Category: Tucson

The Buzz: Although it doesn’t get the acclaim of the 18-hole Conquistador and Canada courses at this Hilton resort, Pusch Ridge may be the finest nine-hole layout in Arizona. The Little Sister, with three sets of tees ranging from 2,579 to 2,799 yards, is a par-35 course that is an absolute delight. If you’re pressed for time or looking f or a warm-up before tackling either of the other two courses, this little gem will get the job done.

It is named after Pusch Ridge, a beautiful mountainous area that towers over Tucson and the surrounding desert as one of the most prominent features of the Santa Catalina Mountains. With its lower slopes dotted with cactus and its upper reaches dark with pine, this unmistakable landmark makes the point in no uncertain terms that this is a land of extremes – in biodiversity as well as topography. Within the 56,933-acre wilderness, elevations range from 2,800 to 8,800 feet. Deep canyons separated by razorback ridges crease the slopes; rocky bluffs and pinnacles define the horizon. The wildlife that inhabits this unique setting is diverse as well.

The course is named in honor of George Pusch, a German immigrant who settled in the area in 1874, establishing a cattle ranch that was unique in that it utilized a stream pump to provide water. It was one of only two steam pumps in the Arizona Territory and popularized Pusch’s property as the Steam Punch Ranch on the Canada del Oro.

This, then, is the setting for this delightful course, which is the only one of the three located on the resort property. It encircles the resort and makes full use of the ravings, ridges and indigenous cactus, mesquite and palo verde trees with dramatic elevation changes, water hazards and small greens, adding up to a shot-making test. The third through seventh holes are as challenging as they are scenic. You will love the mountain backdrop behind the third green and the view of the resort from the tee on the par-3 fourth.

The signature hole is the fifth, a 371-yard par 4 with a walkway to a peninsula green. The sixth, another par 4 at 366 yards, features a sharp right dogleg to an elevated putting complex and the seventh, a 111-yard par 3, caps off the stretch with a tee shot over a formidable desert ravine. One word of advice – keep your approach shots below the hole on the Pusch Ridge greens or you will end up with long, fast, downhill comeback putts.

If you stay at the resort, you’re in for a treat. El Conquistador includes five restaurants, two lounges, four pools, courts for tennis, basketball, volleyball and racquetball, two exercise rooms, three Jacuzzis, saunas, bike rentals, horseback riding and a 143-foot water slide that is pure fun.  Pusch Ridge also has an extensive trail network, which is a nature lover’s delight.

The Buzz: This is the signature course for Tucson’s largest golf resort, offering 45-holes across three excellent courses designed by Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin. The Conquistador course is located in a lush, park-like setting fringed with natural mesquite and Palo Verde trees intertwined with vibrant desert flora at the base of the Santa Catalina mountain range. It features wide, open fairways and five sets of tees, ranging from 4,826 to 6,801 yards. It plays to par-71 and is rated at 72.6 with a slope of 129 from the back tees. This layout is longer, but more open and flatter than the neighboring Cañada Course. Fast, elevated greens, water hazards and several doglegs define the course. Tough holes on the front nine include the fourth, a 375-yard par-4 requiring an accurate tee shot to avoid desert on both sides and an approach over desert to a tricky elevated green. Another memorable hole is the par-5 fifth at 541 yards with a two-tiered green protected by a pond, bunkers and a treacherous arroyo.

The back nine also has a pair of back-to-back gems. No. 11 is a 539-yard par 5 with a right dogleg, desert along each side of the fairway and a green perched above a ravine with deep rough. The 12^th, a 407-yard par 4, demands a precise drive down the left side to avoid being blocked on the approach by a large mesquite tree to another elevated green.

The signature hole is the 16^th, a 532-yard par 5 with, appropriately enough, 16  strategically placed bunkers and some of the most scenic views you can find of Pusch Ridge, a mountainous, wilderness area named after pioneer George Pusch.

