Architect: Dale Beddo (2019)
www.copperrock.com/golf-course/
435-215-4845
1567 W Copper Rock Parkway Hurricane, UT 84737
Utah Golf Guy grade
| OVERALL | 8.88 |
| BEAUTY | 9 |
| VALUE | 9 |
| PRACTICE FACILIITES | 10 |
| CLUBHOUSE | 7 |
| PACE OF PLAY | 8 |
| CONDITIONS | 9 |
| FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF | 10 |
| FUN | 9 |
| NOT INCLUDED IN OVERALL: DIFFICULTY | 7 |
| TEES | OUT | IN | TOTAL | RATING | SLOPE |
| BLACK | 3385 | 3438 | 6823 | 72.9 | 134 |
| BLUE | 3058 | 3212 | 6270 | 70.2 | 128 |
| WHITE | 2815 | 2852 | 5667 | 67.5 | 121 |
| RED (Women) | 2537 | 2525 | 5062 | 69.1 | 132 |
Course Summary
Wow! That is the first word to describe Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah. I’ll let their website explain more eloquently than the Utah Golf Guy is capable: “On every hole, players are treated to sweeping vistas of the grandeur offered by the Pine Valley Mountains, the Hurricane Cliffs, Zion National Park and beyond. The adventurous 6,901-yard layout forges across dunes dotted with native sagebrush against a backdrop of rustic sandstone formations.”
I’m sure the timing of my visit helped (2 weeks before the Copper Rock Championship on the LPGA Symetra tour), but my lone experience at Copper Rock was nothing short of fantastic. The course is beautiful and has a very fun layout. One of the more memorable characteristics of this track are the bunkers. They are literally scattered throughout the entire course, with every hole having at least one green side bunker. The fairway bunkers are breathtaking; in quality, size and the uniqueness of the shapes. In fact, the gigantic shared green (holes 9 “Sunset View” and 18 “Duck Soup”) have a shared bunker in the middle of the green. Very fun, memorable and unique.
The course has a little bit of everything in terms of unique, individual holes. Copper Rock combines elevated tee boxes, beautiful ponds, lakes and streams and even a few links style holes on the front nine. The layout is really fun and the architects have done a masterful job. The lone issue that I have with the layout is the trek that has to be made from the clubhouse to the #1 or #10 tee boxes. You are literally driving your cart from green to tee past the #11 and #10 holes. This not only took an extra 10 minutes to get to the tee box but is extremely dangerous driving towards those teeing off. This layout will be resolved in the next few years (see my clubhouse comments), but for the time being it is very strange.
Friendliness of Staff
Let’s start with the customer service. Before I could even get my bag out of the trunk, an employee rode up next to me, asked my name and tee time and zoomed back with a golf cart ready for me to load my gear on. Inside the pro-shop, the staff was kind, gracious and quite accommodating. They sent me out to see the starter on the #10 tee box, and she was great! Very friendly, helpful and informative after I quizzed her on the course. After my round, another employee pulled up next to me by my vehicle and offered to clean my clubs for me. I cannot say enough about the customer service that I received. 10 out of 10 for sure.
Clubhouse
The clubhouse was very small, but clean and modern. My understanding is that the current clubhouse is temporary while they are looking to build a full-size building closer to 1st hole. This new clubhouse may be a few years away as they currently don’t have water or electrical capabilities in that area.
Practice Facilities
One of the best practice facilities in the state. The driving range is already stocked with balls and the bays are spacious, level and in great shape. The range has flags, greens and even a built in fairway to practice fades and draws. The practice putting/chipping green is in fantastic shape. Lots of holes, various slopes and even a large bunker to practice out of. In between the practice green and the #1 tee box is a smaller putting green.
Course Conditions
The course was in fantastic shape! To re-iterate, the Utah Golf Guy played two weeks before the LPGA Symetra tournament so the conditions are probably the best they will ever be. And let me tell you, they were almost perfect. Tee boxes were trimmed and level, fairways were beautiful and allowed the ball to sit up no matter where you landed. The rough was light but even. The bunkers were a dream, not only to look at but also to play out of. I had heard from golfers who played this course in 2020 claim that the greens were rock hard and could not hold onto the putting surface. I found this to be 90% false. It appears that the greens have softened since last year and are very accepting of a variety of approach shots, including from a mid-iron. The only knock I currently have on the greens are not the firmness, but the contours. A few of them make it almost impossible to get even a great approach shot near the pin. But for the most part, the greens were magnificent.
Two greens had dead spots on the actual putting surface, keeping the conditions scores from being a perfect 10.
