My weekend getaway to Arizona (Quintero and Tegavah)

My wife and I took a quick three night trip to Scottsdale a couple of weeks ago and I was able to get a couple of rounds of golf in. After some pretty extensive research I chose to take a bit of a drive both days and go out to Quintero Golf Club and Tegavah.

After the drive taking a bit longer than expected (as well as the 5 min cart ride from the club house to the range), I got to the driving range 5 minutes before my 7:35 tee time, hit 4 quick balls, and got to the first tee. Right away I knew I was in for a treat. The course had incredible views and was in tip top shape.

view from the 3rd tee:

4th tee:

9th tee:

somewhere on the back 9:

I don't have a picture of it, but the highlight for me was the 6th hole. If features a steep downhill shot to a green that is guarded in the front left and back right. The view from this tee box is among the best I've ever seen.

I'd rate Quintero as one of the best golf courses I've ever played. It may be a bit out there, but if anyone is planning on making a trip to the Phoenix/Scottsdale I really thing the course is a MUST PLAY.

The 2nd round of my trip was at Tegavah, which was slightly closer to our resort than Quintero. Unfortunately the weather didn't quite live up to the first day it didn't get above the mid 60's and there was cloud cover for most of my round.
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Truth be told, I didn't enjoy Tegavah nearly as much as I did Quintero. It may have been the local I was paired up with who had it stuck in his head that we were going to play I under 2 and a half hours. It may have been that I didn't play the right tees. It may have been the weather.

At the end of the trip I left Arizona having played one of the most enjoyable rounds of my life and one round that was kind of "meh". Either way, it was a lot better than the frozen tundra that I left back in Chicago.

Does tegevah have elevation change?

Q is amazing

What resort did you stay at? I am going to Phoenix next week. I might try to add Quintero to my rotation.

There wasn't any elevation change to speak of at Tegavah.

I stayed at the Marriott Camelback Resort. It was very nice, and our balcony had an amazing view of Camelback Mountain. A couple of years ago I stayed at the Fairmont Princess. Camelback had a nicer room and a more relaxed atmosphere. The Fairmont was a bit trendier and had a nicer pool and restaurants IMO.

Quintero is a bit of a drive, but I wouldn't miss it if you're playing golf in Arizona.

[quote name='Gdane' timestamp='1426563076' post='11157635']
There wasn't any elevation change to speak of at Tegavah.

I stayed at the Marriott Camelback Resort. It was very nice, and our balcony had an amazing view of Camelback Mountain. A couple of years ago I stayed at the Fairmont Princess. Camelback had a nicer room and a more relaxed atmosphere. The Fairmont was a bit trendier and had a nicer pool and restaurants IMO.

Quintero is a bit of a drive, but I wouldn't miss it if you're playing golf in Arizona.
[/quote]

Im staying here later in the year and had seriously considered playing the courses linked to the Hotel, Padre and Ambiente, did you rule these out, and if so why? Based on your photos and experience I might seriously consider adding Q to my rotation out there though. Im staying for 10 days.

The main reason I ruled the camelback courses out was price point. I can't remember exactly what they wanted per round ($200ish?)but I know it was a decent amount more than the $120 I spent at Quintero and $90 at Tegavah for early morning tee times. Keep in mind that this was the end of February when prices are high in the desert.

Also, I had decided before I went that I was 100% playing Quintero just based on the flyovers on their website, and I'm sure glad I did. In hindsight I wish I would've played somewhere other than Tegavah. I went over to the camelback courses on my last day just to see them and the conditioning looked fantastic.

Quintero is an awesome public track. Well worth the drive.

Apparently they still haven't built a clubhouse at Quintero, no? Yeah, the ride in the cart to the practice area and first hole seems like a drive to the North Pole. Also, I think the carts have speed governors, so it feels like you're crawling. Lol.

The elevation changes on the par 3's are fun, but they are a bit redundant. It seems like I was hitting the same club on each hole, which of course was 3 clubs less than I would normally hit given the drop down to the green. Overall though, it was a fun round out in the middle of nowhere.

Tegavah is quite flat. I played it when it first opened, and there was one house on the course. I believe there may be a few others today, but it's still quite wide open.

[quote name='Gdane' timestamp='1426432492' post='11146835']
[b]I don't have a picture of it, but the highlight for me was the 6th hole. If features a steep downhill shot to a green that is guarded in the front left and back right. The view from this tee box is among the best I've ever seen.[/b]

I'd rate Quintero as one of the best golf courses I've ever played. It may be a bit out there, but if anyone is planning on making a trip to the Phoenix/Scottsdale I really thing the course is a MUST PLAY.
[/quote]

I believe this is 6.

