HURRICANE - The Sand Hollow Resort golf complex - an 18-hole championship golf course and a nine-hole links-style walking course - opened to public play on Friday.

The championship course measures 7,319 yards but with five tee boxes golfers of all ability levels will be able to play. Two southern Utah chambers of commerce - Hurricane and St. George - have tournaments scheduled on the course this Friday and Saturday.

The golf courses are only a part of what's planned at Sand Hollow Resort, located between Sand Hollow Reservoir and State Route 9 in Hurricane. The resort will eventually include a water park, hiking trails, equestrian center, sports complex with indoor and outdoor tennis courts, restaurants and shops, in addition to residential developments.

Both Sand Hollow golf courses were designed by former Brigham Young University golfer John Fought, one of the top golf course architects in the country. The courses are Fought's first in Utah.

The championship course is a "sister course" to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, designed by Johnny Miller. Both are managed by Vanguard Management Group.

Sand Hollow's golf courses will be open for public play throughout the resort's development. Plans call for play to eventually be restricted to members only.

Hurricane officials have at times expressed frustration with the resort's advertising, which has placed the resort's location as "10 miles from St. George," and "between St. George and Hurricane."

The resort actually lies several miles inside the Hurricane city limits.