ASU set to take over Papago

[DrSchteeve]

Once ASU was involved the die was cast. Papago was fine as a muni, but college golf is big business and ASU is a top program. The hardscrabble edges either poorly maintained or not maintained at all, the half cart paths and half dirt paths, the facilities, none of that is on par with the home courses at comparable programs. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, just inevitable. 

[whatsupwithgolf]

Putting office space on a golf course sounds so dumb, especially when they have to rip up the course to do it. Hopefully I have no idea what I'm talking about and this all totally works out and is an improvement for everyone

[fore_life]

Tempe/ASU 🤦🏼
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/shady-park-tempe-music-venue-loses-legal-battle-against-retirement-home-over-noise.amp

[puttnforthe8]

12 hours ago, whatsupwithgolf said:

Putting office space on a golf course sounds so dumb, especially when they have to rip up the course to do it. Hopefully I have no idea what I'm talking about and this all totally works out and is an improvement for everyone

 

It's ASU!  It's greatest contribution to Arizona is:

 

[sub150]

On 5/4/2022 at 2:20 PM, fore_life said:

Apache stronghold coulda used help to get them out of a bind, especially since the AGA is what got them into the initial mess. 

 

What is the backstory here? 

[chisag]

On 5/4/2022 at 6:05 PM, DrSchteeve said:

The hardscrabble edges either poorly maintained or not maintained at all, the half cart paths and half dirt paths, the facilities, none of that is on par with the home courses at comparable programs.

 

 

... This is one of the reasons I rarely play Papago. So little grass and sooooo much dirt/dust not only on fairways but between greens and tees. I walk with a remote cart and by 18 I am covered in dust like I was in a spaghetti western, especially if playing with others riding in a cart. Aguila has small rocks covering the dirt and full cart paths so nowhere near as much dust and I prefer the layout and at $24 with a Sr city card at twilite in winter it's a bargain and then some. Papago has some really good holes but also several that are very similar and it is so much more expensive, especially in winter. 

[fore_life]

20 hours ago, sub150 said:

 

What is the backstory here? 

http://www.golfarizona.com/departments/features/apache-stronghold-ratings.htm
 

Goes into some of it

 

https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/golfd/article/2003apr64a.pdf

Edited May 10, 2022 by fore_life

[chisag]

On 5/5/2022 at 9:09 AM, puttnforthe8 said:

 

It's ASU!  It's greatest contribution to Arizona is:

 

 

 

... I was getting ready to tee off behind a group in front of me at Papago with three 30 somethings and one younger 20 something on the 1st tee. The 3 older guys teed off but the youngest was standing on the edge of the first tee box staring at the ASU girls practicing putting, in shorts not unlike those pictured. One of the older guys said "OK ... which one are you looking at?" and the youngest paused a second, took a deep breath and said "ALL of them".  🤣

[puttnforthe8]

45 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... I was getting ready to tee off behind a group in front of me at Papago with three 30 somethings and one younger 20 something on the 1st tee. The 3 older guys teed off but the youngest was standing on the edge of the first tee box staring at the ASU girls practicing putting, in shorts not unlike those pictured. One of the older guys said "OK ... which one are you looking at?" and the youngest paused a second, took a deep breath and said "ALL of them".  🤣

 

 

They have a very global team - as I imagine a lot of schools do these days.  And of course, Boyd's daughter is a freshman this year, with Preston on the men.s team. 

 

[azgolfer44]

Latest rumor is 6 green will get moved way back and become a par 5 and 9 green will be moved behind the pond making it a long par 4.

[Bonneville85308]

I just came across this article:

https://clubandresortbusiness.com/papago-golf-club-in-phoenix-undergoes-4m-renovation/

 

[azgolfer44]

On 5/16/2022 at 6:00 AM, azgolfer44 said:

Latest rumor is 6 green will get moved way back and become a par 5 and 9 green will be moved behind the pond making it a long par 4.

The pars are the same but 6 green and 9 green are both being moved. 

[jayrod79]

Here’s an update from Kyle’s Cartbarnguys account.  He said 8 may be a short par 4 w new tee boxes moved back and 10 a par 4. 

