The Ledges Golf Club Review
Designer: Matt Dye (2006)
1585 Ledges Parkway, St. George, UT 84770
#435-634-4600
Utah Golf Guy Grade
| OVERALL | 8.38 |
| BEAUTY | 8 |
| VALUE | 7 |
| PRACTICE FACILITIES | 10 |
| CLUBHOUSE | 10 |
| PACE OF PLAY | 6 |
| CONDITIONS | 8 |
| FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF | 9 |
| FUN | 9 |
| NOT INCLUDED IN OVERALL: DIFFICULTY | 7 |
| TEES | OUT | IN | TOTAL | RATING | SLOPE |
| BLACK | 3637 | 3508 | 7145 | 72.7 | 127 |
| BLUE | 3408 | 3249 | 6657 | 70.3 | 122 |
| WHITE | 3186 | 3038 | 6224 | 68.1 | 117 |
| RED | 2935 | 2739 | 5674 | 64.9 | 117 |
Course Summary
The Ledges Golf Club (formerly known as “Valderra Golf Club at The Ledges”) is a 7,145 yard 18 hole course in St George, Utah. Designed by Matt Dye in 2006, this course is home to the Billy Casper Golf Academy.
The Ledges Golf Club is a tale of two nines. The front nine is extremely flat, simple and cookie cutter. Two days after playing, I can honestly only recall one hole (#9) on the entire front side. Wind affects the front much more than the back side so it is recommended to start your round when wind is calm.
The back nine is why people come to this track. Beautiful, panoramic views of the red-rock mountains of Snow Canyon State Park. These canyons also protect the course from the wind making shots much easier. The front nine plays more like a links course whereas the back nine focuses on target golf forcing you to aim for specific spots to land the ball. The back nine makes this course well worth the trip.
Specifics
The friendliness of the staff was fantastic! Upon parking our car the staff was their willing to load our clubs onto a cart and returned with a second cart in less than a minute. The pro shop staff was great, smiling and helping every way that they could. The only issue that we had with the staff was coming in at the turn, the staff began cleaning out our cart (removing our clothes, food, etc) while we ran inside to pick up our lunch. Not a big issue, as they quickly realized their mistake and re-loaded our cart exactly as before.
The clubhouse is one of the best in the state. Spacious, well-designed and a beautiful sight to look at. They were doing a bit of construction on one corner of the building but it did not interfere with any operations and will be a fantastic upgrade in the next few months when complete.
Practice facilities are also some of the best I have seen in the state of Utah. The driving range is small but is well-maintained and features targeted grass greens. The Ledges also has a chipping area with one large sand bunker and 3 separate flags to aim at. Two separate putting greens, one by the opening hole and the other by the 18thgreen were in great shape. If I lived near here, I could see myself stopping by for my lunch break to use these facilities every day.
Each golf cart is equipped with an UpLink GPS system to provide exact measurements from tee to pin, helping to better gauge your club selection. This was a nice touch!
Conditions
The majority of the greens looked dead from afar but once on the putting surface, putts were fast but rolled true. Most greens were two-tiered, and quite large, forcing you to gauge your distance correctly or a 3-putt was always possible.
Fairways are in great shape, allowing the ball to sit up for a perfect iron shot. Dead spots were minimal throughout the course. The edges are well pronounced and are aesthetically beautiful. The rough did have a quite a few dead spots and the lack of trees on the front nine took away from the potential beauty of this course.
The pace of play was pretty slow, averaging around a 4-5 minute wait on almost every hole. Our golf afternoon was extremely cold, so fewer golfers were out. But, we still managed to find a log jam after every hole. I can’t imagine how long the wait would be on a busy day.
Overall, I gave this course a 8 on overall beauty. The front nine, as mentioned before, was extremely boring, simple and plain. Lacking vegetation, trees, water (except hole #9) or any type of elevation. The back nine is the complete opposite, with elevation changes on nearly every hole, red rock mountains in the background and red rock hills on the actual golf course. If I could rank the beauty per nine; the front would receive a 6 and the back would receive a 10.
BEST HOLES
Signature Hole - #15 Par 4 320 Yards
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
By my estimation, the elevated tee box hangs 60 feet above an island fairway. For big hitters, going for the green is possible but the risk outweighs the reward. The green is protected by a large wasteland ditch and a left side bunker. There is a small landing area past the wasteland to the right of the green but a strategically placed bunker protects that side as well. Very little room behind the green so the drive needs to be near perfect to land and stop on the green.
The smart play is to layup on the island fairway to give yourself a comfortable pitching distance. If flag is on the left side, we recommend your approach from the right side of the fairway. If flag is on the right side, middle to left side fairway is recommended.
The green slopes dramatically from right to left so take that into account on your approach. Most unique hole on the course, requiring smart and calculating shots to land one on for birdie.
Clubhouse Pick – #15
Most Beautiful - #12 Par 3 169 Yards
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
The views off the right side of this tee shot are other worldly. The hole itself is simple and straightforward, but that view is worth the price of admission. Don’t let this hole distract you from knocking the ball on the green. It is recommended to use the slope on the left side of the green to work the ball back towards the hole. The green is very deep and contains a large ridge that falls towards the back right.
Clubhouse Pick #12
Birdie Time - #7 Par 5 589 Yards
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
I know, I know! What are you doing putting the number 1 handicap hole as the most likely birdie on the course??? You now see why I don’t even look at the handicap holes before I play. I want to personally know what holes are the most difficult as I believe that lots of courses get these wrong. This is certainly the case with #7, in fact, the clubhouse agrees with me as well.
If you can land in the fairway on the drive, you will have a FANTASTIC chance at a birdie here. The perfect drive is either over or just to the left of the right fairway bunker, giving you a good chance to reach the green in 2. If laying up, landing anywhere on the short grass will give you a great opportunity for a birdie putt.
If you decide to layup, the right side of the fairway is much more forgiving that it looks and will give you a great angle back into the green. The green slopes back and to the left with another ridge on the front right. Bunkers near the green are for show and should not come into play.
Clubhouse Pick – #7
Likely Bogey - #9 Par 4 422 Yards
Utah Golf Guy score - Double Bogey
One of two holes on the entire course that water comes into play. Bunkers on the right, water on the left. One of the few holes that will require two well-struck, straight shots to get a green in regulation. On the approach, play it safe and aim to the right side of the green as the water hugs the entire left side. A bunker protects the front-right side of the green, but this is the preferred option over flirting with the lake.
Clubhouse Pick – #14
Best Par 3 - #12 169 Yards
See Most Beautiful
Clubhouse Pick – #12
Best Par 4 - #15 320 Yards
See Signature Hole
Clubhouse Pick – #15
Best Par 5 - #16 600 Yards
Utah Golf Guy score - Par
From the tips, this tee shot looks more daunting than the actual 180 yard forced carry. An elevated, rock cliff tee box makes this drive beautiful and exciting. Stay out of the fairway bunkers on the left side and you will have a chance for birdie. If your tee shot lands to the right of the rock cropping, feel free to go for the green in two. If laying up, you need to choose between the split fairways. The left fairway is about even with the green, the right fairway gives you a downhill approach shot. Going right will give you a better angle on your approach. The green is shallow but wide. A ridge runs through the middle so remember to land the ball correct side.
Stay away from the canyon on the left side of the fairway. Not only your ball, but your golf cart and yourself. The drop is straight down and could be potentially dangerous to anyone near the steep ledge.
Clubhouse Pick – #16