Scottsdale area, generous courses?

[monkeyboy]

Looking to possibly do a group golf trip to Scottsdale area. Problem is that most of the group are mediocre golfers. Most of us have never played 'desert golf' before and are concerned that it will be too penalizing for those who are less skilled at target golf.

 

Are we correct in desert courses being very penalizing for errant drives (used to SouthEast where one can many times punch out from the woods)

 

I am targeting a few of the courses that seem to come up in conversation here, but should eliminate any that would be too frustrating. We usually play at 6,100 - 6,500 yards

 

We-Ko-Pa courses

Grayhawk Raptor

Troon Pinnacle

Talking Stick

Camelback Ambiente

Quintero

Boulders

Sunridge Canyon

 

which have more generous fairways and/or are easier to score well on?

[BUCKEYERBALL88]

Looking to possibly do a group golf trip to Scottsdale area. Problem is that most of the group are mediocre golfers. Most of us have never played 'desert golf' before and are concerned that it will be too penalizing for those who are less skilled at target golf.

 

Are we correct in desert courses being very penalizing for errant drives (used to SouthEast where one can many times punch out from the woods)

 

I am targeting a few of the courses that seem to come up in conversation here, but should eliminate any that would be too frustrating. We usually play at 6,100 - 6,500 yards

 

We-Ko-Pa courses

Grayhawk Raptor

Troon Pinnacle

Talking Stick

Camelback Ambiente

Quintero

Boulders

Sunridge Canyon

 

which have more generous fairways and/or are easier to score well on?

 

Kierland is very forgiving

[cbbaron]

I would do Eagle Mountain instead of Sun Ridge Canyon same designer as Kierland better views if your group is into that as well. Raptor at Grayhawk off the tee is not difficult as far as losing golf balls in concerned

[DrSchteeve]

Pretty much none of those. Agree with Kierland and Eagle Mountain.

 

Probably your best bet would be to play what is typically called the "Desert Rule" which essentially plays the edge of the desert as a lateral hazard, drop within 2 club lengths on grass where the ball passed into the desert. You can still play your ball if you find it in the desert if you want. It can get a bit wonky when there is out of bounds in play in addition to the desert, and whether you want to insist that the ball be found in order to play the desert rule, but it just depends on how much your group want to be sticklers for the rules.

 

Many courses have this listed as an official local rule on their scorecards, but you can play that way anywhere as long as your group aren't sticklers for playing the official Rules of Golf in every circumstance.

 

That seems to me far preferable to trying to find easier courses to play on, kind of defeats the whole purpose of coming to the desert to play golf.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Looking to possibly do a group golf trip to Scottsdale area. Problem is that most of the group are mediocre golfers. Most of us have never played 'desert golf' before and are concerned that it will be too penalizing for those who are less skilled at target golf.

 

Are we correct in desert courses being very penalizing for errant drives (used to SouthEast where one can many times punch out from the woods)

 

I am targeting a few of the courses that seem to come up in conversation here, but should eliminate any that would be too frustrating. We usually play at 6,100 - 6,500 yards

 

We-Ko-Pa courses Saguaro only

 

Talking Stick

 

 

which have more generous fairways and/or are easier to score well on?

 

Updated your list for you to courses that have plenty of width.

 

Other options you did not include

 

Kierland (way over priced though) Eagle Mountain. Verde River to an extent.

[golfandfishing]

Good Lord Sunridge Canyon is a definite no if you want wide and forgiving.

[dtm6582]

If I were in your shoes OP I would probably pick a couple of the nice desert courses mentioned above that are relatively forgiving (Wekopa Saguaro, Grayhawk Raptor, skip Quintero but a little longer drive gives you Wickenburg Ranch) and then play the other half of your rounds on one of the parkland style courses here. None of those that come to mind are top notch but it may help keep things more fun for everyone.

 

I'll be the first to admit, non-stop desert golf can be draining.

[Chomper]

What people above have stated -

 

Talking Stick is widest place I know of in the valley. Good greens, tough to score but fun to play. WeKoPa Saguaro is probably second.

Papago is pretty wide.

Kierland is wide on two of the three 9's.

SunRidge Canyon is probably ok, but certanly not wide.

Wickenburg Ranch - absolutely, but I don't really call that Phoenix. It is almost 1.5 hrs from my house.

Ambiente/Quintero/Troon/Boulders are not what I would call wide.

[Need4spd]

What people above have stated -

 

Talking Stick is widest place I know of in the valley. Good greens, tough to score but fun to play. WeKoPa Saguaro is probably second.

Papago is pretty wide.

Kierland is wide on two of the three 9's.

SunRidge Canyon is probably ok, but certanly not wide.

Wickenburg Ranch - absolutely, but I don't really call that Phoenix. It is almost 1.5 hrs from my house.

Ambiente/Quintero/Troon/Boulders are not what I would call wide.

 

This.

[Jab3384]

Avoid Kierland at all costs. Just got back from a group outing there and it was an absolutely horrible experience.

[BUCKEYERBALL88]

Avoid Kierland at all costs. Just got back from a group outing there and it was an absolutely horrible experience.

 

What happened?

[umassgolfer]

Both TPC Scottsdale was pretty wide open as I recall, but I only played each of their courses once. Keeping in mind Stadium is widely considered overrated, but that wasn't really the question.

[txeconomist]

Whirlwind Devils Claw is wide open too...

[golfandfishing]

Avoid Kierland at all costs. Just got back from a group outing there and it was an absolutely horrible experience.

 

I’m curious on this as well. While not the best course around i have never found it to be anything other than accommodating and in good condition. Can you let us know what your experience was like?