[azgolfer44]

This map is in Papago Clubhouse.  New cartpaths, flattening tee boxes, all new bunkers, adding contour to fairways.  The biggest changes are 6, 9 and 18.  From what I can see, here are the changes for each hole:

 

1. new teebox, add turf to left side of FW, 2 new bunkers on right side of fw

2. new trees on left side of rough

3. new forward tee box, add turf to left side of fairway

4. none

5. none

6. new teeboxes, change FW bunkers on left, add new FW bunker on left, new turf in FW and green area, new green, add 25ish yards

7. new trees on left

8. new tee box way back (maybe par 4?)

9. new blue tee box, new green and green surround, new shape of hole more over the lake on second shot, expansion of lake

10. teebox

11. expand blue and black tee box

12. expanded tee box for black

13. none

14. none

15. new turf on right side of fairway

16. new turf on left side, new trees on right side, fairway slightly larger in landing area, reshaping bunker

17. new white tee box

18. teeboxes, reshape hole, new green with bunkers

 

I was a little down on this originally, but this should be pretty awesome! I think the course will play tougher, forcing you to hit in certain spots.  I hear the course will have 9 holes open on weekdays and 18 on weekends this summer.  

 

[backspace1]

On 5/22/2022 at 10:38 AM, azgolfer44 said:

This map is in Papago Clubhouse.  New cartpaths, flattening tee boxes, all new bunkers, adding contour to fairways.  The biggest changes are 6, 9 and 18.  From what I can see, here are the changes for each hole:

 

1. new teebox, add turf to left side of FW, 2 new bunkers on right side of fw

2. new trees on left side of rough

3. new forward tee box, add turf to left side of fairway

4. none

5. none

6. new teeboxes, change FW bunkers on left, add new FW bunker on left, new turf in FW and green area, new green, add 25ish yards

7. new trees on left

8. new tee box way back (maybe par 4?)

9. new blue tee box, new green and green surround, new shape of hole more over the lake on second shot, expansion of lake

10. teebox

11. expand blue and black tee box

12. expanded tee box for black

13. none

14. none

15. new turf on right side of fairway

16. new turf on left side, new trees on right side, fairway slightly larger in landing area, reshaping bunker

17. new white tee box

18. teeboxes, reshape hole, new green with bunkers

 

I was a little down on this originally, but this should be pretty awesome! I think the course will play tougher, forcing you to hit in certain spots.  I hear the course will have 9 holes open on weekdays and 18 on weekends this summer.  

 

Changes look good - definitely needed cart paths. When course first opened after remodel no path was neat looking. But after all the use, did a lot of damage. All this because they want office space on the course. Dumb  

[backspace1]

I’m sure some of these changes have something to do with it being ASU home course

[fore_life]

What other projects does this Arizona golf fund support?

[az2oh2mi934i32]

I played the newly renovated Papago and thought I'd chime on the result. Overall- the course is in much better condition. I think it gonna be a lot more playable for the masses and hopefully harder for the ASU players. The biggest change was the bunkers, they made them a lot more shallower and smaller. The greens were only a touch slow but really smooth- fantastic IMO. It feels like the renovation is still in-progress, the course is open but they are still working landscaping and cart paths.

 

1. Fairways bunkers on the right are noticeable from the tee. Felt like the green was slightly smaller.

2. No noticeable changes expect some landscaping.

3. New cart path to the tee is really nice- hopefully they do this around the rest of the course.

4. No further changes expect bunkers.

5. No further changes expect bunkers.

6. Total redesigned- really great hole, love the pop bunker off the left. Extra length is no issue, if you get the kick downhill off the tee.

7. No further changes expect bunkers.

8. No further changes expect bunkers.

9. Total redesign, a true par 5 instead of a par 4.5.

10. No further changes expect bunkers.

11. Removed back left bunker - probably for best

12. They removed the fairway bunker on right which I thought made it a great risk/reward par 4. Now you can just blast a driver. Secondly, the green side bunker is 1/3rd the size with no lip. In my opinion- now the weakest hole on the course.

