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Lookout Mountain remains one of my favorite courses in the area. It offers great views on several holes, and most holes require precision placement of your tee shots. Most greens are very tough, with a fair amount of undulations and subtle breaks that make putting a real challenge. The par 3's can really ruin your score, lol. They can be made even more difficult depending on pin placement. Today it felt as though the pin placements were chosen for a professional tournament. The fairways are in very good condition, though not as lush as other courses I play regularly. The elevation changes make the course play longer than it measures so choose your tee box wisely. And, the customer service is always outstanding. You will be hard pressed to find a friendlier bunch of folks working a course.

I played Lookout Mountain again today - the 3rd time since it reopened after overseeding - and continue to be very pleased with the course. It's cart path only for a few more weeks, but the walking is not too bad. Due to the elevation changes on many holes and sloping fairways, you cardio conditioning might be challenged. It will likely be another 2 weeks or so before the course is in ideal condition, but you will not be disappointed right now. The fairways are lush and still being cut down, so your ball won't roll much. The greens are in great shape, but running slow, so you need to adjust your putting speed. Finally, as always, the customer service is excellent.

The drive through the center of Prescott Valley to the Stone Ridge Golf course is a night and day experience. An old town in great need of a makeover, leads into a beautiful new housing development where this course is located. The difference between the downtown section and the golf course community could not be more stark. I was looking forward to playing this course but after my round I pledged I would not return because the experience was not much fun.

The driving range was long and deep and made for a good warm-up session. The adjacent putting green, with its undulations, gives you a good introduction to what you will experience on the course. While neither was particularly impressive visually, I never judge a course on the practice facilities. I want to see what the playing experience is like. Stone Ridge was beautiful, had very nice views, some visually interesting holes, is incredibly challenging, eats balls like PacMan, and not much fun.

The course is in terrific condition. The fairways are as lush as any place I have played. The greens are in outstanding condition, though not very fast, and offer a really interesting putting experience due to the number of undulations you encounter. The ball rolled true.

The designer was able to retain much of the natural environment, which was great. But the layout is an absolute head scratcher and a nightmare of an experience. If you like riding roller coasters, you will enjoy driving from the greens to tee boxes. There are way too many forced carries over ravines and other vast expanses. Having such forced carries every now and then would make for an interesting diversion. But geez, on every hole?! And you are constantly hitting off of an elevated tee box and up to an elevated green. There is not a flat lie any place. The back nine takes blind dog legs, elevation changes, and elevated tee boxes and greens to another level. Overkill. If I were a mountain goat I would have enjoyed my round much more.

At a time of the year when most courses have disappointing playing conditions, Legend Trail impresses. The course was aerated 2 weeks earlier and was in terrific condition this day. The fairways were lush, and the greens outstanding. The bunkers had nice sand, though they were a bit damp early in the AM. The pin placements were particularly challenging today, but well struck putts rolled beautifully. The pace of play was excellent as we finished our round in just over 4 hours and did not have to wait for any group ahead of us. We didn't feel pressed and could play at a comfortable pace. The customer service was excellent as usual. This is one of my go to courses in Scottsdale.

This course is always special to play, and presents a tremendous challenge. You must bring your A game when you play here, as there are tight fairways, long carries, and a variety of angles off the tee and for your approach shots. The greens were very well maintained, and super quick. The hot weather clearly had taken a toll on the course as there were many re-sodded areas around greens and fairways. But that didn't take away from the beauty of this course.

Las Sendas is tucked away in East Mesa within a housing development. Homes are within reach on errant shots, but they are not so close you feel stifled. The course is quite challenging, with virtually no flat lies in any fairway, and numerous elevation changes. Errant shots generally results in lost balls due to the surrounding desert landscape. The course this day was in excellent shape, with well manicured fairways and greens. The greens were lightning fast, and with undulations, both subtle and obvious, putting was quite difficult. This course requires that you choose your clubs wisely. Pulling out the driver on many holes will be a mistake. The views are wonderful, and the closing 18th hole is fabulous. The staff is friendly, and all this made for a terrific round.

I have played the Whirlwind Cattail course twice previously, and this was my first time playing the Devil's Claw. What a treat. This course is among my Top Ten favorites in the Phoenix area. The course was in fabulous condition, with the fairways green and lush, and the greens beautifully manicured. They rolled quick, but smooth. The bunkers feature fine grain sand, which is a pleasure to experience here in AZ. The layout is challenging, but with a variety of tee box options, fair. Devil's Claw is a bit shorter than Cattail, and the fairways are a bit more open. Which I like, LOL. Also, for some reason, the geese do not inhabit the water holes the way they do on Cattail, which means no jumping over you know what, which I also like! This course is worth the drive. Highly recommended.

