Salt Lake City, Utah is hosting ESPN's College GameDay this Saturday — and the show never even left the Beehive State. One week after BYU's 28-24 stunner over No. 2 Notre Dame in Provo, the GameDay bus rolls 45 minutes north for another top-20 Big 12 showdown under the lights: unbeaten Utah vs. Houston. If you're hunting for public golf near Salt Lake City Utah, this is the weekend to book it.
Saturday night lights over Salt Lake City.
The game
Houston (6-1) visits Utah (6-0) on Saturday, October 24 — 8:15 PM MT (10:15 PM ET) on ESPN from Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah owns the nation's longest win streak and is rolling behind first-year head coach Morgan Scalley, and a home win here keeps the Utes squarely in the playoff picture. GameDay stages at President's Circle from 7–10 AM MT — Utah's seventh all-time GameDay home game.
The weather is cooperating after a messy week: a cold front brings rain Thursday and Friday, then Saturday clears — sunny, 56°F, zero chance of rain. The catch is the kickoff time: mostly clear and around 43°F by night, so bring real layers for the fourth quarter. Same formula as our GameDay in Provo weekend — golf by day, big-time football by night.
Best public golf courses near Salt Lake City
Bonneville Golf Course (Salt Lake City) is the anchor. This William Bell design from 1929 sits on the East Bench hillside with Wasatch and valley views in every direction — 6,872 yards, par 72, muni pricing, and a tournament pedigree (Utah State Amateur, Salt Lake City Open). The round you'll talk about on the flight home.
Mountain Dell Golf Course (Parleys Canyon) is 36 holes at 6,000 feet, twenty minutes up I-80 at Exit 134. The Canyon and Lake courses wind through the pines where moose and elk sightings are a normal Tuesday, and it's roughly 10° cooler than the valley floor — the most "Utah" golf on this list.
Stonebridge Golf Club (West Valley City) is the Johnny Miller/Gene Bates 27-hole links-style complex (Sunrise, Creekside, and Sagebrush nines) with water on 20 of 27 holes, minutes from the airport. The perfect fly-in Friday round — land, drop the bags, go play.
Old Mill Golf Course (Holladay) is the Gene Bates design (1998) tucked into the Wasatch foothills: 6,769 yards, par 71, dramatic elevation changes and valley panoramas. One of the Salt Lake County munis, and one of the valley's best championship layouts.
South Mountain Golf Course (Draper) is mountain-side links golf at 7,080 yards, par 72 (73.4/130), with sweeping valley vistas. It's named for Draper native and Masters champion Mike Weir — play the street named after a green jacket winner, then go watch a top-20 team.
Glenmoor Golf Club (South Jordan) is the public 18 (par 72) with Oquirrh Mountain views and a year-round indoor TrackMan center — the weather-proof card in your hand if Friday's front lingers. Also a legit golf option in its own right.
Fall golf beneath the Wasatch near Salt Lake City.
The play
Friday: land and play the anchor — Bonneville on the East Bench, or Stonebridge ten minutes from the airport. Watch the sky: the front moves through Friday with rain likely, so Glenmoor's TrackMan center is your dry backup.
Saturday: GameDay at President's Circle (7–10 AM MT), then a full day of golf — sunny, 56°F, no rain. The 8:15 PM MT kickoff leaves room for a full 18 and a proper tailgate. You're playing at 4,300+ feet, so everything flies a little farther — enjoy the extra yards and don't overthink it.
Sunday: one more before the airport. Mountain Dell in the canyon for the scenery, or Old Mill in the foothills for the golf. Then the short drive back to SLC.
Quick answers
Can I play golf Saturday and still make kickoff?
Yes. Saturday's forecast is sunny, 56°F, with no rain, and kickoff isn't until 8:15 PM MT — a full morning round leaves you hours to spare. One warning: it'll be around 43° and clear at Rice-Eccles by night, so pack real layers for the fourth quarter.
What's the best public course near Salt Lake City?
Bonneville Golf Course (Salt Lake City). The 1929 William Bell design on the East Bench (6,872 yards, par 72) pairs muni pricing with Wasatch and valley views and a real tournament pedigree — the anchor round of the weekend.
Is there a weather-proof backup?
Glenmoor Golf Club (South Jordan). Its year-round indoor TrackMan center means a rainy Friday doesn't kill your golf day — and its outdoor 18 is a solid round in its own right.
Artwork generated for this post.