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Central Arizona Fountain Hills Scottsdale

We-Ko-Pa Cholla Course

We-Ko-Pa Cholla – Arizona Golf Courses

Even though it’s often referred to as the “other course’’ at We-Ko-Pa these days, the Cholla Course is the main attraction for many players who visit this 36-hole facility, located about 20 minutes east of Scottsdale.

wekopa-cholla-2

Built in 2001 by Scottsdale’s own golf course architect, Scott Miller, the Cholla course tips out at 7,225 yards, but offers several, more entertaining tee boxes between there and the front tees at 5,289. Cholla is rip-roaring fun thanks to its constantly changing terrain and endless variety of risk-reward golf hole designs.

Cholla’s thrilling adventure across the native American reservation of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation begins at the first tee. Elevated far above the first fairway below, you can play nearly any mid to long club in your bag. Your task is to determine how much, if any, you want to cut off the nearly 90-degree, downhill, dogleg left par-4, which plays much shorter than its official 351 yards.

That’s followed up by a slight double-dog-leg par-5 that slithers its way gently uphill to a partially hidden green, and then it’s onward to the dramatic, par-3 third which glistens like an emerald green jewel dropped into this natural, arid terrain.

wekopa-cholla-scott-millerWow, whether you’re two-under or four-over after these first three fasten your seat belt because this Scott Miller thrill ride just keeps getting better all day.

Even though it’s a bit controversial,  the difficult par-5 eighth hole offers a signature “Kodak moment’’ shot into a green complex that is drop-dead gorgeous. The tee shot is launched from the highest point on the course and breaks sharply to the right and down the hill. Your second shot is the tricky one here.

The green complex in the distance is artfully tucked into a rocky box canyon, on the opposite side of a natural arroyo that bisects the fairway. A lay-up short of it leaves you a sticky, downhill, side-hill lie for your third that can be troublesome. There’s room to lay on the far side of the arroyo as well, but a solid shot is required to carry the arroyo and find it.

If that’s not enough distraction, just add the awe-inspiring backdrop beyond featuring the namesake Four Peaks mountain, pronounced “we-ko-pah’’ in the native Yavapai language. The eighth is great fun and no matter what you card here, your eye-candy appetite will be satisfied.

The back nine is just as exhilarating, with a non-stop barrage of special par-3s, risk-reward par-5s and elegant green complexes with putting surfaces that are sure to knock your golf socks off.

So how is it that the Cholla is often overlooked in favor of the Saguaro course if it’s really this much nonstop excitement?

Well, call it the Coore-Crenshaw factor, as the design team of Bill and Ben, and their “minimalist” design philosophy are pretty popular these days. But a lot of those who rate golf courses for a living recognize this first offering at We-Ko-Pa has a lot more pizazz.

We agree. If you find yourself in need of an elevator presentation for the two courses at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club use this:

“Cholla, the original course, is played through the air and Saguaro, the one Crenshaw did, is played on the ground. They may be the best onsite, sister course pairing in desert southwest, and that’s why next Saturday, I booked us for a 36-hole day!”

Arizona Golf Authority AZGA “Local Hang” for We-Ko-Pa Golf Club is the club’s panoramic patio, especially if you indulge in the magnificent mahi-mahi sliders with zesty Pico de Gallo and a draught of Drop Top amber ale.  No wonder We-Ko-Pa markets the final moments of a day of golf as “good food with a view.’’

Click We-Ko-Pa Saguaro Course to check out Cholla’s sister course; these two pair for a world-class 36-hole day of golf.

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

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

Categories
Central Arizona Sun City

Union Hills Country Club – Sun City

Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Arizona Golf Course Review: Union Hills Country Club, formerly cotton fields and orange groves, gave way to a public golf course in 1974. The Club became private four years later when members took ownership and began adding an array of country club amenities.

Although located in Sun City, it’s a stand-alone property and not part of the Recreation Centers of Sun City, which has a stable of eight courses available to its residents.

Designed by Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin, designers of several courses for Arizona retirement communities, it is a player-friendly layout that is relatively flat, with narrow fairways, several elevated greens and four lakes and two creeks that bring water into play on eight holes.

Union Hills offers four sets of tees that play at 6,827, 6,293, 5,886 and 5,442 yards, with a rating of 70.7 and slope of 115 from the back tees. Virtually all of the holes run parallel to others with each nine designed in and out-and-back configuration.

The par-3 holes offer a nice variety and are the real scoring test here, playing at 210, 180, 150 and 220 yards. The signature hole is the 14th, a 375-yard par-4 that requires a carry over water to the green.

Gear up for the finishing stretch; the No. 1 handicap hole is the 16th, a dogleg 5-par stretching 540 yards. 17 and 18 are both par-4s, 400 and 445 yards, and make for a challenging finish to the round.

