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Hot Topics >>> Arizona Golf May 2008
With snowbirds migrating North and temperatures set to soar, golf courses across the state are preparing to set their summer rates. Longer daylight hours and reductions in green fee rates makes it possible to play some of the most exciting and unique desert layouts, without breaking the bank. If golf is your game, be sure to catch some summer specials and test your technique on some magnificent courses. Arizona is fortunate to host two PGA Tour events throughout the year, the FBR Open at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course and the Fry’s Open held at Grayhawk Golf Club. Both of these facilities are open to the public and this summer they each have sizzling summer deals. The TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course may not have as many spectators in the summer time as it has in the first week of February, but that does not mean that the closing stretch isn’t as intimidating. The short iron tee shot on the 16th hole, made famous by the raucous crowds that gather each year, requires precision for both line and distance. The further right you play away from the deep bunkers on the left, the narrower and more treacherous the green becomes. If you miss the green you can faintly hear the ghosts of 50,000 spectators booing your mistake. The 17th hole is one of those delightful golf holes that you love to hate. A short par four that you feel you should make a good score on every time, yet never seems to happen. The 18th hole asks you to “bite off as much as you can chew,” without being greedy. You may not drive it like JB Holmes or hit a flop shot like Phil Mickelson, but you can experience playing the same golf course that the PGA Tour calls the “greatest show on grass.” The newly renovated Champions course at the TPC is receiving rave reviews and should also be considered as a day out. Peak Season Rate: $260 Best Summer Rate/Dates: $63 between 10 AM and 3 PM, $72 before 10 AM June 17th - 30th and August 1st – 31st Includes: cart, range balls prior to the round, a yardage book, a bag tag and a forecaddie for the round. Packages: $99 36 Hole Summer Special. Monday through Thursday June 9th through 30th and August 4th through 28th Morning Round TPC Champions, Lunch Champions Grill, afternoon round TPC Stadium Aerification Schedule: July
	Grayhawk Golf Club opened in 1994 with the Talon Course designed by two-time major winner David Graham and Gary Panks. The Raptor Course, designed by Tom Fazio, was opened to the public in December of 1995. Both Courses offer breathtaking views of the nearby McDowell Mountains and have blended the native mesquites, ironwoods, palo verdes, and saguaros into the design. The Talon course, the shorter of the two at 6973 yards, emphasizes accuracy off the tee and distance control into multi tiered greens. Saving par is possible if you happen to miss the green, but be sure to have a good day with the driver or you may find yourself not “enjoying the high Sonoran desert” as much as the website may promise. The Raptor course is certainly more generous off the tee but becomes more demanding, as you get closer to the hole. Raised, undulating greens with steep bunkers and deep collection areas make saving par more than a scramble. Be sure to locate Pinnacle Peak before you play and keep in mind that most of your putts will tend to break away from the high rocky outcrop and toward downtown Phoenix.
