RogerAZ

My wife and I are regulars, it’s a great walking course, fairly flat with no big trek between holes. Design is straightforward with no tricks or gimmicky holes. . Greens can play tricky and fast if you are above or on the side of the flag. Conditions were above average for courses in the Mesa/Phoenix area, bunkers always consistent, most of the greens run true, and the fairways were in great shape.

My wife and I love to walk versus ride but many courses in the Valley discourage walking but Viewpoint Golf Resort welcomes walkers! This was an ideal walking course, great course conditions, friendly/helpful staff, and great pace of play. Not overly long but extremely enjoyable to play. Don’t let the rating/slope and yardage of the 18 Hole course make you think this is a course you will chew up. You still have to be accurate with your tee shots, must hit the greens, and then sink the putts. Great walking or riding course for

Played another great round at Desert Canyon GC, conditions were great and pace of play was ideal. The staff at Desert Canyon GC are some of the friendliest and courteous in the Valley. We have played the course several times over the past three years and use the practice facility when not playing, we have never had a bad experience at the course. The practice facility was in good shape and usual complementary warm up bucket before each round is a nice feature. The course was in great shape and lush green, as usual, the pro shop and outside staff are some of the best. The carts are nice and are equipped with touch screen GPS which we found to be pretty accurate compared to our golf GPS watches. Note: if you have time, grab a bite to eat at the restaurant, service and menu selections are outstanding.

Our foursome plays between 8-12 rounds at Johnson Ranch annually (love the course and staff) but have been disappointed the past two rounds. The pace of play has been getting worse (4 hrs 45 min and 5 hrs 15 min respectively) and interactions with some unfortunate members has left a negative taste in our mouths. It’s hard to pinpoint the cause of the attitude issues (likely they don’t like the daily fee players?). The last round we played we had a foursome with four personalized carts behind us. Several times we were hit into and the group continually drove their carts right up to the tee boxes while we were hitting rather than politely sitting back until after we finished teeing off. We finally spoke to the course Marshall on the 10th tee box, we asked him to please inform the foursome behind us that we could not play any quicker (an obvious statement as there were three groups on many of the holes). As much as we love the course and the friendly staff, the experience with the few members has soured our opinion but hope that this was atypical behavior.

...our 11:44 tee time (walking foursome) was delayed about 60 minutes so during check-in we were given a complementary large bucket of range balls for our foursome. Kudos to Andrew - outside services, he made sure all groups were informed about the status and anticipated pace of play. Andrew stated if we got too cold or were not able to finish because of darkness, a rain check would be issued. While waiting, Andrew offered chocolate chip cookies to keep the groups happy at the first tee (little actions do make a difference). Even with the late start, the pace of play was better than anticipated, we finished our round in just under 4-hours with little to no waiting except on the two par 3's. Thanks to the new management and staff of Dobson Ranch GC in Mesa, AZ for the great customer service.

My wife and I played the Kapalua Bay Course recently and we had the most positive experience. From the time we dropped off our clubs to finishing our round/returning our golf cart, we were treated like special guests. All staff members had the Aloha spirit and everyone had such a friendly and positive outlook of all the Maui golf courses we played during our numerous visits to Maui.
The course and facility were immaculate, practice range, chipping area, practice green, tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, and greens were in outstanding condition. Pace of play was good (4 hrs 5 mins) and the new cart GPS was accurate (compared yardages to my laser range finder). If you get a chance, play this course. The views were fabulous, conditions great, staff friendly, and the 17th par 3 hole had the most beautiful ocean views around. Our only disappointment was the Plantation Course was closed for renovation during our stay (scheduled to reopen Nov 23, 2019).

