Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 1
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 1
The first hole at Verde River Golf & Social Club is a neat, short par 4 with an elevated green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - driving range
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - driving range
Verde River Golf & Social Club's driving range is open and is very large. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club
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Verde River Golf & Social Club
There isn't much between the golf course and the mountains on the horizon at Verde River Golf & Social Club. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 4
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 4
Verde River Golf & Social Club's fourth hole is a par 5 with a big fairway. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - waste areas
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - waste areas
The waste areas at Verde River Golf & Social Club are generally pretty thin, so it's easy to find errant balls. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 5
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 5
The fifth hole at Verde River Golf & Social Club is a short par 3 to a small, bean-shaped green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 8
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 8
Verde River Golf & Social Club's eighth hole is a short par 4 that plays 348 yards from the back tees and 303 from the middle-back. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 14
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 14
The par-4 14th at Verde River Golf & Social Club winds along the edge of the property and is a gentle dogleg to the green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 15
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 15
Verde River Golf & Social Club's par-4 15th hole is another short par 4. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - construction
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - construction
There is currently a lot of construction activity going on around Verde River Golf & Social Club for the new development. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 16
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 16
The par-5 16th hole at Verde River Golf & Social Club features a wash that runs diagonally before the green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 17
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - No. 17
Verde River Golf & Social Club's par-4 17th hole features a rare water hazard right of the green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Vista Verde Golf & Social Club - Kavanaugh
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Vista Verde Golf & Social Club - Kavanaugh
Verde River Golf & Social Club was originally designed by local architect Ken Kavanaugh in 2006 before the economic downturn. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Verde River Golf & Social Club - clubhouse
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Verde River Golf & Social Club - clubhouse
A new clubhouse campus is on its way at Verde River Golf & Social Club, expected to be complete in late 2017. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
14 Images

Reborn, again: Verde River Golf & Social Club near Scottsdale, Arizona reopens after renovation by Tom Lehman

RIO VERDE, Ariz. -- The golf course at Verde River has been reborn. Again.

Verde River Golf & Social Club, originally opened in 2006, is in its newest phase after a summer under the knife by player-turned-designer Tom Lehman.

Originally called "Vista Verde" and then "Tegavah" for a period of time, the Verde River development is now owned by Shea Homes and under the Trilogy brand. (The decade of turnover is a familiar story for courses that opened just prior to the "Great Recession.")

While the club has announced it will ultimately go fully private, there are still very few homes up and running, and membership for now is in its infancy. During the time of our visit, there was a lot of building activity on the property, including a brand new, 30,000-square-foot clubhouse campus, which is scheduled to open in the second half of 2017.

The Verde River golf course itself has a lot going for it: wide fairways, large greens and few if any development between the course and mountain range to the east. With a peak-season green fee for visitors expected to be in the $100-$150 range, it's a relative value compared to some of its north Scottsdale neighbors to the west such as Troon North and Boulders.

Read Tucker's full review of Verde River Golf & Social Club.

Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
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Reborn, again: Verde River Golf & Social Club near Scottsdale, Arizona reopens after renovation by Tom Lehman