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Reviews
Bear Creek Golf Complex - Bear Course
Played On 02/21/2017Deserves better than 3.5 stars
Is this Troon North? Is it Desert Highlands? Is it Paradise Valley CC? No, Its none of these and with the exception of PVCC thank God it isn't. For the money I think it's the best deal in the Valley. The Superintendent here gets the most out his budget and I suspect his crew. I don't know who he is and no, I haven't ever met him. But he does a better job with what has to be a small budget, comparatively, than anyone else in that budget range. When you have 1.5 to 2 million a year you job is a lot easier. No way this has that kind of budget. The Staff is always friendly, they have pretty cart girls who are trained well and the young men at the cart drop off are always courteous. I suppose there could be exceptions, there always are, but I've played here for years and I think it's a fantastic golf experience overall. Kudos Bear Creek, You're getting it done correctly!
Aguila Golf Course
Played On 01/02/2015Great course for the money
I hadn't heard good things about Aguila, but my sources were wrong. I work in the golf design/construction business so I'm a little overly sensitive to certain things. While this not the style of architecture I'm most found of, it was a fun course to play. Lots different shot values. A variety of strategies. Not to penal. All great aspects for a public course. I was playing with a colleague and we weren't sure for while wether not it was a cut and fill project or if it actually had the topography there to work with. We eventually decided it was a cut and fill, but that they did a really good job to have fooled us for so long. I'm not sure who designed it, but they pulled it off well. I'd play this over Papago any day. It's equally as interesting and half the cost. If you haven't given it a chance I recommend it highly.
Robson Ranch Golf Club
Played On 04/02/2014Great turf, terrible Desert
Average and typical architecture for the sonoran desert. Nothing to write home about. The turf conditions were very good but DON"T miss it. The desert is covered in 1/2 inch gravel and river rock. I took one shot out of this and never did it again. Scared my club in 4 places and I thought I had a dirt lie. Not a bad course but bring a couple of beater clubs unless you're good enough to never miss the turf. Horrible decision by someone to treat the desert this way. The bunkers were hard as a rock too. This just annoys me. The same machine that causes this problem can fix this problem. Why our local Supers don't know this I'll never understand. No Bev cart either and I had to go inside and ask for someone to come to the snack window. But overall it was a decent day. Won't go back though.
Apache Stronghold Golf Course
Played On 11/14/2013Pass on it for now
This is the most run down course I've ever played in the Phoenix area. It's a shame that the one Doak course we have has come to this, but it has. Im sure the location of the Casino this course is associated with is the cause, but that doesn't change the reality.
It's practically unplayable. The greens weren't actually to bad where they had grass, but every one had some dead areas, a couple even had areas roped off. I guess if it were around the corner I might put up with some of the issues, but at 90 miles away it just isn't worth the time. I'd like to say we should support it just to get it back in shape, but I can't. The place needs a million dollar over haul, but I'm not sure that would turn it all around. It's just to far away and there really isn't any other reason to go out there. With 4 major casinos in the east valley, two of which have world class golf. This place is destined to fail, unfortunately.
Ocotillo Golf Club - White/Gold
Played On 9/8/2013Good course for straight hitters
Way to much water. I felt like I was in a Florida retirement community. If you hook or slice regularly
stay away from here or bring lots of balls.
Overall though it's a nice day of golf. Troon management always does a great job. Good conditioning and I always feel like they appreciate my business.
Good day overall
Stonecreek Golf Club
Played On 8/28/2013Not bad, not great
played here several times. It's in adequate condition. The architecture is pretty mundane and unimaginative but some of the greens are interesting. What I think it needs most is some clearing along the creeks. It's a public course played mostly by high handicappers. Lost balls are never fun. Some of the fairway mow lines are horrible. Way to tight for the average guy and in some spots 11,13 and 16 for example you really can't see the fairway. some of this could be handled with some selective clearing, the rest by just widening the fairways. Overall it's a decent experience but I don't play there because i like the course. It's just convenient sometimes. Only saw the beverage cart once on my last round. Thats lost revenue. It's Phoenix it's summer, work that cart!
Kokopelli Golf Course
Played On 8/22/2013Skip it
Played here three times. It's a fav for a friend of mine, but I hate it. Terrible design elements, poor playing conditions. I could stomach those things for the summer rates but the golf shop staff is rude. I'm paying to play your course. Treat me with some level of appreciation. I'm sure I'll play this thing again because of my friend, but I would never book a tee time here, EVER.
Encanto Golf Course
Played On 8/19/2013Nice day
I expected more architecturally, but it was still fun. Very flat and the bunkers were of the "volcano" type, but the course was in pretty good shape. Great place to work on your game. Nice little range with NO mats! Had a lot of fun.
Whirlwind Golf Club - The Devil's Claw Course
Played On 5/9/2013Great Experience
Troon Management, Kudos! The experience at Whirlwind was comparable to any of their N Scottsdale high end experiences.
I highly recommend
Ahwatukee Country Club
Played On 5/8/2013Last Choice
I"m surprised at the positive reviews for ACC. Perhaps my twenty plus years in Golf maintenance, construction and design leave me a little less accepting, but poor is poor. I've played here a few times and never finished a round due to pace of play. Yesterday I went out by myself and I wasn't the only one. They're in bad need of some management at the first tee. I partnered up on my own with another single at 1 and we were backed up by number 3. Added a pair to our group on four and this helped a little with the pace. My group bailed after 9 due to the pace and I took for 10. At 11 there was a twosome on the green, a twosome on the fairway a twosome on the tee and a single on the tee. I bailed, who has time for this?
The conditions were a little better than usual but that isn't saying much. aside from decent greens the course is a dog track. hoses and roller base sprinklers all over the place and the rough is basically dirt or wood chips. Wood chips are terrible to play off of.
This is just another throw away for American Golf. I personally hate that they own or run all the courses in Ahwatukee. I know the economy has hit golf hard. It's been tough on me personally but AG isn't even meeting minimum standards in the Ahwatukee area. However, if you're a beginner the fees are very reasonable. You get what you pay for here. Expect nothing more.
Foothills Golf Club
Played On 5/7/2013Not great, but affordable
Its only fair to expose my bias against desert golf. I hate it. I'm a shaper for a minimalist Architecture firm that has designed and built some of the highest rated courses in the country. I'm not bragging, just giving context to this review.
Of all the courses here in Ahwatukee this is the best one from a design stand point. A nice variety of shots and some really good greens. But the conditions are not great. I've played it few times at different Times of the year and it never has been in "great" shape. The greens and tees are not to bad, with the exception of a few dead spots and a few uneven tees. But most are fine. The greens putt pretty good. The fairways however are terrible. Always have been. Standing on 18 yesterday all you could see were roped off areas of "ground under repair" and there were many areas like this throughout the course. Now I realize we're in a transition period in May, but this has been true every time I played here. I assume this is mostly due to budget constraints.
The range is awful. All mats, except for about 4yds of turf in front of them which you could easily sprain and ankle on. Very uneven and almost unusable. Also saw the beverage cart twice on the front, but not at all on the back. I tee'd of at 10 am, so we should have had that service.
Overall I know you get what you pay for and Foothills is very affordable. But I think people would pay more if the conditions were better. My understanding is that this course, along with Club West, Ahwatukee CC and Ahwatukee Lakes are owned or managed by the same group. Avoid these other three. Their not good at all. It's a shame the ownership won't invest in this course. It has great potential, But I wouldn't bring a client here. It's just an easily accessible and affordable round.