Category: Phoenix

The Buzz: Before the JW Marriott Resort sprung up in this northeast part of Phoenix known as Desert Ridge, Arnold Palmer and his design crew sculpted a signature course, which was one of five he designed in Arizona and was selected as one of the “Top 10 Palmer standouts” by golf & travel magazines. It is a stark contrast to the Nick Faldo-designed course that opened five years later, and remains one of the best overall layouts in the Valley of the Sun. The back nine, along with the back nine of the Faldo Course, will be used to create a course for a new LPGA Tour event in March, 2011. Over the years, Palmer has taken some heat for not spending enough time at some of the venues where his courses were created, but he was very hands-on with this one, visiting the site six times during construction. Two years after opening, it played host to the EMC2 Skills Challenge, which was televised by NBC and featured PGA Tour players such as Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Nick Price and winner Billy Andrade. When he attended the 1997 grand opening, Palmer proclaimed, “Wildfire uses the desert very well, and environmentally, I think we did a fantastic job.”

Visually, it is very appealing, with numerous arroyos, backdrops created by the McDowell Mountains, and splendid views of Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak. There are five sets of tees, ranging from 4,915 to 7,145 yards. With a rating of 72.5 and slope of 140, it is a handful if you tackle it from the tips. The Palmer course is a target-oriented layout, yet its fairways are wide enough to allow you to attack with a driver on most tees. There also are some blind shots, split fairways, dense areas of rough and undulating greens that are expansive, with an average size of 7,000 square feet.

The front nine is highlighted by a pair of back-to-back holes. No. 5 is a 530-yard par 5 with a split fairway to a green surrounded by eight bunkers. The par-4 sixth, at 415 yards, is a photo op with Camelback Mountain looming in the distance, where your tee shot needs to carry desert terrain, leading to a green protected by a U-shaped bunker. But the course saves its best for last, with five strong finishing holes. No. 14 is another beautiful hole, a par 5 at 530 yards with a split fairway and a partially blind tee shot divided by desert, leading to a long, narrow green. No. 17, a 450-yard par 4, might be the toughest hole on the course demanding a solid drive and an accurate approach to a two-tiered green guarded on the right by water. As Palmer said when the course was completed, “I enjoy designing golf courses that celebrate the sheer fun of golf, and Wildfire is exactly that.”

The clubhouse and practice facilities also are first rate and deluxe GPS screens on the carts feature flyovers of each hole. Then there is the hotel, which is so elegant you might not want to leave the glass-enclosed lobby that presents splashing fountains, waterways and palm-lined and pathways. In addition to public play, the golf club offers annual memberships with benefits that dwarf those of some country clubs. Along with access to both courses, members enjoy the amenities offered by the resort property, such as spa treatments, tennis courts and a fitness center, as well as stays at other Marriott hotels and reciprocal golf at more than 40 Marriott courses. Be advised, however, that few of those courses will surpass what “The King” created here.

The Buzz: The Faldo course is the second of two outstanding designs at the JW Marriott Wildfire Resort and a stark contrast to the first, which was crafted by Arnold Palmer. In fact, the Nick Faldo-designed layout is a departure from just about every other course in the Valley of the Sun. With 108 large, dramatic bunkers, some of which could swallow a Volkswagen bus, high sand and turf flashings, the layout is reminiscent of Australian Sand Belt courses, such as Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. But don’t let it frighten you too much because, if you think your way around it, the bark is much worse than the bite. Some of the sight lines are intimidating, but it offers generous fairways, few water hazards and transition areas milder than the average desert course, making it playable for all levels of golfers. The back nine, along with the back nine of the Palmer Course, will be used to create a course for a new LPGA Tour event in March, 2011. The surrounding mountains, saguaros and desert flora make it visually appealing as well. “We wanted to create a layout that was unlike anything else in the Phoenix region,” said Faldo, who partnered with the Phoenix design team of Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt, “and I think anyone who plays here will agree that we did.” One of the plusses is the variety, with par-4 holes that range from 314 to 478 yards from the back tees and par-3s ranging from 164 to 220 yards. The par-71 layout has four sets of tees, ranging from 5,245 to 6,846 yards and is rated at 71.6 with a slope of 127 from the back tees.

The bunkering creates the kind of risk/reward style of play Faldo intended, which is evident at the 16th hole. At 316 yards, it is a reachable par-4 for big hitters off the tee, but a desert wash runs along the right side and six steep-faced bunkers surround the green. No. 15 is a 620-yard, par-5 that requires three solid shots to a slender green protected by eight bunkers. But the signature hole might be No. 2, a 408-yard par 4 with a split fairway, forcing you to decide how to avoid a row of steep bunkers right down the middle, leaving a shot to a big green that is well guarded by (you guessed it) sand bunkers. Again, if you don’t try to overpower it, this can be a day at the beach instead of a day stuck in the beach.

Afterward, there is plenty of opportunity to relax at this resort, which has won numerous awards as one of the top golf resorts in the country from Conde Nast and other publications. Wildfire Golf Club opened in 1997 with the Palmer signature course before the hotel was built and the Faldo course debuted in 2002 within a month of the hotel’s grand opening. Along with the two courses, there are two putting greens, chipping green and practice bunker, an expansive driving range, 2,500-square-foot golf shop and deluxe GPS screens on the carts with flyovers of each hole.

If you’re fortunate enough to stay at the resort, be prepared to experience luxury that includes endless recreation, the world-class Revive Spa, five swimming pools, a winding river and waterslide, state-of-the-art fitness center, 24-hour room service and 10 restaurants, ranging from the casual poolside fare at Just a Splash to elegant Italian cuisine at Ristorante Tuscany. Every day at the beach should be this good.

The Buzz: Welcome to the course that almost became the first Tournament Players Club in PGA Tour history and host site of the annual Phoenix Open, but still turned out to be one of Arizona’s best resort layouts. This course, part of the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort, combines stunning scenery with challenging play and a glimpse of wildlife, including coyote and quail. Bordering the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, with excellent views of Lookout Mountain and Piestewa Peak, it has received a Golf Digest Four Star award for nine consecutive years, and with good reason. In the mid 1980s, PGA Tour commissioner Dean Beman toured the property with legendary designer Pete Dye in search of a TPC home, but then-Phoenix mayor Margaret Hance and a group of environmentalists objected, effectively killing the project. Instead, the TPC course was built in north Scottsdale, becoming the tournament’s home.

Lookout Mountain, which was designed by local architect Bill Johnston, has hosted a Champions Tour event and was the host course of the made-for-TV Skills Challenge for its first three years. Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez, John Daly, Hale Irwin and David Duval are among those who have competed here. Holes are characterized by dramatic elevation changes and golfers are treated to a memorable risk-reward finishing hole with a 510-yard, par-5 to a shallow, island green, where the only entrance point is a 10-yard-wide alley along the left side. If the course isn’t enough to fit your fancy, the resort certainly will. It offers fine dining, lodging, shopping, hiking and horseback riding without leaving the grounds.

The 19th hole actually is the Pointe in Tyme Bar and Grill, a steakhouse with homemade marinades and rubs and seasonal entrees. The short rib pot roast and grilled Atlantic salmon are excellent. Dinner is a special treat with upscale cuisine at the renowned Different Pointe of View, which sits on a mountain top and offers views from the restaurant and fireplace overlook of desert landscape and city lights that are unmatched in the Phoenix area.