Course of the week: Southgate Golf Course

SOUTHGATE GOLF COURSE

Location: 1975 Tonaquint Drive, St. George

Directions: Leave I-15 at Exit 6, make first right, first left, go approximately 1 mile southwest to the course.

Head Pro: Scott Draper

Superintendent: Steve Larsen

Course designers: John Lagant, Bill Neff (back nine)

Year opened: 1971, back nine 1990

Cost: Summer rates — $12.50/$19, carts $7 per person per 9. Senior and junior discounts. Range $3/$5

Reservations: 435-627-4440, two weeks in advance

Easiest time to get on: Summer is fairly wide open, with middle of the day less busy

Course record: 59, Lee Reed, Dave Loughton

Course description: The St. George city-owned course opened almost 40 years ago as the Lava Hills Golf Course but has been nearly completely renovated. Local businesses near the freeway taking some of the land and a couple of floods (the most recent in 2005) have forced changes to the layout. The course is short with two very different nines. The front nine is pretty flat with water on eight of the nine holes, with several carry shots. The back nine winds among houses and streets in the hills to the west of the course with several elevation changes and is more difficult to play as well as to walk.

Fun fact: When it was built in 1971, it was only the second course in the St. George area. Head pro Scott Draper jokes that Southgate is the "amoeba" course because it has been changed so many times. Only one or two of the original holes are the same as when the course was first opened.

Holes to remember: No. 6 is a testy par-3 with almost all carry over a lake to a large green with bunkers left, right and behind. No. 15 is an uphill, slight dogleg left par-5 to a tiered green with a pair of bunkers in front. No. 16 is a pretty, downhill par-3 over a lake with bunkers left and right.

E-mail: sor@desnews.com