Lives
Scottsdale, AZ
Handicap
0-4
Age
55-64
Gender
Male
Skill
Advanced
Plays
Once a month

Review Statistics

Average Rating

4.2
4.2
Total 38 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

38 Reviews
5 Stars
20
4 Stars
11
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
5
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
31
Not Recommended Courses
7
Helpful Votes Count
19
Not Helpful Votes Count
20
First Review
10/20/2016
Last Review
12/18/2019

Reviews Map

Reviews

4.2
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First time playing this course
Recommended
Review has
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Nicklaus Design circa Early 80s

Have you had the experience of eating something crazily spicy combined with a bit of tequila and then had a brutal night of fitful sleep and nightmares? If so, then you can certainly see what happened to Jack Nicklaus when he came to the Sonoran Desert to build golf courses. Desert Highland is a fantastic example of epicurean and alcohol-driven indulgence leading to hallucinagenic sleep-deprived nights, producing Heironymus Bosch-inflected golf courses. La Paloma sits high atop that list, as well.

It's the early mid-80s: Jack is opened DH, La Paloma, Michigan's Grand Traverse (The Bear - A course where skeletal remains of "players" come in to play just off of the fairways), and Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, Florida. The level of difficulty at each facility is completely off of the charts. But La Paloma was Jack's one on-ups-manship of himself: It was a 27 hole facility. He was still a few years away from the multi-course Desert Mountains and PGA Wests. Tucson's La Paloma was Jack's version of KRS-PRIDE. . No matter WHAT the rotation, you were playing a course that seemingly only Jack could score on. Back in those days, regardless of the routing (Ridge to Canyon, Hill to Ridge or Canyon to Hill), the Black Tee slope rating was 155. On each 18 hole routing!! That was and IS the theoretical top-end of slope! A re-rating of the courses a few years back brought the slopes back down into the mid-140s - still exceedingly difficult even for the best of players.

Through the years, the course has been softened (a bit) and is no longer the horror-show it once was. But the routings through the desert canyons and bluffs remain ever daunting. The green complexes, too, are as challenging as ever (a move to desert-friendly Mini-Verde Bermuda like Ventana Canyon and Greyhawk went to) with terrific conditioning and shaping. They presage the 27 hole complex at Dove Mountain by a couple of decades-plus but certainly share immediately recognizable attributes. Good elevation change throughout the courses along with typically brilliant design work on each nine makes La Paloma a MUST PLAY if you are in Tucson.

Remember this: If you DO want to play La Paloma, you must stay at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. It's a true world-class facility with superior lodging, terrific restuarants and MYND Spa & Salon. It does terrific duty as a buddy trip golf weekend or a relaxed spa and pool locale. In any event, enjoy the private club atmosphere while you are there.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Brackenridge Park Golf Course

Played On 05/04/2019
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Tex-Mex Tillnghast: Brackenridge Park Golf Course

While it may seem hard to believe, A. W. Tillinghast spent quite a bit of time in the Alamo City in the 19 teens and twenties (providing an "examination" of San Antonio Country Club while building Alamo Country Club in the early 1920s, which was later to be known as Oak Hills Country Club). Brackenridge Park Golf Course is a simply a wonderful example of his work. It is the oldest public course in the state of Texas (1916) and was the first inductee into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Old Brack, as it's known by the locals (although as a kid, my friends and I referred to it as Baltusrol South), is an absolute staple of the game in southwest Texas. A 2008 redesign returned the routing to Tillie's original build.

Old live oaks, ponds and small tributaries of the San Antonio River are in play, throughout the round. The front side is tighter, with smaller green surfaces and terrific bunkering. The back opens up a bit, moves to larger putting surfaces and allows the seemingly ever present wind to have greater presence in helping influence how one will play their next shot. Numbers 16 and 18 are beautiful mid/short three pars that are ALL Tillie. But it's the history of the course that you'll not be able to shake: The Texas Open was played here, off and on, from 1922 until 1959. Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson (beating Ben Hogan in 1940), Sam Snead and Mike Souchak (who set the record that would stand for 46 years in a 72 hole professional event at 257) all won here. Numerous city and state amatuer events have been held on the course, as well. Finally, in 2009, the Texas Golf Hall of Fame moved to Brackenridge, prompting Ben Crenshaw to say: "I think this is really the place it should be." It's also the place YOU should be if you are ever in San Antonio, looking to play a great round of golf.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Los Caballeros Golf Club

Played On 05/03/2019
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

(Rancho de) Los Caballeros Golf Club - A Hidden Arizona Gem

Rancho de los Caballeros is a legitimate working "dude ranch," honoring the "gentlemen on horseback," known as Spanish caballeros. The ranch, horses, decor and its 20,000 acres of land set it apart from any other golfing experience in Arizona. It opened in the late 1940's (the golf course opened in 1979) and has been offering a brilliant experience ever since.

Avid desert SouthWest golfers likely know the work of Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin: Both courses at El Conquistador CC are theirs, as is Union Hills Country Club. Separately, the two worked with some of the greats, including Robert "Red" Lawrence (Desert Forest), George Fazio (Butler National) and Billy Casper (Anthem). But the pair's tour de force is Los Cab.

