The Buzz: If you are like the many public golfers looking for the best bang for your buck, well then, you just found it. Dobson Ranch might sound like a good name for a private club, but in fact it is a city of Mesa municipal course that is open to all public golfers and at green fees well below what layouts of this quality normally dictate in the Valley of the Sun. This course, which opened in 1973, has been ranked as the best “muny” in the state by Golf Digest and received 4½ stars from that magazine in its list of “Best Places to Play.” It was designed by Red Lawrence, who created several of the top courses around Arizona, and unlike today’s desert-target layouts, Dobson is very traditional with mature tree-lined fairways, large, gently-rolling greens and interconnected lakes that bring water into play on five holes.
It’s not particularly long, with three sets of tees at 6,593, 6,176 and 5,598 yards and is rated at 71.1 with a slope of 123 from the tips. Yet this was the home course during their youth to a pair of PGA Tour winners – Chez Reavie, who also was a three-time All-American at Arizona State and U.S. Public Links champion, and Jim Carter, who also attended nearby ASU and won the NCAA Championship. Like weekend warriors, they must have enjoyed birdie opportunities because Dobson has plenty of those if you think your away around the layout. One tip: Spend a little time on the practice green to get a feel for putting because Dobson Ranch’s greens are somewhat grainy and tend to be a little slower than many others around the Valley. Most of them slope back to front.
There are nine dogleg holes and six are to the left, so if you play a natural draw you’re probably going to love this place. The par-5 holes all present birdie opportunities, although the longest is the first hole at 547 yards and requires two well-struck shots to get in position. The fifth, at 513 yards from the tips, can be reached more easily and is a sharp dogleg left, where many golfers are able to clear a tree guarding the elbow. No. 8 might be the signature hole. The par 4, at 417 yards, features a sharp right dogleg with water running down the entire right side and wrapping around the back of the green. The par-5 13th is another good birdie chance at 488 yards with a left dogleg if you avoid the cross-bunkers. The finish serves up one final birdie opportunity with a 490-yard par 5 but don’t overshoot the green because a pair of large bunkers await.
Dobson also has a lighted driving range, full practice facilities, a quality junior program, and the adjacent Dobson restaurant is the original home of the Dobson family. The course underwent a renovation project in 2005 that included installation of a new irrigation system and updating of the clubhouse and pro shop. Put it together, and it’s easy to see why this course is so popular. Dobson handles more than 70,000 rounds per year, which produces its one drawback: Snagging a tee time isn’t always easy. Rounds can be a little slow, although the rangers here do a pretty decent job of keeping things moving. The course accepts reservations two weeks in advance via the Internet and one week in advance by telephone. One more suggestion in case you haven’t already guessed: Book it early.