Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah, is nearing completion of a new golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf and Phil Smith, which is expected to open in autumn 2022. 

Grassing is under way on the 18-hole layout that has been built near ancient black lava fields and will also serve as the home for the Dixie State University golf teams. 

“This course at Black Desert is rewarding,” said Weiskopf. “It is a truly spectacular place with many photographs taken. The great backdrops with the red mountains remind me of Sedona [in Arizona].” 

Black Desert Resort has been developed by Reef Capital Partners and the project includes a 150-room hotel, walking trails, a wellness spa, retail and restaurant areas, 32 estate lots, and shops.  

Troon will manage golf operations and agronomy at Black Desert, with the resort also having a nineteenth hole, and a putting course that can be floodlit for late-night play. 

“Black Desert Resort is located at the convergence of three unique landscapes – jet-black lava beds, towering red rock cliffs of Zion National Park, and Utah’s beautiful Mohave Desert,” said Jared Lucero, CEO of Reef Capital. “The emerald fairways and greens laced among the lava fields are set against the red rock backdrop, making for an awe-inspiring golf setting.”