Small bent grass greens are the hallmark of the course. They are always in phenomenal shape (I have actually back up well-struck mid-irons here). Thye tend to be fast with a fair amount of undulation for their size. Fairways are ample for desert golf and the views are wonderful, overlooking Vulture Peak and the Bradshaw Mountains. The golf course tracks easily through the rising and falling terrain of the Upper Sonoran Desert

Hardin and Nash gave us a terrific routing which culminates in the final few holes, beginning with 13, a spectacular par 5 that demands your very best. In fact, your "A" game is ABSOLUTELY what you will want to have as you reach the final three holes. Sixteen through eighteen have shredded many a good round, as they gracefully fall through the desert to the clubhouse. At 7000 yards-plus, the slope rating is a stiff 137. But even from the 6500 yard range, you have a strong 132 staring right back at you.

Pace of play is often quick and wonderful. The food always top quality and the shop apportioned with great products and a one of a kind logo that, when seen by another player who has teed it up there as well, will often lead to a friendly conversation about that Hidden Gem that exists in Wickenburg, Arizona.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/07/2019

Hello, Thank you for the fantastic 5-star review of our golf course. We appreciate you taking the time and hope you will let us know if you ever need anything while you are here. Come back and see us again very soon for more of the best golf in town.

I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Used cart

Antelope Hills - North Course in Prescott, AZ

Old school golf is still a thrill: 6,800 from the tips, tree lined fairways, healthy rough, the ability to move a ball in both directions... and small, back- to front-canted greens that absolutely scream, "Don't get above the hole!!" If this sounds like golf you know and love, then the North Course at Antelope Hills is one you will want to play.

From the East Coast to the West, golf courses like these are the lifeblood of the game throughout small town America. They trade on the design features of Donald Ross, A. W. Tillinghast, Willie Park Jr. and Perry Maxwell. The tests are generally solid, with many good holes, some of which could even be called great. Lawrence Hughes designed this traditional track which opened in 1956. He authored Paradise Valley Country Club, as well as the venerable Palm Springs membership-driven La Quinta Country Club, a pair of great SouthWestern parkland style courses.

Sloping at 129 from the back tees (6844), the course is still strong even at 6551, where the slope only drops to 126. All three par fives are good holes - reachable if you have your drive in the fairway. The par fours are mixed well - as short as a downhill opening hole of 374, to the uphill 459 yard ninth. The same with the par threes - two are midrange, coming in at 160 to 170. But you have a shorty at 132 for the 16th and a fantastic lengthy 228 yarder at number 14 - an elevated tee shot over a valley to an upraised green makes for an ALL WORLD three par.

If you have not made the trip to play in Prescott, the summer is nigh upon us and you'll enjoy the respite from the Valley heat. And there is more golf to be had once you are there: The Antelope Hills South Course is a Gary Panks designed track that is almost as good as the North. Prescott Country Club is a worthy place to tee it up, too. On the private end you have Prescott Lakes (Hale Irwin design), Capital Canyon Club (formerly Hassayampa CC from Tom Weiskopf) and Talking Rock Golf Club (by Jay Morrish). And finally, there is Randy Heckenkemper's foray into golf, StoneRidge.Think of a three dimensional chess board with an industrial wind machine blowing, having dropped a tab or two of Hunter S. Thompson's favorite PED... uhhh, you get the picture ;)

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Shadow Glen the Golf Club

Played On 09/23/2018
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Shadow Glen: THE Golf Club most certainly IS!

In Olathe, Kansas, there is a golf club that truly IS a golf club. Half an hour southwest of Kansas City lies Shadow Glen - The Golf Club. Golf Digest named it as America's Best New Private Course in 1990, after opening in 1989. It has remained in the state's Top Five ever since. The reasons for this are many: It is private and has terrific staff throughout. The membership is well-heeled, so they expect nothing less than great. And the property is spectacular: Rolling elevation changes, marked with great water features, thick tree lines, excellent bent grass greens and zoysia on the tees and fairways. Oh, and one last little thing: Try to find another golf course on the globe built by Tom Weiskopf, Jay Morrish AND Tom Watson.

Design-wise it is a full reflection of all three men and their vision of golf course architecture. True to Tom's form, there are holes which will allow you to take the ball in low and on the ground. Morrish's flourishes are seen throughout, with his guiding views of maintaining the inherent flow already existant in the landscape. Holes like numbers 5 and 9 come to mind. And great putting surfaces are found here: Medium to large with good undulation and terrific setting for pins never cease to be a function of Weiskopf's designs. Typically, all three demand that you are able to move the ball independantly. That remains true here. And the mix of par threes is something to behold, as they are each very different from the next.

Hole 2 (The Meadow) is a strong par five that asks for a fade against a fairway canted right to left. Number 5 (Stonewall - which marked the property line, years ago. You'll see it by the tee box.) is a dogleg left at 571 yards, again a par five of notable strangth. Nine (Vail) moves downhill, encouraging a draw off of the tee to a well-protected green with water right and bunkering left. Number 12 (called Hangtime) offers a 260 yard three par that drops 70 feet - just an all-world three shotter. The 13th hole (Oxbow) is a brawny par four that doglegs right, with a pond protecting the left side of the green. Number 14 (named Wild Turkey for residents that occupied the grounds when Watson was staking out the hole) is a complete blast: From the tips, it 285 yards. Six bunkers are speace strategically, directionally and distance-wise, forcing you to commit to a specific shot to a specific target ... to a crazily small green. From there, the finishing holes are a complete blast.

