Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Golf Course Buzz: With its strong design, rural character and complete package of amenities, Pueblo del Sol offers great golf in Sierra Vista. Located in the southeast corner of Arizona, barely 20 miles from the Mexican border, it’s an area loaded with Old West charm and personality.
Set high in the desert, at an elevation of 4,600 feet, Pueblo del Sol is located in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains. Miller Peak towers nearby, over 9,000 high, and yet Pueblo del Sol is flat enough to be an enjoyable walk.
Played from the tips, the course can present a formidable challenge at 7,174 yards with a rating of 73.7 and slope of 133. There are two other sets of tees for men at 6,670 and 5,891 yards. Women’s tees play at 5,897 yards, with a par of 74, rating of 74.5 and slope of 134.
The club, managed by Castle & Cooke Golf Properties, is semi-private with an “open to the public” guest policy. The tree-lined layout, which opened in 1973, has relatively flat fairways and, at this elevation, offers bent-grass greens; water is in play on eight holes.
Each nine has a memorable three-hole stretch; on the front side it starts with back-to-back par 5s, one’s very short and the other’s quite long. The 5th plays a mere 482 yards from the tips and serves up an eagle opportunity for players who can clear two large fairway bunkers with their drive, leaving a mid-iron to the green.
Right behind it, the par-5 6th stretches to 573-yards and presents a severe dogleg right aided by the prevailing left-to-right wind, forcing players to decide how much of the dogleg to try and cut off with their tee shots, while avoiding the out-of-bounds stakes on both sides.
No. 7 is a risk-reward par-4 of 412 yards, where players can cut off distance by hitting a drive over a lake on the right side to a narrow neck of fairway.
The challenging three-hole finish starts with the 355-yard 16th that’s the shortest par-4 on the course; the locals add “and probably the meanest.” The tee shot must clear a bunker in a narrow fairway and avoid water on the right and trees on the left, leading to a green that slopes back to front and plays into a prevailing wind.
The test continues at 17, the only par-3 on the back and a handful at 233 yards. The par-5 18th is a risk-reward dance with a lake off the tee, 528 yards of fairway the long way around and an elevated, well-bunkered green. Carry the lake off the tee and the short second that’s left will have you thinking about an eagle finish.
Practice facilities include a driving range, chipping and putting greens and a greenside bunker. The full-service Hummingbird Grille is a good place to relax with casual dining and mountain views after the round.
Pueblo del Sol offers a variety of golf and social memberships, which include access to tennis courts, a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and fitness facilities.
The club is located in an area that provides plenty of entertainment with historic Tombstone, the quaint mountain town of Bisbee, mine tours and Kartchner Caverns State Park all in close proximity.
Read the Arizona Golf Course Directory AZGA Golf Course Buzz for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory/.
It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.