2024 Phoenix Area Course Conditions

[puttnforthe8]

5 minutes ago, AzSuperHack76 said:

I have played it many times before. I didn’t think that have done anything to the course. No changes that I have seen in the last couple of years. 

Interesting - I thought there were some fairway changes, new bunkering, clean up and maybe a tee box or two change/add.    I need to go find what I was reading.  

[bazzle18]

Have the opportunity to play Firerock for the first time coming up in a few weeks.  Anyone have insight into what I should expect?

[puttnforthe8]

35 minutes ago, bazzle18 said:

Have the opportunity to play Firerock for the first time coming up in a few weeks.  Anyone have insight into what I should expect?

It's a decent track.  Some renos over the last few years.  I would say there are a lot of good holes and a couple of average-bad ones.  All in all a good track.  Conditions are generally decent all around.  Pretty easy course.  You do need to pay attention to lines and elevation for your distances.  Downhill shots you need to lay up much shorter or you will run into things and the uphill shots factor it in otherwise you are short.  Lines are real important because you can go through if you don't pay attn.

[Olson12]

TPC champions walking rate has gone up to $112 but considering my other options it was a good deal.  Course is in amazing shape and greens are rolling very true and quick!  couldn't get the speeds down all day. 

[puttnforthe8]

1 hour ago, Olson12 said:

TPC champions walking rate has gone up to $112 but considering my other options it was a good deal.  Course is in amazing shape and greens are rolling very true and quick!  couldn't get the speeds down all day. 

Wow...that's $30 - essentially 40%.  

[Double K]

On 2/23/2024 at 10:28 PM, Double K said:

Snagged a Sunday Noon tee time at Aguila today. I didn't know these things existed, I thought the bots snapped them all up!!

 

It was in as good of shape as I have seen it. Really happy I go to play it this trip. 

 

It looks like we have locked down a rental for November 2024, so you'll have to put up with me more often this coming winter. 

[SilverBullets]

On 2/27/2024 at 1:59 PM, puttnforthe8 said:

Wow...that's $30 - essentially 40%.  

There's also a booking window on it now

[AzSuperHack76]

On 2/26/2024 at 12:54 PM, puttnforthe8 said:

Interesting - I thought there were some fairway changes, new bunkering, clean up and maybe a tee box or two change/add.    I need to go find what I was reading.  

Yeah, I haven't seen any renovations over the last couple of years. 

[Olson12]

18 hours ago, SilverBullets said:

There's also a booking window on it now

Correct.  7 days for AZ residents. 

 

[MackDaddy480]

Locals are getting absolutely hosed this year. Almost impossible to get weekend tee times at any of the Muni's and rates are up everywhere.

 

COVID ruined golf for people who already played golf...

[AZBRONCFAN]

On 2/22/2024 at 8:48 AM, Olson12 said:

GCU this weekend.  Fairways and greens are nice but thats about it.  Off the fairway and bunkers are terrible.  

 

On a side not.  How the hell are you other locals getting tee times at the city courses?  I check first thing in the morning and everything is always booked up.  Are we really having to stay up until midnight to get a tee time?

 

 

Yeah pretty much have too and even then it doesn't always work. Any of the cards, City, Troon, Arcis, etc are pretty worthless for tee times before twilight. The am tee times are booked way in advance for premium "dynamic" pricing. 

[tcbringhurst]

Aguila today. Not sure I’ll be back anytime soon.
 

Teed off after 12 pm and was on pace to be a 5.5 hour round. Had to leave after hole 14 to get back home in time for an evening event. 
 

I’m almost positive someone two groups ahead stole my ball. 
 

Is it too much to ask the munis to make sure everyone is getting around in 4.5 hours?

 

Conditions-wise, everything was well-taken care of. But if a sub-5 hour round is too much to ask for, I’m not going to be back. 

[AzSuperHack76]

2 minutes ago, tcbringhurst said:

Aguila today. Not sure I’ll be back anytime soon.
 

