The Buzz: Its heyday has passed, but not its relevance. Encanto, the first course in the Phoenix stable of eight municipals, is dripping with history as the one that made golf a public activity in the Valley of the Sun, broke the color barrier and hosted such legends as Harry “Light Horse” Cooper and “Titanic” Thompson. Created by William P. “Billy” Bell, whose other designs include Torrey Pines in San Diego, this course opened in 1936 near the heart of downtown Phoenix. It is regarded as the first public course in the state and third oldest overall. Local architect Gary Panks did some redesign in 1978 and the course remains a solid value play with nice views of the downtown skyline and landmarks such as Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak.
It is relatively flat with fairways lined by palm and salt cedar trees and limited hazards with water coming into play on just one hole unless you are incredibly wild off the tee. Greens vary in size and shape and feature several turtlebacks that can be difficult to read. The course gets far more interesting after you “cross the road” (the two nines are divided by 15th Avenue) because the closing stretch is the meat of the course. It starts at the 14th, a par 3 at 209 yards from the back tee with a monstrous bunker guarding the left side. The round finishes with four very good par 4s at 432, 400, 394 and 365 yards. The par-70 layout has three sets of tees at 6,361, 6,052 and 5,737 yards and is rated at 70.1 with a slope of 115 from the tips.
In case you want to take aim at the course record, that would be a 58, set by PGA Tour pro Jonathan Kaye in 1997. Kaye, who was known as the “Encanto Kid,” cut his golf teeth here and birdied the last eight holes of that record-setting round.
This course was built at a time when golf here was considered to be a game for the wealthy at private clubs, and opened its doors to the public, hosting as many as 100,000 rounds per year. It also was the first course in the state to allow Black golfers, and those who teed it up here included Joe Louis, Jesse Owens and the Mills Brothers. In 1946, it became home to the Desert Mashies, a predominantly Black organization that brought minorities to the game. The Mashies have introduced many kids to golf as something of a First Tee forerunner, and the group remains active, providing scholarships to minority kids.
Cooper was among famous pros of the day to play exhibitions here, and Thompson, the legendary hustler, set up shop at Encanto after he allegedly was “welcomed out” of Tucson. Being part of the city golf system, the green fees at Encanto are among the cheapest in the area, and so are the breakfasts and lunches at Mulligans Café, attached to the clubhouse.
A block away, Encanto offers a nine-hole course, also designed by Bell and his son, William F. Bell. It is especially suited to juniors, seniors and beginners, playing at 1,730 yards with three par-4 holes and six par 3s.