The Buzz: If you like memorable finishes to your golf round, this just might be your course. Club West features a four-hole finishing stretch – especially the par-3 17th – with plenty of “Wow” factor. Well-known Arizona architect Ken Cavanaugh and former PGA of America president Brian Whitcomb created the layout with the idea of offering a relaxed warm-up that would become increasingly demanding as the round progressed. That is exactly what Club West delivers on this desert-target style course, with shot values that increase as elevations come into play, fairways tighten, bunkers become testier and strategy becomes more exacting.
The signature 17th hole is unique in that the par-3 offers two greens to shoot at – 165 and 220 yards from the tee – and both options can make you twitch. From the tee there is a 100-foot elevation drop and virtually no bailout area. Hit it right and your ball is on the side of a mountain. Take it left, and the ball falls off into desert. Adding to the challenge is a prevailing left-to-right wind and the best approach to the green is with a right-to-left shot. Miss it on either side and you’re facing a downhill chip from rugged terrain to a hard, fast, small green with bunkers on both sides. The ideal play is to start the shot over a mountain with a 20-yard hook into a 15 mph wind. The good news is that before hitting you get to pick your pin … or your poison. While that might sound treacherous, Club West is a course that offers plenty of beauty and serenity on the sunny side of South Mountain.
Holes are distinctive and take advantage of elevation changes offered by the Estrella Mountain range, which provide excellent views from the Lakeside Grille and patio where al fresco service is available. And here’s a little story to impress your playing partners when you reach that diabolical 17th tee: In April of 2007, two Phoenix golf buddies aced the hole on back-go-back swings, a feat that has odds of 150 million-to-1, according to the National Hole In One Association. Making it even more improbable, they were playing in a tournament with a shotgun start and had started on No. 18, which means both swings produced walk-off aces. Memorable finishes, indeed.