2013 Golf Oklahoma Travel & Directory Issue

Left, Sand Hollow. Right top to bottom, Falcon Ridge, Conestoga, and Coyote Springs by far and away the star of the show even if retreats like the Eureka Casino Resort and Holiday Inn Express-Suites Mesquite offer Vegas-like quality and experiences at half the price. And unlike Vegas, where the fees never end, you’ll get free services such as wireless Internet access, fitness clubs and comfy poolside cabanas in Mesquite.

Frank Toddre, general manager of the Eureka, understands the difference better than most.

“Having worked in Vegas for many, many years, I just love the slower pace of Mesquite,’’ Toddre said. “It’s a place where you can sit down and catch your breath and have a real conversation with other people.

“And our courses? I’d put them up against any great golf destination in the world.’’

Yes, golf in Mesquite will knock your socks off. Conestoga is, arguably, the best golf course ever done by architect Gary Panks, and industry leader Troon Golf always has it in tip-top condition. It only takes until the second hole, a par-3 that drops about 100 feet from tee to green, to know you’re not in Scottsdale or Palm Springs any more.

Coyote Springs, which is about 20 minutes south of Mesquite, certainly has lots of that going for it. Built by Jack Nicklaus as the forerunner of PGA Village West (right before it went bust), Coyote Springs might be the Bear’s best desert tract, with mountains and lakes and a remoteness that comes from not a single house in sight. With white sand bunkers, beautiful bridges and backdrops galore, Coyote Springs feels more private than public.

The two Golf Mesquite courses that lie near St. George – at one point you cross over the state lines of Nevada, Arizona and Utah while traveling through the Virgin River Gorge – are equally as surreal. Coral Canyon, a Keith Foster design, looks like it belongs in Sedona, and Sand Hollow, which was built by architect John Fought, also is loaded with red rocks and shock factors.

The other three desert diamonds are back in Mesquite, with Falcon Ridge, the Canyons and the Palmer Course combining for a good imitation of Six Flags over Nevada. You might even remember the Palmer Course from TV, as it’s the former site of the Golf Channel’s “Big Break Mesquite.’’

It all adds up to a win-win-win -- or variety, value and views. No matter how you slice it – or dice it! -- It’s hard to beat Mesquite. www.golfoklahoma.org •••••• 29