SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 6
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 6
The first par 3 at SunRidge Canyon is a good one, at more than 200 yards from the back tee. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 9
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 9
Although SunRidge Canyon's ninth isn't a particularly long par 5, a couple of washes and bends can make it tricky. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 10
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 10
Off the tee, you have to cross a lake from the two back tees on the par-4 10th at the SunRidge Canyon golf course in Fountain Hills, Ariz. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 13
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 13
The par-5 13th marks the beginning of the "Wicked Six," SunRidge Canyon's difficult finishing stretch. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 14
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 14
Water comes into play on the par-3 14th at the SunRidge Canyon golf course in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Mike Bailey/GolfPass
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 15
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 15
The dogleg left, par-4 15th, at 457 yards from the tips, is the no. 1 handicap hole at SunRidge Canyon. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 16
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 16
With a big tee shot, you can reach SunRidge Canyon's par-5 16th in two, but it comes with considerable risk. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 17
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 17
The views don't get much better than the par-3 17th at the SunRidge Canyon golf course in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 18
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 18
The finishing hole at SunRidge Canyon is a tough uphill dogleg left par 4. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 1
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 1
SunRidge Canyon eases you into your round with a short par 4 and good view of the mountains. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 4
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 4
A wall was added to the green on the par-4 fourth at SunRidge Canyon as some difficult bunkers and other obstacles were removed. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 5
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SunRidge Canyon golf course - no. 5
SunRidge Canyon owner Don Misheff, who plays near scratch, tees off on the fifth hole. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon golf course
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SunRidge Canyon golf course
There's more to do than just play golf at SunRidge Canyon. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
SunRidge Canyon - patio
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SunRidge Canyon - patio
The newly remodeled clubhouse and restaurant at SunRidge Canyon bring in great views from the patio. Mike Bailey/Golf Advisor
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SunRidge Canyon golf course in Fountain Hills, Arizona has new greens, a few softer features

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. -- SunRidge Canyon, designed by Keith Foster, is better than ever after a 2015 renovation that brought new greens, bunkers and a few changes on some holes to make the golf course a little more player friendly.

Among the most significant changes was the installation of Champion Bermuda greens, which aren't being overseeded in the fall and winter. This means a better transition into Arizona's early spring and lightning-quick conditions in the winter when they are dormant. Some bunkers or waste areas were moved or eliminated as well to make some of the holes play a little easier.

In addition to the golf course, which plays just over 6,800 yards from the back set of four tees, the clubhouse was expanded and opened up, there's a new restaurant, a new Howard Twitty Golf Academy and a new expansive Hot Stix Golf Center, where you can choose from thousands of combinations of heads, shafts and grips, scientifically fitted for your game.

As for the par-72 golf course, there are a few homes around it, but they are set back and don't detract from the beauty of the desert landscape, which includes the McDowell Mountains. A handful of elevated tees, especially on the par-3 17th, make for some dramatic vistas as well. And the course is known for its finishing stretch, named the Wicked Six, a collection of difficult holes that close out the round.

Mike Bailey is a former Golf Advisor senior staff writer based in Houston. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America with an occasional trip to Europe and beyond, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 25 years in the golf industry. He has also been on staff at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeBaileyGA and Instagram at @MikeStefanBailey.
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SunRidge Canyon golf course in Fountain Hills, Arizona has new greens, a few softer features