tway; 18) Harry Hall / Beau Hossler / Stephan Jaeger / Matti Schmid; 22) David Lipsky; 23) Greyson Sigg; 24) Joe Highsmith / Brandon Wu.
For the record, here’s the breakdown of pure Bentgrass green PGA Tour victors in the field since 2008:
- 3 – Lucas Glover, Ryan Moore.
- 2 – Chris Kirk, Martin Laird, K.H. Lee, Troy Merritt.
- 1 – Daniel Berger, Cameron Champ, Emiliano Grillo, Harry Hall, Lee Hodges, Michael Kim, Kevin Kisner, Trey Mullinax, Seamus Power, Chez Reavie, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Streelman.
It’s a step into the unknown this week with the Black Desert Resort Championship. This will be desert golf at altitude on a short course which features extremely wide fairways, large greens, and a couple of driveable par-4s. Throw in 3 reachable par-5s and I’m expecting low scores this week in Utah.