Nevada and Utah: Their proximity to one another belies the fact that these neighboring golf destinations are as different from one another as, well, Bugsy Siegel and Brigham Young.
No matter. Each possesses its charms. Nevada has the bling of Las Vegas and the bor- der-town energy of Mesquite and Primm; Utah has the preternatural landscape in and around St. George and the wholesome charms of Thanksgiving Point.
And, come winter, both destinations reach the ideal temperature for a golf vacation.
Arriving in Vegas puts you in the middle of an adult amusement park, with an infinite collection of restaurants, entertainment and gaming. Tee times tend to be predictably expensive, especially on “high-concept” courses, but there are great plays in town at Angel Park and in suburban Henderson at The Legacy.
From Vegas, a half-hour drive towards California puts you at Primm Valley’s two highly decorated Tom Fazio courses, while a 75-minute drive towards Utah lands you at Mesquite, which is Nevada's unofficial golf capital, with seven incredible courses within its borders, and plentiful and affordable lodging options, all of which can be accessed via
golfmesquitenevada.com, a sure a bet as there can be on this side of the Nevada border.
Another 30 minutes on I-15 brings you to “Utah’s Dixie,” as the first Mormon settlers called the state’s southwestern region during the Civil War, as they intended to grow cotton there and sell it to the North. The crop didn’t take, but St. George sprouted into the region’s business and cultural center, providing a major gateway to nearby Zion National Park. Today no fewer than a dozen courses thread through the vermillion sandstone. They form the Red Rock Golf Trail (
redrockgolftrail.com).