My visit to Tonto Verde reminded me of the gem this course is. It is nestled in a residential community in Rio Verde, so every hole is adjacent to homes. Fortunately, they are not so close that they feel intrusive or in play on your errant shots. The setting is very serene, with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. The course itself was in wonderful condition. The fairways were green and well kept, and the greens were fabulous. Except for a handful of unrepaired ballmarks (players' fault, not the club's) the greens were smooth and rolled true, but quick. The bunkers, which I visited often, and are in good numbers on this course, were great. Nice, soft, white sand. Not hard dirt that is found so often at courses out here. The hole layouts were not particularly difficult, but presented a fair challenge, forcing you to choose the proper approach to the greens. The driving range is also wonderful. And, the staff was very friendly. Finally, if you visit this course, take the drive through Fountain Hills, up Pinnacle Road. It's one beautiful ride. I highly recommend this course.

I have now played the newly updated Verde River Golf & Social Club course twice since it re-opened. Trilogy has done a terrific job with this course and it has the potential to be one of the best courses in this area. The setting is serene, with wonderful views of the nearby mountains, and wild horses and deer adding to the setting. The course is still under development, but the vision is displayed in photos around the course, and it will be very high end. The fairways on most holes are in great condition, but some are in need of more extensive care, which I expect will be given in light of the high end aspirations for the course. I was told that the long term plan is to make it private. I love the layout. There isn't a boring hole in sight, with very interesting doglegs and angled approaches to greens, and strategically placed washes that force strategic play. You can comfortably get through a round with minimal use of your driver. The greens are excellent, with challenges presented by shelving and undulations that make every putt interesting. The practice area is excellent as it is wide and deep. And, it's sufficiently removed from the playing area that you don't encounter a ton of practice balls in the fairway after you tee off, which as we all know make it almost impossible to find your drive, whether good or errant. The staff is extremely friendly, and although the clubhouse at this time is really the size of a NYC studio apartment, your basic needs are easily satisfied. This course is worth the drive.

I have played Silverado a few times and decided to write this review because I now consider it one of the best values in the Scottsdale area. Yes, it doesn't have a driving range, the front 9 is not the most exciting, the distance between greens and tees on some holes on the back 9 is much too great, and the staff can often be indifferent and not warm and fuzzy. But the course is in excellent condition and the back 9 is really interesting and fun. Overall, this course offers a wonderful golfing experience. I have spent more money to play other courses that didn't have fairways and greens in the same quality condition. I recommend you check out this course

While I prefer Ambiente, Padre offers a great golfing experience at a cheaper price. Although the rough is dried out because they didn't overseed that part of the course, the fairways and greens are in excellent condition; the best I have experience there. Recommended.

Quintero is one of the top two courses I have played in AZ thus far. The course is extremely challenging, but the views, course layout, and conditions are incredible. It is so serene and beautiful, you feel as though you have escaped to paradise. Every hole presents a new experience, and you will give your camera a workout. Just bring extra balls, LOL. The practice facility is practically in the next county, but the ride up there and to the first tee is really nice, and the facilities are fabulous. The staff is also very friendly and accommodating. This is A must play course.

This is one amazing course. This was my first visit, and it definitely will not be my last. The fairways and greens were in fabulous condition for this time of the year. I have visited only one other course in AZ that had comparable conditions this summer. The greens were extremely challenging; fast and with subtle breaks. Lots of fun dogleg layouts, and the setting is wonderful as the course is framed by the incredible red rock mountain formations. The view from the tee box on the 13th hole is unforgettable. This was a most welcome change from the typical desert courses, as the course is lined with fully developed pine and other trees, and a ball that ends up off the fairway is not automatically assumed lost.

The course reopened this day after being closed for many months due to the damage caused its greens and fairways by improperly used chemicals. And, it's back! There is new ownership, and it's clear they have put a great deal of effort into reviving this course. The fairways were lush, though there are areas with patchwork sod, and the greens were fabulous. However, the lack of consistent yardage markers on the course made for an adventure in club selection. Hopefully, this will be fixed soon. The customer service was extremely friendly as usual. Overall, a wonderful experience.

My round at Kokopelli was the worst golfing experience I have had in AZ. The staff was very nice, and tried to be accommodating, but that could not make a bad golfing experience better. My tee time was delayed more than an hour, allegedly due to a morning tournament, and it took 3 hours to play 9 holes. In addition, and perhaps more important, this course is in horrible condition. Anything off the fairway consists of either hardened mud, dirt or sparse grass. I will not return.