Value
At first look, $120 for a weekend tee time might seem a little steep (even for the Peak Season). But after you play this course you can easily justify spending a bit more to play this gem of a course. Their twilight rates (after 2pm) are one of the best values in Southwest Utah. If you are brave enough to face the heat of the summer, their Off-Season rates are ridiculously low as well. The value you get for this level of golf is very high.
BEST HOLES
Signature Hole - #17 Par 3 134 Yards "Sky Dive"
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
A huge, elevated tee shot in an extremely wide green. The views from the tee box are tremendous, allowing you to see over half of the golf course including the beautiful pond with water fountains in between the #9 and #18 fairways. A beautiful rock creek winds down the right side of the hole and crosses in front of the green. The green is hourglass shaped with a front left bunker. A beautiful hole from tee to green.
Clubhouse Pick: 17 (but will soon be 14)
Most Beautiful - #14 Par 4 428 Yards "On the Rock"
Utah Golf Guy score - Bogey
As the name suggests, this hole offers tremendous views of red rock mountains just to the left and behind this hole. Tee to fairway is relatively level. The approach shot is elevated, hitting down to the green. Out of bounds on the left and desert wash on the far right. Fairway bunker on the right (big hitters can clear this bunker), another fairway bunker further down on the left side. Fairway zigs to the left, then right and then back to the left to the green. A humongous bunker sits 30 yards of green and essentially covers the entire fairway. There is a small bail out area to the right of the green but it will leave you with a tough chip back onto the green. Green slopes aggressively uphill from front to back. Hit below the hole to refrain from the dreaded 3-putt.
Clubhouse Pick: 14
Birdie Time - #3 Par 4 303 Yards "Valley of Sin"
Utah Golf Guy score - Birdie
A short par 4 that can be reached off the tee by big hitters. Green is slightly uphill from the tee box but only by a few yards. Only one bunker on this hole, and it sits far to the right of the green. The signature feature of this hole is the three grassy mounds that line the left side of the fairway. Very strange but quite fun. Green is relatively small and slopes aggressively uphill. A few dead spots run throughout the green but overall, this hole is quirky, fun and birdie-able.
Clubhouse Pick: 12 or 15
Likely Bogey - #14 Par 4 478 Yards "Down and Dirty"
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
My runner up for the best Par 4 on the course. This hole is as fun as it is tough. Desert wash on the right and left of the fairways with very little rough in between. This hole goes downhill from the tee box all the way to the green. The tee shot is partially blind, giving you just a glimpse of a landing area. A fairway bunker sits purposely on the left side and will gobble any wayward shots foolishly attempting to cut the corner. The hole is a dogleg left and getting your tee shot on the fairway is imperative to keep a bogey off the scorecard. The green might literally be the deepest I have ever played!!! Gauge your distance on your approach correctly or you could potentially 4-putt. The green is extremely narrow in the front and then widens the further back it goes. Green is protected by a large, butterfly shaped bunker on the front right.
Clubhouse Pick: 13
Best Par 3 - #15 149 Yards "Hawk Lookout"
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
Tee shot plays uphill and adds a few yards to this hole. Four bunkers surround the green, two to the left, one to the right and another behind the putting surface. Green slopes uphill but unfortunately, was one of two holes that had large dead spots in the middle of the putting surface.
Clubhouse Pick: 17
Best Par 4 - #18 383 Yards "Duck Soup"
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
A beautiful way to finish the round, with a striking pond running along the left side of the hole. Copper Rock’s finale dog legs to the left but gives plenty of room on the right side. Three fairway bunkers, one on the right and two more further up on the right side. The longer your drive off the tee, the less stress you will have hitting your approach over water. Green is elevated so play at least an extra ½ club on the approach.
This green is what of the most unique in the state. This is a shared green with hole #9 and both holes share an in-green, large sand bunker. The views from behind this green are quite memorable.
Clubhouse Pick: 14
Best Par 5 - #16 541 Yards "Bobcat Run"
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
Beautiful par 5 with desert wash on both sides of the fairway. The landing area for this fairway is blind so proceed with caution. A neat feature with the Copper Rock’s golf carts are GPS locators for all the golf carts on the hole you are on. This will alert you where the group in front of you is located and when it is safe to hit on this hole.
Landing right center of this fairway is the ideal tee shot, with the entire right side feeding the ball towards the center. The green is extremely wide and if the pin is located on the left side, there is a chance you will need to carry the desert wash to land on the putting surface. Due to the layout, staying on the right side of this hole from tee to green is recommended until you can hit a dart onto the green. The hourglass green slopes from right downhill to the left. Green is protected by a small frontside bunker for those trying to roll up their 2nd shot.
Clubhouse Pick: 5