Category: Casa Grande

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Casa Grande Central Arizona

Tierra Grande Golf Course

Arizona Golf Course List – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Guide

The golf course at Tierra Grande, located just west of Casa Grande, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, recently underwent a major makeover.

Originally designed by Arthur “Jack” Snyder, it opened in 1978 as a nine-hole course and has now expanded to 18, with nine new holes interspersed with the existing nine. The course boasts level par of 67 shots, which is generous considering the modest length of the course; new slope and course rating figures are due for assignment in 2012.

From the back tees it plays at 4,433 yards, 3,990 yards from the forward set. Water comes into play on two holes – the par-4 third at 261 yards and the par-3 seventh at 126 yards. Tierra Grande has a putting green available but no driving range and has a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. This is a budget play with rates below $25 most of the year.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

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Casa Grande Southern Arizona

Terra Grande Country Club

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Casa Grande Eloy Southern Arizona

Robson Ranch Golf Club

Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Arizona Golf Course Review: Located in Eloy, Arizona, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, Robson Ranch Golf Club is the centerpiece of one of several active adult communities built by the Robson Resort Communities Company. Public play is welcomed at this semi-private club, but members receive preferred rates and tee times.

Designed by Brad Bartell and opened in 2005, Robson Ranch is a player-friendly layout with wide fairways and forgiving approaches, which translates to plenty of birdie opportunities.

Four sets of tees are offered, 6,845, 6,338, 5,797 and 4,909 yards, with a rating of 72 and slope of 120 from the back tees. The course is relatively flat and walkable with two lakes bringing water into play on just two holes.

The signature hole is the ninth, a 532-yard par-5 with a dogleg right. Cross-bunkers guard each side of the fairway at the primary landing area, and another large bunker threatens the end of the fairway. The largest lake on the course wraps around the right side and back of the green, which features two more large bunkers.

Highlights of the back nine are the par-5 12th hole and par-3 14th. No. 12, at 546 yards, is the longest hole on the course and features a split fairway. A lake beckons on the right side but is only in play for the wildest of tee shots. The approach shot must find a green complex with a massive bunker guarding the entire left side; a smaller bunker lurks on the right.

No. 14 is the best of the par-3 holes at 169 yards. With another elongated bunker along the full left side and a merely large bunker guarding the right.

Robson Ranch has complete game-improvement facilities featuring an all-turf driving range, putting green, chipping green and practice bunkers. The clubhouse includes a snack bar and the popular Robson Ranch Grill restaurant. The fully developed community also features a sports and aquatics center, dog park, softball field and basketball courts.

Read the Arizona Golf Course List AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

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Casa Grande Southern Arizona

Mission Royale Golf Course

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Casa Grande Southern Arizona

Francisco Grande Golf Resort

The Buzz: The course says golf and the resort says baseball, with good reason. Francisco Grande was developed in the early 1960s by Horace Stoneham, the owner of the San Francisco Giants, as a spring training home for his baseball team. That’s why you will find a swimming pool in the shape of a bat, a wading pool resembling a baseball, a parking area in the shape of a baseball diamond, flower beds simulating bats and balls and an overhang on the main tower shaped like a ball cap. From the penthouse overlook, there is an observation tower which was used by coaches and media to observe practice and if you use some imagination you might still see outlines of four baseball diamonds around the tower. The California Angels also made it their spring home for four years, ending in 1982.

The entire resort, which once served as a vacation getaway for celebrities including John Wayne, Pat Boone and Dale Robertson, underwent an $8 million facelift in 2003. The resort offers extensive facilities, including a lounge adorned with historical photos of Willie Mays, Juan Marichal and other Giants stars, and The Duke bar, named after Wayne. As for the golf course, it is a handful. Playing at 7,545 yards from the tips, it is one of the longest in Arizona, and is rated at 75.3 with a slope of 130. The parkland-style layout features more than 1,500 mature trees and three lakes come into play on five holes. The fairways are wide and landing areas generous but the trees and desert transition areas stand ready to penalize errant shots. The signature hole is the par-3 third, which plays at 193 yards to a two-tiered, elevated, pear-shaped green guarded by water and bunkers.

To travelers, Francisco Grande stands as an oasis in the desert with a distinct Southwestern flair. For visitors who plan to spend the night, be advised: Rooms in the tower are far superior to those in the courtyard. Ratings give them four stars and three stars, respectively, but they are deceiving. It’s well worth the extra 20 bucks to upgrade to a room with a balcony overlooking the course and Sonoran Mountains in the distance.