Monday, July 16, 2007
WeKoPa Cholla
7225 Yds, Par 72, Slope 136, by Scott MillerGolfweb
They Say: "Open since December 2001, the Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa has garnered countless honors and has quickly become recognized as the reference course for quintessential desert golf. Designed by Scott Miller, this 7,225 yard layout was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 10 best new public courses in the world shortly after its debut. Since then, Zagat Survey 2006-2007 gives Cholla its highest rating among all Arizona courses and Golfweek ranks the layout #2 on its 2006 list of the state’s best public courses."
Mr Science's favorite course . . . his #1 of #1s, if you see what I mean . . . Miller is no Jones, nor no Cavanaugh, but the Kierland & Eagle Mountain are pretty fine credentials, aside from We-ko-pa, itself . . . .We-Ko-Pa means 4 peaks, which is the natural landmark that can be seen from most holes on the course. The manmade landmark that can be seen from the front 9 is the Fountains Hills Fountain that goes off every hour on the hour . . . 
#1 is a short downhill par 4, made intentionally "easy" as in a judo strategy, kuzushi, to take the golfer off-balance, "A Piece of Cake" he thinks, walking off the green, even after chunking two pitches and missing a putt.
#2 continues the "set up" with a wide-open driving area for the par 5, but the second shot takes some local knowledge to correctly club, because of those traps crossing the whole fairway, 90 yds short of the green. "Well! That's two birdies I let get away from me!" I said to myself -- nevermind that I got bogeys, instead.#3 is a testy par 3, where, if you hit the green you could be forgiven for thinking it a breather hole; if OTOH, you fall short in the desert as did the 4some in front of us, you might think it was the killing blow. Mrs Cactus popped up her hybrid, and squealed with disgust . . . but it landed a yard from mine and stopped dead. "OH!" she said. . . . but then she putted off the green from 32 ft -- a forgiveable offense, I say, since these greens were twice as fast as the greens yesterday at Wigwam Gold . . . not more difficult in structure, nor less, but much better condition.
There were several fairways that were fenced off, cartpath-only, but on m
ost we could follow the 90 degree rule . . . those that were fenced off looked in very bad shape, as if they were losing the grass there, even tho' water was plentiful . . . I don't know if it's a seasonal thing, or if the groundskeeper made a boo-boo.
ost we could follow the 90 degree rule . . . those that were fenced off looked in very bad shape, as if they were losing the grass there, even tho' water was plentiful . . . I don't know if it's a seasonal thing, or if the groundskeeper made a boo-boo.#6 looks like a daunting shot, but with a yardage book I had the confidence and knowledge to navigate the landing easily. Another missed birdie putt from 30 ft, but unlike at Wigwam Gold, I was able to make a few of the comebackers -- something I attribute to the greens themselves, rather than any improvement I made . . .
#7 is a puzzler. I didn't remember this hole from before, but based on this game, I would say that the shot was to the left side, even tho' the right side of the island mound looks wider . . . the wind was left-to-right this day, and it just blew my ball out into the desert right . . . totally dead . . . very rugged territory. That green seems longer and thinner than it looks here.
#8 is another hole tough to figger your first time thru . . . even with the yardage book, I underclubbed my second shot and wound up too high up on the hill, with only half-a-look at the green and a 4iron in my hand . . . I hit a good shot, but the intimidating expanse of waste area made me bail-out at the last second, short of the green on the right. . . tough to get up and down from there. . . .that false front to the green is steeper than it looks.
#9 takes luck or prodigious skill to get into position to reach the green in two . . . it IS downhill . . 
. but the presentation is very daunting . . . Then I was so glad to have only a 9 iron downhill, downwind to the green I jerked it left into the swale left of the green. Unable to get up and down. Just like yesterday at Wigwam. . . .
. but the presentation is very daunting . . . Then I was so glad to have only a 9 iron downhill, downwind to the green I jerked it left into the swale left of the green. Unable to get up and down. Just like yesterday at Wigwam. . . .
#10 looks impossible from the tee, that mound in the middle is huge. I think my pop-up drive hit a rock in the middle of it and bounced clear, toward the green . . . woo-hoo! My 3wood betrayed me for 3rd time on the 3rd straight par 5, leaving me with another 50 ft birdie putt / 3 putt bogey. 2Putting 50 ft down to the lower tier on a fast green is not guaranteed, no matter how well the ball is rolling.Got a double bogey on #11 when my tee shot went into the deep greenside bunker on the right . . . Had a birdie-lipout putt on #12 . . . not a hard hole, which I played perfectly, but that drive looks a little iffy from the tee. Chunked my 7iron approach from a downhill like on #13, bogeying what ought to have been another birdie attempt . . . flared an 8iron shot on the very-downhill #14 par 3 . . . what a goofball.
