2025 Phoenix Area Course Conditions

[puttnforthe8]

Kierland (mesquite and acacia 9s).

 

Really bad POP with so many people playing the wrong tees!  Foursomes playing tips that barely reached fairways.

 

Fairways and rough muddy everywhere! It was so hard to hit anywhere.  
 

Greens were fast, but rolled bad and the holes looked like they had not been moved in weeks as they were mounded or damaged.  
 

Bunkers inconsistent either hard pan or too much sand. 
 

It was a free round and we were still disappointed!

Edited January 3 by puttnforthe8

[hackeraz]

Hopped on Tatum Ranch as a guest and first time playing the course. Overall found it fairly decent. Nothing is going to knock your socks off and it's not quite desert target (plus for me) but conditions all around were solid, greens were nice, POP was 3:45 for our group. I'd definitely play it again but I wouldn't pay the initiation fees they want. 

[puttnforthe8]

Southern Dunes is in really good shape tee to green with the usual(known) bunker issues in some places.

 

warning or note:  it was a 1 hour 20 min frost delay.  So if you are going to play, make sure to book no later than 11:30, otherwise you get into not finishing risk.

 

 

[Baraethon]

Played GCU a bunch over the holiday. POP was slow as always, but the greens were fast and it's a really nice change of pace to play somewhere I can spray it a bit and not spend the day taking lost ball penalties.

[hackeraz]

Heading out in a couple of weeks and looking for something that's playing nice right now in Phoenix or Scottsdale area. Under $250/round preferred but could push it higher if necessary. 

[AZBRONCFAN]

Played Orangetree this am. They lost the greens with some fungus. Only 2 of them were basically unplayable and the proshop knocked off 20 bucks at check in. Pretty muddy and wet. Pace of play was good at 4 hours. It is what it is for the the north part if the valley. An inexpensive, expensive goat ranch.

[puttnforthe8]

8 hours ago, hackeraz said:

Heading out in a couple of weeks and looking for something that's playing nice right now in Phoenix or Scottsdale area. Under $250/round preferred but could push it higher if necessary. 

Longbow, TPC Champs, Raven, Ambiente

[AZ_JHWK]

I played in the Papago league the last 2 weekends. The greens are really great right now, fast and firm. If you fall asleep at the wrong time, you're looking at 10 feet coming back. The fairways are running good too, only a few soft spots. The rough offers little resistance and you can get into the desert pretty quick. The bunkers still have a lot of sand in the faces, and I've seen several plugged lies lately.  POP was not great at 4:40. 

[puttnforthe8]

Played Bear Creek in Chandler yesterday.  I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions. Most especially the greens, they were rolling really well and fast.  Fairways were great to hit out of with a few wet/muddy spots; the rough is dormant and can be inconsistent on the direction of the grass of course (could catch your club).  Bunker were great!  POP was a bit slow but not egregious.

 

 

[FlashNoonan]

Palmbrook on Sunday. New owners definitely making new improvements. New carts. Course is in the best shape I've seen it. Greens were quick and smooth. No complaints. 

[teejaywhy]

Seen at GCU.  Does anyone know who makes these custom headcovers? Would love to get a set.

 

[vernon]

3 hours ago, teejaywhy said:

Seen at GCU.  Does anyone know who makes these custom headcovers? Would love to get a set.

 

Pretty sure that those are only sold in pairs so you'll need to purchase either two or four depending on your setup!

[puttnforthe8]

5 hours ago, teejaywhy said:

Seen at GCU.  Does anyone know who makes these custom headcovers? Would love to get a set.

 

I do! Use code NY2025 for 20% off!  And if your friends buy I will send you $5 for each order!

[Bonneville85308]

6 hours ago, teejaywhy said:

Seen at GCU.  Does anyone know who makes these custom headcovers? Would love to get a set.

 

 

I know who owns that bag! One of the most chill older gents you could ever get paired up with at one of the local munis and a very solid player.

[puttnforthe8]

Sterling Grove is so good now.  Greens are quick!  Real rough. Good bunkers.  4hr POP.

 

tough to beat a round out there.

[Bonneville85308]

Augusta Ranch for the first time this morning. Short course around 3,800 yards from the tips. I'd probably rank the layout as one of the best of the numerous "exec" length courses in the east valley. Some good challenge around the greens if your approach misses them, a few holes where non-bombers can hit driver, a few longer holes with hidden trouble in or near the landing area. The course was in pretty good condition all around. Greens were quick and smooth compared to most courses of this type, once the frost melted and they dried up a bit. The bunkers I were in had a thin layer of sand over hardpan but were playable. Some tees could use leveling but not ridicuous. #1 and #18 fairways get a ton of range balls that make it over or through the range nets.

 

I was very surprised there was no frost delay and we went off on time - they just said CPO until 9:30am. For the front nine, the rough was very frozen and crunchy, the ball was bouncing hard on the greens, and putts were getting slowed down by a light layer of frost. Paired up with 3 great guys and finished in a bit under 3 hours. Prime time rack rate is pretty high for this length of course ($65-$80) but I got a prepaid deal on their website for less. 

 

 

 

[AZ_JHWK]

I played Leveen National at Cesar Chavez Park today. Conditions were good as usual. They continue to clean up a lot of the desert areas and it looks great. Congrats to them and it can only speed up play. There are still a few deep, dark places to be found.

 

We had an 8:30 tee time and I was expecting a frost delay...I was wrong. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of frost. Cart path only until everything melted, which happened after about 4 holes. I was walking and after approaching the first green I notice a buildup of ice on the bottom of my shoes. I've never seen that before and I've played plenty of winter golf in Kansas. Picture below.

