The Buzz: If grip-and-rip describes your golf game, this might not be the place you want to tee it up. But if you already have throttled back, or simply want to work on your short game in a friendly setting that goes easy on the wallet, then Apache Sun is one course to consider. Open from October through May, this nine-hole layout southeast of Phoenix plays to par 34 at 2,550 yards. It might not seem like an executive course when you reach the first tee and find a par-5 at 480 yards waiting for you. But relax, it’s the only par-5 on a course that has three par-3s ranging from 118-167 yards and five par-4s from 271-384 yards.
It was designed by Leo Johnson, who specialized in smaller courses mainly in the upper Midwest, but also created Tempe’s Pepperwood Golf Course. It opened in 1985 and over the years, about 800 trees have been planted around the property. That, combined with its wall-to-wall turf, gives the course a traditional, Midwest feel, which appeals to its regulars, many of whom are winter visitors from other parts of North America. “I’ve been here since 1988,” general manager Rory Van Pouche said, “and what I hear from our golfers is that they appreciate the traditional experience on a course that has plenty of grass and lots of mature trees. It’s a course they can walk and is very playable but they can still be challenged.” The most fun part of the course is a three-hole stretch where an irrigation pond brings water into play on all three holes. It starts at No. 5, a 170-yard par-3 where the pond runs down the left side. The sixth, a par-4 at 320 yards, has a left dogleg that wraps around the pond. No. 7 is considered the signature hole and is another 170-yard par-3 with water wrapping around the left, back and right side of the green and has a stand of trees also guarding the left side. Apache Sun has a short driving range, putting and chipping areas, and the clubhouse offers a snack bar.
For more substantial dining and other activities, check out the nearby San Tan Village, Queen Creek Marketplace and Cornerstone at Queen Creek, all of which have sprung up in recent years in one of the Valley’s fastest-growing areas. The San Tan outdoor mall offers shopping and a terrific restaurant lineup that includes Blue Burrito Grille, Gelato Dolce Vita, Sbarro, Kona Grill, Gordon Biersch Brewery and Blue Wasabi Sushi and Martini Bar. The other two developments are more shopping oriented but also serve up some tasty treats at the likes of Chipotle Mexican Grill and Paradise Bakery (Marketplace) and Big Dog Bar & Grill (Cornerstone).