#15 is a driveable par 4 . . . I waited for the 4some to hole out and get off b
efore I hit . . . pushed it right into the second trap on the right . . . it mighta got close otherwise. Made a good shot over the looming lip short of the green -- what I call the Mr Science Leave . . . straight uphill to the pin . . . chipped with my 7iron up by the pin for a tapin par . . . ok . . . good ROI . . . While we were putting the group behind us hit . . . one ball came up 20 yards short . . . I pointed to my wife and said that I tho't that was where I'd'a wound up . . . as we left the green, we heard a faint "Fore" so we ducked and covered . . . a ball landed right behind us. Such murderous tho'ts come to one at such a time . . . only on a muni in Texas would one ever experience such rudeness and cavalier lack-of-safety as is apparently common in Arizona. Since it hadn't actually hit us, I just waved imprecations back to the tee and left.
efore I hit . . . pushed it right into the second trap on the right . . . it mighta got close otherwise. Made a good shot over the looming lip short of the green -- what I call the Mr Science Leave . . . straight uphill to the pin . . . chipped with my 7iron up by the pin for a tapin par . . . ok . . . good ROI . . . While we were putting the group behind us hit . . . one ball came up 20 yards short . . . I pointed to my wife and said that I tho't that was where I'd'a wound up . . . as we left the green, we heard a faint "Fore" so we ducked and covered . . . a ball landed right behind us. Such murderous tho'ts come to one at such a time . . . only on a muni in Texas would one ever experience such rudeness and cavalier lack-of-safety as is apparently common in Arizona. Since it hadn't actually hit us, I just waved imprecations back to the tee and left. Disoriented by the thoughtless thuggery, I finished 6-6-5, hitting good shots but not playing 
well, if you see what I mean, for a 46-45=91. Of course my 3wood betrayed twice more, on 17 & 18. We couldn't hurry any more, because we were sandwiched between 4somes -- all the more perplexing the haste of those behind us . . . Mrs Cactus was rushing her putts, I could tell . . . "I'm afraid they'll hit into us again!" she said. "Naaaah," I tried to comfort her, "they wouldn't dare." But I was not so sanguine as I tried to appear. I find it hard to over-estimate the idiocy of Arizona Golfers, based on my experiences here . . . I might excuse it -- to some degree -- as the result of dehydration and heat exhaustion, but then, OTOH. #@@@@! you! You #@@@! #@@@@@@@! #@@@@!
well, if you see what I mean, for a 46-45=91. Of course my 3wood betrayed twice more, on 17 & 18. We couldn't hurry any more, because we were sandwiched between 4somes -- all the more perplexing the haste of those behind us . . . Mrs Cactus was rushing her putts, I could tell . . . "I'm afraid they'll hit into us again!" she said. "Naaaah," I tried to comfort her, "they wouldn't dare." But I was not so sanguine as I tried to appear. I find it hard to over-estimate the idiocy of Arizona Golfers, based on my experiences here . . . I might excuse it -- to some degree -- as the result of dehydration and heat exhaustion, but then, OTOH. #@@@@! you! You #@@@! #@@@@@@@! #@@@@!or as they say in the Queen of Golf's Winter League: "#5 & #15, you #55!"
Easily, and undeniably, a contender for the Best Course in the Valley . . . possibly as a consolation prize we could give it the best 36 hole resort award, nosing out Whirlwind & Gold Canyon . . . not a bad or boring hole on the course.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Phoenix Golf Courses Reviewed & Rated by Cactus Dave & Mr Science
| Name | Yards | Par | Slope | Cactus Dave Rating | Mr. Science Rating | Architect | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Manana | 6016 | 70 | 128 | 1 | 2 | Bill Johnston | Very scenic, interesting, mountainous, harder than it looks on paper |
| Boulders South Course | 6726 | 71 | 139 | 2 | 1 | Jay Morrish | |
| Estrella Mountain Ranch | 7139 | 72 | 135 | 2 | 1 | Jack Nicklaus II | Top Shelf |
| Gold Canyon Dinosaur Mountain | 6653 | 70 | 143 | 2 | 1 | Nash & Cavanaugh | challenging |
| Grayhawk Raptor Course | 7135 | 72 | 143 | 2 | 1 | Tom Fazio | dreamy, hilariously difficult |
| Las Sendas | 6874 | 71 | 145 | 2 | 1 | Robert Trent Jones | Hardest public course in Phoenix |
| Quintero | 7208 | 72 | 147 | 2 | 1 | Rees Jones | Private; ludicrously difficult, gorgeous, manicured |
| Raven at Verrado | 7258 | 72 | 132 | 2 | 1 | John Fought | great shape, interesting holes, nice clubhouse,very friendly staff |
