Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Arizona Golf Course Buzz: Sun City South is the longest of the eight courses run by Recreation Centers of Sun City, Inc. (RCSC), which is a private, non-profit corporation that owns and operates approximately $80 million of recreational facilities in this retirement community northwest of Phoenix. Designed by Milt Coggins, who was a prominent figure in Arizona golf, it opened in 1962 and is well-known in these parts for its walkability and smooth greens.
Sun City South has four sets of tees at 6,774, 6,503, 6,111 and 5,992 yards, with a rating of 71.2 and slope of 115 from the back tees. It recently received a needed facelift under the direction of architect Tripp Davis and his associate, Gary Brawley, and may well be the best “bang for the buck” championship golf course in the Phoenix locale.
Lined with mature native trees, the course features strategic bunkering and two lakes that bring water into play on the fifth and 17th holes. Both are par 3s, playing at 169 and 175 yards from the back tees. In both cases, water wraps around the front and ride side of the greens. The other par 3, at 205 yards, also demands a crisp tee shot.
Two of the more fun holes are the second and 12th, a pair of short par 4s where bunkers create risk-reward opportunities. South features full practice facilities a full-service snack shop that serves up breakfast and lunch, and offers some of the lowest green fees in the Valley of the Sun.
Sun City celebrated its 50th birthday in 2010 and continues going strong as one of the country’s foremost retirement communities. A large part of that success is RCSC, which operates seven recreational centers (Mountain View, Fairway, Oakmont, Lakeview, Sundial, Bell and Marinette), eight golf courses with five snack shops (South, Quail Run, North, Lakes East / West, Riverview, Willowbrook / Willowcreek), two bowling centers (Lakeview and Bell), two full-service restaurants and one amphitheater (Sun Bowl). The five regulation and three executive golf courses span 1,100 acres and are within six miles of each other.
Read the Arizona Golf Course List AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.
It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.