Teed off after 12 pm and was on pace to be a 5.5 hour round. Had to leave after hole 14 to get back home in time for an evening event. 
 

I’m almost positive someone two groups ahead stole my ball. 
 

Is it too much to ask the munis to make sure everyone is getting around in 4.5 hours?

 

Conditions-wise, everything was well-taken care of. But if a sub-5 hour round is too much to ask for, I’m not going to be back. 

It's a weekend at a muni and you tee'd off at noon, not sure what else you were expecting. It sucks but pretty common on all the muni's teeing off around that time. Speaking of slow play, tee'd off at GCU today, 930, course is in really good shape, the greens are not dormant anymore and are running nicely, good speed and rolling true, very receptive with the grass not being dormant. Round took 4.45, again, not ideal but expected with a muni teeing off midmorning. 

[tcbringhurst]

9 minutes ago, AzSuperHack76 said:

It's a weekend at a muni and you tee'd off at noon, not sure what else you were expecting. It sucks but pretty common on all the muni's teeing off around that time.

No, 5.5 hour rounds should never be considered the norm. Screw that. 

[AZ_JHWK]

Played Papago today in the Men's League. This is another course in really good shape right now. The greens were fantastic and very fast. This was my first event there and they require you to punch a timecard after each nine. If you don't keep up, you get penalized. We played the back nine in 2:01 and still lost touch with the group ahead at times. 

[AzSuperHack76]

1 hour ago, tcbringhurst said:

No, 5.5 hour rounds should never be considered the norm. Screw that. 

I never said it should be the norm. I said it is common on the weekends. 

[Soloman1]

1 hour ago, AzSuperHack76 said:

It's a weekend at a muni and you tee'd off at noon, not sure what else you were expecting. It sucks but pretty common on all the muni's teeing off around that time. Speaking of slow play, tee'd off at GCU today, 930, course is in really good shape, the greens are not dormant anymore and are running nicely, good speed and rolling true, very receptive with the grass not being dormant. Round took 4.45, again, not ideal but expected with a muni teeing off midmorning. 

 

they spray color on them. they’re still dormant for another month or so.

 

[AzSuperHack76]

58 minutes ago, Soloman1 said:

 

they spray color on them. they’re still dormant for another month or so.

 

There seems to grass growing right now. Weather has been nice. Compared to a couple weeks ago there has definitely been some growth, although I’m not an expert. 

[Soloman1]

oh i know, great weather! i agree there's some growth already from all the rain we had. still too cool in the evenings.

they spray them every year. nothing wrong with that though. dormant rolls pure.

[MackDaddy480]

2 hours ago, AZ_JHWK said:

Played Papago today in the Men's League. This is another course in really good shape right now. The greens were fantastic and very fast. This was my first event there and they require you to punch a timecard after each nine. If you don't keep up, you get penalized. We played the back nine in 2:01 and still lost touch with the group ahead at times. 

I also play in the PMGA and the greens are absolutely pure right now and so is the entire course. The new greens on 18 and 6 still suck but the other 16 holes are fantastic. They are getting ready for the Thunderbird Invitational so they should only get quicker and firmer. 

Edited March 3, 2024 by MackDaddy480

[azgolfer44]

26 minutes ago, MackDaddy480 said:

I also play in the PMGA and the greens are absolutely pure right now and so is the entire course. The new greens on 18 and 6 still suck but the other 16 holes are fantastic. They are getting ready for the Thunderbird Invitational so they should only get quicker and firmer. 

Also played men’s club today. We were third group and played in 4:02. Made a 2 on 7 for a nice skin 😀 but didn’t get in par 3 game which I finished -3 🙁

[AZ_JHWK]

9 hours ago, azgolfer44 said:

Also played men’s club today. We were third group and played in 4:02. Made a 2 on 7 for a nice skin 😀 but didn’t get in par 3 game which I finished -3 🙁

I saw that on the results sheet. Nice note from the board calling attention to that. 😆

 

I met several of them after the round yesterday, a great group of guys. 