If you are in the Kansas City area and have a way to get on this track, do it. Slope ratings are very close from tee to tee: 136 at a little over 7000 yards from the Black, to 134 at 6757 and 132 at 6563. As to the facilities, the clubhouse was renovated in 2015 but still maintains its modernish, welcoming tones. Food and beverage is what you would expect here: phenomenal. And, finally, there ARE a wide variety of memberships available at Shadow Glen. In all honesty, THIS is a club I would love to call home. See if you don't think so, as well.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Cog Hill #4: Joe Jemseck and Dick Wilson's Legacy

Through the years, playing a PGA Tour golf course meant teeing it up at a private facility - for the most part. You certainly had the 1-off resorts that were insanely pricey (think Pebble Beach, Doral, Torrey Pines, Pinehurst). Then came the advent of the TPC courses that were public, but not that much cheaper (TPC-Sawgrass, TPC-Scottsdale, etc.). But in the mid-1900s, located in Chicago, was a visionary named Joe Jemsek. His idea was to offer a true private club golf experience to the public player. His history in the game is well worth the effort to learn about it. Because when you drive up to the clubhouse at Coghill to play the #4 course known as Dubsdread, you will WANT to know how it all came about.

Cog Hill #4 is a true tournament-geared track. From the time it opened in the early 60s, Dick Wilson's design became legendary. No small feat when Wilson's portfolio contained courses like Royal Montreal, Laureal Valley, Bay Hill and the original design of the Doral's Blue Monster. It has been a perennial inclusion in the Top 100 Courses You Can Play and is a brutal test of golf from almost any tee. It has held USGA events (Public Links for both men and women), a US Amatuer, Western Opens and BMW Championships. From all the way back (7554), the slope is 153 and the rating is 78 on a par of 72. Even at 6750, the course slopes at 140!!! Choose the tee you play smartly. And keep in mind that the course was tweaked and modernized by Rees Jones in 2008.

Conditions are always fantastic, but you have to allow leeway for early Spring and Late Fall, as this IS Chicago, you know. But keep in mind, from the openig tee shot, you will have few spots to catch a breather. This course demands your very best in shotmaking AND a level of concentration that is equal to the task at hand. The opening holes offer a pitched battle for par. Hole 5 gives you a chance as the shortest par five on the course, but you must keep it in the fairway to score. Number 9 closes out the outward nine in strong form with slight dogleg left five par that is all you can handle.

Hole 10 offers a slight respite, as it is one of the shortest par fours on the course. But from that point on, you are in golf's version of a meat grinder. Hole 11 is certain a close cousin to 9 - another long, hard par five moving gradually to the left. Hole 12 is one on my favorite par threes on the globe. You'll know it when you see it. Long, slightly downhill to a wide, deep green, closely protected by bunkering both to the front and rear. The hole is framed from behind by a thick stand of trees and undergrowth. From there, the closing stretch just does not let up. Coming into the house on those final holes, it's awfully easy to see a good round fall completely apart.

The grounds and clubhouse are old school wonderful. There are three other terrific courses at Cog Hill, so they do a phenomenal job on the corporate/outing end of the game, as well. Great instructors, awesome clinics, involvement with the Evans Scholars Foundation, a solid staff in the pro shop, good food... banquets, weddings: It really is the essense of Joe's vision so many years before, which is testimony to his son, Frank, who has operated the facilities since his father's passage in 2002.

When you play Cog Hill #4, you are truly walking amidst the beauty of golf's history. Honor it and enjoy.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
e82b3d0b-07de-5dfe-975f-f8ad8bdaaf6e
Commented on 09/23/2018

Thank you for your comprehensive review of Cog Hill No. 4. We appreciate your thoughtful review and I will share it with our staff and owners. Cog Hill is a very special place and Dubsdread is one of the best. Thank you again for your review.

Wolf Creek Golf Club

Played On 09/01/2018
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Wolf Creek Golf Club: Like Nothing Else, Ever in Your Bucket

Bucket List courses... they exist in YOUR heart and YOUR mind for a variety of reasons. Places like Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines: You see them every year on Tour. Pinehurst and Bandon Dunes: Meccas of numerous great designs. Whistling Straits/Blackwolf Run: Pete Dye allowed total and free reign. Augusta, Oakmont, Pine Valley: Keepers of the Flame. And then you have a place like Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, Nevada, which you first saw ... on a video game?? Or, perhaps, photos that almost looked like something Loyal Chapman would have concocted (for you kids, check your Google machines, please). This is a track that makes Mr. Dye's stuff look absolutely sedate!

To say Like Nothing Else isn't hyperbole, BUT there are contenders in the area. My suggestion: Forego the Vegas golf weekend and just head North as soon as you get out of McCarran. It's a 90 mile drive to Mesquite and they have plenty of decent hotel rooms. This is a 4-some-plus type of place... a Buddies Weekend set of courses awaits. Wolf Creek is THE Alpha of the pack, for sure. Falcon Ridge and Conestoga are cut from similar cloth, while the Palms, Oasis and Casablanca courses all have a more traditional feel to them. And you always have Sand Hollow, The Ledges, Coal Canyon and Entrada an hour north, and a spectacular Jack Nicklaus design in Coyote Springs an hour south (Strong Suggestion: Play this the morning of departure as it moves you further down the road to Las Vegas and is as good a desert JWN Signature course that you will play).

