Tag: arizona golf course directory

Categories
Central Arizona Mesa

Sunland Springs Village Golf Course

Arizona Golf Course List - Sunland Springs Village Golf Course - Arizona Golf Authority
Sunland Springs Village

Arizona Golf Courses – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Guide

Arizona Golf Course List - Sunland Springs Village Golf Course - Arizona Golf Authority
Sunland Springs Village

This 27-hole executive course, which opened in 1998, is the centerpiece of the last of many master-planned active adult communities created by Farnsworth Development in Mesa, Arizona over a period of 50 years.

Designed by Jeff Hardin, who specialized in executive and adult-community courses, it has three distinct nine-hole layouts – Four Peaks, Superstition and San Tan – played in pairs for an 18-hole loop.

San Tan is the longest and probably the most difficult of the three courses, but when played together the 18-hole combinations have similar ratings, and each has two sets of tees. The Four Peaks/Superstition combination plays at par 63 with yardages of 4,434 and 4,070 and is rated at 60.2 with a slope of 91 from the back tees.

Corresponding figures for Four Peaks/San Tan are par 64, 4,628 and 4,318 yards, 61.6 and 95 slope, and Superstition/San Tan figures are par 65, 4,732 and 4,410 yards, 61.5 and 95 slope.

As the course names imply, this layout in Mesa is situated near Four Peaks and the Superstition Mountains, which provide distant backdrops and picturesque views of many holes. This isn’t just a pitch-and-putt, evidenced by the fact that only 14 of the 27 holes are par 3s.

Of the 11 par-4 holes, only two are less than 300 yards (298 and 286). Superstition has the longest hole, a par 5 at 519 yards that has a left dogleg and bunkers along the right side of the fairway.

San Tan’s eighth hole is a 504-yard par 5, followed by its longest par 3, at 191 yards, to finish the round.

Probably the most memorable holes on the course are the back-to-back second and third on Four Peaks. No. 2 is a 317-yard par 4 with lakes guarding both sides of the green, leaving a narrow approach and the Superstition Mountains providing the backdrop. Right behind that is a 144-yard par 3, where the tee shot is over one of those lakes.

The course also has a driving range, chipping and putting greens and a snack bar. Sunland Springs Village is a 900-acre development of homes, townhouses and condominiums built for adults 55 and older, with more than 30,000 square feet of recreational amenities.

Don’t confuse Sunland Springs Village Golf Course with a few other golf courses in the area sporting similar names, specifically Sunland Village and Sunland Village East. Each is a separate and distinct Farnsworth community development also located in Mesa – they’ve been busy building in these parts for each of those 50 years.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

Categories
Buckeye Central Arizona

Sundance Golf Club

Arizona Golf Course List - Sundance Golf Course - Arizona Golf Authority
Sundance Golf Club

Arizona Golf Courses – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Guide

Arizona Golf Course List - Sundance Golf Course - Arizona Golf Authority
Sundance Golf Club

Sundance Golf Club is a public course, designed by Valley of the Sun architect Greg Nash, which opened for play in 2003. Situated west of Phoenix, along the I-10 corridor, it offers some nice panoramic views of the White Tank and Estrella mountains, with the layout accentuated by Sonoran Desert washes, arroyos and mildly rolling terrain. It is a player-friendly course featuring five sets of tees with the shortest at 5,272 yards and the longest at 6,944 yards, the later with a rating of 72 and slope of 127.

The layout offers generous landing areas, greens that are large and undulating, mild desert transitions, about 50 bunkers situated mainly around green complexes and lakes that bring water into play on just two holes, the sixth and seventh, which are the highlights of the front nine.

No. 6, considered the signature hole, is a 175-yard par 3 that requires a tee shot over Sundance Lake, which also wraps around the back of the green. The lake also must be cleared with the tee shot on the seventh hole, a 375-yard par 4 with three daunting fairway bunkers.

The round ends with the toughest three-hole stretch on the course. The 16th, the No. 3 handicap hole at Sundance, is the longest par 3 at 250 yards and has two bunkers guarding the front-right of the green. Next up is a monster par 4 of 490 yards, which is the No. 1 handicap and has a huge bunker guarding the front-right. The round ends with the longest par 5 and No. 5 handicap hole at 601 yards that has a split fairway, four fairways bunkers and three more guarding the green.

Sundance has complete practice facilities, with a driving range, putting and chipping greens and bunker. Managed by In Celebration of Golf, it features a large modern clubhouse with a full-service restaurant and patio that serves up nice views of the course with mountain backdrops, particularly at sunset. Sundance sells annual, seasonal and winter visitor passes and is part of a loyalty club that offers discounts up to 50 percent at several courses in the Phoenix area.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

Categories
Central Arizona Chandler

Sunbird Golf Resort

Arizona Golf Course List – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Guide

Sunbird golf course can justifiably be called a “power executive” layout as you’ll find plenty of challenges uncommon for an executive facility. With the front nine playing at 2,614 yards and five ponds in play, it has a lot of the look and feel of a regulation course.

The test eases up on the back nine, which is highlighted by short par-4 holes that offer several birdie opportunities, and features two more ponds and some nice views of the surrounding San Tan Mountains. It is a semi-private course that opened in 1987 in the Sunbird active adult community, where residents receive discounts and tee-time preferences, but the public is more than welcome.

