Sand Hollow officials feel honored and honored by Golf Digest ranking – Deseret News

When the May issue of Golf Digest magazine landed on the desk of Adam Jasperson, director of golf and resort operations at Sand Hollow Resort and Golf Club in Hurricane, he initially paid little attention to it.

Then Jasperson, who has worked at the southern Utah course in one capacity or another since it opened in 2003, noticed that one of golf's leading publications had released its list of “America's 100 Greatest Golf Holes” for the first time since 1999.

No fewer than three holes on Sand Hollow's Championship Course made it onto the list: the par-3 15th hole ranked 59th, the par-4 13th hole ranked 83rd, and the par-4 12th hole ranked 85th.

“We were beyond excited,” Jasperson said. “I started flipping through it and there was our 12th hole (the holes were listed from No. 100 to No. 1, which is hole 16 at Cypress Point Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California). I just thought, 'Wow.' Then I was shocked. So my first reaction was a little bit of shock, a little bit of honor.

“When we found out we had two more on the list, our interest was piqued and we all started paying attention.”

No other golf hole in Utah made the list, although the magazine ranked the best golf courses in each state in 2023 and ranked Sand Hollow the sixth-best course in Utah, behind No. 1 Glenwild, No. 2 Victory Ranch, No. 3 Red Ledges, No. 4 Promontory (Painted Valley Course) and No. 5 Talisker Club in Tuhaye.

The magazine explained that it compiled a list of over 1,200 holes and then assembled a panel of course evaluation experts to rate each hole on a scale of 1 to 10 in four categories: uniqueness, aesthetics, challenge and overall attractiveness.

“Sometimes a hole is better – or worse – than the sum of its parts,” wrote author Derek Duncan.

Designed by former BYU golf star John Fought, Sand Hollow is accessible to any golfer willing to spend $138 for 18 holes and a golf cart on weekdays and $184 on weekends. Prices are dynamic, so they can change depending on the season and time of day.

Jasperson said 22 of the 100 holes on the list did not exist in 1999, when Golf Digest first ranked the best holes, including the three at Sand Hollow.

“To have three of the 22 holes that didn't exist yet, the honor and humility grew more and more as we got further,” he said. “So it was pretty cool.”

Last year, no Utah golf course made the magazine's list of the 100 best golf courses in the country, but Sand Hollow can be found on other top 100 or top 200 lists, such as the 200 best golf courses open to the general public, the 100 best resort golf courses or the 200 best modern golf courses.

“I wouldn't say we're overlooked, but I'm surprised how many people don't even know we exist,” Jasperson said. “… Some of arguably the best golf courses in the country are in Utah, and I think Utah is overlooked by the (national) golf community. We've gotten more attention in the last few years, which is good. We've seen more travelers and more golfers coming to Utah. But I don't think Sand Hollow Resort has been overlooked from a local perspective.”

Coincidentally, Jasperson's favorite hole on the course isn't even on the back nine, which features all those red cliff views and the three holes highlighted by Golf Digest.

“When you spend so much time on a property, you get to know the different details of each hole. I have to say that hole No. 6 on the first nine holes of the championship course is probably my favorite hole,” he said.

“It's challenging. It can be rewarding. Aesthetically, it's beautiful. It doesn't have the same views as the back nine with the cliff edge. But as a standalone golf hole, it's one of my favorite holes.”

Golfers who hit an ace on a par 3 on the course – with witnesses – receive a signed flag from the pro shop when they report their performance. Jasperson says No. 11 allows the most aces, while No. 15 – which is 230 yards from the back tees – allows the fewest.

“People are shocked at the beauty of these cliff holes,” Jasperson said. “When you tee off on hole 11, it feels like you're at the end of the world. And then you come into the turn to hole 12, and everything drops off on the left side, and then hole 13 almost looks like it's floating.”

“The same goes for hole 14. And then you get to hole 15, the signature hole with the green cut into the hillside, and it's fantastic. It's just one breathtaking view after another, each one building on the past.”

Jasperson, who gave up a career in construction to work on the golf course and has worked his way up from range boy to starter to head professional to general manager and now director of golf, says the pro shop staff never tire of listening to guests marvel at the back nine after completing their rounds.

“The shock and awe we get from people is incredible. They can't believe it's not man-made.

They're just shocked that all these elements were here and we only moved a little bit of earth,” he said. “We didn't blast anything. We didn't cut anything into the rocks. It was all a very natural landscape when we formed these holes.”

Here's what Golf Digest had to say about each hole:

No. 12: “Sand Hollow's 12th hole runs along the same red rock ledge as the 13th and 15th holes, but the catcher's mitt shape around the green makes it more forgiving, although players wanting the best angle to the hole will still have to challenge the precipice.”

No. 13: “Bunkers narrow the landing zone in front of the green on this short par 4, and drives that miss to the left can't be repelled by the 100-yard valley floor feel below. So the smart tactic is to lie down, drive the ball on, make par and just enjoy the view.”

No. 15: “The setting of this par 3 in southwestern Utah, with views 20 miles to the north, is one of the most unforgettable in the United States. The green rests on a terrace of red rock that slopes down 100 feet to a valley on the left.”

Author’s note: While working for The Salt Lake Tribune in 2013, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing every golf course in Utah, and wrote about this “Golf Odyssey” herealong with a ranking of my favorites. Sand Hollow was my top public course, while Victory Ranch was my favorite private course.