The Kokopelli Golf Stance

More than 50 years ago, former City of Phoenix Mayor Samuel Mardian, Jr. hit the ceremonial first tee shot at Maryvale Golf Course. It was a momentous occasion and marked the beginning of championship golf in West Phoenix.

The course had come to life thanks to the vision of John F. Long and William “Billy” Bell. Long spent his life developing a community on farmland in western Phoenix in the 1950s, which is the Maryvale neighborhood known today.

Bell, a southern California-based golf course architect, was the visionary behind the original Maryvale Golf Course built in 1961 and also designed the U.S. Open Championship course at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

During its 60-year history, Maryvale Golf Course has evolved as a proving ground for local and well-known professional golfers and established PGA professionals competing in amateur and professional tournaments.

• Mike Swartz, who qualified for the PGA Tour in the mid-1990s and appeared in four Phoenix Opens, holds the Maryvale Golf Course record. Swartz shot a spectacular round of 60 while playing merely in his tennis shoes.

• Two of the most prominent PGA professionals at Maryvale Golf Course include Bill Farkas and John Martin. Farkas was a PGA professional at the course from 1961 to 1984. Farkas spent the majority of his career promoting junior golf in the Valley of the Sun and founded the Bill Farkas Swing School.

• Martin, who worked with Farkas for several years before succeeding him, served as the PGA professional from 1984-2006 and continued Farkas’ legacy of teaching junior golfers.

• Lauri Merten who is the 1993 U.S. Women’s Open Champion attended the Bill Farkas Swing School and also called the golf course home.

Maryvale Golf Course, now established as Grand Canyon University Golf Course, is the second golf course owned and operated by the City of Phoenix. This beloved course and its rich heritage has earned its place in the Valley of the Sun, representing Phoenix’s transformation from a small city to an ever-growing metropolis.

In a new partnership with the city of Phoenix, GCU revitalizes the 1960s-era city-owned golf course as part of the university’s ongoing initiative to help reinvigorate the economy and quality of life in West Phoenix.

phoenix leaders weighing future city golf courses

Nearly four years after approving a $17 million plan to keep city-owned golf courses open, Phoenix leaders could once again debate whether to stay in the golf business. The Parks and Recreation Department says more rounds are being played, but program remains in the red.

papago

cave creek

aguila

maryvale now called Grand Canyon University Course

encanto

7078 Yds, Slope 130, Par 72, by Graham & Panks

Golfweb

They Say: "Welcome to the Raven... the Highest Rated Golf Course in Phoenix, AZ, Host of The Arizona Stroke Play Championship since 1996 and the Official Home Golf Course of the Arizona Diamondbacks. We hope you choose to join us soon.
The only 4.5 star golf course south of the airport and closest to Downtown Phoenix, the Raven Golf Club at South Mountain has been rated as having the “#1 guest service in North America,” and this commitment to excellence is evident throughout the facility. Ideally located in Phoenix only five miles south of Sky Harbor Airport and a short drive from most valley Resorts or Hotels, The Raven is a "Must Play" in the Scottsdale/Phoenix region. "

It irritates me how poor the data quality is in the Golfweb database . . . it ought to be the best resource on the web, but . . . . where else could one find out all the golf courses designed by a partnership? Well, not here either . . . Graham & Panks have done several great golf courses in The Valley: Grayhawk Talon, Tonto Verde Peaks, and Raven South Mountain. I'm tempted to add the Whirlwind Cattail course, which bears the mark of that association, too.

We played a team tournament with The Boys From Connecticut, Best 2-ball, you might call it at the Raven. Mr Science & I had played here before -- probably in the heat of summer -- I hope so, cuz I didn't remember a single feature of the course, which has many distinguishing features. We had both rated it a 2, but I still didn't remember a thing. Very Humbling.

I was feeling a little diffident watching the 7 others hit off the first tee -- well, it IS, when you're playing with a group of strangers, and they ALL hit very usable drives. I felt like I was back at Walden on Lake Conroe, where my tournament flight was always full of guys pushing 70 that could kick my ass. Golf-wise.

Or maybe it was just that -- now that I'm attuned to remember specific details, more than the general impression, since I'm blogging now -- I was more receptive to the intrigue of the first hole.

Anyway: look at the layout of the first hole. The picture from the top of the page is very representative, too, of the whole course. The tee-shot is not t-o-o-o testy but there is some uncertainty, due to the mounds and swales intruding into the fairway; but the second shot uphill to the bean-shaped, 2-tier green wrapped around a huge bunker is a little more intimidating. Especially for us, with the pin on the back tier behind the trap. A tough distance to judge, but I jumped a 7iron and pulled it left, but it bounced around the mounds till it fed down the slopes from the back of the green onto the green, 15 ft from the hole. As my very defensive downhill putt slipped past the cup an an invisible sidehill, I thought to myself, "Ah! Panksian Greens!", meaning small but definite invisible breaks in putts of all lengths. A great hole, and an outstanding opening hole.

But stop a moment and ponder that drawing: how voluptious it seems, and imaginatively contoured . . . it is not as fanciful, perhaps, as this hole drawing by Ken Houston of #8 on his course Pa'ako Ridge in Albuquerque, but I still find it very entertaining . . . it does convey an accurate sense of the hole and its challenges, which for the holistic golfer (such as myself) enhances the act of playing golf a great deal.

