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Northern Arizona Prescott

Talking Rock Golf Club

Arizona Golf Course List – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Guide

Arizona Golf Course List - Talking Rock Golf Course - Arizona Golf Authority
Talking Rock Golf Course

This private country club layout, among the last designed by Jay Morrish, is the centerpiece of a sprawling 3,500-acre master-planned community that recently was ranked as one of the top 50 such communities by Where To Retire magazine.

Located northwest of Prescott, Arizona in the Williamson Valley, an area where Phoenix area residents often go to escape the summer heat, it offers a peaceful, serene setting where tees and greens appear to float on a sea of native grasses. The course winds through pinion pine forests, with mild desert terrain in the transition areas highlighted by wispy native grasses.

“The developers offered me the opportunity to design the course wherever I wanted it on the entire property, as long as it appeared as natural as possible,” Morrish said. “When you have that, you can do some pretty special things.”

The course is defined by generous landing areas, deep, strategically placed bunkers and aprons that allow golfers to run shots up to greens – a feature typical of the Scottish links-style courses that Morrish favors.

Among other high-caliber events, Talking Rock has hosted the Southwest Section of the PGA Championship event and from the tips it can be a beast, but golfers have plenty of options here to pick their pleasure or their poison.

Morrish provided six sets of tees, stretching to 7,350 yards from the tips, but plays at just 5,105 from the forward tees. From the back, the par-72 layout is rated at 73.7 with a slope of 136.

The front nine is the more level of the two, winding through pine forests with excellent views of local peeks such as Granite Mountain. The back nine climbs to higher elevations with rugged terrain and even better mountain settings.

Deep bunkers provide the most significant obstacles as there is water in play on just three holes and the par 5s are particularly strong. Those include the never-ending sixth, which stretches to 641 yards, and the 11th, which plays at “only” 563 yards and has a creek cutting across the fairway near the green that adds a risk-reward element.

The ninth and 18th holes, which play at 589 and 542 yards, are separated by a large lake near the end of their two fairways. Both fairways and greens are heavily bunkered.

Talking Ranch offers golf and non-golf memberships and those members enjoy first-class amenities such as fine dining, entertainment, an extensive trail system, outdoor activities and state-of-the-art fitness, tennis and swimming facilities.

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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Northern Arizona Prescott Valley

StoneRidge Golf Course

StoneRidge Golf Course

Golfers who think the roller coaster is the best ride at the amusement park will have a blast playing StoneRidge, located in the Bradshaw Mountains just outside Prescott, Arizona.

StoneRidge is a fun trip across desert-mountain terrain accented by tangled brush, deep canyons and ravines at about 5,000 feet, which makes it considerably cooler than the Phoenix area and well worth the 60-mile drive north to reach it, especially when the Valley is sweltering.

Elevation changes of 350 feet provide a variety of downhill tee shots and uphill approaches amidst boulder outcroppings, quiet surroundings and sweeping panoramic views on the course designed by Randy Heckenkemper, an understudy of Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. The course has four sets of tees, ranging from 4,953 to 7,052 yards, and is rated at 72.3 with a slope of 132 from the back tees. The first glimpse, driving toward the clubhouse, can be a scary one. Looking up, the stark vision is of the 10th green, which seems to be sitting on top of a deep canyon with no room around it to hold errant approach shots. But relax, it’s not as diabolical as it appears.

“StoneRidge is one of the most beautiful and challenging designs I have ever created,” Heckenkemper said. “A lot of times on mountain golf courses, the shots are too difficult, which makes a course lose its appeal. That’s why we were careful to examine the layout of each hole and make adjustments that would make it more player-friendly, while still offering challenge and beauty.” Highlights on the front nine are the third and fifth holes. No. 3 is a 247-yard par-3 with an elevated tee and a 150-yard drop to a green that is partially hidden but has a bowl-like shape that funnels shots toward the pin. The fifth is a 383-yard par-4 with a severe right dogleg where your tee shot is over a canyon to another partially obscured green, and cutting the corner can have treacherous consequences. While many holes are defined by elevation changes, the real roller-coaster ride starts at the signature hole, No. 12, a 230-yard par-3 framed by pockets of boulders, rocks and ridges, which serve as a backdrop for the green. The 13th, a 373-yard, par 4, is the most peaceful and scenic spot on the course, starting with an elevated tee shot to a sloping fairway, followed by an approach shot over an arroyo. The 14th and 15th are slender par-4 holes that both play uphill with right doglegs. The 16th, a 553-yard, par 5, is reachable in two shots and the 17th is a 194-yard par-3 from yet another elevated tee.

