Entrada At Snow Canyon Unveils New David McLay Kidd-Designed Golf Course
By Brian Weis
Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club recently unveiled its new David McLay Kidd-designed golf course to members and dignitaries. During the 17-month renovation project, McLay Kidd redesigned the club's former Johnny Miller and Fred Bliss-designed course, which opened for play in 1996.
McLay Kidd, whose course designs include Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore., Gamble Sands in Brewster, Wash., and Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, Wisc., was assisted on the Entranda project by Troon's Design, Development and Agronomy team. Enhancements included all new irrigation and drainage systems, as well as relined and renovated irrigation lakes. All greens were redesigned and resurfaced with state-of-the-art Bentgrass, fairways were re-contoured, tees were relocated and/or renovated; and every bunker on the golf course was reimagined. The entire golf course, including tees, fairways and roughs, has been re-grassed with improved cultivars of Perennial Ryegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass. Entrada's practice facility was also renovated.
"What I saw here at Entrada was opportunity," said McLay Kidd. "All you have to do is look at the views here. Golf at its very best is played through a beautiful landscape. There are no great golf courses that aren't played through beautiful, enthralling, enticing, adventurous landscapes. And, here when I first visited Southern Utah and Entrada, I found just that."
The new golf course plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,065 yards from the tips, an increase of 20 yards from the previous design. McLay Kidd's design incorporates contours, slopes, 'kickers and bounces' giving members and guests with slower swing speeds the opportunity to score well if they can read the contours and execute the shots.
"It's definitely a desert course, you're out here in Southern Utah, but I want to have that links experience. I want it to be the ground game. So many courses in America call themselves links, but you can't run the ball anywhere. This golf course is made entirely for that. From the way the design is, to the way the grasses are maintained, it's all about being able to run the ball along the ground and use it to your advantage. So, I would ask all the members and their guests to think about hitting a chipping 7-iron then a lofted wedge. Because I guarantee, the percentages will be in your favor with that 7-iron."
As part of the course's reopening ceremonies on Thursday, March 31, McLay Kidd led members on a back nine walkabout presenting his vision and tips on how to play the new golf course. On Friday, April 1st, Entrada Club President Joe Lyon and McLay Kidd took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony, with ceremonial first tee shots hit by McLay Kidd, Lyon and members Jim Behnke, Lynn Hales and Philip George.
"With the golf course renovation created by David McLay Kidd, it has provided our Club members a very challenging and interesting golf course that encourages creativity throughout the round. Most importantly, our members are having FUN playing their golf course," said Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club General Manager Michael Rushing.
For more information on Entrada at Snow Canyon, visit www.golfentrada.com or call 435.986.2200.
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Revised: 04/12/2022 - Article Viewed 7,973 Times
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About: Brian Weis
Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.
All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.
On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.
Contact Brian Weis:
GolfTrips.com - Publisher and Golf Traveler
262-255-7600