If you’re lucky enough to stay at this Hilton resort, you are in for a rare treat. El Conquistador includes five restaurants; two lounges; four pools; 31 tennis courts; basketball court; seven racquetball courts; volleyball court; two exercise rooms; three Jacuzzis, saunas; bike rentals; horseback riding and a 143-foot water slide that is pure fun. Sunsets are fantastic and most guest rooms are built around a central courtyard with manicured lawns and a large oasis of swimming pools. All rooms feature Southwestern-influenced contemporary furniture, spacious marble bathrooms, and balconies or patios. Be sure to ask for a mountain-view room so you can take a lasting look at the scenery that dazzled you during your round. And if you need a warm-up before you head over to the Conquistador Course, tee it up on the Pusch Ridge Course, which surrounds the resort and is among the most scenic nine holes you will find in Arizona.

Before hitting the tee, try the Sundance Café coffee shop with a Southwestern buffet-style breakfast. For dinner, the Last Territory Steak House serves cowboy-style steaks, seafood and chicken. Country singers and saloon-style cancan shows also are popular with resort guests.

If you are up for adventure, Pusch Ridge has an extensive trail network and is highly popular with nature lovers. Be advised that water is scarce in these primitive surroundings.

The Buzz: Hilton Tucson El Conquistador, Cañada Course: This is one place where you might like to bring along a camera, because with its saguaro-capped hillsides, natural desert terrain and spectacular views of the Santa Catalina mountain range from nearly every hole, the Cañada Course is as scenic as it is challenging.

It is among three courses (45 holes) offered by the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort, all of which were designed by Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin. It looks and plays a little more rugged than the resort’s signature Conquistador Course, and is something of a paradox with its desert design yet parkland feel. Cañada is the Spanish word for canyon, and this layout winds among forests of mesquite trees with natural terrain that snakes through ravines and arroyos, providing several natural hazards. Considerable mounding, doglegs and elevation changes are prominent in this varied layout, placing a premium on strategy and club selection. By no means is this a driver-and-wedge course.

Its signature hole is the eighth hole and is considered one of the toughest par 3s in the Tucson area. It plays at 183 yards from the back tee, overlooking the city and is bordered by desert on both sides with a green well guarded by a large bunker in front.

The back nine starts strong with a 453-yard par 4 that has a desert wash running down the entire right side and some strategically placed mesquite trees on the left in the primary landing area. For most, the approach requires a well-struck long iron to a narrow, elevated green. Perhaps the most memorable hole is the 16^th, a risk-reward par 5, where a wash cuts across the fairway 260 yards from the tee. If you manage to clear it, the green is reachable on your second shot, provided you carry it over a large pond. There also are a couple deceptive holes, such as the third, a 380-yard par 4 that will play at least a club longer than you think to an uphill green, and the eighth, also an uphill shot to a 183-yard par 3 to a sloping green protected by bunkers.

The par-72 layout has four sets of tees, ranging from 5,093 to 6,626 yards, and overall has more character than Conquistador. From the tips, it is rated at 72 with a slope of 135.

If you’re lucky enough to stay at this Hilton resort, you are in for a rare treat. El Conquistador includes five restaurants; two lounges; four pools; 31 tennis courts; basketball court; seven racquetball courts; volleyball court; two exercise rooms; three Jacuzzis, saunas; bike rentals; horseback riding and a 143-foot water slide that is pure fun. Sunsets are fantastic and most guest rooms are built around a central courtyard with manicured lawns and a large oasis of swimming pools. All rooms feature Southwestern-influenced contemporary furniture, spacious marble bathrooms, and balconies or patios. Be sure to ask for a mountain-view room so you can take a lasting look at the scenery that dazzled you during your round.

And if you need a warm-up before you head over to the Conquistador Course, tee it up on the Pusch Ridge Course, which surrounds the resort and is among the most scenic nine holes you will find in Arizona.

Before hitting the tee, try the Sundance Café coffee shop with a Southwestern buffet-style breakfast. For dinner, the Last Territory Steak House serves cowboy-style steaks, seafood and chicken. Country singers and saloon-style cancan shows also are popular with resort guests.

If you are up for adventure, Pusch Ridge has an extensive trail network and is highly popular with nature lovers. Be advised that water is scarce in these primitive surroundings.