| SunRidge Canyon | 6766 | 72 | 152 | 2 | 1 | Keith Foster | Hard, Scenic, Well maintained, Friendly Staff |
| Troon North Tournament | 7025 | 72 | 147 | 2 | 1 | Weiskopf & Morrish | Tough Course, Great Golf, Fabulous Facility, Gracious Staff, but . . . |
| We-Ko-Pa Cholla | 7225 | 72 | 136 | 2 | 1 | Scott Miller | Very scenic, desert, challenging |
| We-Ko-Pa Saguaro | 6912 | 71 | 138 | 2 | 1 | Crenshaw & Coore | http://www.wekopa.com/layout9.asp?id=236&page=25959 |
| Ancala Country Club | 7000 | 72 | 138 | 2 | 2 | Pete Dye | private; say no more. |
| Boulders North Course | 6811 | 72 | 137 | 2 | 2 | Jay Morrish | |
| Eagle Mountain | 6802 | 71 | 139 | 2 | 2 | Scott Miller | Beautiful course, beautiful views |
| Gold Canyon Sidewinder | 6509 | 71 | 130 | 2 | 2 | Nash & Cavanaugh | Scenic, challenging design |
| Grayhawk Talon Course | 7000 | 72 | 140 | 2 | 2 | Graham & Panks | |
| Legacy | 6816 | 71 | 128 | 2 | 2 | Gary Panks | nice timeshare resort, classy |
| Legend Trail | 6815 | 72 | 135 | 2 | 2 | Rees Jones | Elegant, Sophisticated, Challenging |
| Longbow | 7003 | 71 | 125 | 2 | 2 | Ken Cavanaugh | Interesting, beautiful, challenging, & enjoyable |
| Los Caballeros Wickenburg | 7014 | 72 | 135 | 2 | 2 | Greg Nash | & Jeff Hardin |
| Ocotillo | 6804 | 71 | 130 | 2 | 2 | Ted Robinson | Lush, Challenging, water, water, everywhere |
| Pointe at Lookout Mtn. | 6535 | 71 | 135 | 2 | 2 | Bill Johnston | Fabulous views, Marble Rest Rooms! |
| Raven at South Mountain | 7078 | 72 | 130 | 2 | 2 | Graham & Panks | |
| Sanctuary | 6624 | 71 | 139 | 2 | 2 | Heckenkemper | Narrow fairways, penal rough. Back 9 may be best 9 in the valley. |
| Sedona Golf Resort | 6646 | 71 | 128 | 2 | 2 | Gary Panks | Very scenic, mountainous |
| Southern Dunes | 7494 | 72 | 137 | 2 | 2 | Schmidt / Curley | Tough Desert Links, Troon Managed, much better than Copper Canyon+A1 |
| Stone Ridge | 7052 | 72 | 132 | 2 | 2 | Heckenkemper | Spacious compared to Sanctuary; seems harder than 132 slope |
| Talking Stick North Course | 7133 | 70 | 125 | 2 | 2 | Crenshaw & Coore | |
| Talking Stick South Course | 6833 | 71 | 125 | 2 | 2 | Crenshaw & Coore | |
| Tonto Verde Peaks Course | 6737 | 72 | 132 | 2 | 2 | Graham & Panks | Fabulous Views, Great Condition, Interesting Course |
| TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course | 7216 | 71 | 138 | 2 | 2 | Weiskopf & Morrish | PGA Tour venue, pricey, difficult; |
| Trilogy at Vistancia | 7269 | 72 | 134 | 2 | 2 | Gary Panks | Unique uncut native grass rough, tough holes |
| Troon North Pinnacle | 7044 | 72 | 147 | 2 | 2 | Tom Weiskopf | Lopsided design, but Awesome |
| Vista Verde | 7219 | 72 | 144 | 2 | 2 | Ken Cavanaugh | Awesome, Underutilized Course |
| Vistal | 7013 | 71 | 129 | 2 | 2 | Lehman,Twitty,Mayfair | Worth multiple visits |
| Whirlwind Cattail Course | 7218 | 72 | 132 | 2 | 2 | Gary Panks | tough, scenic, lush, Best Solo Panks? |
| Wigwam Gold Course | 7430 | 72 | 135 | 2 | 2 | Robert Trent Jones | Unrelenting, Implacable, Merciless |
| Wildfire Faldo Course | 6846 | 71 | 127 | 2 | 3 | Nick Faldo | somewhat linksy, good |
| Corte Bella | 7011 | 72 | 129 | 3 | 2 | Gary Panks | Interesting(Difficult) Greens, Plush, manicured, Troon-managed |
| Dove Valley Ranch | 7011 | 72 | 131 | 3 | 2 | Robert Trent Jones, Jr | Awesome, interesting course, might be underrated |
| Kierland Resort Golf Course | 6913 | 72 | 131 | 3 | 2 | Scott Miller | Awesome Resort, Beautiful, Wide-open course |
| Poston Butte | 7282 | 72 | 127 | 3 | 2 | Gary Panks | Well deserved Reputation, very panksian, walkable |
| Tatum Ranch | 6856 | 72 | 127 | 3 | 2 | Robert Cupp | Private; Beautiful views, conditions, wide greenbelts, devlish greens |
| Tonto Verde Ranch Course | 6988 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 2 | Gary Panks | lush, scenic, Panksian Greens |
| Whirlwind Devils Claw | 7029 | 72 | 129 | 3 | 2 | Gary Panks | lush, scenic, Panksian Greens |
| Aguila | 6962 | 72 | 129 | 3 | 3 | Gary Panks | Good Muni, needs TLC, still playable |
| Antelope Hills North | 6844 | 71 | 131 | 3 | 3 | Lawrence Hughes | Old-school park design, hilly, tough rough, lots of trees |
| Antelope Hills South | 7014 | 72 | 124 | 3 | 3 | Gary Panks | Typical Panks atypically hilly, sorta linksy |
| Arizona Biltmore Links | 6300 | 71 | 125 | 3 | 3 | Bill Johnston | fantastic back9, quirky 3s |
| Arizona Golf Resort | 6574 | 71 | 121 | 3 | 3 | Jack Snyder | |
| Arizona Traditions | 6073 | 70 | 115 | 3 | 3 | Dick Bailey | |
| Arrowhead CC | 7001 | 72 | 124 | 3 | 3 | Arnold Palmer | Not as dynamic as Arrowhead Legend, but better condition |
