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Smackatowa

Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Lives
Phoenix, AZ
Handicap
5-9
Age
55-64
Gender
Male
Skill
Advanced
Plays
Once a week

Review Statistics

Average Rating

4.0
4.0
Total 237 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

237 Reviews
5 Stars
105
4 Stars
62
3 Stars
45
2 Stars
19
1 Stars
6
Recommended Courses
199
Not Recommended Courses
38
Helpful Votes Count
9
Not Helpful Votes Count
3
First Review
12/29/2014
Last Review
12/29/2023

Reviews Map

Reviews

4.0
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Overall Rating
Course Difficulty
First time playing this course
Recommended
Review has
1.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Pro Shop is rude to customers

My friends and I generally play this course 9 months out of the year. The Pro Shop has gotten extremely rude and aggressively antagonistic towards customers. The worst offenders seem to be the women who work there and one of the guys. They try to make sure they charge you as much as they can while harassing you. We tried to use our Troon points a couple of times and each time I was aggressively attacked by the Pro shop person. Or they tried to shame me and act like they were doing me a great favor by accepting the points. I don't know what their issue is and I don't care. There are too many courses that we can play which does not come with a side of attitude with your round.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Decent round

The course is in decent shape. The course is mostly green, except the rough. The fairways are sometimes a bit thin, but manageable. The greens are oddly slow. The grass is not as full as it should be leaving little gaps which slows down the putts. The greens were not as hard as I thought they might be. Some sun city courses the greens are like green painted concrete.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Fairly Easy
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Greens

Normally this course has some of the best greens around. This last couple months no so much. They are bumpy and inconsistent between holes. I kept thinking they will get better, but after 5 rounds over 5 weeks they still haven't. I am thinking that maybe they need to roll their greens. Two of the three courses is still cart path only. This makes for a long day with very slow golfer in front of you. The range is still not fully open. They only have the mats to hit off of. (I absolutely hate the mats) Usually, this is one of my favorite courses. I hope they will fix their greens issue soon as this was one of their best features.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate

Elephant Rocks at Williams

Played On 10/01/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Beautiful Views

The day was extremely windy and cold. 25MPH winds with gusts up to 40MPH. The temperature was mid 50's, but the wind made it seem colder. The course was in good condition. Greens were in decent shape. Everything was a bit damp, but not wet. The course is not that difficult as long as you are used to tree lined fairways. I much prefer the trees vs. the houses in the Phoenix area. It is just a much more calming and peaceful feeling. The wind kept trying to ruin the feeling, but did not succeed. The views around and through the course are beautiful. The only thing that was not great was the two groups of 4 in front of us who were painfully slow. There was no one in front of them for several holes, but they would not speed up or let anyone play through. Multiple groups started backing up. No Ranger to keep pace.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Windy Day

The course is fairly easy. A few holes have some obstacles, but nothing too drastic. There is water on a few holes which you need to be aware of. The only thing that made it difficult was the winds. The winds were 25mph and gusting. The greens were in good shape. Lots of foot traffic so a few bumps and scuffs made putting interesting. Pace of play was slow especially for an easy course. Although we rode in carts this would be a good walking course. The cart paths are terrible. I usually don't care about cart paths, but these were deep pot holes and gashes masquerading as a path.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Difficulty Extremely Easy

Mission Royale Golf Club

Played On 09/23/2023
2.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Etiquette is dead

I picked probably the worse time to try this place. The course is getting ready for over-seeding Oct 1st. Everything is cut thin. Tees through the green are all dry and baked. Sand traps are just traps that are hard baked dry pan. The course is not very difficult, but it seems kind of tight with houses close on a few holes. It is pretty much straightaway fairways, no doglegs or any trouble. Only two holes have water, 16 and 17. I got stuck behind 2 very slow 4-somes They would not let me play through even though there were open holes in front of them and they were painfully slow and oblivious to anyone else. I got to watch them hit shots into houses, spray balls out of bounds and witness their bizarre pre-shot routine of wiggle waggle and drag the club side to side in front of the ball like they were sawing a log. (No idea what this was for.) Pretty much killed my day.

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Difficulty Extremely Easy

Sun City Country Club

Played On 09/16/2023
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Fair for the price

The course was a bit dry. There were some thin spots in the fairways. The greens rolled fairly good. They were surprisingly slower than they looked. There are several trees which need trimming and maintenance. There were a few large downed branches just hanging out in the rough. The back 9 rough was long. Lose your ball long. The greens are raised and if you land on the apron your ball will stop dead.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Fairly Easy
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

In good shape for late summer

The course is in good shape for late summer. The rough was a bit tall on a few holes, but not too tall. The fairways were all pretty good. The greens rolled nicely. There are no coolers on the carts, but there are water/ice stations at the 1st/9th hole. (no cups so bring your own). They are renovating the restaurant/bar area next to the Pro shop. There is a fence which goes all the way around this area. Park closer to the Pro shop and the traffic circle for easier access.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

San Tan Highlands

Played On 09/04/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Friendly course

This was probably the friendliest courses I have ever been to. It was like small town friendly where you know everyone and everybody is a friend.
The front 9 is a bit easier than the back 9. The back 9 has more character as it has more elevation changes which I like. I liked the sign which tells golfers which tees to play from. I wish more courses would do this.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Red Mountain Ranch Country Club

Played On 09/02/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

First time playing.

