2024 Phoenix Area Course Conditions

[sandpounder]

On 12/16/2024 at 11:11 AM, chisag said:

 

 

... One off the things I hate about the Director of golf for Phoenix courses. Two years ago and going into a 3rd season, they water the rough around the 9th and 18th on the Tucson Muni so it looks green from the clubhouse 🙄 while all other holes have a tan dormant rough. Not only do I think it looks beautiful to have that contrast, it negates Panks design of putting steep hills on both opposite sides of the water. You could always throw the ball up into those mounds and have it bounce down on the fringe or the green. Since many are coming into those greens with longer clubs it is a brilliant design to avoid the lake. But with watered rough the ball stays on a downslope and depending on pin placements it can be a very difficult chip. 

I really like the contrast of dormant and live grass also.  California courses have that as well.  It is striking!  Plus the lies on dormant can be rather easy as the ball tends to sit well.

[SilverBullets]

On 12/23/2024 at 12:09 PM, Argonne69 said:

 

Called the Champions course a couple of weeks ago to inquire about a resident rate. Used to play it for under $100. It's now $150ish. 

 

Can't imagine that the Stadium Course was ever that cheap. 

 

It really is the best deal in town during peak season, especially if you walk

Edited December 26, 2024 by SilverBullets

[fore_life]

1 hour ago, SilverBullets said:

It really is the best deal in town during peak season, especially if you walk

I know it wasn’t peak season but they used to have a deal in the summer where you could play both courses for $99 total lol 

[SilverBullets]

1 hour ago, fore_life said:

I know it wasn’t peak season but they used to have a deal in the summer where you could play both courses for $99 total lol 

Man that had to have been a while ago

 

I do remember when I first moved here, Champs was like $40 in the summer and $72 in peak season (to walk)... its gotten substantially more expensive in the last few years but it's still hard to beat comparatively to the rest of the valley this time of year... they also essentially did away with the resident rate in the summer as it's no longer variable so it's more expensive that just using the rack rate which is annoying

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, SilverBullets said:

they also essentially did away with the resident rate in the summer as it's no longer variable so it's more expensive that just using the rack rate which is annoying

 

 

... Seems like last summer many courses did that too. head scratcher as supply and demand is very low. I join Arcis and play Raven in summer because of the shade provided by the trees in 110*+ temps is nice. I play a lot as a single and the program Ofers "free" rounds after 3pm but I pay $39 for the cart and would get paired up with others. But this Sumer so few were playing at 3pm they dropped the time to 12 noon Mon-Thur. Didn't make much sense to play in the hottest part of the day when a 3pm start time means the sun is at least starting to set and the temps drop as I am finishing. But there were days when I started at 3pm with nobody in front or behind me for at least an hour or more.

... That said, more than a few courses raised their Summer rates  and it just seems to me more golfers for a few dollars less is a smart business decision. Living in Laveen I don't venture up to northern Scottsdale much so not sure how they operate during the summer but it sounds like Champs ain't a summer bargain anymore either. 

[jatrain]

I know a guy who is a GM here in the valley and he says that the higher end courses have realized that post Covid summer demand is high enough that they can charge twice as much as they used to and even if they get half as much play they come out ahead with less staffing and wear/tear on the course.  They basically don’t care in the summer if their tee sheet is full.  

[SilverBullets]

On 12/26/2024 at 12:47 PM, jatrain said:

I know a guy who is a GM here in the valley and he says that the higher end courses have realized that post Covid summer demand is high enough that they can charge twice as much as they used to and even if they get half as much play they come out ahead with less staffing and wear/tear on the course.  They basically don’t care in the summer if their tee sheet is full.  

Yep, I've heard the same.

 

Honestly, it makes a lot of sense for them to run it this way. It sucks for all of us. 

[Olson12]

Played both Aguila and GCU this weekend.  

Aguila is in perfect shape greens rolling well.  

 

GCU is funky.  Dormant/painted fairways and dormant greens.  The greens rolled well but you have to get creative around the greens because of some of the lies you get. I would rank it last in the city courses but for $50 to walk its still preferred over the overpriced courses throughout the valley.

[Double K]

I played Raven GC last Friday with some guys from work. One of them was an Arcis Prime member. The guest fee is $175 so after tax it was an eye-watering $200. 

 

Once I choked down the green fee, I enjoyed the round. I found the course to be relatively straightforward for a first-timer, don't recall any doglegs or blind shots, good mix of lengths on all holes, definitely some big boy par 4s around there. 

 

Course was in really good shape, I was in one fairway bunker and one greenside bunker and thought they were some of the nicest bunkers I've played out of anywhere. Pace was a bit slow and I found the course to be noisy, likely owing to all the bros we saw in the bar after the round. 

 

At the end of the day, I don't find the course to be worth $150 more than Aguila, so wouldn't be back unless I found a screaming deal on a tee time. 

[jatrain]

Wrong thread

Edited January 24 by jatrain

[Double K]

Aguila today. 

 

Teed off at 10, finished exactly at 2. Could probably have played a bit faster. 

 

Course was in great shape, as usual. Thought the greens were a touch on the slow side, but extremely smooth and virtually no ball marks, nor could you make one. They had the pins in some really tough spots, especially on 4, 7 and 13 (I hate that hole). 

 

It doesn't even look like the same course with all the brush they've removed.