Since opening in 2000, Wolf Creek has been the defining presence of Northeastern Mohave Desert Golf that is unforgettable. It has always reminded me of something akin to a moonscape with turf placed perfectly on its hills and valleys. In a good way! Holes are designed such that they indelibly etch themselves into your Mind's Eye. Try to forget what standing on the First tee looks like, feels like. Or the Fourteenth, where you have 360 degrees of awesomeness. Conditions are invariably very good to great. Staff is phenomenal, the shop well-appointed and the Grill top flite, too. You may want to book a couple of rounds here - one to commit to playing, seriously; the other, an allowance of fun and some photos. In any event, you and your friends are in for a spectacular treat.

Lastly, DON'T make this about your ego on this course. Years ago when I first played here, I could move the ball as I wished and played to a sub-scratch handicap. The Black tees were fine for me then. They measure slightly less than 7,000 yards - BUT SLOPE at 154. The Blues are right at 6,300 yards and THEY slope at 138. Look at the scorecard and see what the suggested tee is for your handicap. Believe it, at least for the first round or two that you play here. YOU will have more fun, as will your buddies. And so will EVERY SINGLE PLAYER that plays behind you that day. I promise that as a truth. Oh, and make sure that you have brought more pelotas than you would ever imagine you might need. Balls hit into the hinterlands are irretrievable, often, as those areas are prohibited from walking through and trashing. Good luck and have fun playing a TRUE BLUE one of a kind track.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
daslinker
Commented on 12/04/2019

Shared my thoughts exactly- definitely include Coyote Springs on a trip North of Vegas. Wolf Creek is the golfer's Disneyland- Great review!

Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/15/2018

Spot on and well crafted review.Thanks.

Stonecreek Golf Club

Played On 09/01/2018
3.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Stonecreek: The Golf Club - Same as it ever was

Stonecreek: The Golf Club began its life as Anasazi Country Club, designed in 1983 by Pete Dye's brother Roy. He was best known for what was a phenomenal course off of Lake Livingston in Texas, called Waterwood National, closed now for many years. For those of you have made the trek to Cabo, he also designed Cabo San Lucas Country Club which opened just before his passage in 1994. Anasazi had financial trouble, and became Mummy Mountain (Golf Club...Country Club)? It has been tweaked, since, by Greg Nash, Wadsworth Construction, Jack Snyder and Arthur Hills. With all of that said, it remains as a golf course that I would stay away from like someone with the flu.

Why? First, it's another course managed by Arcis, the heir-apparent to absolutely horrific golf management as was initially established by American Golf Corp. A secret for you: If you want to know what a company is really like, take a look at the web site GlassDoor.Com. There you will see employees and former employees discussing what works and what doesn't within the company. Yeeeouch!! What was once Evergreen Alliance Golf Limited LP became Eagle Golf and then Arcis. In Phoenix, the Arcis portfolio are courses which were once American Golf Corp. properties and generally, pretty awful.

Designwise the course is iffy: One and two are both kind of goofy and the greens are ALWAYS incredibly thin, grass wise. Six is just ridiculous, a poorly designed hole, again with a green that rarely seems healthy. Eight is.... impossible to describe other than: "Really?" Ten is similar... with a green complex that defies explanation. The rest of the holes are not really notable, at all.

I first played this course years ago in what was the Western States mini tour and was unimpressed then. Nothing has changed since then. I could point you in the direction of 5 or 6 other courses you could play for similar money and promise you that you would have a better experience. Aguila, Papago, The Legacy, Grand Canyon University, Wigwam Red or Gold... and there are more. Do your due diligence and you'll find that to be true for you, as well.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate

Bloomingdale Golfers Club

Played On 08/25/2018
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Bloomingdale Golfers Club - Tampa's Best Ride

Built in the mid-80s by the prolific Floridian architect, Ron Garl, Bloomingdale Golfers Club is simply a great facility. It is ALL about the golf. From the practice grounds to the grill, you are hard pressed to find anything better in the Tampa area. Back in my mini-tour days (when BGC was private), this was the course I based out of for the Florida/Georgia swing. There was no lack of terrific players to find a game with and to throw down a wager or two (or twelve ;)

As a semi-public facility, today, it still shines. Water hazards abound (13 lakes!), old oaks come into play, course conditions are usually superior and the greens run very fast and very true (they use a Champion Dwarf bermuda - plays like bent WITH grain. Yeehaa!!) They are owned by Fore Golf Partners, a golf management group based in Virginia, and they still offer memberships which allow for reciprocal play on all of FGP's courses. Golf Digest has had great things to say about the course (perennial 4 Stars), through the years, including a description of how good the par 5s are - perhaps a collection as good as any in the state. I fully agree. The par 3s ain't too shabby, either ;)

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

The Legacy Golf Club

Played On 08/12/2018
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Legacy Golf Resort: Need more Panks? Got it!

So, you need more Gary Panks-designed (post David Graham) golf in your life, yes? Well, you have The Raven (right next door), Aguila, Vistancia, The Talon Course at Grayhawk, all of the tracks at Tonto Verde, both courses at Whirlwind... and many more throughout the state. But you are thinking of South Central Phoenix. OK. Two courses come to mind: The Raven was built in 1995, and The Legacy Golf Club came online in 1999.

Let's go with The Legacy. The course is the centerpiece of a 300-plus unit resort that is time-share-based and has changed ownership multiple times. The two courses are vastly different: The Raven is quite unique, with over 7,000 transplanted pine trees and 3/4 of a million cubic feet of soil moved, it's younger fraternal twin, The Legacy, is lined by the resort dwellings and homesites yet has wider fairways and larger greens than its next door neighbor. Considering the undulation of what would otherwise be flat as a pancake ground, it seems like the soil movement was similar.