I would rate Quintero as one of my top 5 favorite courses. I loved every minute of it. A definite "must play" in Phoenix area, in spite of the drive.
Cool part about the above pic is that from the green looking back to the tee none of the boxes are visible. The mountain is so steep and overgrown that the tee boxes can't be distinguished.

[quote name='TheInfidel' timestamp='1426594311' post='11158627']
[quote name='Gdane' timestamp='1426563076' post='11157635']
There wasn't any elevation change to speak of at Tegavah.

I stayed at the Marriott Camelback Resort. It was very nice, and our balcony had an amazing view of Camelback Mountain. A couple of years ago I stayed at the Fairmont Princess. Camelback had a nicer room and a more relaxed atmosphere. The Fairmont was a bit trendier and had a nicer pool and restaurants IMO.

Quintero is a bit of a drive, but I wouldn't miss it if you're playing golf in Arizona.
[/quote]

Im staying here later in the year and had seriously considered playing the courses linked to the Hotel, Padre and Ambiente, did you rule these out, and if so why? Based on your photos and experience I might seriously consider adding Q to my rotation out there though. Im staying for 10 days.
[/quote]

At Camelback, you want to play Ambiente not Padre. Ambiente was recently redesigned and is a great track, the closest thing to links golf I have found in the area. Can usually find golfnow deals for $100 or so even in peak season. Padre is an old style country club layout, not a bad course, but not even remotely in Ambiente's league.

NB, I am a Tegavah fanboy. Even though the course is mostly flat, you get some great views on many holes. I think it's very well designed, a great mix of holes, and many, including me, consider it a far better course than Quintero from a design standpoint. That said, no question most visitors seem to prefer Quintero, almost certainly for the landscape and views - a much more memorable course.

If you think Tegavah is flat, you will be continually fooled by putts with unexpected breaks. The entire property is tilted toward the Verde River but in a subtle manner that can definitely confuse.

Quintero has "in your face" elevation change. Not subtle at all. Perhaps a bit too severe for a golf course IMO.

[quote name='Gdane' timestamp='1426432492' post='11146835']
My wife and I took a quick three night trip to Scottsdale a couple of weeks ago and I was able to get a couple of rounds of golf in. After some pretty extensive research I chose to take a bit of a drive both days and go out to Quintero Golf Club and Tegavah.

After the drive taking a bit longer than expected (as well as the 5 min cart ride from the club house to the range), I got to the driving range 5 minutes before my 7:35 tee time, hit 4 quick balls, and got to the first tee. Right away I knew I was in for a treat. The course had incredible views and was in tip top shape.
view from the 3rd tee:
[attachment=2664095:Flipped 1.jpg]
4th tee:
[attachment=2664097:Flipped 2.jpg]
9th tee:
[attachment=2664109:Flipped 3.jpg]
somewhere on the back 9:
[attachment=2664111:photo.JPG]

I don't have a picture of it, but the highlight for me was the 6th hole. If features a steep downhill shot to a green that is guarded in the front left and back right. The view from this tee box is among the best I've ever seen.

I'd rate Quintero as one of the best golf courses I've ever played. It may be a bit out there, but if anyone is planning on making a trip to the Phoenix/Scottsdale I really thing the course is a MUST PLAY.
[/quote]

WORD! Glad to see someone that saw it the same as me. I liked Quintero way more than the courses that people rave about here in scottsdale area. I didn't find any flaws on the design, redundancy on any par 3's etc. I think some people with the negative comments must've lost a lot of balls when they played it. Great course, beautiful, well conditioned and cool elevation changes.

[quote name='Gdane' timestamp='1426563076' post='11157635']
There wasn't any elevation change to speak of at Tegavah.


Quintero is a bit of a drive, but I wouldn't miss it if you're playing golf in Arizona.
[/quote]

Sorry got to massively disagree with you here, while it might not be as in your face obvious as Quintero There is a massive elevation change at Tegavah from the top of 7 tee box to the bottom of the course on the 14th hole. You work slightly up hill from number 1 to number 7 although it is subtle. #7 # 8 #12 #13 #14 all play downhill #16 #17 back up hill. If you dont know you are going straight back up hill on 17 I dont know what else to add, by far the longest 630 yard par 5 I have ever played

I have played Tegavah 50+ times and can break that course down shot by shot it is hardly a flat golf course. On the flipside Quintero is a course that looks beautiful because of the elevation changes but the more you look at it the worse the course gets. 3 downhill par 3's all pretty close in yardage if the tees are in the correct spots. Par 4's that all blend together except two or three.