Phoenix area *Private* Clubs?

[golfingal]

I'll be picking through other threads on here as this might be redundant request - though things evolve over time - prices change, club conditions worsen etc.

 

We're looking at a relocation for work but want to choose a club first (for proximity to home) before home shopping.    For commute - something within about 1/2 hour from south Glendale... maybe a bit more if it's worthwhile.  Right now we are looking in the NW area - but what else is there?

 

Well maintained playing surfaces and lack of crowds are really important.  Semi-private courses might be a possibility if they are immaculate and do not mix day payers with members.

Any idea of cost of membership would be very helpful.  $75K+ memberships?  No thanks!

In general we prefer target golf - vs bombers courses or back and forth generic layouts.  Hubby hates Nicklaus designs for example (plays extra long - rigorous forced carries)

A secluded natural vibe is nice, though nestled among upscale architecture is fine too.  Backing to freeways, shopping centers, urban "projects" - not so much.  

 

Any input is very much appreciated - thanks in advance!

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by golfingal

[puttnforthe8]

If you are the west side the choices are limited.

 

The best options:  Anthem (2 courses); Blackstone and the newest course to AZ and future private Sterling Grove (but that is a Nicklaus course, but I would argue except for the greens not a typical Nicklaus course - so I definitely would consider it).  

 

The few other privates are generally uninteresting and not very good (Arrowhead, etc); the other privates are decent (Tatum Ranch, etc)

 

Based on the extra criteria added - Anthem will be #1 option; then Blackstone.  

 

The trouble you will have is that the golf course biz has jumped - not sure what the price of these memberships are these days; but for what you are asking for, the price is going to be high (higher these days).   You are not getting anything in your criteria for a 'value' price.  

 

 

[Bonneville85308]

My first instinct was to suggest Blackstone, but you are probably looking at $35k initiation and $1k/month+ dues/fees. I wouldn't rule out Sterling Grove based on the Nicklaus architecture as @puttnforthe8 said, I generally hate Nicklaus courses too, but didn't find Sterling Grove to be offensive. 

 

I am going to assume by "south Glendale" that the job(s) is somewhere around Cardinals Stadium. Anthem to that area is around 35 miles but not a horrible ride because traffic on the route isn't too bad, if you live up there you will be going the opposite direction of the Loop 101 rush hour mess assuming a typical daytime work schedule.

 

I'd forget all the Scottsdale area clubs for the purposes of this discussion due to price, waitlists, and distance to the job location.

 

The west side is tough for fully private clubs as all you really have west of I-17 are Arrowhead (too crowded, horrible management company), Briarwood (55+ community, geriatric membership), Blackstone, and Sterling Grove (when it goes private, which I think it will once the development gets more built out)

[golfingal]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies so far!

 

Quote

assume by "south Glendale" that the job(s) is somewhere around Cardinals Stadium

 

No - more like Grand Canyon University area (close to the 17)

 

But we are NOT locked in to finding something in the NW area - going south - southwest or even east or SE/NE 1/2 hour is OK too.

Edited March 29, 2022 by golfingal

[Bonneville85308]

3 minutes ago, golfingal said:

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies so far!

 

 

No - more like Grand Canyon University area (close to the 17)

 

That changes things a bit. You certainly don't want to live right around work then, the neighborhoods around GCU are terrible. I think it will come down to how much of a commute you are willing to tolerate to get the right club/neighborhood combo.

 

Moon Valley CC may come into play, it's one of the more affordable clubs, but every time I've been there its been crowded and my usual host is always complaining about trouble with tee times and large member groups hogging all the weekend morning times.

[AdExec]

53 minutes ago, Bonneville85308 said:

 

That changes things a bit. You certainly don't want to live right around work then, the neighborhoods around GCU are terrible. I think it will come down to how much of a commute you are willing to tolerate to get the right club/neighborhood combo.

 

Moon Valley CC may come into play, it's one of the more affordable clubs, but every time I've been there its been crowded and my usual host is always complaining about trouble with tee times and large member groups hogging all the weekend morning times.