| ASU Karsten | 7057 | 72 | 132 | 3 | 3 | Pete Dye | Railroad ties. Rubber Mats. No Pull Carts. Cramped layout. |
| Camelback Resort Course | 6903 | 72 | 132 | 3 | 3 | Arthur Hills | Interesting & Challenging |
| Cave Creek | 6732 | 72 | 119 | 3 | 3 | Jack Snyder | The Favorite Muni, Desert Links, TOUGH Greens |
| Club West Golf Course | 7149 | 72 | 129 | 3 | 3 | Brian Whitcomb | Friendly staff, Spectacular South Mountain views |
| Coldwater | 6758 | 72 | 121 | 3 | 3 | Forrest Richardson | "best course to play on a budget"; Railroad Tie Bunker |
| Copper Canyon | 6845 | 72 | 125 | 3 | 3 | Schmidt / Curley | Neighborhood Construction, way out west, Troon managed |
| Coyote Lakes | 6213 | 71 | 120 | 3 | 3 | Jack Snyder | Short but entertaining |
| Desert Canyon | 6415 | 71 | 123 | 3 | 3 | John Allen | Every Visit improves our opinion . . . |
| Eagles Nest | 6790 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 3 | Keith Foster | Good Layout over very ordinary ground |
| Falcon Golf Course | 6673 | 71 | 128 | 3 | 3 | Brian Curley | Abandoned Air Force base? Great Par 3s. Good Condition? |
| Foothills | 6968 | 72 | 132 | 3 | 3 | Brian Whitcomb | Lopsided design, best Breakfast Burrito in the Valley |
| Franscisco Grande | 7545 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 3 | Plummer | Not The Phoenician nor Kierland |
| Grande Valley Ranch | 7183 | 72 | 125 | 3 | 3 | Forrest Richardson | Great Back 9 |
| Granite Falls North | 6720 | 72 | 115 | 3 | 3 | Greg Nash | (& Billy Caspar) Typical Sun City Course |
| Granite Falls South | 6939 | 72 | 112 | 3 | 3 | Greg Nash | http://www.grandinfo.com/spage.php?shw=100044&m=glf |
| Hillcrest | 7002 | 72 | 126 | 3 | 3 | Greg Nash | Subtle -- Worth more Study |
| Johnson Ranch | 7141 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 3 | Brian Whitcomb | Different 9s, Amazing views, "unfinished" |
| Ken McDonald | 6743 | 72 | 125 | 3 | 3 | Jack Snyder | Good Muni; Best Breakfast Sandwich |
| Kokopelli | 6716 | 72 | 135 | 3 | 3 | Bill Phillips | Nice course, good price, AGC |
| Las Colinas | 6655 | 71 | 120 | 3 | 3 | Mike Asmundson | green park style, duffer-friendly |
| Legend at Arrowhead | 6969 | 72 | 131 | 3 | 3 | Arnold Palmer | AGC run |
| Lone Tree | 7007 | 71 | 123 | 3 | 3 | Darryl Wilson | almost too nice -- over-engineered? |
| McCormick Ranch (Palms) | 7044 | 72 | 137 | 3 | 3 | Desmond Muirhead | A "subtle" Desmond Muirhead Design, perhaps? Best Full Breakfast! |
| McCormick Ranch (Pine) | 7187 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 3 | Desmond Muirhead | Harder than the Palms, but much the same |
| Mountain Brook | 6620 | 71 | 120 | 3 | 3 | Brian Whitcomb | http://www.mountainbrookgolf.com/golf/proto/mountainbrookgolf/index.htm |
| Oakwood Golf Club Palms / Sonoran | 6567 | 72 | 129 | 3 | 3 | Gary Panks | |
| Oasis Golf Resort | 7366 | 72 | 133 | 3 | 3 | 9Holes, Unexpectedly Interesting, Very Few Amenities | |
| Orange Tree | 6775 | 72 | 121 | 3 | 3 | Johnny Bulla | Resort, Flat, unimaginative, mostly wide-open, grainy greens |
| Palm Valley | 7015 | 72 | 133 | 3 | 3 | Arthur Hills | Subtle Challenges |
| Papago | 7333 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 3 | Bill Bell | 60s vintage park-style |
| Phoenician Desert / Canyon | 6068 | 70 | 131 | 3 | 3 | Ted Robinson | Best views in Phoenix; course has odd layout & landscaping; |
| Stone Creek | 6872 | 72 | 134 | 3 | 3 | Arthur Hills | Subtle, good condition, Surprising in places |
| Sun City Grand Cimmaron | 6809 | 72 | 123 | 3 | 3 | Greg Nash | wide open, with subtle difficulties |
| Sundance Golf Club | 6944 | 72 | 125 | 3 | 3 | Greg Nash | many interesting holes, house construction on all sides detracts |
| Superstition Springs Golf Club | 7005 | 72 | 130 | 3 | 3 | Greg Nash | AGC Course, en deshabille, interesting |
| TPC Champions | 7113 | 71 | 140 | 3 | 3 | Heckenkemper | Harder now, but not more interesting. |
| Trilogy at Power Ranch | 6740 | 71 | 128 | 3 | 3 | Dick Bailey | Very good back 9, scenic |
| Tuscany Falls | 6610 | 72 | 126 | 3 | 3 | Dick Bailey | more interesting than it looks, but not harder than it looks |
| Westbrook Village Vistas | 6432 | 72 | 120 | 3 | 3 | Ken Cavanaugh | Not comparable to Gold Canyon nor Vista Verde |
| Wigwam Blue | 6000 | 70 | 120 | 3 | 3 | Robert Trent Jones | Deceptively Difficult; short; penal; tiny greens hard to read |
| WigWam Red | 6852 | 72 | 126 | 3 | 3 | Red Lawrence | Old Phoenix Park Style |
| Wildfire Palmer Course | 7145 | 72 | 135 | 3 | 3 | Arnold Palmer | desert links, just lacks sump'n sump'n |
| Bear Creek | 6900 | 71 | 128 | 3 | 4 | Jack Nicklaus | Best Desert Links in the Valley, Very Inexpensive, Underfacilitated |