The South course was closed so we played the North course. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. We both walked the course, we loved the traditional course design, very old school with the holes close together, tree lined fairways, and some nice subtle doglegs. I carried my clubs while my wife used her push cart, good walking course as the course was pretty flat (some small elevation changes but not too severe). The course conditions were very good, the bunkers were well maintained, fairways cut perfectly with negligible bare areas, and the greens rolled nicely. I played from the Gold Tees (6551 yards) and my wife played from the Red Tees (6006 yards). Long par 4’s made it tough but we played the holes no worse or better than shorter par 4’s. We would play the North course again and hopefully we can also try the South course to compare the two tracks.

While my wife and I were on our annual “escape the heat” trip from Phoenix to Prescott, we stopped to play Quailwood Greens for the first time. The course is not long but a fun track, we found the course design enjoyable but unfortunately the course conditions were sub par compared to other Prescott area golf courses. It appeared that the bunkers had not seen any maintenance for some time (grass growing in most bunkers), the fairways were in average shape (dirt spots, long grass, and rutted), and the greens were patchy in many areas (but seemed to roll okay). The pace of play was good for the front nine (under 2 hours) but things came to a slow crawl on the back nine (2 1/2 hours + as we were stuck behind the men’s club so we were not allowed to play through). Fortunately, we were paired with a local Dewey resident Robert which made the round very fun and enjoyable. At the end of the day, we loved the design but not the course conditions. The walking rate was extremely affordable so we cannot complain about the value. If you decide to play, expect a course that is rough around the edges, good value, and nice people. I hope that in the future, the management will give the course a little TLC!

Our foursome tee’d off at 11:45, course was busy but pace of play was very good (finished in 4 hours). Staff was friendly, course conditions were good. Tee boxes were in good shape, fairways were wide and were in great shape (overseed came in nicely), the sand in the bunkers were consistent, and greens were on the medium to slow side. The course was fair and enjoyable for our foursome (range of our handicap indexes: 9 - 29).

Cart service came around several times during our round. The cart girl was always friendly, courteous, and didn’t impede play or was distracting during shots at any time.

Note: carts have GPS, coolers, and windshields. There are real restrooms out on the course (clean), water jugs were on every couple of holes. For those that want to warm up before their round or just want to tune up their game, they have a nice practice area. There is a large putting green, large driving range, and the range balls appeared to be in new condition.

We will return to play again.

While on a four day visit from Phoenix, my wife and I played golf at Oakcreek Country Club on 8/23/18. We were greeted with friendly staff members and we were excited to play a highly rated course by Golf Advisor contributors. We were paired up with a single player, he was very nice and friendly so we enjoyed playing together. Now comes the negative, we were stuck behind a fivesome of women members (two walkers and three in power carts). We waited on every shot from holes 3-12. Even though there were two holes open in front of them at one point, it was evident that the fivesome had no intention of letting us play through. At one point, another threesome caught up to us and inquired why the fivesome wouldn’t let our group play through. We were so frustrated that we ended up leap frogging them on the 13th hole. What a bunch of rude and inconsiderate women. My wife was going to call the pro shop to see if they could do something but we collectively figured the course wouldn’t do anything because they were members and we were out of town visitors. I was extremely disappointed because the experience soured our round and tainted our opinion of a wonderful course and potentially an outstanding experience.

My wife and I recently played Bigwood Golf Course in Ketchum, ID for the first time. We elected to only play nine holes and walk the course. My wife rented a Clickgear 3-wheel push cart ($3 for 9-holes). The day we played there was only one staff member working the pro shop, he was very friendly and helpful by giving us an overview of the course, restroom locations, and assisting with picking out a push cart. He even sent us out early ahead of a threesome. By the third hole we were one full hole ahead of the threesome and only saw them on the 9th hole (We even let a single play through on the 7th hole). We really enjoyed the course, it was an easy walking course with some minor elevation changes. The holes were straight forward with great views of the Bald mountain. The tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, and greens were in good condition. The bunkers were not too penal and the sand was consistent. The greens speed from hole to hole were consistent and moderately quick. Overall, a fun course, friendly staff, good conditions, nice walking course, and great pace of play for 9-holes (1 hour and 50 min).

