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Red Rock, Black Rock by Mark Edenburn
Memories of the St. George “Go-Away”-September 17-24, 2016
Getting to St. George, Utah, from anywhere in the west means several interesting options.
People can fly over the Colorado Plateau and drop into the St. George airport. Another method
is to drive US Highway 89 north alongside Grand Canyon National Park and approach
St. George from the east through Zion National Park. Coming from the Southern California area
one can make the drive on US Highway 15 northeast through Las Vegas and Mesquite, Nevada,
before entering the breathtaking Virgin River Canyon separating Arizona and Utah. Any way
you get there, once in St. George you know the trek was worth the time spent travelling. Nestled
among the red sandstone and volcanic mesas of southwestern Utah, the city of St. George sits
like a populated island amid a sea of natural splendor.
A diverse party of thirty-three travellers found their way to the one-week “go-away” in
St. George which was held from Saturday, September 17 through the following Saturday,
September 24. LADWP Golf Club Members and non-Members, golfers and non-golfers all
made the first evening’s get together at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites St. George North-
Zion. The rigors of the day’s travels were mitigated by good food and some surreptitious
libations. (It was Utah after all!). Golfers prepared for the Sunday, September 18 round of golf
at the nearby Coral Canyon Golf Course while the non-golfers looked to explore the
entertainment options in St. George.
Sunday, September 18-Coral Canyon
The Coral Canyon Golf Course is just a short hop from the hotel. From the highway above one
can see the golf course as it serpentines around the development encompassing the hotel. The
proximity of the course allowed all golfers to arrive easily in time for the early morning shotgun
start.
Teeing Off (L to R): Karl Weingartner, Rod Kurimoto, Kurt Weingartner
Mary Falso, Rex Deweese, Cheryl LaMotta, Mark Edenburn, John Barton
Coral Canyon Golf Course featured challenging forced carries over areas of desert scrub. Errant
shots, of which there were many, were difficult to retrieve and lost balls were commonplace.
Standard stroke play was the format for the round and low scores were at a premium. Making a
return to the group after enjoying last season’s Coeur d’Alene adventure, Mary Falso posted a
Low Gross score of 88, while also capturing one Closest-to-the-Pin and Women’s Long Drive.
Mary’s golf buddy and Club travel agent, Paula Mullins-Worster, posted the Low Net Score for
the day with a 73.
Because of the strong Mormon influence and the extent of missionary travels, Utah’s larger cities
boast a wide variety of differing cuisine. St. George being no exception, a group of travellers
sampled one of its highly recommended restaurants, the “Painted Pony.” This higher end eatery
offered an impressive range of dishes all prepared in sumptuous fashion.
Marsha Edenburn, Kim and Rex Deweese French Onion Soup baked into carved out onion!
Monday, September 19-Sand Hollow Resort
And, yes, that little white spot hovering over the red rock butte on the right is the moon. Sand
Hollow Resort lies about half an hour east of Coral Canyon Golf Course and our hotel in the
town of Hurricane. (Locals insist on the pronunciation “Her-a-cun.”) However one says it, the
approach to Sand Hollow Resort is stunning. Escaping the traffic circle at the entrance, one
drives a short distance to the golf course which is laid out like a large green carpet over the
desert scape. However, closer examination of the Championship Course that the group played
revealed it to be another challenging experience. Carved into the surrounding mesas, the course
dares golfers to skirt barrancas and sandstone formations.
The format for the second day of golf was a modified “Shamble” and partners’ best ball. The
best drive by any member of each grouping of golfers was the drive all golfers used on every
hole. (OK, don’t ask!) Anyway, the format proved to be fun and very popular with almost all.
Posting an astounding Low Net Team score of 50 was the only 3-person team of Wayne Frost,
Doug Brown and Rod Kurimoto. The Lynda Kenworthy and John Krolak team combined for a
score of 58 to take second place.
Beside a host of restaurant choices, St. George offers local historical and cultural activities, some
of which were attended by members of our group. One popular attraction is the outdoor Tuacahn
Center for the Arts offering live stage productions. Over the one-week in St. George several
travellers attended these evening performances. On this particular Monday night, your reporter
returned to the hotel to rest up for the next day, a “free” day for all, no golf, no scheduled
activities.
Tuesday, September 20-A Day to Explore
For our free day, Kim and Rex Deweese joined my wife, Marsha, and I in a day exploring some
of the natural wonders of southern Utah. Driving east from the hotel, we passed through Zion
National Park and the lovely Dixie National Forest towards our ultimate destination, Bryce
Canyon National Park.