The round concludes with a 630-yard, downhill par 5 that is shaped like a reverse question mark. That question mark can be straightened out by those willing to gamble, but like several other StoneRidge holes, a high risk-reward factor comes into play with bunkers on both doglegs and both sides of the green. With all of the elevation changes, pulling the right club can be a challenge, which adds to the fun if you make the right call. Topping it off, StoneRidge has an elegant 14,586-square-foot clubhouse that includes a restaurant, banquet room, conference room, grille, outdoor patio and some of the most captivating scenery you’ll find at a 19th hole.

Categories
Northern Arizona Snowflake

Snowflake Community Golf Course

Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Golf Course Buzz: Snowflake, Arizona, located an hour or so east of Flagstaff in the White Mountains, is home to the only golf course in the U.S.A. that features a Mormon Temple sitting smack-dab in the middle of the golf course.

Snowflake Community Golf Course

The Temple, one of 51 in the continental United States, dominates the local landscape and serves nearly 35,000 Latter Day Saints living in these parts of Arizona and neighboring New Mexico.

Like the Temple, the Snowflake Community Golf Course, owned and operated by the town of Snowflake, has plenty of dedicated disciples. The facility’s admirers boast about its combination of good conditioning, peaceful surroundings on the edge of the Sitgreaves National Forest, affordable green fees and extensive community programs.

The original 18 holes, designed by Ed Hunt and Lynn Ellsworth, opened in 1980. Concurrent with the dedication of the Temple in 2002, a new nine holes were built to serve as the back nine for the 18-hole course; the original back nine remains intact and now serves as a separate nine-hole course.

Three holes of the new back nine wrap around the Temple, resting high above the fairways and providing a more heavenly viewing experience than the norm for golfers. The ornate facility is highlighted by a water feature cascading outside the entrance over a natural-rock ledge into a pool, antique art-glass panels and an exterior skin of imported, highly polished granite.

Each course offers three sets of tees; on the 18-hole layout, they play at 6,172, 5,717 and 4,995 yards with a rating of 68.1 and slope of 112 from the back tees. The golf course rests nearly 5,000-feet above sea level, so adjust your normal yardages by about 10%. You’ll find the front nine is fairly open and reasonably flat; the new back nine though has plenty of undulation and water hazards are in play on four holes.

The signature hole is No. 7, a 525-yard par-5 dogleg left, with a rugged wash running along the left side of the fairway and a large cottonwood tree guarding the front of the green. Highlighting the back nine is the 12th hole, a 157-yard par-3 with an elevated tee, a full carry over a small lake and railroad-tie landscaping at the front of the green.

Tees on the nine-hole course are set at 3,185, 2,995 and 2,550 yards, with the ninth hole providing the toughest test here. It’s a par-5 playing 570 yards; a sharp dogleg left at the end of the fairway requires a 3rd shot approach over a lake.

Snowflake Community Golf Course offers a driving range, two putting greens and chipping and bunker practice areas; the clubhouse has a full-service restaurant. Junior programs are especially strong at Snowflake and some of the Arizona’s best young players have honed their games here under the direction of longtime head pro Steve Schneider, including former state amateur champion John R. Davis.

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.

Categories
Northern Arizona Show Low

Silver Creek Golf Club

The Buzz: Back in the days when cowboys roamed the grounds that became Silver Creek Golf Club, you could see herds of cattle for miles and miles. There still are traces of the Bourdon Ranch, which was spread out over 10,000 acres. But today, once you get to the end of what’s now Bourdon Ranch Road near Show Low, there are 18 holes of splendid golf to bring your mind back to the present. Then again, it’s hard not to think about the fact that John Wayne once owned a ranch in the area near the little town of Eagar.