[vernon]

17 hours ago, AZ_JHWK said:

I played Leveen National at Cesar Chavez Park today. Conditions were good as usual. They continue to clean up a lot of the desert areas and it looks great. Congrats to them and it can only speed up play. There are still a few deep, dark places to be found.

 

We had an 8:30 tee time and I was expecting a frost delay...I was wrong. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of frost. Cart path only until everything melted, which happened after about 4 holes. I was walking and after approaching the first green I notice a buildup of ice on the bottom of my shoes. I've never seen that before and I've played plenty of winter golf in Kansas. Picture below.

Yours is about the fourth post that I've read in the last couple of days about groups being let out to play in Arizona when there's still frost on the ground.

 

Doesn't that kill the grass everywhere that players walk?

 

I'm a thousand years old and I just can't remember ever hearing about courses allowing players to go out until the frost is gone but it seems to be common place out there.

 

Anyways, just curious.

 

Rock Chalk!

[southpaw72]

Anyone expect frost delays this weekend? Snagged two times at GCU for a last minute trip home but hoping it doesn’t get bumped back too far as I have afternoon commitments 

[Olson12]

On 1/10/2025 at 8:15 PM, puttnforthe8 said:

Sterling Grove is so good now.  Greens are quick!  Real rough. Good bunkers.  4hr POP.

 

tough to beat a round out there.

What was the rate?

 

[Olson12]

20 hours ago, AZ_JHWK said:

I played Leveen National at Cesar Chavez Park today. Conditions were good as usual. They continue to clean up a lot of the desert areas and it looks great. Congrats to them and it can only speed up play. There are still a few deep, dark places to be found.

 

We had an 8:30 tee time and I was expecting a frost delay...I was wrong. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of frost. Cart path only until everything melted, which happened after about 4 holes. I was walking and after approaching the first green I notice a buildup of ice on the bottom of my shoes. I've never seen that before and I've played plenty of winter golf in Kansas. Picture below.

 

Am I missing a joke somewhere ?  You're talking about Aguila right?  

[AZBRONCFAN]

On 1/12/2025 at 5:47 PM, AZ_JHWK said:

I played Leveen National at Cesar Chavez Park today. Conditions were good as usual. They continue to clean up a lot of the desert areas and it looks great. Congrats to them and it can only speed up play. There are still a few deep, dark places to be found.

 

We had an 8:30 tee time and I was expecting a frost delay...I was wrong. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of frost. Cart path only until everything melted, which happened after about 4 holes. I was walking and after approaching the first green I notice a buildup of ice on the bottom of my shoes. I've never seen that before and I've played plenty of winter golf in Kansas. Picture below.

I wish I could get decent tee times and. Cesar Chavez Country Club. Popular place!

[puttnforthe8]

4 hours ago, Olson12 said:

What was the rate?

 

I have Troon card, so it is 75.

[AZ_JHWK]

6 hours ago, Olson12 said:

 

Am I missing a joke somewhere ?  You're talking about Aguila right?  

Kind of a running joke. Also known as the Tucson Muni by Chisag. 

[AZ_JHWK]

9 hours ago, vernon said:

Yours is about the fourth post that I've read in the last couple of days about groups being let out to play in Arizona when there's still frost on the ground.

 

Doesn't that kill the grass everywhere that players walk?

 

I'm a thousand years old and I just can't remember ever hearing about courses allowing players to go out until the frost is gone but it seems to be common place out there.

 

Anyways, just curious.

 

Rock Chalk!

I always thought foot traffic would kill the grass as easily as cart traffic. I felt it was a cosmetic issue as much as a kill issue. Foot traffic will snap the blade, and it will die as a result, but the roots are still there, and it will grow back. it just looks bad for a while. I have no background in agronomy, however. 😉

 

Rock Chalk!

 

 

[vernon]

14 hours ago, AZ_JHWK said:

I always thought foot traffic would kill the grass as easily as cart traffic. I felt it was a cosmetic issue as much as a kill issue. Foot traffic will snap the blade, and it will die as a result, but the roots are still there, and it will grow back. it just looks bad for a while. I have no background in agronomy, however. 😉

 

Rock Chalk!

 

 

I guess maybe rye grass reacts and recovers faster/differently than fescue and bent grass.  I know it germinates much more quickly and grows like crazy in cooler temps.

 

Walk on fescue or bent grass when it's frost covered and the next day you can see the footprints like they were burned in with a laser.

 

Maybe that's all that matters.🤔

 

Wish I was out there to see for myself as I'm tired of looking at snow!

[MackDaddy480]

Does anyone have a reliable club builder in town that does good work? Building clubs properly, turning ferrules etc… PM me if you have someone. 

[AzSuperHack76]

22 hours ago, MackDaddy480 said:

Does anyone have a reliable club builder in town that does good work? Building clubs properly, turning ferrules etc… PM me if you have someone. 

Talk to Todd at All About Golf AJ. 

[Olson12]

On 1/14/2025 at 5:42 PM, MackDaddy480 said:

Does anyone have a reliable club builder in town that does good work? Building clubs properly, turning ferrules etc… PM me if you have someone. 

I've used a guy who I found on a Facebook group.  He put custom Ferrules on a set of irons with Steel fibers.  Did a really good job. He also reshafted some hybrids for me. 

 

https://enigmagolflab.com/

 

[MackDaddy480]

Great, thank you both.