As far as local golf courses go, it is certainly one that would be considered very good. It is not spectacular as far as being memorable, but it IS highly enjoyable and a terrific value. Great views of South Mountain and the surrounding area abound. The design is interesting: Good par threes and fives are interspersed among a nice variety of par fours, lengthwise, with the total yardage just a shade under 7,000 yards from the back tees.

Mr. Panks love of bunkering is truly in play here: The fairway bunkers are penal, often difficult to play out of if you are looking to reach a green, directly. They are easily worth a half-stroke more on the card, requiring some type of lay-up. His green complexes are as very good, as strong as any of his local designs in Phoenix. They are somewhat reminiscent of the surfaces at The Talon, although they are not quite as acute in terms of tiering and seem to be a bit more spacious. But they are ALWAYS in top shape - both in speed and condition.

Over the years, The Legacy has grown into a facility that has been the recipient of numerous accolades. ESPN and Golfweek Magazine have both described it as "the best" or "one of the best" places to tee it up in The Valley. An interesting side note: In 2000, the golf course hosted the LPGA's Standard Register Ping Classic. It was won by Annika Sorenstam's younger sister, Charlotta. It stands as her only LPGA win.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 08/20/2018:
Outstanding! We're thrilled that you enjoyed our course and that you found us to be a good value. We're also glad that you enjoyed the challenge of our layout. We appreciate your review and we can't wait to have you back again soon for your next round at The Legacy!

Apache Stronghold Golf Course

Played On 08/04/2018
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Apache Stronghold: Tom Doak's High Desert Masterpiece

Back in 1999, Tom Doak opened the Apache Stronghold Golf Course, a beautiful accompaniment to the casino built at the same time. From the back tees, it was a complete beast, running a bit over 7,500 yards in length with a 145 slope. It possessed as fine a mixture of par threes in the state. Doak also included a drivable zero-horizon par four. The par fives were brilliant. There was nothing about this course that was second rate. But the death knell was that it was in Globe. There just wasn't enough traffic to keep it going. Year after year, it was allowed to go to seed and then, they simply closed it in the midst of the late 2000 financial crisis. Shut it down. For what appeared to be good.

The course reopened in 2013. It is STILL in rough shape and that is truly saddening. BUT the DESIGN remains and it is absolutely worth the trip to do a Stay and Play, simply to see what Tom Doak can do if you have never played one of his designs. If you have, then it's simply a celebratory ride through the High Desert, wishing that money was no object and that it would be poured into the course. Bring some cigars, a good buddy, have a few drinks while you play and keep your mind open. I promise you, you won't forget what a truly great golf course designer was able to do with such a remarkable stretch of land.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Another Example of Tom Bendelow's Brilliance

Detroit Country Club's Pine to Palm Course in Detroit Lake, Minnesota is one of those courses ALL of us knows... a terrific track miles from the masses. DL is only about an hour away from Fargo, ND, but from the Twin Cities it's closer to three and a half to four hours. It's worth the drive, though. It is also the perennial site for the week-long Pine to Palm Golf Tournament, one of the state's biggest amateur events being played for the 86th time this year.

Mr. Bendelow's work of a century ago (actually 1916) is just good golf. The course is very straight forward: It plays to a par of 71 and is only 6100-plus yards from the Blue tees, but has a strong 128 slope at that length. Tree lined, lush fairways with thickish rough, combined with small, well-sloped greens with good speed, you can see Mr. Bendelow's skill in this design, just as you can with his designs at Medinah #3, Beverly Country Club and Birmingham Country Club.

One final note: If you are going to be in the area for a couple of days, make sure to play Wildflower at Fair Hills, too, for a completely different experience - Prairie links style golf with almost 100 feet of elevation change. Staff at both courses are terrific and you'll become a lifetime fan of the Detroit Lakes area, guaranteed!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Primm Valley Lakes Course: Shadow Creek Jr.

Primm Valley's Lake Course is simply a gem in the midst of nothingness. Empty desert save for the casinos, the roller coaster and the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility is what you get in these parts. The Mojave Desert wind is always blowing (check out the flag on the logo bent at about 30 degrees ;). The highway cuts through an infinity edged valley east to west, framed by craggy mountains at the edge of view north and south. And there on the CALIFORNIA side of the border sits the 36 holes of golf known as Tom Fazio-designed Primm Valley Golf Club - whose Lakes Course was once called by a Las Vegas website: The Poor Man's Shadow Creek.

Fazio certainly created an oasis at Shadow Creek, one that still stands the test of time as evidenced by the Phil/Tiger match from earlier this year. The Wynn Golf Club (closed in 2017 but set to re-open with a new Fazio design/build in 2019) certainly shared its DNA with Shadow Creek. As does the Lakes Course at Primm. Many of the features that the two more renowned courses are known for can be found at Primm: Waterfalls, streams, pine trees, lakes, brilliant landscape/course movement, fantastic/difficult green complexes - all of the things you would expect on a great track. Oh, and the kicker? A 22 acre practice facility that one could simply practice on for the remainder of their days and still be happy.

From what I have read, it looks like a newer management company has taken over the reins of the two courses. What was once Par 4 Golf Management (it actually shut down) is now Elite Golf Management. The reviews are pretty rough, describing less than stellar course conditions (which was always a hallmark of the Primm courses) as well as staff issues (again, once upon a time the staff here was just extraordinary). Truth be told, my friends and I have driven 5 and half hours from Phoenix, leaving hella early, to roll out of the car, grab some awesome ham and egg croissant, warm up and play 36 holes and have LOVED the experience. We would do it again in a heartbeat. I'd hate to think that is a foregone time...

