If the early reviews are any indication, the summer renovation at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona were a great success. Closed all summer for upgrades to irrigation and drainage, plus some light redesign and the introduction of the #MiniDunes short course, the course topped Power Rankings over the holidays.
It's a club I visited a couple weeks ago for their grand re-opening, and the track couldn't have been in better shape. And it's also loads of fun to play; it feels less like target-style desert golf you'll find in Scottsdale and more like the famed courses along the Australian Sandbelt around Melbourne.
One of GolfAdvisor's top reviewers, TelRod11, wrote:
"When you're away from the clubhouse, there are holes where you just need to stop, admire the view, and just listen...For the sounds of silence. Love it!!"
Here are the rest of the top-rated courses of the week as reviewed by GolfAdvisor users in overall, pace of play and friendliness categories.
(Editor's Note: Courses needed a minimum of five ratings for the week to qualify, ties are broken by cumulative scores in sub-categories.)
Top 10 overall golf courses of the week
1. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, Maricopa, Ariz.
2. Ritz Carlton Golf Club, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla.
3. Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course, Seaside, Calif.
4. Ocotillo Golf Resort, Chandler, Ariz.
5. Jacaranda Golf Club, Plantation, Fla.
6. Stonegate Golf Club, Kissimmee, Fla.
7. El Campeon at Mission Inn Resort & Club, Howey in the Hills, Fla.
8. South Course at Indian Canyons Golf Resort, Palm Springs, Calif.
9. Rhodes Ranch Country Club, Las Vegas, Nev.
10. Mystic Dunes Golf Club, Celebration, Fla.
Top 10 pace of play golf courses
1. Ocotillo Golf Resort, Chandler, Ariz.
2. Jacaranda Golf Club, Plantation, Fla.
3. Ritz Carlton Golf Club, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla.
4. Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course, Seaside, Calif.
5. Highlands Reserve Golf Club, Davenport, Fla.
6. Mystic Dunes Golf Club, Celebration, Fla.
7. Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort, Haines City, Fla.
8. South Course at Indian Canyons Golf Resort, Palm Springs, Calif.
9. Stonegate Golf Club, Kissimmee, Fla.
10. Woodhaven Country Club, Palm Desert, Calif.
Top 10 courses with the friendliest staff
1. Woodhaven Country Club, Palm Desert, Calif.
2. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, Maricopa, Ariz.
3. Coyote Lakes Golf Club, Surprise, Ariz.
4. Mystic Dunes Golf Club, Celebration, Fla.
5. South Course at Indian Canyons Golf Resort, Palm Springs, Calif.
6. Ocotillo Golf Resort, Chandler, Ariz.
7. Painted Mountain Golf Club, Mesa, Ariz.
8. Palm Desert Resort Country Club, Palm Desert, Calif.
9. Ritz Carlton Golf Club, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla.
10. Stonegate Golf Club, Kissimmee, Fla.