| Mission Royale | 6700 | 72 | 122 | 3 | 4 | Greg Nash | Like a Sun City course, only W-a-y back east in Chandler |
| Apache Creek | 6795 | 71 | 128 | 4 | 3 | Joe Alsip | Flat, but very interesting and bumpy greens |
| Arizona Biltmore Adobe | 6428 | 71 | 123 | 4 | 3 | Bill Bell | flat, rather uninteresting, good condition |
| Camelback Club Course | 7014 | 72 | 122 | 4 | 3 | Jack Snyder | Flat, Old Fashioned, non-desert course |
| Dobson Ranch | 6712 | 72 | 123 | 4 | 3 | Gary Panks | Lusher than Phoenix Munis, but not as interesting |
| Duke | 7011 | 72 | 120 | 4 | 3 | Dave Druzisky | Western theme fits Duke course |
| Links at Queen Creek | 6010 | 70 | 113 | 4 | 3 | Sam Wese | Short, unimaginative, unimposing |
| Villa de Paz | 6641 | 71 | 123 | 4 | 3 | Greg Nash | &Jeff Hardin -- Flat & Unmemorable |
| 500 Club | 6976 | 72 | 120 | 4 | 4 | Brian Whitcomb | Amazing back 9, noisy, tho' |
| Ahwatukee | 6713 | 72 | 120 | 4 | 4 | Gary Panks | Panks Worst Tendencies |
| Bougainvillea | 6817 | 72 | 118 | 4 | 4 | Dan Pohl | Too flat, too wide open; "Bogey-ville"; Pohl-cat |
| Great Eagle | 6646 | 72 | 124 | 4 | 4 | Greg Nash | http://www.greateaglegolfclub.com/ |
| Ironwood | 5286 | 67 | 99 | 4 | 4 | Keith Foster | Nice, but short, interesting greens |
| Painted Mountain | 6021 | 70 | 114 | 4 | 4 | Frank Boxberger | Mesa, short, OK |
| Pueblo at El Mirage | 6596 | 72 | 125 | 4 | 4 | Fuzzy Zoeller | Tornado Target |
| Scottsdale Country Club Starfire | 6093 | 68 | 123 | 4 | 4 | Arnold Palmer | Hawk & Squire #7s stand out |
| Silverado | 6313 | 70 | 116 | 4 | 4 | Ross Graves | & Jack Gilmore -- Interesting track, no range, no frills |
| Sun City Lakes West | 6251 | 72 | 119 | 4 | 4 | Greg Nash | short and wide, but not defenseless |
| Sun City North | 6410 | 72 | 117 | 4 | 4 | Greg Nash | http://www.sunaz.com/northgolfcourse.htm |
| Sun City Riverview | 6394 | 72 | 116 | 4 | 4 | Greg Nash | http://www.sunaz.com/riverviewgolfcourse.htm |
| Sun City South | 6774 | 72 | 115 | 4 | 4 | Greg Nash | http://www.sunaz.com/southgolfcourse.htm |
| Sun City Willow Creek | 6366 | 72 | 119 | 4 | 4 | Greg Nash | http://www.sunaz.com/willowcreekgolfcourse.htm |
| Western Skies | 6744 | 72 | 123 | 4 | 4 | Olenoski Design | We both birdied 8, a short par 4 |
| San Marcos | 6856 | 72 | 121 | 4 | Bill Robinson | http://www.sanmarcosresort.com/ | |
| Estrella Mountain Golf Course | 6866 | 71 | 118 | 4 | 5 | hidden values; 2nd best fried egg sandwich in PHX; raggedy | |
| Phantom Horse | 6336 | 71 | 125 | 4 | 5 | Forrest Richardson | poor shape, excellent vistas -- Best Breakfast Taco |
| Encanto | 6386 | 70 | 111 | 5 | 4 | Bill Bell | Just too short and uninspired; OK for a muni |
| Maryvale | 6646 | 72 | 119 | 5 | 4 | Bill Bell | 60s vintage park-style |
| Starfire King-Hawk | 6073 | 70 | 123 | 5 | 4 | Nice course, good price | |
| Toka Sticks | 6605 | 72 | 119 | 5 | 4 | Corps of Engineers | The GolfCourses.net |
| Pavilion Lakes | 6557 | 71 | 120 | 5 | 5 | flat , ugly, poor condition | |
| Viewpoint | 6324 | 71 | 116 | 5 | 5 | Easy, short, good for walking | |
| Apache Wells | 6038 | 71 | 114 | 5 | Flat, short, & ugly | ||
| Other Arizona Courses | |||||||
| Del Lago Tucson | 7206 | 72 | 142 | 2 | Vail, AZ (E of Tucson) very nice | ||
| Apache Gold | 7519 | 72 | 138 | 2 | Tom Doak | http://www.golfapache.com/ | |
| Lake Powell | 7030 | 72 | 154 | 2 | William Phillips | http://www.golflakepowell.com/ | |
| London Bridge East Course | 6140 | 71 | 124 | 3 | Lawrence Hughes | Ordinary Fun | |
| London Bridge West Course | 6613 | 71 | 122 | 3 | Lawrence Hughes | Longer Ordinary Fun | |
| Unreviewed/Unrated | |||||||
| Desert Springs | 7006 | 72 | 131 | Greg Nash | & Caspar -- | ||
| Gainey Ranch | http://www.gaineyranchcc.com/ | ||||||
| Executive Courses | |||||||
| 1st Tee South Mountain | 1800 | 54 | 1 | Tom Fazio | Excellent 1st Tee course | ||
| Augusta Ranch | 3799 | 61 | 88 | 1 | Well Done, Well Maintained | ||
| Mountain Shadows | 3081 | 56 | 96 | 1 | Jack Snyder | Awesome Excutive, Best In Class | |
| Continental | 2 | Driving range | |||||
| El Caro | 3357 | 60 | 80 | 2 | Bruce Devlin | ||
| Sunland Village | 3623 | 62 | 2 | Retirable | |||
| Ahwatukee Lakes Course | 4745 | 62 | 95 | 3 | Hale Irwin | ||
| 1st Tee Desert Mirage | 2095 | 31 | 3 | OK 1st Tee Course | |||
| Bear Creek Cub Course | 59 | 3 | Jack Nicklaus | ||||
| Rolling Hills | 3828 | 62 | 93 | 3 | Gary Panks | Good Par 3s, Good Views, Rubber mats on Practice Tee | |
| Shalimar | 2417 | 33 | 3 | only 9 holes, monotonous | |||
| Coronado | 1850 | 62 | 75 | 4 | Milt Coggins | "Worst & Most Beloved Golf Course in AZ"? | |
