Par for the Course: An Anniversary Golf Retreat for Two Couples

Day 1: Entrada — The Private Club Experience

We stayed at a Ledges villa but played our first round at Entrada — you can access the private course through stay-and-play arrangements. David McLay Kidd''s redesign is gorgeous. The lava-rock finishing holes (15-17) are unlike anything we''d seen. Sarah, who started playing two years ago, loved the wide fairways and slope-127 playability. Post-round cocktails overlooking Snow Canyon.

Day 2: Zion National Park

Full day at Zion. We hiked The Narrows — ankle-deep water, thousand-foot canyon walls. Lunch at a Springdale restaurant with canyon views. This was the day that turned a "golf trip" into a "trip everyone loved." The guys wanted more golf; the wives wanted more Zion. The compromise was easy: come back next year and do both again.

Day 3: The Ledges — Walk-to-Course Luxury

Woke up in the villa, made coffee, and walked to the first tee at The Ledges. No car, no driving, no logistics. The front nine was approachable. The back nine through Snow Canyon made us stop and stare on every hole. We played a couples'' best-ball format — surprisingly competitive and surprisingly fun. Awards ceremony in the villa hot tub.

The Verdict

Cost per couple: about $1,200 for 3 nights (villa, 2 rounds, food, Zion). Both wives said it was the best anniversary trip we''d taken. Both husbands said it was the best golf trip that their wives also enjoyed. Everyone won.