 

Im a member at Moon Valley. Im under 40 so got it with a junior executive membership a few years ago. I think we are on a waitlist now. Saturday mornings between 10-1 are packed but otherwise easy to get tee times whenever else. They reduced the booking window to 7 days but there’s a big group that has a weekly game on Saturday’s. Sundays I generally have a 10-11am tee time every week without issue. Once summer rolls around and the snowbirds leave it’ll be wide open again. Value wise it can’t be beat. Lots of work being done over the past couple years. new carts, new range balls, 18 hole par 3 course, etc. For ~ 7k/year with cart fees included it doesn’t get any better…especially with the current golf pricing for tee times around the valley. 

 

Agree with the above mentions. Anthem has a solid membership and nice facilities/courses for the cost, but they might be full now also. Tatum Ranch was a consideration for us but we liked the real estate options better in Moon Valley CC neighborhood. 

 

If the OP is 45+ maybe Westbrook Village would be an option. Haven’t played the courses but have sold several homes there and community seems great for the price. Courses always looked well maintained from the drive bys. If I lived further west I would strongly consider Sterling Grove. Even if you only get a couple years before they revoke the memberships, the pricing holds up really well. 

 

 

[golfingal]

Quote

34 minutes ago, AdExec said:

Tatum Ranch was a consideration for us but we liked the real estate options better in Moon Valley CC neighborhood.

 

This statement is interesting.  Looking around it seemed like the Moon Valley area was older homes (low ceilings etc - we want 10' or higher), and the Tatum Ranch area was a little newer.  The club also seems a little older as well.

 

FWIW - We qualify for Senior communities based on age - but it's not important to us as all the extras other than golf are useless.

 

I also wanted to note (since maybe it wasn't clear) we aren't looking for the cheapest private club - a $50K membership is in range though something less would be preferable.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by golfingal

[AdExec]

8 minutes ago, golfingal said:

 

This statement is interesting.  Looking around it seemed like the Moon Valley area was older homes (low ceilings etc - we want 10' or higher), and the Tatum Ranch area was a little newer.  The club also seems a little older as well.

 

FWIW - We qualify for Senior communities based on age - but it's not important to us as all the extras other than golf are useless.

 

I also wanted to note (since maybe it wasn't clear) we aren't looking for the cheapest private club - a $50K membership is in range though something less would be preferable.

 

 

Depends on what you are looking at specifically in Moon Valley. I’d say at least 50% of the homes around the course have been renovated. Most were custom homes so there’s a wide mix of styles/floor plans. The older homes is what pushed me to Moon Valley CC. We have a mid century style home built in the 70s but completely renovated. It’s got huge sliding glass doors throughout and really nice indoor/outdoor living. 

 

Tatum Ranch is a great community and very popular in its price range. The lot sizes are typically smaller, and most of the homes were built in the 1995-2006 era so are very similar to each other. Lots of renovations happening there as well. Just depends on what style home suites you more. 

 

Phoenix Country Club is in the 50k range for initiation and has nice facilities. They host a champions tour event there every year. Monthly dues are in the $1000 range last I checked. Probably on a waiting list there as well, but interesting real estate options close by. Everything from early 1900s historic homes to super modern renovations. 

 

Trilogy at Vistancia might be a nice combination of golf and housing for you also. It’s a 55+ community but skews to the younger side of the age bracket overall. Should be well within your price parameters membership wise. Lots of new construction in the area. A little further removed from the city, but easy access to 17. 

[Cactus Jack]

If you go west check out the Wigwam. While it's semi-private there are three courses, access to the Biltmore courses, awesome resort grounds, and inexpensive as heck. Last time I check it was $2K to join, $1K you get back to buy stuff in the shop, $500 per month, access & discounts on all resort amenities, no food and beverage minimums... While it is open to the public members can book tee times 3 weeks out while the public is 7 days. 

[AzSuperHack76]

3 hours ago, puttnforthe8 said:

If you are the west side the choices are limited.

 

The best options:  Anthem (2 courses); Blackstone and the newest course to AZ and future private Sterling Grove (but that is a Nicklaus course, but I would argue except for the greens not a typical Nicklaus course - so I definitely would consider it).  

 

The few other privates are generally uninteresting and not very good (Arrowhead, etc); the other privates are decent (Tatum Ranch, etc)

 

Based on the extra criteria added - Anthem will be #1 option; then Blackstone.  