13. No further changes expect bunkers.

14. No further changes expect bunkers.

15. No further changes expect bunkers.

16. Fairway bunkers are 1/3rd the same, the lip much smaller.

17. No further changes expect bunkers.

18. Total redesign, much easier than the old 18. They removed some trees and green opens up a lot more in front. I liked it. For a sub $75 round, you can't beat it. Tee'ed off at 8am and finished under 4 hours.

[puttnforthe8]

21 hours ago, az2oh2mi934i32 said:

I played the newly renovated Papago and thought I'd chime on the result. Overall- the course is in much better condition. I think it gonna be a lot more playable for the masses and hopefully harder for the ASU players. The biggest change was the bunkers, they made them a lot more shallower and smaller. The greens were only a touch slow but really smooth- fantastic IMO. It feels like the renovation is still in-progress, the course is open but they are still working landscaping and cart paths.

 

1. Fairways bunkers on the right are noticeable from the tee. Felt like the green was slightly smaller.

2. No noticeable changes expect some landscaping.   Felt this hole needed some modification on the left side

3. New cart path to the tee is really nice- hopefully they do this around the rest of the course.

4. No further changes expect bunkers.  Really disappointing imo!  This par 3 needed some significant change.  I would have shortened it and moved it over a bit and done some work on the green: 1) to avoid being so close to the previous hole, especially as other come roaring down in carts 2) to make the hole a bit more reasonable 3) the green needs some updating

5. No further changes expect bunkers. I think the right side should be adjusted a bit...it seems that the left side goes into the desert area that is just bad in general. I think thye could have leveled out the left side

6. Total redesigned- really great hole, love the pop bunker off the left. Extra length is no issue, if you get the kick downhill off the tee.

7. No further changes expect bunkers. 

8. No further changes expect bunkers.

9. Total redesign, a true par 5 instead of a par 4.5.

10. No further changes expect bunkers.

11. Removed back left bunker - probably for best

12. They removed the fairway bunker on right which I thought made it a great risk/reward par 4. Now you can just blast a driver. Secondly, the green side bunker is 1/3rd the size with no lip. In my opinion- now the weakest hole on the course.

13. No further changes expect bunkers.

14. No further changes expect bunkers.

15. No further changes expect bunkers.

16. Fairway bunkers are 1/3rd the same, the lip much smaller.

17. No further changes expect bunkers.  

18. Total redesign, much easier than the old 18. They removed some trees and green opens up a lot more in front. I liked it. For a sub $75 round, you can't beat it. Tee'ed off at 8am and finished under 4 hours.  Good

 

[azgolfer44]

On 11/14/2022 at 3:10 PM, puttnforthe8 said:

 

I played Papago for the first time since the new holes were added.   

Besides the modifications of holes 1, 9, and 18, the biggest changes to me appeared with the bunkers.  Many are much smaller and shallower and they added quite a few. The sand is also very, very soft but I assume it will pack down over time.  The reduced size of the bunkers is noticeable on 1, 6, 12, and 16.  They added a new bunker on the left side of 12 way down by the cart path which is kind of weird.

 

I think #6 will play the same or easier as the old hole, although it looks a lot better. More room to hit it off the tee and the green appears to be more receptive.  

 

I really like the new whole #9, making it a true par 5.  The new blue tee markers makes the drive much more difficult threading between the bunkers as opposed to hitting it over.

 

18 should be a great hole.  The drive is more difficult and you can't really bail out right.

 

I don't like the shortened hole #10 which the tee moved forward, which is now the easiest hole on the course.  

 

There are some great new tees on 1/10, 8, 9, 13, 14 (way back by the 16 tee), and 17.  

 

The desert is more penal than before.  It has been raked so you don't get the packed down lie anymore.

 

Overall, course is in great shape and should be very busy all winter.

[Argonne69]

7 hours ago, azgolfer44 said:

I played Papago for the first time since the new holes were added.   

 

They added a new bunker on the left side of 12 way down by the cart path which is kind of weird.

 

 

The new bunker on #12 is probably to catch balls from going into the desert. Being a short par 4, any misses left would generally wind up rolling across the cart part and into the junk. A bunker in that catch area will likely speed up play.