Union Hills has complete practice facilities with a driving range, chipping and putting greens, and other amenities include tennis courts and a swimming pool. Fine dining is available in the main dining room and members can enjoy casual fair in the Kachina Room and outdoor patio. The club has a busy social calendar and offers 10 golf and social membership options, including an unusual two-day membership.

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.

Categories
Central Arizona Sun City West

Trail Ridge Golf Course

Arizona Golf Authority AZGA Arizona Golf Course Review: Trail Ridge is one of the four regulation-length golf courses among the seven courses (three are executive layouts) managed by the Recreation Centers of Sun City West.

While technically a private club, it offers limited public play, mainly during the summer months, with green fees that provide great value in the Phoenix area; members always receive preferred rates and tee times.

Designed by Billy Casper and Greg Nash, who have created many of the layouts in Arizona’s active adult communities, Trail Ridge opened in 1990 and underwent an extensive, six-month renovation project, reopening for play in October, 2011. The tees, fairways and greens all were upgraded, along with the driving range and the clubhouse.

The golf course is relatively flat but fairways offer some rolling terrain and are lined with mature trees; six lakes bring water into play on eight holes. Level par is 72 and Trail Ridge offers four sets of tees at 6,566, 6,200, 5,512 and 5,497 yards, with a rating of 71.4 and slope of 128 from the tips.

After a couple straightforward holes, things get interesting at No. 3, a 418-yard par-4 where you need to carry shots over two separate lakes. The first is in play along the left side off the tee and the second stretches down the right side of the end of the fairway and green.

Messrs. Casper and Nash crafted a nice variety of par-3 holes, including two that measure longer than 200 yards. Their best is No. 7, a 163-yard shot to a green guarded on the front, right and back by a large lake that also stretches part way down the eighth hole.

The highlight of the back nine is the 14th, where two more lakes provide the challenge. One is positioned near the end of the fairway on the right side and blocks the front of the green and the other horseshoes around the back side; tricky putting surface here too.

Trail Ridge is outfitted with full all-turf driving range, chipping and putting greens, and a snack bar with food service. Members of the Sun City West community association enjoy numerous amenities, including bowling, recreation centers, fitness facilities, a library, village store and dining. A teaching academy also is available to members with a staff that includes former LPGA Tour player Anne-Marie Palli.

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.

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Central Arizona Rio Verde

Tonto Verde Golf Club

Tonto Verde Golf Club – Peaks Course / Ranch Course
Tonto Verde Golf Club is the centerpiece of the private golf community of the same name, located just 15 miles east of Scottsdale in Rio Verde, Arizona. Instead of concrete freeways and skyscrapers, this upscale property is perched high above the Verde River Valley and is surrounded by the native desert splendor of the adjacent Tonto National Forest.

Arizona Golf Course Reviews - Tonto Verde Golf Club - Arizona Golf Authority
View of Four Peaks from the Tonto Verde Golf Club

Tonto Verde may translate from Spanish as “green fool,” but “green with envy” is a better description of golfers who have seen the property’s spectacular 360-degree mountain vistas and enjoyed the first-class clubhouse, elegant country club amenities and two semi-private championship golf courses.

That’s right, each day Tonto Verde Golf Club reserves one course for membership play and welcomes public play on the other. It’s an open invitation worth accepting too.

The Peaks Course, which opened for play in 1993, is the original layout at Tonto Verde and is one of the last layouts built by the highly respected Gary Panks and David Graham design team. Its namesake, Four Peaks, is the distinctive mountain formation to the east, across the Verde River Valley, distracting your attention all day.

The Peaks is the shorter of the two courses, and a bit tighter, placing a greater premium on accuracy. You’ll be treated to gently rolling fairways laid across the arid desert canvas and well-manicured bentgrass putting surfaces that are subtly contoured; a perfect match for their smallish size.

Arizona Golf Course Reviews - Tonto Verde Golf Club - Arizona Golf Authority
Peaks Course 351-Yard Par-4 Fifth Hole

The Peaks plays to par 72 at 6,737 yards from the back tees and man-made lakes come into play on three holes, particularly the fifth, which is the signature hole. This par-4 plays at just 351 yards and water threatens both sides of the fairway. The approach shot to a two-tiered green is complicated by water as well. The fifth is also the shortest par-4, the only one under 400 yards from the tips, on the front nine.

The back nine features a delightful par-4 at the 13th which is drivable for big hitters, at just 305 yards from the back tees. As is customary, the desert terrain presents a formidable hazard here and we see a lot more lay-up tee shot one-putt birdies than big-drive eagles or two-putt birdies, combined.

The Ranch Course was added in 1999 with Gary Panks going solo on the design here. Mr. Panks knows his way around the difficult issue of artfully pairing two contrasting golf courses. He made the 6,988-yard Ranch Course a tad longer, but a bit more forgiving, particularly in the fairway landing areas. The Ranch Course’s larger greens will help your G.I.R. statistics as well.

Named after the Box Bar Ranch, which began operation on these lands in 1919, the Ranch Course features one of the best finishing stretches in the Scottsdale / Phoenix locale.

