Scottsdale Trip Questions

[r3www]

Hi All,

 

Looking for some advice on an upcoming Scottsdale trip in January as a single and any input/advice you could provide would be appreciated. The tentative itinerary is:

 

Thursday Arrival day: land at Sky harbor at 8am. Tee off Quintero at noon. 

Friday: 36 holes at Wekopa, Cholla am and Saguaro pm. 

Saturday: early am tee off at AK Chin. Replay if available. 

Sunday: early am tee off at Troon North Pinnacle. Replay if available. If not available, try to walk on Eagle Mountain. Fly out of sky harbor at 10pm. 

 

The few questions I have are:

 

1. Have I left myself enough time between my arrival at Sky harbor and the noon tee time at Quintero? I estimated about 2 hours to pick up checked bags and get the rental car (w/tram ride) and an hour to drive to Quintero from there. Estimating to arrive at around 11am give or take 15 mins and have at least 45 mins or so to warm up. thinking the round will be around 5 hours at least and sunset is expected between 5-5:30 pm. Should I keep the tee time or look for a different course closer to the airport if finishing Quintero is wishful thinking given my flight arrival time and earmark for the next time I’m in town? Any other good suggestions around the $200-250ish range? 
2. What’s the likelihood I’ll be able replay AK chin but more importantly Troon North as a single? Troon is expensive this time of year but if I can get back on the at replay rate it would help justify the cost. 
3. If I can’t likely get on Troon North replay, would it be safer to play elsewhere that day instead? are there any other good courses you could recommend that are not value courses(around $250ish range), Eagle mountain? Perhaps do 36 at Wekopa again?

 

Thanks!

[puttnforthe8]

10 hours ago, r3www said:

Hi All,

 

Looking for some advice on an upcoming Scottsdale trip in January as a single and any input/advice you could provide would be appreciated. The tentative itinerary is:

 

Thursday Arrival day: land at Sky harbor at 8am. Tee off Quintero at noon. 

Friday: 36 holes at Wekopa, Cholla am and Saguaro pm. 

Saturday: early am tee off at AK Chin. Replay if available. 

Sunday: early am tee off at Troon North Pinnacle. Replay if available. If not available, try to walk on Eagle Mountain. Fly out of sky harbor at 10pm. 

 

 

 

Thanks!

The few questions I have are:

 

1. Have I left myself enough time between my arrival at Sky harbor and the noon tee time at Quintero? I estimated about 2 hours to pick up checked bags and get the rental car (w/tram ride) and an hour to drive to Quintero from there. Estimating to arrive at around 11am give or take 15 mins and have at least 45 mins or so to warm up. thinking the round will be around 5 hours at least and sunset is expected between 5-5:30 pm. Should I keep the tee time or look for a different course closer to the airport if finishing Quintero is wishful thinking given my flight arrival time and earmark for the next time I’m in town? Any other good suggestions around the $200-250ish range?  You should be good on all counts getting to the course.  The concern is frost delays, if there is a frost delay all the tee times are pushed any you could be going out at 1-1:30.  Now, I think you may be able to still finish as it won't be a 5hr round.  But you will be close.     
2. What’s the likelihood I’ll be able replay AK chin but more importantly Troon North as a single? Huge dependency on frost delay - A frost delay could be up to 2 hours. So all tee times get pushed, a replay anywhere will be in the "tough to finish realm". You will be able to get a replay at SD, but finishing will be the question.  Troon is expensive this time of year but if I can get back on the at replay rate it would help justify the cost. 
3. If I can’t likely get on Troon North replay, would it be safer to play elsewhere that day instead? are there any other good courses you could recommend that are not value courses(around $250ish range), Eagle mountain? Perhaps do 36 at Wekopa again?  You could go down to play Grayhawk (could try to play 36 there). Up to Legend Trail or the Boulders.   I would even consider going out to Verrado and playing both courses - since you will be going to the airport after, that is not a terrible drive.

Edited November 7, 2024 by puttnforthe8

[r3www]

Ah ok thank you, good to know on the frost delays.  I switched my times at Wekopa just cause of that as I’d want to ensure I at least finish Saguaro.  

[SilverBullets]

Quintero on a travel day is a VERY LONG DAY.  Quintero by itself is a long day.