This was my first time playing this course. The Pro shop guy was helpful and informative. He gave me a course book since it was my first time there. I played from the blue tees (don't judge me) and had a good time. A twosome went out in front of me and they were playing slow, but they waved me through by the second hole to which I was extremely happy. The front 9 is flatter and easier than the back 9. The course book gives you a good idea of where to go to stay out of trouble. I could see why this was a private course for so long. It is right in the middle of a very nice upscale neighborhood. It has tennis, golf, swimming pools and a restaurant. I did not get to partake in any of the other amenities besides the golf. If I lived in the area I could see becoming a member. The wind made the course a bit more difficult, but not outrageous. This course designer likes deep pot bunker and high ridges. He also favors having mogul type hills throughout the course. If I had known about the pot bunkers I probably would have brought my 60* wedge. The greens are a bit odd. They did not roll very well. (IMO) The cart guy told me that they are about to go into transition so that might have been why. Fairways were mostly good although there were a few thin areas. The 17th green seemed a bit gimmicky to me. It is raised steeply like an Island in the sky and from the fairway it is hard to see the surface. One other thing of note: The carts are fairly slow. At first I was wondering why. But, after I saw that some of the cart paths are buckled and uneven, I understood. You don't want to hit one of these unaware and at speed.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Cimarron Golf Club

Played On 08/26/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Great shape.

The course is in great shape after all the rain. It is a little soft so the ball will not run out, but it is very green. I'll take soft and green over hard and burnt out any day. Greens rolled fairly good. There were a few greens where someone did not lift their feet when they walked and left dragging scuff marks. If you have trouble walking and have to shuffle, I'd suggest not wearing cleats. Get the golf shoes that are cleatless. The greens will thank you and so will the golfers behind you.

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

Cimarron Golf Club

Played On 08/12/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Brakes in fixing on carts. (#149)

The course is in good shape for summer time. I did not see any burned out areas. The sand traps were a bit crusty and hard. Greens were in good shape. The price is much higher than it used to be pre Covid. This used to be the best value in the area. The carts are comfortable, but they need to have the brakes checked. Mine went all the way to the floor before engaging. If you book through GN you need to watch what they charge you. All 4 of these courses at Granite Falls will charge you an extra $10 if you don't pay attention.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Verrado Golf Club - Victory Course

Played On 07/22/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Good conditions for summer

The course was in good condition for AZ in the summer time. There were a few burned out spots, but overall it was mostly green and there was grass under your ball. The greens have mostly filled in from the aeration a month ago.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
2.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Past its former glory

I realize it is summer in AZ, but the course was not in its normal glory. I haven't played here for a few years, but this is not the course I remember. The fairways and tee boxes are dry. The greens are inconsistent and bumpy. The layout is interesting, but with the dry conditions your tee shot just rolls with the contours until it is off the fairway. Kind of takes the enjoyment out of a good tee shot to have it roll into the junk.

Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Still good

Still lots of grasshoppers on the course. I got pelted by flying grasshoppers while driving the cart. The birds are enjoying the free meals. It was fun watching them as I waited on the group ahead of me to clear. The course is in good shape. Greens are still hard and fast. The aprons were wet on several of the approach shots to the green. If you hit the apron the ball stopped dead and made a deep ball mark.
Fairways are good. There is sand in the sand traps. This is an oddity in AZ. The island green is fun. That is probably one of my favorite holes.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Arizona Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Grasshoppers

Lots of grasshoppers on the course. Not a problem, just lots of flying bugs.
The course was in decent shape. Greens are hard, fast and slick. Putts would slide by the hole. Seems like the greens are packed sand with too thin of a grass base. One thing I will mention is that a group of members that I caught up to on the back 9 played incredibly slow. They spent 20 minutes searching for balls on each hole and then slowly finished the hole. I was only behind them for 4 holes, but they took longer to play these 4 holes than I did for the entire front 9 and a few holes on the back 9. C'mon guys. 3 minutes is the rule. Even if you took 5 minutes maybe, but 20 minutes at each hole? If you know you are that poor of a golfer (with absolutely no etiquette) you should bring extra balls with you. They are not a long lost heirloom that would justify the extensive and exhaustive search.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate

Verrado Golf Club - Victory Course

Played On 06/11/2023
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Average shape

The greens were just recently punched, but with the smaller gauge holes. The greens overall were fast, but not very consistent. The surface was very hard and it was difficult to keep a ball on the surface. They definitely needed watering. The pin placement on nearly every hole was harsh. Several were right on the edge of slope or drop offs. We were wondering if the greens keeper was just in a bad mood. The holes had not been cut in awhile as the edges were all fuzzy and the grass was going into the hole.
The fairways are showing some signs of heat stress. Oddly there were strips or sections of the fairways which were very wet. Pace of play according to the card in the cart is supposed to be 4 1/2 hours. This seems slow to me. Since we had to wait on the groups ahead of us, we ended up playing in just under 5 hours, which is slow. Golf balls at the range were mostly dead. I haven't played here in quite awhile, but I usually like this course. It was just a bit off this time. It just wasn't the higher end course I remembered.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Always seems windy

The course is a lot of fun, but it always seems windy when we are here. Not an issue, just an observation. The fairways and greens are generally top notch. The sand traps need work. The only bad thing is the pace of play. They get groups of couples who don't care how slow they go and how many holes behind they get. They play from the wrong tees and take even longer as they hit their 30 yard shots. Very frustrating to watch and wait and every hole and every shot. The Marshals will not do anything to keep pace. Love the course, hate the shuffling zombies golfers who play slow.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Great course

Played here as a guest of a member. I have played all three 9's. Really fun course. The greens are some of the best in the valley. I always enjoy my day here.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate

Sun City South Golf Course

Played On 01/28/2023
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Arizona Advisor
Top 25 Contributor
Previously Played
Cold weather
Walked

Average course - charges extra for carts

An uninspired flat course with raised greens. The greens are hard packed and cut too close to the dirt.
They barely make any marks on approach shots. Putts do not hold their line. The fairways are thin and hard almost like having a tight lie even though you are in the fairway. To the greens keepers - guys, let the grass grow out a little bit.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
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