 

The trouble you will have is that the golf course biz has jumped - not sure what the price of these memberships are these days; but for what you are asking for, the price is going to be high (higher these days).   You are not getting anything in your criteria for a 'value' price.  

 

 

Blackstone would be out for them. Well over 75k initiation. 

[fore_life]

Invest in Kevlar vs a golf membership if you’re gonna be around GCU

[toypor]

5 hours ago, AzSuperHack76 said:

Blackstone would be out for them. Well over 75k initiation. 

Less than half that for initiation…. But probably a 40 minutes at off times and worse during peak times. 

 

https://blackstonecountryclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BCC-Pricing-and-Dues-1_2022.pdf

 

 

[AzSuperHack76]

8 hours ago, toypor said:

Less than half that for initiation…. But probably a 40 minutes at off times and worse during peak times. 

 

https://blackstonecountryclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BCC-Pricing-and-Dues-1_2022.pdf

 

 

Wow, things have changed, at one time it was 80k for initiation. 

[puttnforthe8]

17 hours ago, AdExec said:

Depends on what you are looking at specifically in Moon Valley. I’d say at least 50% of the homes around the course have been renovated. Most were custom homes so there’s a wide mix of styles/floor plans. The older homes is what pushed me to Moon Valley CC. We have a mid century style home built in the 70s but completely renovated. It’s got huge sliding glass doors throughout and really nice indoor/outdoor living. 

 

Tatum Ranch is a great community and very popular in its price range. The lot sizes are typically smaller, and most of the homes were built in the 1995-2006 era so are very similar to each other. Lots of renovations happening there as well. Just depends on what style home suites you more. 

 

Phoenix Country Club is in the 50k range for initiation and has nice facilities. They host a champions tour event there every year. Monthly dues are in the $1000 range last I checked. Probably on a waiting list there as well, but interesting real estate options close by. Everything from early 1900s historic homes to super modern renovations. 

 

Trilogy at Vistancia might be a nice combination of golf and housing for you also. It’s a 55+ community but skews to the younger side of the age bracket overall. Should be well within your price parameters membership wise. Lots of new construction in the area. A little further removed from the city, but easy access to 17. 

Vistancia is not a private course or even remotely close.    

[AdExec]

4 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

Vistancia is not a private course or even remotely close.    

That’s my fault…It’s a yearly pass that’s available 

[toypor]

9 hours ago, AzSuperHack76 said:

Wow, things have changed, at one time it was 80k for initiation. 

Yeah played there a few weeks ago and a member told me the original members who paid big $ can book tee times further out than those who joined after the big drop in initiation. At least they get something for the extra coin 😀. I am sure we have all been on the wrong side of a market correction one time or another…
 

I believe it was actually $25k not long ago and recently bumped to $35k. I thought it was a really good golf course in excellent condition. Facilities and service were top notch. 

[AzSuperHack76]

2 hours ago, toypor said:

Yeah played there a few weeks ago and a member told me the original members who paid big $ can book tee times further out than those who joined after the big drop in initiation. At least they get something for the extra coin 😀. I am sure we have all been on the wrong side of a market correction one time or another…
 

I believe it was actually $25k not long ago and recently bumped to $35k. I thought it was a really good golf course in excellent condition. Facilities and service were top notch. 

I have a couple buddies that are members. I enjoy it as well, conditioning is amazing, and it really is a fun course to play. 

[golfingal]

Thanks everyone - I appreciate the discussion!  So far we're liking Sterling Grove, Blackstone and Anthem in that order.  Sterling would require a house purchase to hold on to the membership when they go private in 2025 - no problem but the timeline might mess us up as there is no quick availability.

 

Hubby also mentioned Boulders - it $80K to join but 80% refundable when the membership is resold (no caveats).  Currently resale is instant as there is a wait list.

We played there last year and I kind of remember it as being a cluster.  Very crowded and people going off in a shotgun around the same time we went out with the day players.  Chaos.

We've played so many courses I don't remember much about it other than that.

[puttnforthe8]

1 hour ago, golfingal said:

Thanks everyone - I appreciate the discussion!  So far we're liking Sterling Grove, Blackstone and Anthem in that order.  Sterling would require a house purchase to hold on to the membership when they go private in 2025 - no problem but the timeline might mess us up as there is no quick availability.