Designed by Gary Panks, who has created several of Arizona’s top courses, it plays to par 66, has three sets of tees at 4,350, 4,059 and 3,601 yards, and is rated at 64.3 with a slope of 95 from the back tees. There are just three par-3 holes on the front nine, which also features one par-5 offering, the 469-yard seventh that has ponds along both sides and a heavily bunkered green.

The highlight of the front side is a three-hole stretch that starts with No. 2, a 402-yard par 4, followed by the longest par 3 on the course at 214 yards, and the narrow par 4 fourth hole at 368 yards.

On the back-9, which plays 700 yards shorter, all of the par-4 holes are drivable for long hitters, with the longest being the 18th at 285 yards to a well-bunkered green. The facility features a driving range, putting green and full-service bar and restaurant. It is owned and operated by homeowners and memberships can be purchased only by residents, but punch cards are available to the public.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

Categories
Central Arizona Chandler

Springfield Golf Resort

Arizona Golf Course List – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Guide

Designed by Fore Golf, Springfield golf course opened for play in 1996 as the centerpiece of Springfield Resort, another gated community for active adults built by Del Webb. The good news, though, is that Springfield is a public facility.

It is classified as an executive course but serves up far more kick than most in that category. It plays at par 61 with three sets of tees at 4,231, 3,467 and 3,853 yards. From the back tees, it is rated at 60.9 with a slope of 99.

Springfield’s course features seven par-4 holes, ranging from 301 to 390 yards, and 11 par 3s from 135-219. The front nine is nearly 400 yards longer than the back and starts with the longest par 4 and par 3 holes on the course. Highlights on the front nine include the par-4 third hole of 346 yards and the par-3 fourth at 168, with a lake flanking the right side of each.

The back nine starts strong with a lake coming into play on the first three holes, which play at 348, 188 and 152 yards. Right behind them is a 301-yard par 4 with a narrow fairway lined by trees and out-of-bounds. Overall, it is a user-friendly layout with wide fairways, and has a driving range and putting green available.

Golfers playing here during peak season need to be patient because, with the overall quality of the facility and its bargain pricing, tee sheets fill up and the pace of play often is slower than it is at many other executive courses.

Amenities enjoyed by Springfield residents include outdoor tennis, swimming, bocce, bike/running paths and two recreation centers with a fitness facility, ballroom, billiards and card rooms.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

Categories
Northern Arizona Sedona

Seven Canyons Golf Club

Seven Canyons Golf Club - Sedona

Seven Canyons Golf Club - Sedona

Arizona Golf Courses AZGA Guide: Tom Weiskopf, who has established himself as one of the world’s foremost course architects, has created some of the best layouts on some of the most beautiful land you can find in the state of Arizona, but even he was blown away the first time he toured the property that would become Seven Canyons. What he carved out here is a masterpiece on a 200-acre facility encompassed by the stunning red rock formations of Sedona and 100,000 acres of the protected Coconino National Forest.

In fact, the former British Open and U.S. Senior Open champion was so captivated, he visited the site more than 40 times during construction. “The design of Seven Canyons was a labor of love,” Weiskopf said.

“When I first saw the property, it took my breath away. Words don’t do it justice. The challenge was to create a golf course that looked like it had been there for a hundred years, and that was the most compelling reason I accepted the assignment. I can confidently say it is as good and dramatic a golf course site as I have ever had to work with in Arizona.”

Among other things, this course has been dubbed “The IMAX of Golf” and “Seventh Heaven” by various golf magazines.It was created as a private course, but due to a sagging economy and the financial strains that followed, Seven Canyons began offering public play in 2010, presenting golfers with a rare opportunity to tee it up on this exclusive and enchanting layout. The club continues to use a temporary clubhouse, but course conditions are first rate.

While the overall property is sprawling, Weiskopf had limited land with which to build the course that opened in 2003. But, working without any drawings, he made the most of it and created a memorable test that plays at just 6,745 yards from the tips. The par-70 layout has seven sets of tees, with the shortest at 4,986 yards, and it is rated at 71.1 with a slope of 139 from the back tees.

There are just two par-5 holes and Weiskopf purposely shaped some of the par-4’s to dissuade accomplished golfers from hitting drivers off the tees. One rarity is that the par-5 holes, at 591 and 500 yards, are the Nos. 1 and 2 handicap holes. Perhaps the most memorable hole is the par-3 sixth, which is the No.3 handicap hole, and is a near duplicate of the famous par-3 16th at Augusta National.

One Weiskopf trademark is creating holes reminiscent of his favorites as a PGA Tour player. Another is risk-reward holes, and there are several of those, including the 12th, a drivable par 4 that measures 305 yards from the back tee. Technology has created an arms race in golf that seems to dictate that “longer is better” when it comes to course design, but Weiskopf bucked that trend with a layout reminiscent of classic 1970s courses.

Instead of length, it puts a premium on shot-making with small greens, narrow landing areas, classic-style bunkering, mature trees, natural water features and constant elevation changes. Making it all the better is that the routing fits like a glove into the natural terrain, the course is walkable and it is one very enjoyable walk.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory/.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.