My wife and I played the South course for the first time and had a terrific experience. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The course layout and conditions were outstanding. The bunkers were well maintained and sand consistent. The greens rolled true and were medium in speed. The course layout was fair so even after hitting an imperfect shot the player had a chance of recovering. While there were water hazards, none were impossible and there were bailout or layup areas to steer away from the hazards. My wife played from the Rust tees and I played from the White tees, both set of tees made the round enjoyable and wanting for more! We will return to play again.

Our foursome has played Bear Creek - Bear course multiple times over the past year because of the layout and good condition but our most recent outing was a horrible experience. The greens were in unbelievable poor condition; I had heard there were new owners and there was a plan to redo the greens at some point. Well, it was clear they have redone the greens, unfortunately it appears that bare and sandy greens will be the “new” greens for the foreseeable future. We did notice that there were test patches on many of the greens and hope that by next fall the greens will look as good as the test patches. Additionally, I was notified that new carts are due to arrive (they might be in use by the time this review is posted). The new carts will not have windshields, coolers, or sand containers for fixing divots. If you like putting on decent greens you will be disappointed with the greens on the Bear course. It’s so sad as the Bear Course had been one of my favorite places to play.

Having played both the Pine and Palm course at McCormick Ranch a couple of times our foursome was extremely disappointed with the course conditions at the Palm Course. The fairways were bare, brown, burnt out, and covered with duck and Canadian Geese droppings. While the layout and water features were more pleasing and challenging than the Pine course, playing the Palm course left our group feeling like we paid way too much for a course in such poor conditions. Unfortunately the consensus was that it would be unlikely that any of us would return to McCormick Ranch.

My wife and I play at Toka Sticks at least once or twice a week all winter and spring. We love the pace of play and the better than average conditions of the tee boxes, fairways, and greens. The fairways are wide and you can recover from errant tee shots. There are four sets of tee boxes so any level of player will have fun. There are no forced carries and only a few holes with water, for the mid to low handicap player the water is not in play but for the very high handicap player, the water might be more visually intimidating than actually being in play. The greens are not overly large and are receptive on good approach shots. The greens roll nicely and can be tricky when the pin placements are on a slope. The sand in the bunkers can be hard but have improved over the past year. One notable hole is #9, a nice challenging par 5, not overly long but you have to hit three quality shots. Staying on the right side of the fairway is critical to be able to score on this hole! If you are on the left side, you will need to be able to draw the ball to get yourself in position to hit the green. The smallish green is protected on the left side by a long bunker and the right side has a severe slope, so it is imperative that you aim for the middle of the green. Don't get suckered into a left or right side pin placement because it might lead to one or two additional strokes. Other notable holes are #10 and #11, both are par 4's and appear to be simple and straightforward, don't let that fool you. The greens on both holes are two of the most difficult because of the slope on and around the green and of course the deep bunkering. It is easy to short side yourself or be above the pin which often leads to putts rolling off the green and now you might be chipping back to the pin and adding more strokes. The staff at Toka Sticks are probably some of the friendliest and accommodating. Outside staff, Michael and Deven are two of the most friendliest and skilled starters we've been fortunate to meet, they do a great job of greeting players, loading up bags, getting players out In a timely manner, and because they know the repeat players by name, they sometimes are able to negotiate with the groups to swap start times to allow for faster players to be the pacesetters. The grounds keepers do a great job of maintaining the course and are respective of the players and they always step aside or shutdown their equipment when players are hitting their shots. Inside staff, Mark and Fred are extremely friendly and always greets us with a smile. They always remember the repeat players and they get players checked in quickly and efficiently. Overall, Toka Sticks is an enjoyable course and one we love to play, the staff are friendly and make you feel appreciated, and rates are a great value.