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Moon Valley CC: Dick Wilson's Parkland beauty in Phoenix

Dick Wilson completed the Moon Valley Country Club's golf course in the early 1960's. Robert Cupp completed the re-do in 1999. At a bit over 7,200 yards from all the way back, it is all you can handle as one of the few parkland style tracks in the Valley of the Sun. MVCC is firmly ensconced within the history of the game of golf in Phoenix. Bob Goldwater (brother of Senator Barry) had the vision and wherewithal to get it built. Many years later, the club was purchased by the founder of Ping Golf, Karsten Solheim. For many years, the facility played host to the Ping Standard Register LPGA golf tournament, where, in 2001, Anika Sorenstam shot 59 enroute to that year's title. Troon Golf has managed the club operations for well over a decade, so you will always get terrific course conditions, a superlative staff and great food and beverage offerings. While the design doesn't impress with spectacularly memorable holes, it DOES keep your attention by providing a routing od solid tests, one after another. There are a few birdie holes scattered within that routing. Make hay on them as you can, as there are certainly more difficult holes than there are easy.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Moon Valley CC: Dick Wilson's Parkland beauty in Phoenix

Dick Wilson completed the Moon Valley Country Club's golf course in the early 1960's. Robert Cupp completed the re-do in 1999. At a bit over 7,200 yards from all the way back, it is all you can handle as one of the few parkland style tracks in the Valley of the Sun.

MVCC is firmly ensconced within the history of the game of golf in Phoenix. Bob Goldwater (brother of Senator Barry) had the vision and wherewithal to get it built. Many years later, the club was purchased by the founder of Ping Golf, Karsten Solheim. For many years, the facility played host to the Ping Standard Register LPGA golf tournament, where, in 2001, Anika Sorenstam shot 59 enroute to that year's title.

Troon Golf has managed the club operations for well over a decade, so you will always get terrific course conditions, a superlative staff and great food and beverage offerings. While the design doesn't impress with spectacularly memorable holes, it DOES keep your attention by providing a routing od solid tests, one after another. There are a few birdie holes scattered within that routing. Make hay on them as you can, as there are certainly more difficult holes than there are easy.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Talon at Grayhawk Golf Club

Played On 02/28/2018
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Grayhawk Golf Club: The Talon Course by Gary Panks

Grayhawk offers golfers much what Troon North or The Boulders does: The Original Intent of High End Daily Fee golf. It's all about the Country Club for a Day vibe. Now into their 25th year of operation, Grayhawk's Talon course is ALL you want from the appropriate tee. The course designers are David Graham and Gary Panks and I'm pretty sure that the course is very much like it was when it opened in 1994. Tipped out, it is only 6.973 yards long. But it slopes at 143, so it has plenty of strength in its grip. For most good players, the second tee at just over 6,400 yards and sloped at 134 makes sense.

Driving can be tight, so think about something other than driver on a few of the holes. Pay strict attention to pin locations on the approach, as that may be the primary difficulty you will find on the Talon. Missed greens can add strokes blindingly fast. Even so, one you are on the putting surfaces, you will face many a multi-tiered proposition, with no lack of speed.

The sister Raptor course is certainly worth playing and offers a slightly different look... less of the ubiquitous box canyons that pepper theTalon property, but more tree lines and claustrophobia. However, before you tackle that Tom Fazio design, hit the clubhouse for some food and beverage. Phil's Grill and the Quill Creek Cafe are spectacular places to hang out. Twenty five years ago, facilities like Grayhawk were the dreams of visionaries. Today, they are the Gold Standard by which many are judged.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Palmilla: World-Class Nicklaus Golf in Cabo

San Jose del Cabo is home to some extraordinary Jack Nicklaus Golf designs: Quivira, El Dorado, the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol and Palmilla Golf Club are what come most quickly to mind. These courses span a time frame through the later stages of Jack's development as a designer (the early 90's to present) and all are spectacular. Palmilla is the only facility with 27 Jack Nicklaus-designed holes, though, and each of them offers a view down to the mindblowingly blue Sea of Cortez.

Each nine holes is named: The Arroyo, Mountain and Ocean and they move seamlessly through said geography. The routings are very similar in terms of length and difficulty: 7,000 to 6,800 from all the way back (Black Tees), sloping in the 140 to 137 range. The Gold Tees come in closer to 6,500 and a bit less, but the slopes remain pretty rough staying in the 137 to 135 range. Of the three, the Mountain to Ocean routing would be the choice - most picturesque as well as just flatly hard.

Nut and Bolts: Website
This is a Troon managed facility so you get a Troon white-labelled site. It will look very familiar to the user who has played or plays a Troon courses. While it is content heavy and fairly easy to navigate, it remains stuck in a look that seems to be about 10 years old. Overall, though, it works. (One last point: The Course Flyovers through Best Approach look terribly cheesy. 2010 content that would be annihilated by HD drone flyovers today. Just sayin'...)

Repetitive part of the review: As always, the playability of the course is determined by an honest appraisal of your skills. The choices of tees directly impacts the difficulty of driving. Park the ego. Play within yourself and enjoy the routings. Driving is moderate to very difficult. Approach shots are the same. Typical JWN green complexes and bunkering along with Sonoran Desert washes and ravines that look like you're in the Arizona Desert... with a gorgeous coastal view..!!???