Silver Creek comes at you like “the Duke,’’ with a tough par-5 right out of the chute that rambles for 550 yards straight up the hill with a few twists and turns. It is the shape of things to come, as Silver Creek constantly keeps you on your toes. A super-lush layout the majority of the year thanks to ever-present afternoon showers, Silver Creek boasts the unusual combination of rye fairways, bluegrass rough and bentgrass greens. An early effort Phoenix architect Gary Panks – some consider it among his best work – Silver Creek fits right into the category of “hidden gems.’’ With rolling fairways and wide-open spaces that often bring big winds roaring down the plain, Silver Creek can often play 10 strokes more difficult from morning to afternoon, when the storms and winds and – egad! – lightning can strike.

Like all good golf courses, Silver Creek just keeps getting better and better, with its most storied stretch being the 12th through 15th holes, dubbed by the locals “Amen Straightway.’’ The par-3 12th is a 244-yard brute; the 13th is a demanding dogleg that rolls on for 440 yards; the 14th is a par-5 that plays up the hill some 533 yards; and the 15th is a par 4 that some might think is a par 5 at 484 yards. Difficult and demanding, only the wildflowers and multiple water features –most notably the namesake Silver Creek — keep the peace (and tranquility) at Silver Creek.

Categories
Northern Arizona Sedona

Seven Canyons Golf Club

Seven Canyons Golf Club - Sedona

Arizona Golf Courses AZGA Guide: Tom Weiskopf, who has established himself as one of the world’s foremost course architects, has created some of the best layouts on some of the most beautiful land you can find in the state of Arizona, but even he was blown away the first time he toured the property that would become Seven Canyons. What he carved out here is a masterpiece on a 200-acre facility encompassed by the stunning red rock formations of Sedona and 100,000 acres of the protected Coconino National Forest.

In fact, the former British Open and U.S. Senior Open champion was so captivated, he visited the site more than 40 times during construction. “The design of Seven Canyons was a labor of love,” Weiskopf said.

“When I first saw the property, it took my breath away. Words don’t do it justice. The challenge was to create a golf course that looked like it had been there for a hundred years, and that was the most compelling reason I accepted the assignment. I can confidently say it is as good and dramatic a golf course site as I have ever had to work with in Arizona.”

Among other things, this course has been dubbed “The IMAX of Golf” and “Seventh Heaven” by various golf magazines.It was created as a private course, but due to a sagging economy and the financial strains that followed, Seven Canyons began offering public play in 2010, presenting golfers with a rare opportunity to tee it up on this exclusive and enchanting layout. The club continues to use a temporary clubhouse, but course conditions are first rate.

While the overall property is sprawling, Weiskopf had limited land with which to build the course that opened in 2003. But, working without any drawings, he made the most of it and created a memorable test that plays at just 6,745 yards from the tips. The par-70 layout has seven sets of tees, with the shortest at 4,986 yards, and it is rated at 71.1 with a slope of 139 from the back tees.

There are just two par-5 holes and Weiskopf purposely shaped some of the par-4’s to dissuade accomplished golfers from hitting drivers off the tees. One rarity is that the par-5 holes, at 591 and 500 yards, are the Nos. 1 and 2 handicap holes. Perhaps the most memorable hole is the par-3 sixth, which is the No.3 handicap hole, and is a near duplicate of the famous par-3 16th at Augusta National.

One Weiskopf trademark is creating holes reminiscent of his favorites as a PGA Tour player. Another is risk-reward holes, and there are several of those, including the 12th, a drivable par 4 that measures 305 yards from the back tee. Technology has created an arms race in golf that seems to dictate that “longer is better” when it comes to course design, but Weiskopf bucked that trend with a layout reminiscent of classic 1970s courses.

Instead of length, it puts a premium on shot-making with small greens, narrow landing areas, classic-style bunkering, mature trees, natural water features and constant elevation changes. Making it all the better is that the routing fits like a glove into the natural terrain, the course is walkable and it is one very enjoyable walk.

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.