 

I would reconsider that plan. Quintero is a bit of a grind to begin with. It's a very demanding golf course.  After a flight, waiting for luggage, rental car, driving an hour, taking that 10-minute cart ride to the range. idk man. Quintero isn't the course I'd want to be facing. It gets windy there in the afternoon too and they let the greens get crusty. It'll be a tough challenge lol

 

If you keep it: I would eat and take care of business before you get to the course.  They don't have a clubhouse. They have a temporary trailer with a small trailer for a kitchen/snack bar... which typically takes an eternity. On weekends I've been there when they have a BBQ smoker going but I'm not sure if that's an everyday thing or just a weekend thing. I would plan to eat before you get there. 

 

Quintero is also not flexible at all. If there are any problems with your travel in, you will be eating the cost of the round. They will not budge. They kind of make you feel like it's your pleasure to pay them a couple hundred bucks to play their course... They aren't happy to have you lol

 

 

[SilverBullets]

For your 2nd 36 hole day:  Troon North would be my preferred if it can work.  If not, Grayhawk is like a 1c to TN and Wekopa's 1a, 1b. Grayhawk Raptor is probably the best championship test of golf in the valley and Talon is a really good course too. 

 

If that doesn't work, I would probably try to combo 2 courses.  Like 1 TN and 1 Grayhawk or 1 of those and TPC Champs. That will just be an expensive way to do it. 

 

Verrado is another solid 36-hole option.  Founders is a solid desert course and Victory is just a unique course to the valley with some really good holes (also some not great holes). 

 

I wouldn't waste your money with Boulders.  It's not at all worth the price.  

[r3www]

Okay I went ahead and cancelled Quintero lol, thank you. had an inkling feeling I would be trying to get too much out of this trip by doing it on a travel day. Bucket list course for me in the area but don’t want to detract from the experience but also don’t want to put it ahead of the rest of my lineup. Will have to save it for a future trip. I’ll probably try to get on either of the Verrado courses recommended or Raven or Papago as the warm up round on the travel day. 
 

I decided to plan for Grayhawk Raptor and Talon for the 36 hole day as I was able to get on the 1st tee time or the day, it’s location (staying in Scottsdale), both courses on 1 site (added plus due to limited daylight), and provides a small discount to do the 36 hole package lol. Still not cheap by any means but I guess it is what it is to play these courses when it isn’t scorching hot. 

[SilverBullets]

9 hours ago, r3www said:

Okay I went ahead and cancelled Quintero lol, thank you. had an inkling feeling I would be trying to get too much out of this trip by doing it on a travel day. Bucket list course for me in the area but don’t want to detract from the experience but also don’t want to put it ahead of the rest of my lineup. Will have to save it for a future trip. I’ll probably try to get on either of the Verrado courses recommended or Raven or Papago as the warm up round on the travel day. 
 

I decided to plan for Grayhawk Raptor and Talon for the 36 hole day as I was able to get on the 1st tee time or the day, it’s location (staying in Scottsdale), both courses on 1 site (added plus due to limited daylight), and provides a small discount to do the 36 hole package lol. Still not cheap by any means but I guess it is what it is to play these courses when it isn’t scorching hot. 

You wont be disappointed by Grayhawk. Both courses are really good. Raptor is a great challenge and Talon is a little more fun with some good risk/reward holes. They are typically in immaculate condition.

 

If Quintero is a bucket list course, consider playing Southern Dunes on your travel day and Quintero on the Saturday as your potential replay day. Southern dunes isn't too bad of a drive from the airport. Get a pretty early tee time at Quintero and wake up early to make that drive. I've had no issues playing 36 there on days like that because afternoon times seem a little more open since it's so far away. The second round might be a little slow but Quintero is a course which it helps navigating it the second time (it doesn't make the course easier LOL). 

 

 

[r3www]

Okay sounds good, I think this is the lineup I will go with, thank you!

[qtlaw]

We just completed our Scottsdale trip (12 people) in October.  I had never been there before.

 

We played TPC, Grayhawk, Quintero and Whirlwind.

 

Quintero was a fantastic course and the best of the bunch by a significant margin.  My advice is not to "save" it but get it in your rotation this time.  Its 45 mins from anywhere, but what a setting.  Great Par 3s, you will not be disappointed.

 

Grayhawk was nice as well.