Bring a camera. The par 5 seventh on the Arroyo, if you decide to play that nine, demands attention, particularly from the approach shot all the way to the green. Your view over the coast below is unforgettable. The par 4 fifth on the Mountain nine is NOT about the ocean: It is all about the incredible design vision of Mr. Nicklaus. The par 5 seventh will be memorable, too. The second and third holes on the Ocean Nine, as well as the final three holes make THAT nine the one that impresses itself on the mind most deeply.

Make sure to tee it up at The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol as well as Robert Trent Jones Jr's Cabo Real, if you can. Questro Golf offers a package deal for that, along with the Gary Nicklaus-designed Club Campestre and the JWN/Greg Norman paired nines at Puerto Los Cabos.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Quintero Golf Club

Played On 01/08/2018
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Rees Jones' Quintero: Bring your A Game

If you watch golf on TV, you've likely seen Quintero Golf Club before... through Wilson Golf commercials, Fox10, etc. Rees Jones (the youngest son of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and brother of RTJ II) design is one of the very best tracks in the Valley and it absolutely dictates that you pay attention and play within yourself, otherwise you are in for a very long day.

Built in 2000, the Founders Course was to be the centerpiece of a small, very private master-planned community. In fact, a second course was planned, as well, to be built (in 2004-2006) by Greg Norman as the Charter Course. You remember the 2006-2008 run up to the bubble burst and that affect upon Quintero was enormous. Lots of articles on-line will tell the story of what happened, to whom, why and what eventually transpired. Almost ALL of them mention a gentleman named Mr. Elliot Lewis. I met Mr. Lewis one afternoon while smoking a cigar and we talked for a couple of hours. He's visionary but is tempered by a sensible dose of realism. If you want to know WHY Quintero was saved and has flourished, he is THE primary reason. One last thing to keep in mind: The course has received superior accolades for many years. That is no small thing, as it reflects a constancy of effort to improve (Example: Troon was brought in to manage the facility a few years back) and is reflected by multiple experiences having played there, invariably followed by deep satisfaction.

Nuts and Bolts: The Website

Quintero's site is excellent: Plenty of content, easily navigable and it offers a combination of photographs of each hole along with spectacular drone flyovers. Many a course could learn from what Quintero has as a digital representation, as it is the first place a golfer is touched.

Course design: As always, the playability of the course is determined by an honest appraisal of your skills. Ego won't help. From all the way back (7249 yards) the slope is 148. At just under 6,900, the slope is still 143. Even at 6,437, the slope still comes in at 137. Quintero, again, is particularly attuned to their player(s). The scorecard offers combo routings along with their ratings and slope. The choices of tees directly impacts the difficulty of driving. For the most part, there is plenty of room to hit the tee ball.

Approach shots/greens: Rees has always impressed me as an adherent to his father's philosophy of open driving areas (still with some difficult fairway bunkering) followed by exacting approach shots, to greens well-defended by both bunkering and green undulation... and size. Such is the case at Quintero. The par fives are scorable, the par fours are tough and the three pars are the best collection of single-shotters in the state. As the course is routed, there is plenty of slope to take into account, both up and downhill. The green complexes are difficult but not impossible. The green speed, however, you will need to take into account, as well as where the primary slope is located. If you are not careful, you can misread a 30 footer and be left with more than you started with ;)

Quintero is actually in Peoria, just south of Lake Pleasant. The drive is almost ALWAYS mentioned by any reviewer. Here's the deal: I once drove 28 hours straight through to play Pinehurst #7 (interestingly, a Rees Jones design). If you consider tooling down the highway for an hour or two in an effort to tee it up at a spectacular ride a pain... then, by all means, DON"T tell us about it.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Las Sendas Golf Club

Played On 01/03/2018
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Las Sendas: Robert Trent Jones II golf in Mesa, AZ

The Jones name in golf course architecture has the feel of familial royalty. Robert Trent Jones Sr. was prolific, involved in the design/build/redesign/rebuild of over 400 golf courses, worldwide. Quite a legacy to leave his oldest son, his namesake, if he was to follow his dad into golf course architecture. He most certainly did. RTJ Jr. (or II) built over 270 tracks, creating a seperate legacy, equally as impressive as his father. Rees, the youngest son, we can talk about at another time.

Trent Jones Sr. hit the Valley in the mid-60's with his designs in Litchfield Park at the Wigwam. A few years later, he partnered with II and co-designed/built Oak Creek Country Club in Sedona. Through the years. they only did that a handful of times. It would take almost 20 years for Junior to come back to Arizona to design and build a golf course himself. The property was just south of Red Mountain, amongst the Usery Mountains and it was named Las Sendas, in Mesa, Arizona.

Mesa was NOT a hotbed of golf activity at the time (1995). That would have been North Scottsdale. But the location for Las Sendas was unique - a completely different look than what you found in Scottsdale, in the view or perspective across the Valley. As part of a master planned community, eventually that view would be compromised, as it surely has been. But back in the early days, Las Sendas was something very special - and difficult. It still is. From 6,400 yards, the slope rating is 133. AT 6,700, the slope moves to 139, and at 7,000 yards, the slope is 145. Eeeeeyowwchhh!!