“Checkerboard Mesa” in Zion
The weather was taking a turn for the worst as we approached Bryce Canyon National Park. A
storm front had hovered over us most of the day, but it was not until we drove to the top of Bryce
Canyon that we found ourselves in actual rainfall and a heavy cloud layer. However, upon
entering Bryce Canyon we found that at the lower elevations visibility was still fine. The free
shuttle provided by the National Park Service within the park took us to the main lookout points
for the large amphitheater that dominates Bryce Canyon. The amphitheater is composed of
“hoodoos,” free-standing sandstone monoliths carved by nature through the centuries. Layers of
natural history, shaped by rain, wind and snow are there for study.
The drive on the single road to the top of the park brings one to lookout points at over 9,000 feet
elevation. Unfortunately, the cloud layer was very heavy at the elevation and California tourists
were not dressed for the sudden wet and cold. However, the views available were still
impressive despite the conditions. A few photos cannot do justice to the grandeur of the park.
“Natural Bridge” in the mist “Fairyland Canyon” just before main entrance into Bryce Canyon
For the return drive back to St. George we took a slight detour through Cedar City to stop at a
local pizza parlor recommended in Marsha’s Fodor’s travel guide called “Centro Woodfired
Pizzeria.” As has been our experience with Fodor’s, the recommendation was excellent and we
enjoyed warming up beside the large brick pizza ovens.
Wednesday, September 21-The Ledges
Under threatening skies we all made the 20 minute drive from the hotel up into the foothills of
one of the western mesas above St. George to the southwestern motif development, The Ledges
of St. George, and The Ledges Golf Club. The format this day was a best ball, team “Scramble.”
This format suited the long and tricky course, putting the emphasis on strategy and letting lesser
skilled players get a feeling of contributing to the team effort. Team Net Scores were close, but
rising to the top with a score of 71 was the team of Geri and John McEneaney, playing with Karl
and Kurt Weingartner.
L to R: Terry Hunter, Mary Nolan, Carnell Powell
Rod Kurimoto, Lynda and John Kenworthy, Rex Deweese
That evening, we travellers adjourned to the “Gun Barrel Steak and Game” restaurant for dinner
and a heart-warming birthday celebration. We had to marvel at the efforts of our hard working
wait staff, serving all thirty-one of us quickly and efficiently. The food was hearty and tasty, and
all had a great time. Afterwards, everyone was invited back to our hotel room to share in some
birthday cake and good times. Space being limited, those in the room were invited to pull up a
piece of bed.
Thursday, September 22-Entrada
The rain that had tracked us most of the previous two days hit on Wednesday night and lingered
into early Thursday morning threatening to wash away our round of golf at Entrada at Snow
Canyon Country Club. Our travel agent, Paula Mullins-Worster, had negotiated with this private
country club to get our group access and we are so lucky to have had the opportunity. The
course and grounds are magnificent. Framed by majestic mesas and pocked with fields of black
lava, the course offered challenges galore. A ball hit into the lava, and again there were several,
was usually never to be seen again.
Stroke play was again the format for the day. Taming the course best was Andrew Mancini who
had the Low Gross Score of 89, while Wayne Frost put up one of the best net scores of the week
with a 75. Welcome newcomer Cheryl LaMotta had a triple play with a Net Score of 76
accompanying a Closest-to-the-Pin and Women’s Long Drive. On the male side of the ledger,
Carnell Powell captured the other Closest-to-the-Pin on the course as well as Men’s Long Drive.
Friday, September 23-Free Time and Closing Banquet
The storms that had kicked up fierce winds and dampened the ground in St. George had resulted
in snowfall at higher elevations. So, it was with great excitement and surprise when we
encountered a winter wonderland as we drove up to Cedar Breaks National Monument. Having
a few free hours before the closing banquet later that evening, Kim, Rex, Marsha and I made the
hour drive to this national treasure near the ski resort town of Brian Head, Utah. The chill was a
little more than exhilarating and Rex and I both luckily survived violent slips and falls on some
black ice at one of the overlooks. However, it total, the park was an unforgettable sight.
We returned to the hotel with time to gussy up and prepare for the closing banquet later that
evening. The banquet was held at the “Fish Rock Grille” at The Ledges. Performance awards
for all four days of golf were made with everyone coming away a winner. With most making a
Saturday departure for home, goodbyes were said and all were told to look forward to the 2017
season one-week “go-away” to the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The St. George Travellers
Back row (L to R): Jerry Berg, John McEneaney, John Krolak, Kurt Weingartner, John Barton, Wayne Frost,
Sandee Frost, Andrew Mancini
Middle row: Susan Shirakawa, Debbie Berg, Geri McEneaney, Leslie Naines-Brown, Marsha Edenburn, Karl
Weingartner, JoLinda Wilson, James Wilson, Cheryl LaMotta, Lynda Kenworthy, Ollie Powell, Kim Deweese,
Mary Falso, Bruce Yochim, Mary Nolan, Terry Hunter, John Kenworthy
Front row: Betty Krolak, Doug Brown, Paula Mullins-Worster, Carnell Powell, Rex Deweese, Mark Edenburn
Absent: Marilyn and Rod Kurimoto due to grandparent duties!
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