The Buzz: When it comes to golf, this is the only game in the town of Ajo and a true slice of Americana, with a delightful and friendly nine-hole course built on relatively flat terrain with elevated greens. The layout rests among the Ajo Mountains to the south and Childs Mountain to the West, features a natural arroyo cutting through the middle of the course and is home to several species of wildlife, including roadrunners, coyotes and deer. One of the neat features of this place is that it sets across the tarmac from the Eric Marcus Municipal Airport, which was built in 1940 by the U.S. Army.
Ajo Country Club originally served as the Officers Club for the airport and became a public course when Pima County obtained the properties in 1954 with its original members designing and building the course that has aged gracefully. Still today it is common to see pilots land their crafts here, grab their clubs and walk about 600 yards to the first tee. There are two sets of tees with the men’s playing at 3,093 yards to a par of 36, rating of 34.2 and slope of 111. Women’s par is 37 at 2,984 yards with a rating of 36.2 and slope of 117.
The signature hole is the ninth, a par 3 at 123 yards with a tee shot over water that must be placed between two towering palm trees. The longest hole is the par 5 sixth at 562 yards and is followed by another par 5 that plays to 470 from the back tee. The course has complete practice facilities with a driving range, chipping and putting greens, rentals clubs and carts, and a bar-restaurant that is popular with local residents.
Green fees are among the most reasonable in the region, as are rates at the attached RV park. Ajo CC has one other thing you won’t find at any other golf course – an annual fiddling contest each February that lasts for about a week and draws hundreds of fiddlers and spectators from around the country.