 

Hubby also mentioned Boulders - it $80K to join but 80% refundable when the membership is resold (no caveats).  Currently resale is instant as there is a wait list.

We played there last year and I kind of remember it as being a cluster.  Very crowded and people going off in a shotgun around the same time we went out with the day players.  Chaos.

We've played so many courses I don't remember much about it other than that.

Boulders has 2 courses - each week they make one of them for the members and one for public.  So when you played, you were probably on the public side.  This is a sort of negative imo for joining a private.  If I want 2 courses - I want Anthem..both private.

[rochestergolfer36]

Sterling grove is not a good golf course. Yes it’s in great shape. But very boring. Terrible greens where large portions can’t be used bc slopes are so severe. I’d play Vistancia over than any time (I know Vistancia is not private)
 

I’ve played a most of my golf on the west side of Phoenix when visiting my parents in Vistancia and it’s bottom of the list for me. 
 

Blackstone is in great shape. Decent course layout but nothing that’ll wow you. A few gimmicky holes that I’ve always thought would be annoying if it was my home course. 
 

I have a friend who lives in a Verrado and wants to join somewhere just to have better tee time access and is difficult to find anything on west side. He thought Sterling until he played there. It was a quick pass after that round. 

Edited April 5, 2022 by rochestergolfer36

[golfingal]

Now we're looking at Anthem in first place (36 holes and an annual cart program are big bonuses), then Blackstone.  Tatum Ranch finally got back to me but didn't provide any membership info - only questions.  Strange.  We've pretty much given up even trying Sterling Grove as it's 14-16 months lead time on building - the home prices are very high for tiny houses, packed in tight.

 

Edit - Tatum finally did reply and we're now set up to check it out...

Edited April 12, 2022 by golfingal

[toypor]

6 hours ago, golfingal said:

Now we're looking at Anthem in first place (36 holes and an annual cart program are big bonuses), then Blackstone.  Tatum Ranch finally got back to me but didn't provide any membership info - only questions.  Strange.  We've pretty much given up even trying Sterling Grove as it's 14-16 months lead time on building - the home prices are very high for tiny houses, packed in tight.

I am really surprised at the cost of houses in Sterling Grove as well.  I realize the market is going crazy all over the valley, but the value for what you get in SG seems particularly low.  Toll Brothers builds a really nice home, but the price per SF in SG is extremely high, and to your point the lots are really small. 

 

As for the quality of the golf course, I totally disagree with the above poster.  I think it is a really fun course with great variety, especially considering it was built on an old farm field.  They moved enough dirt to keep it interesting without going overboard and making it feel totally manufactured.  The green complexes are really interesting with plenty of options.  There is a good mix of difficult/easy and long/short holes.  In addition, service and conditioning have been top notch every time I have played.  

 

Just my 2 cents…

[Twinsgroupie]

16 hours ago, golfingal said:

Now we're looking at Anthem in first place (36 holes and an annual cart program are big bonuses), then Blackstone.  Tatum Ranch finally got back to me but didn't provide any membership info - only questions.  Strange.  We've pretty much given up even trying Sterling Grove as it's 14-16 months lead time on building - the home prices are very high for tiny houses, packed in tight.

 

Let me know if you have questions about Anthem.  We are members and live here.  Like any course on this list there are pro's and con's.  If we didnt live here we would of been at Blackstone, that was second on our list for the west side. 

 

Here are some basics.. Pro's

36 holes is great as they typically can close a course say for a month in the summer for maintenance and still have a course open.  This allows them to keep it in good shape.  

Membership is older but trending downward which allows for a lot of community interaction.  If you live in the club its active and there is a lot going on.  Many members refer to it as a resort type living.

People are generally really nice as there are a lot of second homes and people living their best lives

Courses are different enough that you can get two different experiences which is a nice change.

Golf staff is very good. 

 

Con's

Prices of membership and homes have almost doubled in the last couple year up here.  Golf initiation has more than doubled in 12 months but everything is still in your price point.

Not a ton of great restaurant options up this way, more are coming as the valley is growing a lot and expanding up here.