Peak Season Rate: $225 Best Summer Rate/Dates: $50 (after 9:30 AM) June 2nd through September 18th Includes: cart, range balls prior to the round Packages: $370 Dirty Dozen Promotion - 12 rounds and a dozen Callaway Golf Balls. The rounds are fully transferable, meaning you can use the 12 rounds yourself, or share them among your friends. This deal is only available between June 2nd and August 29th. Aerification Schedule: Raptor June 16th-27th Talon July 7th-20th While PGA Tour host courses may be the obvious places to see how your game measures up against the game’s best, there are other desert gems that should be on your list of courses to play. Troon North is perhaps the most famous golf course in the Valley. Tom Weiskopf’s masterpiece in North Scottsdale is the yardstick by which all other desert courses are measured. Last year, the course underwent construction. Nine holes that were part of the Pinnacle Course became part of the Monument and vice versa. A few minor design changes were included under Weiskopf’s watchful eye during the transition and the results are fantastic. Director of Golf Ryan Ott could not be happier with how the course is playing, “The changes made last year are an improvement on what already was a great golf course. The players are now treated to a seamless round of golf that is a truly magnificent experience.” There is certainly something for everyone at Troon North. Five sets of tees allow golfers of all levels to find an enjoyable length to play the course. Spectacular views can be enjoyed from almost every hole, in almost every direction, letting you enjoy the round even if your golf isn’t up to par. A recent addition to the Troon North Facility has been the Callaway Golf Performance Center. This center is on the cutting edge of technology. Video cameras record a players swing from behind and the side, two high-speed cameras record the clubs swing path, contact and ball flight data. From this data, trained technician Bill Vansplunder fits a set of irons and woods to your swing to maximize your golfing efficiency. The results have been considerable as Vansplunder explains, “Some people have managed to reduce their handicap by as many as eight strokes, some players have added twenty yards to their drives and others have been able to recognize swing faults that they have been unable to diagnose for twenty-five years.” The sessions last approximately ninety minutes and cost $150. At the end of the session you take away a Callaway Glove, a sleeve of Callaway golf balls, a printout of all of your swing characteristics and the confidence that if you choose to purchase a set of Callaways you know that they are built for you. Peak Season Rate: $295 Best Summer Rate/Dates: June 2nd through September 7th $45 after 2 PM, $55 10 AM to 2 PM and $75 before 10 AM Monday - Thursday $45 after 2 PM, $65 10 AM to 2 PM and $90 before 10 AM Friday - Sunday Includes: cart, range balls prior to the round, a yardage book, a bag tag for the round. Aerification Schedule: Monument Course May 12th and 13th, Pinnacle Course May 26th and 27th We-Ko-Pa Golf Club is blessed with two of the most magnificent public access golf courses in the country. The Cholla course, designed by Scott Miller, opened in 2001 with the Saguaro course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, that opened in December 2006. Both courses accentuate the native beauty of the surrounding area, coupling incredible views with incredible challenge. While the courses share similar landscape, the design and course preparation make the two courses play extremely different. The Cholla course offers generous fairways with a premium placed on playing the hole on the high side of the fairway to give you a clear approach to the green. Fairway bunkers are placed to give an option from the tee and the risk-reward nature of several holes can leave you second-guessing. The green complexes are generous and the chipping areas are kept at a playable length so that stray shots do not run too far away yet you are not searching for your ball in rough all day. The condition of the course is pristine, with the appearance that every blade of grass and every grain of sand has been accounted for prior to the days play. The Saguaro Course is a rugged and tough design. Bunker edges are jagged, tongues of rough and gnarly cactus cut into bunkers creating a feeling that the course merges with the desert rather than being cut out of it. The design of the course combines intricate greens, with depth deception, to create a very challenging golf course under 7,000 yards. Angled, sloping, fairways littered with bunkers make tee shots appear more difficult than meets the eye. Once in the fairway, judging approach shots can be quite a challenge. While there are some dramatic changes in elevation, which always makes it difficult, the use of subtle swales and shallow bunkers create “dead ground” and the appearance that the hole is closer than the distance marker suggests. In your favor is the number of short holes on the course. Four short par 4’s, holes 2, 7, 10, and 16 all measure less than 350 yards from the back tee, and the 137 yard par 3 9th hole offers everyone a chance to make the turn with a smile. The 508 yard par 4 closing hole is perhaps