Forest golf in the southwest.

dtm6582 · April 18, 2016

So, a recent trip to Utah has made it clear to me that I really enjoy golf courses in forested areas (played the Hideout in Monticello, highly recommend). I of course live in Phoenix. I'm curious if there are any good public golf courses in the area that will fulfill my desire to play golf in the forest.

Flagstaff obviously has some good ones, all of which are private.

Elephant Rocks in Williams is a solid choice. I don't remember details but I remember it having that feel.

Any good options in Prescott? They don't have to be perfect designs, just fun to play. It's been so long since I played Antelope Hills I don't remember if it had that feel or not.

Payson? Just The Rim which is back to private right?

Pinetop/Showlow? More private tracks. Torreon and Pinetop CC. Pinetop Lakes is public but an executive course. Good for the ego I guess but not much else.

Anywhere else you guys can think of within say a 5 hour drive of the Valley? Near Showlow/Pinetop is especially convenient since my mother in law has a summer home there.

puttnforthe8 · April 18, 2016

Capital Canyon and Talking Rock in Prescott; Along with the Rim in Payson is Chapparal Pines. - but private of course. You can play CC for another month I think before they lock it out fully.

Maybe the Sedona courses - Mostly Oak Creek; Sedona GR a little and 7 Canyons a little more and the 9 hole courses there.

Antelope not so much....has trees, but not really forest like.

Pinewood in Munds Park has public rates that it offers.

jzona · April 18, 2016

Bison golf club in showlow......http://www.bisongolf.net/

Silvercreek in showlow ... more in the scrub oak/juniper than conifier, good Gary Panks design [think his first]

dtm6582 · April 18, 2016

Bison golf club in showlow......http://www.bisongolf.net/
Silvercreek in showlow ... more in the scrub oak/juniper than conifier, good Gary Panks design [think his first]

Played Silvercreek. Good course, unbelievably cheap when I played it (like $15 for two people combined walking). Wouldn't really call it forest though. Bison looks like more of a houses course than a forest course from the road if you get my meaning. Is it worth a play?

Isn't there another town up there that's supposed to have a decent city owned track? Strawberry maybe?

AzSuperHack76 · April 18, 2016

Bison is a fun track. A couple holes you get that isolated forest feel for sure. A little section isn't forested at all and are within the houses. The rest are all forested but lined with houses, the trees give you more of a forrest feel then housing track in my opinion.

I've been able to call Pinetop CC in the past and get on.

I forgot about Silvercreek last summer, looking forward to playing it this year.

We have some land up there and hook up the ol travel trailer and park it up there for the summer for the first time last year. Funny thing about the Show Low/Pinetop-Lakeside area is that it you get thunderstorms almost every single afternoon during the monsoon season. They seem to creep up on you and just open up. The thunder and lightning is enough to scare the bejezus out of you.

dtm6582 · April 18, 2016

Bison is a fun track. A couple holes you get that isolated forest feel for sure. A little section isn't forested at all and are within the houses. The rest are all forested but lined with houses, the trees give you more of a forrest feel then housing track in my opinion.

I've been able to call Pinetop CC in the past and get on.

I forgot about Silvercreek last summer, looking forward to playing it this year.

We have some land up there and hook up the ol travel trailer and park it up there for the summer for the first time last year. Funny thing about the Show Low/Pinetop-Lakeside area is that it you get thunderstorms almost every single afternoon during the monsoon season. They seem to creep up on you and just open up. The thunder and lightning is enough to scare the bejezus out of you.

I may have to give Bison a shot next time we're there. Troon sent me an offer to join Pinetop CC short term so I wouldn't be surprised if they're open to some limited outside play. We can pretty much use the cabin whenever we want so a long weekend trip will probably happen at least once this summer.

Storms there are amazing. I lived in Flagstaff for about 8 years as did my wife. Before then she lived in Show Low. Monsoon weather in the Valley is no where near as neat or intense as it is up there.

jewofgolf · April 18, 2016

I really like Prescott Golf & CC in prescott valley. Also, is continental cc in flagstaff still public (or allow public play)?

AzSuperHack76 · April 19, 2016

DTM, shoot me a PM sometime, maybe we can coordinate a weekend to go check some golf out in the White Moutains. I have a couple ins at other courses up there but haven't used them yet.

puttnforthe8 · April 19, 2016

If you decide to play Bison: http://www.bisongolf.net/new_account/ Free round on your bday.

Titleist87 · April 19, 2016

So, a recent trip to Utah has made it clear to me that I really enjoy golf courses in forested areas (played the Hideout in Monticello, highly recommend). I of course live in Phoenix. I'm curious if there are any good public golf courses in the area that will fulfill my desire to play golf in the forest.

Flagstaff obviously has some good ones, all of which are private.
Elephant Rocks in Williams is a solid choice. I don't remember details but I remember it having that feel.
Any good options in Prescott? They don't have to be perfect designs, just fun to play. It's been so long since I played Antelope Hills I don't remember if it had that feel or not.
Payson? Just The Rim which is back to private right?
Pinetop/Showlow? More private tracks. Torreon and Pinetop CC. Pinetop Lakes is public but an executive course. Good for the ego I guess but not much else.

Anywhere else you guys can think of within say a 5 hour drive of the Valley? Near Showlow/Pinetop is especially convenient since my mother in law has a summer home there.

The Hideout is a nice course, really out in the middle of nowhere. Too many deer on that course to count. At a high elevation, much like Flagstaff, when you can get out of the desert climate.