Can get busy in season which can be annoying, they are basically at capacity which has not been the case previously.

If you don't live in Anthem I probably would not recommend it.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Twinsgroupie

[whatsupwithgolf]

I'm on the east side so did not really look at these clubs, but in retrospect I wish I would have looked more at living next to Moon Valley. I really like that it is a park land course and you get unlimited carts aka no cart fees. I think that's where I would be joining if I lived on the west side. I played Tatum and walked off after 9 because misses just get lost in a hurry in the desert. Proximity to work is important and if I worked in the GCU area Moon Valley to me is the no brainer option, I'm interested in why that isn't on the list after hearing good things from the member here, cheers!

[golfingal]

Quote

19 hours ago, whatsupwithgolf said:

I'm on the east side so did not really look at these clubs, but in retrospect I wish I would have looked more at living next to Moon Valley. I really like that it is a park land course and you get unlimited carts aka no cart fees. I think that's where I would be joining if I lived on the west side. I played Tatum and walked off after 9 because misses just get lost in a hurry in the desert. Proximity to work is important and if I worked in the GCU area Moon Valley to me is the no brainer option, I'm interested in why that isn't on the list after hearing good things from the member here, cheers!

 

Thanks - I can't speak for everybody, but Moon Valley is not even slightly interesting for us, at any price.  The club seems quite old/dated, and parkland golf is boring (to us).  The homes in the area are mostly 1970s - with low ceilings which to us is immediate rejection without even entering to look any further.   We're mostly looking outside the 101 loop to get away from the central/old part of town and into a newer home/club - (or at least something built in this century with modern design)    We won't even consider trying to live anywhere near that work location area.   yikes!!!  This all leads back to picking the club first, then figure out the house to live nearby.  

Edited April 12, 2022 by golfingal

[golfingal]

Just an update - my husband got into town and played Tatum and Anthem - he's pretty sold on Anthem at the moment.  The only negative was (sort of) slow greens.  We're used to 11-12s and from his description it sounds like Anthem is more like 10 at best but he said it was in great shape!    36 holes and rotating course during overseeing is a huge bonus.  Owning your own cart (w/trail fee) is a bonus.  He heard more comments about Blackstone having tricked up/goofy holes and only 18 so that's probably not going to work though he might get on and check it out before signing up at Anthem.  

[jshel]

My parents are in Surprise and I think you're looking at the right spots. 

 

Tatum is certainly closer to shopping/restaurants and it is a pretty easy walk if that's something of note. 

 

Anthem is decent. Both courses have some really good holes and both courses have a couple of head scratchers. 

 

One more place that might be worth looking into is Corte Bella in Sun City West. It was built to be a private club, but has never quite gotten there. It's more interesting than most of the Greg Nash design courses in that part of town. And the community seems pretty nice. 

 

Phoenix CC is a really cool spot, but if you don't like parkland golf, it might not be right for you all. 

[toypor]

You should definitely at least get out to play Blackstone. I think Blackstone has a bit of quirk…. Which I think is good.  I am not a fan of “tricked up” at all and I don’t consider Blackstone to be tricked up.  YMMV.  With that said, I am also a big fan of both Anthem courses, so I think you will be in a good spot either way.  Never been to Corta Bella, but I have heard good things.  That is probably a better option than Blackstone or Anthem from a commute standpoint.  Probably doesn’t have the wow factor of the other two and would likely be significantly less expensive.  

[AzSuperHack76]

Corte Bella is a slightly above average, standard neighborhood routed course. It gets a ton of outside play. From the sounds of things that doesn’t sound like what they are after. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by AzSuperHack76

[Twinsgroupie]

Something to keep in mind is that its extremely likely what ever course you choose you will experience a lot of different course conditions during the year.  When I moved here from the midwest it was a head scratcher at first figuring out these courses as they can be fast one time and slow the next, turf condition can change a lot as well.  Climate here varies so much, where we are it can get to freezing in the winter nights and 120 in the summer.  There are two different types of grass depending on season and two very different speeds of the course depending on soil condition and watering.  It certainly takes some getting use to.  Even the best courses can struggle from time to time with the dramatic climate changes here.  Visitors usually never notice this since they only typically visit in primetime.