| Country Meadows | 4329 | 60 | 96 | 4 | 4 | Lush, but scruffy | |
| Cypress Golf Club | 4907 | 65 | 4 | ||||
| Desert Sands | 4029 | 65 | 58.9 | 4 | Odiferous & Flat | ||
| Palo Verde | 1820 | 30 | 78 | 4 | 9 hole version of Desert Sands, but not quite | ||
| Cactus Dave's Ratings | Mr. Science's Ratings | ||||||
| 1: The one and only best course in Phoenix | 1: Outstanding in every way. Pristine condition, fast and true greens, interesting and challenging design, courteous and attentive staff | ||||||
| 2: These could be # 1 . . . | 2: Excellent condition, well-run, nice course | ||||||
| 3: These are good, but could never be # 1 | 3: Very good course, playable, but lack something to be #2 | ||||||
| 4: Just not as good as a '3' | 4: OK, but not as good as a '3' | ||||||
| 5: Dog Tracks | 5: Too short, too easy, too flat, too slow, poorly maintained, or something else that makes it less enjoyable than it should be. Won't go back. | ||||||
| Unreviewed/Unrated | Unreviewed/Unrated |
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Sandia Albuquerque
7772 Yds, Par 72, Slope 125, by Scott Miller, who has done many great courses: Couer D'Alene in Idaho; Kierland, Eagle Mountain, and We-Ko-Pa Cholla in Phoenix; Bentwater in Montgomery Texas. If I had to characterize his designs based on that mix, I would say he believes in long, wide-open fairways (so wide they'd make Gary Panks blush), shocking elevation changes when he can get them, tough but straightforward greens -- don't forget Albuquerque is 5000+ ft, so you get a lot more carry than at Phoenix or Houston ground-levels.
When we (Me, Mrs. Cactus, and my Sister) played in March, there was some weird thermal that caused the temperature to stay in the 30s instead of rising up to the low 60s as forecast. Bless those girls, they put on the bulldog, and said "Let's Play" -- I wouldn't have been tooooo disappointed to put it off til a warmer day.
Being so cold, I played the white tees at 6500 yds -- I don't know how hot it would have to get before I'd tee it up from 8000 yds -- with my 4 layers of clothing I didn't feel like I could hardly swing, but the ball flew well. When I was telling Mr Science about it he said, "Maybe you should wear clothes to restrict your swing all the time!" . . . 8^D . . . I was averaging 50 yds more than normal, even so . . . when I could get a downhill, downwind tee shot I mighta hit some 350 (with a little bit of roll): out of the 4 par 5s, I reached one with a 3 wood after a so-so drive; I came up short 20 yds on another with my 3wood with 2 good shots -- that one was 610 yds; I went over the other 2 hitting 7 woods -- I mean d-a-a-a-a-n-g!
The par 3s all seem to be redan style of some reduced sort, this picture of my sister hitting to one shows that, and the snow on the mountains.
I didn't hit a single par3 green, pulled all 4 tee shots left -- then couldn't get up and down from the desert. I figgered that was due to the cold, mostly, robbing me of my "feel", if you know what I mean . . .
There was nothing wrong with those greens tho' they were as hard and smooth as a pool table . . . I didn't make anything all day, but Mrs Cactus was en fuego, making at least 4 from over 10 feet, including 1 from 25 ft, and the ones she missed were kick-ins, aside from her 3putts . . . 8^) . . .
I have entered this course into my Jack Nicklaus 6 PC game, and was impressed all over again how W-i-d-e those fairways are . . . they have a ton of undulation in places, but they're so long that they look flat, sometimes . . . the greens are large but not huge.
When we (Me, Mrs. Cactus, and my Sister) played in March, there was some weird thermal that caused the temperature to stay in the 30s instead of rising up to the low 60s as forecast. Bless those girls, they put on the bulldog, and said "Let's Play" -- I wouldn't have been tooooo disappointed to put it off til a warmer day.
Being so cold, I played the white tees at 6500 yds -- I don't know how hot it would have to get before I'd tee it up from 8000 yds -- with my 4 layers of clothing I didn't feel like I could hardly swing, but the ball flew well. When I was telling Mr Science about it he said, "Maybe you should wear clothes to restrict your swing all the time!" . . . 8^D . . . I was averaging 50 yds more than normal, even so . . . when I could get a downhill, downwind tee shot I mighta hit some 350 (with a little bit of roll): out of the 4 par 5s, I reached one with a 3 wood after a so-so drive; I came up short 20 yds on another with my 3wood with 2 good shots -- that one was 610 yds; I went over the other 2 hitting 7 woods -- I mean d-a-a-a-a-n-g!
