Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Buzz: Eleven years after Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf collaborated on the design of Forest Highland’s acclaimed Canyon Course, Weiskopf went solo in creating the Meadow Course, with the goal of maintaining its quality in a contrasting golf experience. No one disputes that he delivered.
Canyon still receives top billing and deservedly so, but Meadow has established itself as one of the Arizona’s best layouts, and has become equally popular with members of this exclusive equity club. Forest Highlands lies just south of Flagstaff and just north of Sedona, a sightseeing treasure with its magnificent red rock formations, and both courses in this community take full advantage of their surroundings. Canyon presents more traditional elegance, while Meadow is more sporty, setting on a higher piece of land and offering spectacular views of the San Francisco Peaks. It also has more water in play, about twice as many bunkers, larger greens, less dramatic elevation changes, sweeping meadows covered with native grasses and flora, and a more parkland feel with plenty of fun holes.
Overall, Meadow plays easier and is better suited to family outings and high-handicap players, while Canyon attracts the diehards and low handicappers. That’s what the club wanted – a course that would complement but not conflict with the first one — and that’s what Weiskopf gave them, although Meadow is no pushover by any stretch. The par-72 layout has five sets of tees that stretch to 7,358 yards from the tips (about 350 yards longer than Canyon) and is rated at 73.8 with a slope of 138.
Just like Canyon, there are several memorable holes on this course, starting with the eighth, a 176-yard par 3 with a lake that wraps around the front, left and back of the green and bunkers guarding the right side. It is called “Crosswind,” and if it plays up to that name, it is one tough shot to get close to the pin.
No. 14 is a monster par 5 at 603 yards from the tips with a lake running along the entire left side of the fairway, a pond guarding the right side of the green and the San Francisco Peaks providing an awesome backdrop.
One Weiskopf trademark is drivable par-4 holes and big hitters will find that at No. 15, a 311-yard par 4 with a sharp dogleg right, as long as they can cut the corner and clear the towering pines at the elbow. The 18th is an excellent finishing hole – a 575-yard uphill par 5 to a sliding green pinched by bunkers on both sides.
Membership to both courses comes with property ownership, although in recent years, Forest Highlands has sold a limited number of “special memberships.” Each course has its own clubhouse and other facilities. The Meadow clubhouse offers a more casual atmosphere along with a fitness facility, extensive practice facility, swimming pool and recreation center. Read our take on Forrest Highlands’ Canyon Course.