Andrew Miller, a Minneapolis-based journalist, took a solo golf trip to St. George, Utah, during the holiday break when family commitments prevented a group outing. Choosing the destination for its mild weather, he played courses at Sand Hollow Resort and The Ledges, embracing the freedom of traveling alone. The experience highlighted the advantages of solo golf travel amid a booming industry.
During the week between Christmas and New Year's, Andrew Miller embarked on an impromptu solo golf trip after his wife suggested he travel alone to recharge. As a parent to two boys, ages 9 and 6, and with his advertising agency closed for the holidays while his wife, a funeral director, worked through the busy period, Miller's in-laws cared for the children. He flew from Minneapolis to Las Vegas and drove two hours northeast on Interstate 15, passing through Nevada's Valley of Fire Basin and Arizona's Virgin River Gorge, to reach Sand Hollow Resort in St. George, Utah. The area, surrounded by ancient Navajo Sandstone formations over 180 million years old, offered mild mid-50s temperatures and no rain—ideal conditions after checking forecasts that ruled out destinations like the Carolinas, Florida, and Arizona.
Over three days, Miller maximized the solo trip's benefits. He arrived midday and secured a last-minute tee time for the back nine at The Ledges at St. George as a single, something unlikely with a group. At The Champion Course at Sand Hollow, he played with Anthony and Antonio, lifelong friends from Toronto starting a 10-course journey across three states. The round featured friendly banter amid errant shots into canyons and cacti, with Antonio sharing photos and videos from his Ray-Ban Meta AI sunglasses to lighten double-bogey scores.
Miller, a 15-handicap golfer, relished controlling his schedule: arriving over an hour early for range and short-game practice, and hitting post-round balls without group pressure. He focused solely on golf, skipping local activities like hiking in Zion National Park or mountain biking, and stuck to simple meals like Chipotle burrito bowls. His wife's encouragement was key: “Clearly, you really need to go somewhere,” she said. “Why don’t you just go somewhere … alone?”
While praising buddies' trips as golf's pinnacle, Miller argued solo trips offer vital freedom from logistics and compromise, especially for those with unpredictable schedules. This aligns with the global golf tourism industry's projected growth from $25.7 billion in 2024 to $42.9 billion in 2033.