[azgolfer44]

14 hours ago, AZ_JHWK said:

Played Papago today in the Men's League. This is another course in really good shape right now. The greens were fantastic and very fast. This was my first event there and they require you to punch a timecard after each nine. If you don't keep up, you get penalized. We played the back nine in 2:01 and still lost touch with the group ahead at times. 

I wish Aguila would get a clock. Keeps the pace good for everyone. Should not be hard to play in 2:10 per side. 

[AZ_JHWK]

1 hour ago, azgolfer44 said:

I wish Aguila would get a clock. Keeps the pace good for everyone. Should not be hard to play in 2:10 per side. 

Absolutely. But I was paired with 3 guys that visited almost every greenside bunker and taking multiple shots sometimes. I kept them focused on the time aspect. I asked the first guy to hole out to head to the next tee box on several occasions. It cost me a two-shot penalty when one of them went to the wrong tee box after #16.  He went to the closest tee box which was the one for #9, not #17...and I followed him in the mistake! I knew something felt wrong, but I was in hurry up mode too. I've only played there a handful of times but should have known better. After I hit, he looks down and says "oh, we're on the wrong box".  So, we took our 2-stroke penalty and went to the correct tee box. I still cashed, but it cost me a few $$$. Live and learn. 

[Baraethon]

Has anyone played Great Eagle? Looking for a sub-$75 round with some buddies next weekend and obviously not many options. Best bet right now is gambling on GCU not checking all of our city cards lmao

[puttnforthe8]

1 hour ago, Baraethon said:

Has anyone played Great Eagle? Looking for a sub-$75 round with some buddies next weekend and obviously not many options. Best bet right now is gambling on GCU not checking all of our city cards lmao

https://golfmoose.com/product/superstition-springs-golf-club/

[Bonneville85308]

3 hours ago, Baraethon said:

Has anyone played Great Eagle? Looking for a sub-$75 round with some buddies next weekend and obviously not many options. Best bet right now is gambling on GCU not checking all of our city cards lmao

 

Yes, the eagle ain't so great, pretty rough actually. I'd say it's consistently the worst conditioned course in the far west valley, even worse than AZ Traditions next to it, and not even that good of a layout. If you must be sub-$75 in the far west valley, assuming the city courses aren't available, and assuming you want a full-length course, and a tee time where you will finish before dark, you'd be better off with one of the original Sun City (Riverview/North/South/Lakes West/Willowcreek) courses. Flat boring golf surrounded by houses but usually in decent condition and super easy to walk if you want to.

Edited March 4, 2024 by Bonneville85308

[Baraethon]

Damn, not a stellar review lmao. I'm not looking in the far west valley, just anywhere north of central Phoenix - I'm playing with some buddies who will drive north to Prescott afterwards, so I'm not trying to make them drive 30 minutes in the wrong direction first (unless a miracle happens and we get a morning 3some on aguila, of course). 

 

Superstition springs might be a good call though, I'll see if that's open when the golfmoose window comes. Thanks!

[puttnforthe8]

48 minutes ago, Baraethon said:

Damn, not a stellar review lmao. I'm not looking in the far west valley, just anywhere north of central Phoenix - I'm playing with some buddies who will drive north to Prescott afterwards, so I'm not trying to make them drive 30 minutes in the wrong direction first (unless a miracle happens and we get a morning 3some on aguila, of course). 

 

Superstition springs might be a good call though, I'll see if that's open when the golfmoose window comes. Thanks!

Maybe look at Union Hills and see if you can find an acceptable rate.  Not the worst.....sorta. 

[fore_life]

3 hours ago, Baraethon said:

Damn, not a stellar review lmao. I'm not looking in the far west valley, just anywhere north of central Phoenix - I'm playing with some buddies who will drive north to Prescott afterwards, so I'm not trying to make them drive 30 minutes in the wrong direction first (unless a miracle happens and we get a morning 3some on aguila, of course). 

 

Superstition springs might be a good call though, I'll see if that's open when the golfmoose window comes. Thanks!

you should play in Prescott!