[DrSchteeve]

Avoid Kierland at all costs. Just got back from a group outing there and it was an absolutely horrible experience.

 

I'm curious on this as well. While not the best course around i have never found it to be anything other than accommodating and in good condition. Can you let us know what your experience was like?

 

Only played there once but they had great resort hospitality - 10 guys at check in and 3 great looking cart girls, 1 per 9. The course themselves, OK though not memorable, but they gave the group I was with first class treatment all the way.

[Pleasedwith3putts]

I've never lost as many balls as I did at Quintero. Doesn't take much to go into the desert wasteland and there's plenty of cover in there to hide the ball............and snakes!

 

Great course though with awesome greens

[cbbaron]

Avoid Kierland at all costs. Just got back from a group outing there and it was an absolutely horrible experience.

 

I'm curious on this as well. While not the best course around i have never found it to be anything other than accommodating and in good condition. Can you let us know what your experience was like?

 

Only played there once but they had great resort hospitality - 10 guys at check in and 3 great looking cart girls, 1 per 9. The course themselves, OK though not memorable, but they gave the group I was with first class treatment all the way.

Not my favorite but have always been treated great there

[Clambake]

Have everyone in the group pick up a cheap 6 iron and agree to a group “local” rule that allows you to sub it for your regular 6 to hit out of the desert waste areas. Takes some of the stress away, and your regular clubs will thank you for it.

[Jab3384]

Avoid Kierland at all costs. Just got back from a group outing there and it was an absolutely horrible experience.

 

We had 12 of us there (12x$150/person is quite a bit of coin)... 3 foursomes teeing off back-back-back. We put our best golfers in the first group... off they went. I was in the middle group and our third group behind me.

 

Course was cart path only for the front 9... gross, but it is what it is thanks to the overseeding. After a couple holes, my group was about a hole behind (makes sense, as the first group were all single digit caps) and the course was pretty wide open. Our buddies behind us were keeping pace with us, but never waiting on us... nevertheless, the on course "player hospitality" person or whatever he wants to be called (his name was Randy), literally harassed us about pace of play every other hole. I get saying something once or twice to us, but he literally drove by every other hole and rudely threatened us about our pace of play, saying that he would kick us off or make us skip a hole to catch up. The more he did this, the more it affected a couple players in our group that weren't having their best ball striking days.

 

We almost walked off at the turn when the marshal waited for us to finish 9, asked if we needed anything from the snack shop or if we had to go to the bathroom, and drove us straight to the 10th.

 

Thankfully, the back 9 was 90* cart path and our pace of play picked up... but that didn't stop ol' Randy from harassing us a few more times until we finally had enough at hole 16 and basically told him to "eff off"... some unpleasantries were exchanged, quite a lot of profanities, and thankfully he left us alone to finally enjoy the last couple of holes.

 

Other than that, the course layout was pretty boring and uneventful... wide open fairways and pretty basic greens.

 

We played TPC Scottsdale-Champions a couple days later, paid about half the price, and had an all around much better experience.

[golfandfishing]

^^^

 

Not fun for sure. What was your time to finish the front nine?

[One_Putt_Blunder]

So the marshal did his job? Kudos to him

[DrSchteeve]

Sorry, but my complaints are about undermarshalling, not overmarshalling. Maybe it could have been handled more diplomatically, but that's not a story that's going to stop me from playing the course.

[Jab3384]

^^^

 

Not fun for sure. What was your time to finish the front nine?

 

About 2.25 - 2.5 hrs... and as I mentioned, cart path only for the carts... maybe I'm used to playing courses in LA where rounds take at least 5 hours, but even at 2.5 hrs for 9 isn't unreasonable.

 

Maybe it doesn't bother some of you getting harassed every other hole about pace of play, but it definitely affected our foursome. Especially with our buddies behind us not ever having to wait on any of their shots.

 

Regardless, between the d0uchebag of a marshal and the $150+ green fee for an overseeded, boring course, I still stand by my avoid at all costs statement. Scottsdale/Phoenix have plenty other courses that should be played before this one.

[DrSchteeve]

2.5 for 9 isn't unreasonable? Wow. Let us suggest some golf destinations for your future trips, none including Arizona.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

2.5 hour 9 hole pace cart path only or not on an easy, wide open golf course is very unreasonable.

 

The group behind you is irrelevant when it comes to pace. I applaud the staff for being proactive especially if you had an early time you completely set the day back pace wise.

[Jab3384]

2.5 hour 9 hole pace cart path only or not on an easy, wide open golf course is very unreasonable.

 

The group behind you is irrelevant when it comes to pace. I applaud the staff for being proactive especially if you had an early time you completely set the day back pace wise.

 

1st of our three tee times was 10am... and as I mentioned previously, course was empty. We can just leave it as a difference of opinion.

 

Going back to the OPs original post, I would not recommend this course for a group of mediocre golfers (which a handful of us are as well), unless they want to be rudely harassed by the marshal throughout their unpleasant round.

[golfandfishing]

2.5 for 9 holes and you didn’t have to wait? You were slow, cheers to Kierland for the cattle prod up your butt.

[cbbaron]

2.5 hours 9 holes Im ready to blow my brains out

[Jab3384]

2.5 hours 9 holes Im ready to blow my brains out

 

I’m glad you weren’t behind us then bc we’d hate to lose your valuable input!

 

Welp, I’ve said my peace. Proceed at your own risk OP :)

[cbbaron]

2.5 hours 9 holes Im ready to blow my brains out

 

I'm glad you weren't behind us then bc we'd hate to lose your valuable input!

 

Welp, I've said my peace. Proceed at your own risk OP :)

Im glad I wasn't behind you as well