The par 3s all seem to be redan style of some reduced sort, this picture of my sister hitting to one shows that, and the snow on the mountains.
I didn't hit a single par3 green, pulled all 4 tee shots left -- then couldn't get up and down from the desert. I figgered that was due to the cold, mostly, robbing me of my "feel", if you know what I mean . . .
There was nothing wrong with those greens tho' they were as hard and smooth as a pool table . . . I didn't make anything all day, but Mrs Cactus was en fuego, making at least 4 from over 10 feet, including 1 from 25 ft, and the ones she missed were kick-ins, aside from her 3putts . . . 8^) . . .
I have entered this course into my Jack Nicklaus 6 PC game, and was impressed all over again how W-i-d-e those fairways are . . . they have a ton of undulation in places, but they're so long that they look flat, sometimes . . . the greens are large but not huge.
I have included #1, #2, #18 as epitomes, but the main reason is that they are the holes I could get to look most like the representations I found on the Sandia Website (click on the orange name at t
he top of this entry). Then again, I'm not sure how accurate / current some of those illustrations are. For instance, on #18, theres a natural area with small trees on the middle left of the fairway, but in their picture it looks like it's on the right.
he top of this entry). Then again, I'm not sure how accurate / current some of those illustrations are. For instance, on #18, theres a natural area with small trees on the middle left of the fairway, but in their picture it looks like it's on the right. The par5s are the r-e-a-l-l-y w-i-d-e fairways but these others are not narrow, neither. I don't remember missing any par4 or par5 fairways, which I attribute to my excellent driving, but the width of the fairways bears repeating -- it's very soothing, especially when you have gusty wind like we had . . . Did I mention it was cold and windy? There is trouble inside some of the fairways, little natural areas with little trees that don't really enter into play unless you have a sort of mis-hit, but they are there . . . just don't be relying on them for shade in the summer . . .
There IS water on a couple of hol
es, like here on #18 . . . it's awful discouraging to hit a 350 yd drive, but then have it stick on the side of that big mound on the right, instead of rolling on down to the flat. I aimed way right but just like it was a par3, I pulled my 8iron left into the water. In disgust, I half-hearted the following chips & putts for a double bogey, instead of grinding out a bogey.
es, like here on #18 . . . it's awful discouraging to hit a 350 yd drive, but then have it stick on the side of that big mound on the right, instead of rolling on down to the flat. I aimed way right but just like it was a par3, I pulled my 8iron left into the water. In disgust, I half-hearted the following chips & putts for a double bogey, instead of grinding out a bogey.We were totally knackered after our round, but somehow we mustered our resolve and took it over to Sadie's for some lunch . . . . they were too busy with the crowds from some National Bowling Tournament, so we just fortified ourselves with margaritas, chips & salsa, then went over to Rudy's BBQ for some dinner to go, instead. An entirely satisfactory development.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Gold Canyon Sidewinder
6584 Yds, Par 72, Slope 140, by Greg Nash and Ken Cavanaugh
They Say: "Sidewinder snakes around the base of Dinosaur Mountain, through natural arroyos and dry creek beds. Native cholla and prickly pear cacti, mesquite and palo verde trees line the challenging twists and turns that will keep you on top of your game. And like the Dinosaur course, it’s a scenic adventure that will bring you back again and again."
Well!
This is certainly another candidate for Best in the Valley . . . doesn't get my vote, but I feel a little sheepish about it . . . top-notch views of the Superstition Mountains that are so close they seem to frame some of the holes as part of the Architects' design . . . totally lush course, too, ordinarily, I'd say . . . Mrs Cactus complained about the greens, demonstrating that her knowledge of the Game is growing by leaps-and-bounds . . . they were w-a-a-a-y faster than even We-Ko-Pa, but they did not roll true: putts would "wiggle" unpredictably if you hit them a pace to keep within tap-in distance on the comebacker -- man, how that does wear on a body . . . I had a 49-51=100, mainly because of the greens, but also because of my balky iron play, which was also because the greens put so much pressure on the golfer to get close, if you see what I mean.
They Say: "Sidewinder snakes around the base of Dinosaur Mountain, through natural arroyos and dry creek beds. Native cholla and prickly pear cacti, mesquite and palo verde trees line the challenging twists and turns that will keep you on top of your game. And like the Dinosaur course, it’s a scenic adventure that will bring you back again and again."
Well!
This is certainly another candidate for Best in the Valley . . . doesn't get my vote, but I feel a little sheepish about it . . . top-notch views of the Superstition Mountains that are so close they seem to frame some of the holes as part of the Architects' design . . . totally lush course, too, ordinarily, I'd say . . . Mrs Cactus complained about the greens, demonstrating that her knowledge of the Game is growing by leaps-and-bounds . . . they were w-a-a-a-y faster than even We-Ko-Pa, but they did not roll true: putts would "wiggle" unpredictably if you hit them a pace to keep within tap-in distance on the comebacker -- man, how that does wear on a body . . . I had a 49-51=100, mainly because of the greens, but also because of my balky iron play, which was also because the greens put so much pressure on the golfer to get close, if you see what I mean.The par 4 #3 is a case in point -- it's true I may have still been a little groggy for our 6:30 t-time from sleep-deprivation, but the 3-putts on #1 & #2 had disorienting effects too
, certainly -- the cart boys had put our bags on the cart backwards, mine on the passenger side and vice versa, if you see what I mean, and I grabbed Mrs Cactus' driver by mistake. The grip felt wrong, but I just said to myself "I never noticed that before", and it felt awkward when I swang it, but I just said to myself "I need more coffee", and when I hit it, I got the ugliest little one-liner-slice I've hit since I got my new driver, and I said "Wonder if we can start drinking yet?" I rehit when I realized my mistake -- much better results, tho' I was still in the right rough -- and then switched the bags. I only had a 8iron left to the green, but trying to get close meant I had t
o hit it heavy and short of the green, chunk a chip, and 3putt.
