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Alpine Northern Arizona

Alpine Country Club

Alpine Country Club – Arizona Golf Course Reviews
With no irrigation system, conditioning here depends largely on Mother Nature, and when she cooperates, it is a fun little track with plenty of charm in the high country. Located in the White Mountains at 8,500 feet above sea level, Alpine Country Club is the highest course in the Southwest and resides in an area known…

Alpine Country Club – Arizona Golf Courses
With no irrigation system, conditioning here depends largely on Mother Nature, and when she cooperates, it is a fun little track with plenty of charm in the high country. Located in the White Mountains at 8,500 feet above sea level, Alpine Country Club is the highest course in the Southwest and resides in an area known as the “Alps of Arizona.”

alpine-country-club-arizona-photographWhat golfers find here is an entertaining nine-holer with plenty of birdie opportunities, fairways surrounded by dense groves of aspen trees, blue spruce and ponderosa pines in temperatures much cooler than those served up by Arizona’s big cities. They also find abundant wildlife, most notably the spectacular elk that still consider the fairways their stomping grounds.

Designed by Lawrence and Ernie Gay, the course opened in 1963 near the New Mexico border and is well off the beaten path, the nearest town with a stoplight is some 30 miles away. The course plays at 2,650 yards for men, with a rating of 65 and slope of 109 for 18 holes. Ladies’ tees are at 2,305 with a rating and slope of 65.7 and 118.

The par-34 layout starts with a pair of drivable par 4s, and keep in mind that at this elevation, you’ll be gaining plenty of distance on your shots. The first hole, called “Grip ‘N Rip,” is just 267 yards and tempts you to blast away, but it features a tight fairway that narrows to just 40 feet at the entrance to the green. Next up is an even shorter par 4 at 250 yards but there are 100-foot-high ponderosas in the middle of the fairway, 180 yards out, that your tee shot must clear to reach the green, which is heavily sloped from back to front.

And so it goes on this quaint little course that keeps you on your toes with its combination of doglegs, forestry and elevation changes. The eighth hole, a 139-yard par 3 that plays downhill to a green surrounded by 80-foot aspens, offers one of the most beautiful settings on the course and has been the site of several weddings.

Alpine, along the eastern edge of the White Mountains, is in an area known for its gentle rolling mountains and the largest stand of ponderosa pine in the world, with the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the Gila National Forest providing over 2 million acres of public land. Every direction offers a wonder of nature.

To the north stands Escudilla Mountain at 10,877 feet. The Blue Primitive Area, one of the most remote areas in the western U.S., lies to the south. Off to the west is the Black River with its premium fly fishing and over 50 lakes within an hour’s drive. Due east lies Luna, N.M., and the gorgeous San Francisco River Valley.

This is a very special area of Arizona that you won’t soon forget, and if you’re looking for lodging to complement the golf experience, try the Hannigan Meadow Lodge, the Ta-Wi-Wi Lodge or the Alpine Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Click Arizona Golf Course Reviews for our take on every golf course in Arizona. It’s just a part of “All Things, Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.