It begins at the devilish 14th, the shortest par-4 on the course at 317 yards from the back tees (just 276 from the middle tees). The classic risk-reward hole tempts you to go for it, but a ball-grabbing brook haunts the entire right side of the fairway and multi-fingered bunkers threaten both the lay-up tee shot and the contoured green.

Arizona Golf Course Reviews - Tonto Verde Golf Club - Arizona Golf Authority
Ranch Course 202-Yard Par-3 15th Hole

The 15th is a tough, but fair 202-yard par-3. Water and bunkers hug the entire right side of the green, while the left side is wide open. Just relax and play it smart here.

Set up on the left side of the green and play the fade. If the shot drifts right as intended, you’ll have a fair birdie putt; if it stays straight, you’ll have a low-stress chance to get it up and in for par.

The straightaway par-4 16th demands two proper golf shots to reach the green. Playing 430 yards from the tips, they must be solid and well-executed. But out of respect for the hole’s length, you won’t find a single fairway or greenside bunker here, just a desert arroyo crossing the fairway about 40 yards short of the green.

Arizona Golf Course Reviews - Tonto Verde Golf Club - Arizona Golf Authority
Ranch Course 531-Yard Par-5 17th Hole

Then comes the entertaining par-5 17th, another risk-reward hole that plays to 531 yards from the back tees, but just 484 from the middle tees. The landing area is plentiful, and hugging the left side will allow you to go for the green in two shots, but the approach must carry over desert landscape. The safe play, away from cacti and desert creatures, is to lay-up in the second island of fairway Panks provided. It’s just a short iron to the island green-complex from there.

The 437-yard par-4 18th is a strong finishing hole that’s all about making sure you carry your tee ball over the desert transition area between your tee box and the wide, generous fairway. Bunkers guard both sides at the front of the green so club yourself to the middle yardage, no matter where the pin is cut.

Both Tonto Verde courses offer five sets of tees, as well as two additional “combo-tee” setups. So no matter what yardage you’re comfortable playing from, you’ll find one of these seven course yardage setups is just right for you.

The AZGA “Local Hang” for Tonto Verde is the luxurious 26,000-square foot clubhouse with exceptional dining and banquet facilities, a fitness center, swimming pool, spa, activity rooms and library.

And if you have bets to settle, head over to the 18-hole all-turf putting course Panks also designed. It’s a great way to play 36 and soak up a bit more of the scenic splendor served up by Tonto Verde Golf Club.

Click on our Arizona Golf Course Reviews and read the AZGA player review for every golf course in Arizona. It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

Categories
Cave Creek Central Arizona

Tatum Ranch Golf Club

Arizona Golf Courses – Arizona Golf Authority Golf Course Reviews

Designed by highly-regarded architect Bob Cupp, Tatum Ranch Golf Club opened in 1986 as a public facility but was converted to a private club in 2002 after the multi-million dollar clubhouse, complete with a swimming pool, and other enticing amenities were added.

Tatum Ranch Golf Club - #7 348-Yard Par-4

The championship layout features rolling fairways, strategic bunkering, greens that are large and undulating and plenty of native cacti, mesquite and palo verde trees. While making your loop, you’re treated to some nice views of the surrounding mountain landscape prevalent in this part of the Cave Creek/North Scottsdale area.

Despite the visually-intimidating desert transitions, Tatum Ranch is a player-friendly layout that is very accommodating to golfers of all abilities due to the generous landing areas off the tees. And with seven sets of tees, golfers are able to bite off just as much as they wish to chew that day. From the tips, the par-72 plays at 6,856 yards with a rating of 72.7 and slope of 135 and will test any skilled player’s game. The front tees are set at 5,081 yards.

The signature hole is the seventh, which happens to be the only hole where water is in play. The short, 348-yard par-4 features a lake running along the entire right side of the fairway to threaten the tee shot. The short second-shot approach is over the lake to a contoured, elevated green complex that hugs the water’s edge. It’s all about accuracy and ball control for birdie here.

Highlights on the back nine include two par-4s, the short 12th and the 18th finisher. No. 12 is drivable for big hitters at just 305 yards from the back tee, but it’s a risk-reward proposition. Mounding hides the green from the tee, and the green pitches away from you as well. A lot more birdies result from a lay-up in the left side of the fairway and a well struck wedge approach shot.

No. 18 can be a brute of a finish at 467 yards, with a slight dogleg left. Fairway bunkers pinch the fairway in the landing area and the enormous green runs away from the player; three front bunkers gobble up any second shot that comes up short, one behind grabs everything long. Par here deserves a well-earned reward in the elegant clubhouse libation area.

Tatum Ranch Golf Club offers complete practice facilities and professional instruction. The Club’s members enjoy all the amenities including casual and fine dining, fitness center, swimming pool and private locker rooms, all of which are available via a well designed variety of affordable membership programs.

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.