Arizona Golf Course Reviews: For public golfers seeking a place to tee it up in Flagstaff, Continental Country Club is the place to play. In fact, it is the only public course in that northern Arizona town. Formerly called Elden Hills, it is a scenic layout that isn’t particularly long at 6,014 yards, but its fast, small, undulating greens offer plenty of challenges. Nearby Elden Mountain is visible from pretty much every hole and the dramatic San Francisco Peaks in the background are visible from several.
Those mountains aren’t the only taste of nature that Continental golfers experience, not with a wildlife habitat nearby. Deer roam the property throughout the year and there are families of bald eagles, along with osprey, heron, geese and ducks that make their homes on an adjacent lake. In fact, Continental is listed nationally as a popular spot for bird-watching, with egret, stilt, gulls, warblers and red-tailed hawks among the vagrants during migration. One thing you probably won’t find at Continental is slow golfers. General manager John Malin said pace of play is a point of emphasis on the course and that shows on the scorecards, which advise golfers that they should complete each nine in two hours. They even show the time required to play each individual hole.
The scorecard offers a list of Tips for Faster Play, such as “Mark your scorecard at the next tee” and “Pick up and place your ball on the green once you have reached double par.” It also advises that course marshals “will have full discretion to help accomplish this pace” and that the unused portion of green fees will be refunded “should you choose not to abide by our pace of play policy.” Despite its snowy winters, Continental often is open for play during cold weather, and one of its most popular events is the “Polar Open,” which was played in 33 inches of snow in February, 2009, and drew 66 golfers.