The par 3 #4 restored my confidence in theory, since I almost aced it when Mr Science & I played here before, landing a high shot on top of the bunkered hump on the right front of the green so that it trickled excruciatingly within inches of the hole. This time tho', I smooth-jerked the ball left of the green pin high, chunked another chip, 3jacked another green.
, certainly -- the cart boys had put our bags on the cart backwards, mine on the passenger side and vice versa, if you see what I mean, and I grabbed Mrs Cactus' driver by mistake. The grip felt wrong, but I just said to myself "I never noticed that before", and it felt awkward when I swang it, but I just said to myself "I need more coffee", and when I hit it, I got the ugliest little one-liner-slice I've hit since I got my new driver, and I said "Wonder if we can start drinking yet?" I rehit when I realized my mistake -- much better results, tho' I was still in the right rough -- and then switched the bags. I only had a 8iron left to the green, but trying to get close meant I had to hit it heavy and short of the green, chunk a chip, and 3putt.The par 3 #4 restored my confidence in theory, since I almost aced it when Mr Science & I played here before, landing a high shot on top of the bunkered hump on the right front of the green so that it trickled excruciatingly within inches of the hole. This time tho', I smooth-jerked the ball left of the green pin high, chunked another chip, 3jacked another green.
The shortish par 4 #5 remains my favorite hole, even tho' I've only ever m
ade a snowman . . . cannot even hit a ball in the fairway . . . this picture doesn't fairly represent the left inside of the dogleg, which is chockablock of desert plants and palo verdes . . . thats where I wind up . . . I'm sure Mr Science prob'ly hits a 7iron/9iron for an easy par.
ade a snowman . . . cannot even hit a ball in the fairway . . . this picture doesn't fairly represent the left inside of the dogleg, which is chockablock of desert plants and palo verdes . . . thats where I wind up . . . I'm sure Mr Science prob'ly hits a 7iron/9iron for an easy par.The dogleg on the par 4 #9 is really deceptive. . . lo
oks like you can clear it, but you'd be much better off left of center, if for no other reason that you'd be out of the driving range line of fire . . . I of course cut the corner, which seemed familiar to the other time I'd played here, too, but with my new distance, I was able to find my ball around the corner, just not quite off the gravel . . . I hit a sweet little half-a-9, but the steep slope of the elevated green rejected me -- sorta small green, front pin position. I tried an amazing 7iron chip up the slope that just missed the pin, and rolled 8 ft past, but I made the only putt I made all day . . . might've been the only comebacker I made all day, too, due to the aforementioned condition of the greens.
oks like you can clear it, but you'd be much better off left of center, if for no other reason that you'd be out of the driving range line of fire . . . I of course cut the corner, which seemed familiar to the other time I'd played here, too, but with my new distance, I was able to find my ball around the corner, just not quite off the gravel . . . I hit a sweet little half-a-9, but the steep slope of the elevated green rejected me -- sorta small green, front pin position. I tried an amazing 7iron chip up the slope that just missed the pin, and rolled 8 ft past, but I made the only putt I made all day . . . might've been the only comebacker I made all day, too, due to the aforementioned condition of the greens.This course is an interesting amalgamation of Greg Nash, who has done so many courses out in Sun City which are subtle to the point of . . . um . . . how shall I say . . . uninteresting is not correct, neither is boring, nor simple . . . they're just not very dynamic, if you see what I mean, tho' they are undeniably very nice golf courses with challenges, and Ken Cavanaugh, who has a tendency towards the penal, so that, even more than a solo-Nash effort, the course has a deceptively easy look at times, due to the lush, wide greenbelts and the spectacular scenery, but errant shots, even marginal shots are punished by the artful sand bunkers and elevated greens.
Sidewinder-like, if you see what I mean . . . 8^D . . .
The par 5 #18, the number 2 handicap hole, fooled me entirely, or should I say, played to my weaknesses and vanities . . . I ripped a good drive and had only 225 to the 
green, but the green is much elevated from the fairway and separated by a deep arroyo. I didn't remember this hole at all, and the on-cart GPS was hard for me to read -- distorted, as if the display was being stretched to fit a certain size different from the image, if you see what I mean . . . no use to me . . . so I laid up with an 8iron from a downhill lie, almost into the arroyo, to another downhill lie in the rough, which made the wedge shot that difficult I was wishing I had gone ahead and had a go at the green . . . there really is a lot of room over the gorge, 40 or 50 yards, anyway . . . the half-wedge came up short, leaving me with my standard chunk and 2 putt. Golf Course wins this day.
green, but the green is much elevated from the fairway and separated by a deep arroyo. I didn't remember this hole at all, and the on-cart GPS was hard for me to read -- distorted, as if the display was being stretched to fit a certain size different from the image, if you see what I mean . . . no use to me . . . so I laid up with an 8iron from a downhill lie, almost into the arroyo, to another downhill lie in the rough, which made the wedge shot that difficult I was wishing I had gone ahead and had a go at the green . . . there really is a lot of room over the gorge, 40 or 50 yards, anyway . . . the half-wedge came up short, leaving me with my standard chunk and 2 putt. Golf Course wins this day.
