The Buzz: If you’re looking for one of the great values in Arizona golf, here it is in the Sidewinder Course at Gold Canyon. Granted, it’s difficult to make much of a reputation when your big sister is the dramatic Dinosaur Course, but the Sidewinder has managed to snake out a loyal following. The course is a combination of architects Greg Nash and Ken Kavanaugh, as well as superintendent Stuart Penge; just don’t ask who built what because
the entire 18 looks as if they were done by the same guy. That’s a good thing, as the Sidewinder meanders for six holes through the arroyos of the Arizona desert, climbs up the mountain for the next six, and then returns with a rousing cheer as the closing stretch deals out everything a golfer can handle in the way of stiff yardage and gut-wrenching elevation shifts.
When you take into consideration that the Sidewinder is less than half the green fee than the Dinosaur, what savvy golf traveler wouldn’t want to play ‘em both at Gold Canyon!
To read “The Buzz” on Sidewinder’s sister course at Gold Canyon – the Dinosaur Course – please click here.