There's not a bad hole on the Raven course, but describing them individually is like describing every vista in the grand canyon: it's futile, cuz reusing the same superlatives over and over again, reciting the same litany of features and hazards (bumps, knobs, swales, humps, hollows, tiers, bunkers, moguls, trees, changes in elevation, subtle breaks) would be boring -- NOT that the course is boring, not at all.

The course is a full 18 holes of uncertain tee shots, uneven fairway lies, perilous chips and pitches, and heartbreaking lipouts -- worth every penny, if you know what I mean. I shot an 88, fully aware of all my squandered shots but satisfied, anyway. I think Mr Science came away with an 82.

They have only the grill-and-bar, which is mostly more a sit-and-eat place than a takeaway, so they are a little slow for the impatient with looming tee-times. I would steer clear of the Cowboy wrap, and opt instead for a hamburger (that takes a while) or one of the premade cold turkey sandwiches, instead. The beer is cold, the mugs are large, and the staff is as friendly as can be.

http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">

Phoenix Golf Courses -- So Far
Name	Yards	Par	Slope	Cactus Dave Rating	Mr. Science Ranking
Gold Canyon Dinosaur Mountain	6653	70	143	1	1	More challenging, Ken Cavanaugh
Las Sendas	6874	71	145	2	1	Hardest public course in Phoenix
The Boulders South Course	6726	71	139	2	1	Jay Morrish
Troon North Monument	7028	72	139	2	1
We-Ko-Pa	7225	72	136	2	1	Very scenic, desert, challenging
Del Lago	7206	72	142	2	2	Vail, AZ (E of Tucson) very nice
Eagle Mountain	6802	72	139	2	2	Beautiful course, beautiful views
Gold Canyon Sidewinder	6509	71	130	2	2	Scenic, challenging Ken Cavanaugh design
Grayhawk Raptor Course	7135	72	143	2	2	Tom Fazio design
Grayhawk Talon Course	7000	72	140	2	2
Legend Trail	6815	72	135	2	2	Rees Jones
Rancho Manana	6016	70	128	2	2	Very scenic, interesting, somewhat mountainous
Raven at South Mountain	7078	72	130	2	2	David Graham & Gary Panks
Sedona Golf Resort	6646	71	128	2	2	Very scenic, mountainous
Talking Stick South Course	6833	71	125	2	2	Ben Crenshaw
The Boulders North Course	6811	72	137	2	2	Jay Morrish
The Pointe at Lookout Mtn.	6535	71	135	2	2	Fabulous views, Marble Rest Rooms!		72
TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course	7216	71	138	2	2	PGA Tour venue, pricey, difficult; Weiskopf/Morrish
Wildfire Faldo Course	6846	71	127	2	3	somewhat linksy, good
Coyote Lakes	6213	71	120	3	3	Short but entertaining
Kokopelli	6700	72	135	3	3	Nice course, good price
Legacy	6816	71	128	3	3	nice timeshare resort, classy
Oakwood Golf Club Palms / Sonoran	6567	72	129	3	3
Orange Tree	6775	72	121	3	3	Resort, nice
Sanctuary	6624	71	139	3	3
Sun City Grand Cimmaron				3	3	Newest of 4
The Foothills	6968	72	132	3	3	Lopsided design, best Breakfast Burrito in the Valley
The Phoenician Desert / Canyon	6068	70	131	3	3	Best views in Phoenix; course has poor layout & ugly landscaping; Maintenance lacking
TPC of Scottsdale Desert Course				3	3	Much easier, nice little track
Wildfire Palmer Course	7145	72	135	3	3	more American style, desert course
Raven at Verrado	7258	72	132	3
Trilogy at Vistancia	7269	72	134	3		Gary Panks
Camelback Golf Club Club Course	7014	72	122	4	3	Flat, Old Fashioned, non-desert course
The Duke	7011	72	120	4	3
Coldwater	6758	72	121	4	4	short front, long back "best course to play on a budget"
Great Eagle	6646	72	124	4	4
Painted Mountain	6021	70	114	4	4	Mesa, short, OK
Estrella Mountain Golf Course	6866	71	118	4	5	hidden values; best fried egg sandwich in Phoenix; raggedy, NOT Estrella Mountain Ranch
Starfire King-Hawk	6000	70	120	5	4	Nice course, good price
Western Skies	6744	72	123	5	4	We both birdied 8, a short par 4
Legend at Arrowhead	6969	72	131	5	5	Interminably slow, maintenance lacking
Phantom Horse	6336	71	125	5	5	poor shape, excellent vistas
Silverado	6313	70	116	5	5	Interesting track, no range, no frills
Viewpoint	6324	71	116	5	5	Easy, short, good for walking
Apache Wells	6038	71	114	5		Flat, short, & ugly
Scottsdale Country Club Starfire	6073	70	123	5
The Pueblo	6596	72	125	5
Camelback Golf Club Resort Course	6903	72	131
Cactus Dave's Ratings
1: The one and only best course in Phoenix
2: These could be # 1 . . .
3: These are good, but could never be # 1
4: Just not as good as a '3'
5: Dog Tracks
Mr. Science's Ratings
1: Outstanding in every way. Pristine condition, fast and true greens, interesting and challenging design, courteous and attentive staff
2: Excellent condition, well-run, nice course
3: Very good course, playable, but lack something to be #2
4: OK, but not as good as a '3'
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.
Executive Courses
El Caro	3357	60	80		2
Continental						Driving range
Mountain Shadows

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