Golf Utah

Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, heads west to mold his 200th U.S. Golf Course around Utah’s Red Ledges

By Naimah Jabali-Nash
Photography by Ryan Kobane

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 Jack Nicklaus once said, “I never went into a tournament or round of golf thinking I had to beat a certain player. I had to beat the golf course.” Yes, beat the golf course. It’s a simple, reoccurring phrase many choose to toss around, unlike Nicklaus, as some philosophical one-liner, showcasing the depth of their mental aptitude. The command is straightforward: scope the land, see the shot and execute. But, when the golf course staring back at you is one crafted from the same man whose steady hands curled a ball into a hole on the 17th at Augusta National to win his 18th major championship, that simple phrase is far more complex. For his 200th golf course designed in the United States, The Golden Bear has emerged from hibernation and traveled west.

Utah originates from the Ute Native American language meaning “people of the mountains.”

It’s a state where its citizens yearn to be outdoors. Skiing, fishing, snowboarding, rock climbing, white water rafting and of course golf. “Utah is like the mafia—once you leave it, it sucks you right back in,” said a recent Utahan convert. As we rode up the steep, jagged Wasatch Mountains, pressure caused my head to throb while my ears popped from the rising altitude. That came second to the magnificent view of the limestone cliffs that stretched for miles in the distance. Pine green Fir trees jutted from the mountainside. And luminous clouds floated above in the pale blue skies—clearly, I wasn’t in New York anymore.
It took two years for Nicklaus and his team who worked tirelessly to carve, Red Ledges, the exclusive, four-season mountain golf community around the chiseled red Rocky Mountains. “Since the topography of the Red Ledges area is so stunning and diverse, we were challenged to stay true to the Red Ledges vision by planning each hole around its natural surroundings,” he stated. The result is nothing less than an exhilarating round that forces you to carefully evaluate each shot, framed by countless breathtaking views. “We were able to nestle some holes around the famous sandstone ledges and situate other holes in juniper groves. I am delighted with how the course has turned out,” stated Nicklaus. Red Ledges marks another imprint in Nicklaus’ timeless topographical footprints.