Nuts and Bolts - Playability:

Let's start with the first place we are touched by the course: The website. The courses upon which the game of golf is played are notorious for having awful content. While that's not the case here, the site IS missing some information that would make sense to have. How about a course map that would offer up an on-line view of yardages (i.e. like a yardage book)? Even better, hole-by-hole photographs, or even a drone flyover? The Overview page is pretty awful, providing NO overview of the course, whatsoever.

The Instructional page, however, is awesome, as we are introduced to Mr. Mike Malaska. He is the Director of Instruction not only at Las Sendas, but at Superstition Mountain, as well. Mr. Malaska was a protege and then peer of Mr. Jim Flick. There are few in the game who can match him when it comes to understanding the golf swing and teaching you how to understand and improve YOURS. In all honesty, this may be the most valuable information available on their website.

The Golf Course - Driving:

Moderately difficult. Some slope on a handful of fairways can ride the ball into trouble. A couple of holes fall under the "goofy" category (particularly Holes 6 and 18) - design wise - making having played there previously particularly helpful in knowing where to try to land the ball.

Approach shots:

Most holes are fronted or sided with moderate to difficult bunkering. Many greens are upraised, making a shot to the front in an effort to bounce the ball onto the green next to impossible. Obviously, the choice of the proper tee will give you the best opportunity to hit and hold a GIR.

Green Complexes/Surfaces:

Wide range of greens. Wide, deep, large, small... an interesting mix from Mr. RTJ II. Speed is usually quite good and if you are not paying full attention, a ball can get away from you quite fast ;) One huge negative: For as long as I can remember, there are a few greens on this course that NEVER seem to have fully healthy greens: Holes 4, 6, 11 and 15 come to mind. Be wary of that, as their thinness often affects speed.

A few years back, if you recall, the economy took a flying leap. The club went into receivership. It was then purchased and since then, there is talk that Las Sendas would be taken fully private. They do offer memberships, - from Junior to Fully Refundable and ostensibly are looking to cap at 350 members. The present ownership group spent over $2M in clubhouse renovations and the inclusion of a wedding and banquet pavillion. I get it. The club's bottom line is paramount. But take note of this: ALL of the plaudits (the website has a dedicated page for such) that were offered regarding Las Sendas as a premier GOLF facility, are from 2013 and beyond. THAT is particularly telling.

Las Sendas is surely worth playing. However, I can think of a dozen golf courses in the Valley alone that I would play before this one. And if it was all about playing a Trent Jones II ride, there are two I would tee it up at before this one: Oak Creek Country Club in Sedona and the old Raven at Sabino Springs, now known as Arizona National down in Tucson and managed by OB Sports.

In fact... that makes me hungry for a road trip!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

Ancala Country Club

Played On 12/19/2017
2.0
Arizona Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Ancala Country Club: Golf's Version of a Crowded ...

Pick the environment - A train. Cab. Elevator. Theatre. Can of sardines. Keeping that thought in mind (one of claustrophobia), I always recall golf courses that were built upon too little land, often times shoehorned into developments where the game was viewed in a secondary fashion. Long dead Turtle Creek Country Club in San Antonio was one of those. Yet Willinger's Golf Club in Minnesota and the original design of Longbow, in Mesa... these are (or were) all designs that actually make you feel pressured by a lack of space and that's simply because the designers used so little turf to play upon. Years ago, I had a chance to play a few rounds at Sahalee, outside of Seattle. This was where Colin Montgomerie said: "From above, I'm sure it looks like you can only walk single file down the fairway." While it was true as to the tightness of the course due to the trees, it was STILL playable. That CAN NOT be said about Ancala. This is quite literally Red Mountain Ranch's Soul Mate.

Nut and Bolts: Website - Spool up the website and the first thing you see is a pop-up that offers the next TEN GOLF MEMBERS a $3500 discount and complimentary cart fees for the next 6 months. Click on the Learn More button and what do you get? Hmmm.... Dye-Design Golf. LOL. Uhhh, that ain't Pete, by the way. ARCIS Golf. Ooooff. Not a good gig there, either. Nate Oberhofer is the Head Golf Professional and THAT is the one HUGE positive that this membership has going for it.

Driving - Pete's son Perry Dye designed this course, thus the Dye-Design moniker. For the most part, the driving is pretty tight. Looking at the yardages below, you can see that taking a 3 metal or hybrid, even a long iron on many of these tees will just make sense.

Approach shots - Tees at 6800, 6250 and 6000 with slopes at 139, 133 and 130. You choice will dictate what the loft will look like for the incoming iron play. The greens are notoriously firm, so keep that in mind.

Green Complexes/Surfaces - Small to very small. Most often there is open area to play the ball on the ground into the greens, but, again, the surface areas are minimal. Turf conditions on the surfaces have never been to my liking. Not sure if it is simply a cost-driven consideration or if the club wants hard, firm, fast on small, hard to hold greens. Their call, not mine.

Staff and Membership - This is one of those places where the ego is allowed to run rampant. The members are terrifically proud of their course and often that mind-set is amplified by the Staff. Pride is one thing. Hubris is another. That has ALWAYS been the case with Ancala. I'm not sure if a propensity for haughtiness and arrogance is included in the membership review (and given a big green check mark), but there are a few clubs in the Valley that suffer from it. As Kurt Vonnegut would say in his book Slapstick: "Hi Ho!"

Experience it once and tell me I am wrong.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Fair
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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Commented on 11/03/2020

That is one of the most in-depth, thorough, and comprehensive reviews I’ve seen. Great job and thanks for the info.

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