My wife and I played at Sewailo Golf Club on a recent mini-golf trip. The course is associated with the Casino Del Sol, managed by TROON Golf, and the home for the University of Arizona. We found the course to be in excellent condition, the design well thought out, and challenging. As a bonus, the carts had an excellent GPS system which was needed as our GPS watches did not have the course loaded. Another nice touch, coolers on the carts were filled with bottled water. Furthermore, out on the course they provided ice chests with bottled water at every restroom and on some holes. The layout was challenging with many strategically placed fairway bunkers to catch errant tee shots and there were many green side bunkers protecting the greens. Water came in to play on a few holes but they can be avoided with quality drives and approach shots. Additionally, on the day we played, many of the holes played into a strong wind which made the holes more difficult and played longer than the listed yardage on the scorecard. The fairways and greens were in excellent shape, no browned out or bare spots to be seen. Of special note, there were two great short par 4's. Hole 9 and 18 had the risk reward element with water hazards and bunkering to make you think about going for it or being strategic and laying up between the bunkering. We liked the course and found the value was exceptional for a top tier course.
To boot, the entire staff were extremely friendly and helpful, we will return.

As snowbirds, my wife and I try to play Cub West four of five times a month. The course is only a short five minute drive from our home so we enjoy the short commute. Course conditions have been an issue (water problems) but over the past two years we have seen the course conditions improve. There were still some browned out and dirt areas in the fairways but not unplayable. Some of the greens were a bit bumpy while others rolled very nicely. The bunkers were in good shape with pretty consistent sand (no "cement" bunkers). The layout of the course is fun, most landing areas were average/wide in width so precise tee shots do not have to be dead on. For the mid to low handicap players, the length from the White and Blue tees are not crazy long and very reasonable so you will be able to post some low scores. My wife likes the length from the Gold tees, she can actually reach many of the greens in regulation and make a few pars. The views are excellent of the local mountains and Foothills community, especially from some of the elevated tee boxes! Overall, we enjoy playing the course, staff is extremely friendly, we like the reasonable greens fee (we have Gold Cards), enjoy the pace-of-play with early tee times, the friendly layout, and the views. We hope that the course conditions continue to improve.

My wife and I spend the winter months in La Quinta each year and have always tried to play Heritage Palms a couple of times during our stay. It is sometimes difficult to book a tee time because of popularity the course. They often run shotguns throughout the week so there are chances to get a tee time. The average round usually takes 4 hrs and 15 minutes but it can play longer. The course conditions have always been immaculate; from tee to green the conditions are some of the nicest. The greens run pretty fast but are fair so practice your putting on the practice green. The fairways are generous and there are no "trick" holes, all hazards are visible so the first timer to the course will not be surprised by blind water or bunker hazards. Low to mid handicap players will be equally pleased with the course as there are many tee box choices and combo tee boxes to fit your game. They have an outstanding practice facility with two putting greens and a really nice driving range to get your game ready before your round. The staff at Heritage Palms are top notch so you will be treated well. I highly recommend the course.

My wife and I had scheduled to play on December 14 but were allowed to reschedule because of the high winds rolling through the Cochella Valley. We played on December 18 under calm conditions and warm sunshine. The course was in outstanding condition from tee to green. The fairways were wide for tee shots and the bunkers not too penalizing around the greens. The greens rolled true and were easy to read. There are a good variety of tees to match handicap levels which makes the course fair and enjoyable for the high and low handicap player (9.5 for me and 30 for my wife). Last but not least, the staff at Escena were extremely friendly and accommodating. We would play again and consider Escena a must play in Palm Springs.

While on our winter getaway from the Pacific Northwest, my wife and I played Shadow Ridge. We found the course to be extremely friendly off the tee but your approach shots had to be dead on or else you would be penalized around the green. As a 9.5 handicap player the course required me to stay focused. For a high handicap player, the play around the greens would be challenging. I'm sure if you played the course every week I would become familiar with the undulations and hazards around the greens. Our saving grace was playing with a great couple, they both have played the course multiple times so they coached us on each hole. The pace of play was slow but bearable. The staff at the course made us feel special and were extremely friendly. I give the staff the highest rating for their customer service, keep up the great job.