2026 Bank of Utah Championship: Black Desert Breakdown and Golf DFS Picks

The Bank of Utah Championship (known previously as the Black Desert Championship) is only in its third renewal, and I must say that it has been a welcome addition to the Fall swing. Despite the new sponsor and name change, the event will return to the Black Desert Resort, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Phil Smith in 2022-2023. This was Weiskopf’s final design before he passed away, and the track sits among one of the most unique settings for professional golf. We can nitpick the architecture of the golf course ad infimum (I am not the biggest fan of Weiskopf’s design philosophy), but it’s difficult to find qualms with the concept of bringing an event to this part of the country. The course sits amongst a lava field and is home to all sorts of wildlife, and the fact that if players miss a fairway, they will automatically receive a penalty stroke (the “lava” is not very playable) is a defining feature of this golf course.

The course will also be affected by altitude, although at less extreme measures than if this event was in Colorado. Ivins sits approximately 3,000 feet above sea level. For context, Denver is 5,000 feet above sea level, and Las Vegas and Scottsdale are both in the 2,000 range. We should still expect a 4% distance bump, and the Black Desert Golf Course, which measures around 7,400 yards from the tips, will really play closer to 7,100 yards. Let’s run through some of the basics of what we saw last year and then dive into how the course will play.