the other end of the spectrum. A long tee shot over a hill will see you add a few yards to your drive and give you a chance to reach the green in regulation. The beautiful fairway bunkering is evident down the right hand side of the hole and must be avoided with your approach. A multi-faceted green, with a false front and run off to the left side, caps off an incredibly memorable hole to close a memorable course. Peak Season Rate: $210 Best Summer Rate/Dates: June 2nd through August 28th $45 (AZ Resident) $75 (out of state) Includes: cart, range balls prior to the round, yardage chart Aerification Schedule: Saguaro June 30th through July 10th, Cholla July 14th through July 24th If it is spectacular Vistas and Kodak moments that you wish to capture, where is it more surreal than the Boulders? Offering 36 holes through the dramatically rocky outcrops of Carefree, The Boulders offers spectacular golf on what many may think is as close as playing golf on a moonscape. Whether it is watching your ball fly seemingly forever toward Black Mountain, or wondering just how those rocks balance the way that they do, the Boulders is always a fun day out. Peak Season Rate: $225 Best Summer Rate/Dates: May 27th through September 11th $75 Monday through Thursday $90 Friday through Sunday Includes: cart, range balls prior to the round Packages: 36 Hole Summer Special $120 Monday through Thursday Aerification Schedule: Begins May 5th If it is some good golf you are looking to play, but don’t have the time to travel all over the Valley, there are some good local options. Rancho Mañana Golf Club is a blend of picture perfect views, relaxing surrounds, and interesting golf. The small, intimate clubhouse, combined with the immaculately manicured putting green, cared for gardens, and large trees gives a feel of seclusion without having to travel for the luxury. This par 70 course measures just 6016 yards as it meanders up and along the ridges that make up the south part of Cave Creek. Native saguaros and mesquites are incorporated into the design to serve not only as aesthetical features and landmarks, but also as hazards and integral parts of the course. Pinpoint accuracy is required off the tee leaving relatively simple approaches to generous greens. The elevated tees on par 3 holes seven and nine make club selection and predicting the wind a challenge all in itself. Accurate players will be rewarded on the scorecard while everybody is rewarded with the tranquility of holes thirteen through fifteen. High above the town of Cave Creek these three holes circumnavigate two large lakes. The surrounding trees are filled with native birds singing over the top of the sound of running water. The views back to Black Mountain are spectacular and landmarks of the historic old town below can be seen. With the added altitude of Rancho Mañana, summer temperatures tend to be milder, adding to the ‘oasis’ feel. Peak Season Rate: $145 Best Summer Rate/Dates: May 27th through August 28th Arizona Resident Rates $33 Monday through Thursday after 11 AM, $39 before 11 AM. $39 Friday through Sunday after 11 AM and $45 before 11 AM Includes: cart Packages: A replay rate on the same day of play is just $20 depending on availability Aerification Schedule: June 9th and 10th, July 21st and 22nd Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club, designed by golf architect legend Robert Trent Jones Jr., presents golfers of all ability levels the opportunity to test their game. This golf course architect, who is known for some of the most famous holes in championship golf, has designed a course that encapsulates the feel of the native area. At 7, 011yds from the back tees it is still a test, but the gentle sloping greens, generous surrounds and wide openings into greens make this a toothless tiger compared to some of this designers other work. The course does however ask questions of every aspect of your game and requires considerable course management. The relaxed and casual feel of the clubhouse is the perfect place to enjoy a cold beverage after the round and ponder what could have been. Peak Season Rate: $95 Best Summer Rate/Dates: May 12 through June 8th $45 Monday through Thursday and $50 Friday through Sunday. June 9th through August 31st $35 seven days. Includes: cart Aerification Schedule: September If it is a family golf experience that you are looking for, Adobe Dam Family Golf Center is just the place. An abundant all grass driving range is the perfect place to start youngsters, beginners, or to do some serious practice. A pitching and chipping green to work on the scoring game is also available. Small, Large, Jumbo, and the Load sized buckets are available for $4, $6, $13 and $25 respectively. The driving range is open from 6 AM till 10 PM so if you want to get in some golf when the temperatures are down this is the place. The golf course at Adobe Dam is a par 31 executive course which is fantastic for golfers of all levels to play together. The greens are small and raised placing a premium on accuracy and the short game. Peak Season Rate: $14.00 Best Summer Rate/Dates: $9.50 June 1st – October 31st Packages: Season Summer Pass, unlimited Range and course use $339, Junior (under18) Play Pass $25 per month and then $1 per round.