Traveling to Phoenix.....Some course info for you

[chisag]

... A heads up: I played Raven today and they verticut the greens. Rolled pretty nice considering, but there was certainly some hopping going on. 

[fore_life]

On 7/13/2023 at 6:29 PM, chisag said:

... A heads up: I played Raven today and they verticut the greens. Rolled pretty nice considering, but there was certainly some hopping going on. 

Played it yesterday afternoon and the greens were VERY good rolling quick and pure. Wish I lived closer.

[Baraethon]

Where do y'all go to find practice areas in Phoenix? I usually go to Encanto for the range for convenience, but they don't have any bunkers to practice out of (you can get 20-30 yard chips in though, so that's nice). 

[SilverBullets]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:51 PM, fore_life said:

Played it yesterday afternoon and the greens were VERY good rolling quick and pure. Wish I lived closer.

 

Raven has some of the best summer greens in the valley.  Every time I play there, and it's typically in the summer after work since I work close by, they have some of the smoothest, fastest, greens in the summer.  They do a masterful job avoiding bumpy greens and bare spots.  

 

Whats funny is their greens in the summer are typically quicker than they are in the winter which is the opposite for most courses in the valley.  

[SilverBullets]

3 hours ago, Baraethon said:

Where do y'all go to find practice areas in Phoenix? I usually go to Encanto for the range for convenience, but they don't have any bunkers to practice out of (you can get 20-30 yard chips in though, so that's nice). 

 

I typically hit Papago since it's close to my house and is easy.  The short range leaves a lot to be desired but they at least have 2 chipping greens and 1 (albeit bad) bunker.  I normally go there to just hit a small bucket, chip and then putt because they do have a great practice putting green.

 

If I want a (much) better short range, I'll bite the bullet and pay for the range pass at Whirlwind.  It's $40 (only Monday - Thursday) but they have as good of a short range as any course in the valley.  If I need to work on my wedges, I'll just go there and pay the man.  They have a couple of nice bunkers which are maintained as well as (if not better) than the bunkers on the course.  Their primary pitching/chipping green you can hit shots up to like 75 yards if you're pitching to the back pin on the green from the fairway area.  And they have the second chipping/putting green right there.

 

$40 is obviously steep but when you consider it's like $20 for a large bucket at Papago, the $40 sounds not as bad if you're looking to hit balls and get a great short range session in. 

Edited July 17, 2023 by SilverBullets

[robcha]

It's a joke how much Kierland is charging (we paid $80 for an afternoon tee time) compared to other Troon courses for a course that's in really rough shape. A lot of unnecessarily wet areas and the greens are torn up. 

[teejaywhy]

On 7/17/2023 at 12:35 PM, robcha said:

It's a joke how much Kierland is charging (we paid $80 for an afternoon tee time) compared to other Troon courses for a course that's in really rough shape. A lot of unnecessarily wet areas and the greens are torn up. 

 

They charge it because apparently, someone will pay it.  🤣

 

[robcha]

1 hour ago, teejaywhy said:

 

They charge it because apparently, someone will pay it.  🤣

 

Guess I should have mentioned a tournament was being hosted here so we wanted to play a practice round

[vandyfan]

Headed to Scottsdale for a conference in mid September. We are staying at Fairmont Princess which is right next door to TPC Scottsdale but I have decided I would prefer to avoid paying more than $200/rd at any golf course this year (the conference is having an outing there for $269....no thanks). It seems like McDowell Mountain is a decent, inexpensive option that is only about 10 minutes away?

[Bonneville85308]

26 minutes ago, vandyfan said:

Headed to Scottsdale for a conference in mid September. We are staying at Fairmont Princess which is right next door to TPC Scottsdale but I have decided I would prefer to avoid paying more than $200/rd at any golf course this year (the conference is having an outing there for $269....no thanks). It seems like McDowell Mountain is a decent, inexpensive option that is only about 10 minutes away?

 

I've played it maybe 5x in the last 4 years. If price and location are the main criteria, I see nothing wrong with it given there are no cheap options on that end of town.  It's probably a slightly above average course when viewed against all public courses in metro Phoenix. The other nearby options tend to be better courses, but more expensive. Even as a tourist I wouldn't pay over $100 for it though. McDowell charges a ridiculous amount in winter for what it is, but their off-season rates aren't unreasonable for the location. 

 

I don't know your exact dates, but if you will be playing before they close for overseed on 9/19, I'd suggest trying the Champions course at TPC Scottsdale. I'm seeing morning tee times in September for less than $120, even less than $80 on weekdays. That will be a better course and probably way better conditions than McDowell.

[chisag]

... Well you can all cross Raven off your lists til after over seeding. Showed up today and found out I would be playing the front twice. Two flags on each green, white for the first 9 and red for the second 9. 🙄  Gonna re-do all the bunkers on the back 9, which of course is desperately needed, so it will be shut down Mon-Fri and you play the front 9 twice. I have no idea what shape the back will be in on weekends but imagine quite a few bunkers will be roped off. Bummer. 

[puttnforthe8]

19 hours ago, vandyfan said:

Headed to Scottsdale for a conference in mid September. We are staying at Fairmont Princess which is right next door to TPC Scottsdale but I have decided I would prefer to avoid paying more than $200/rd at any golf course this year (the conference is having an outing there for $269....no thanks). It seems like McDowell Mountain is a decent, inexpensive option that is only about 10 minutes away?

2nd TPC Champions; or drive up to Legend Trail.   You can see if you can find a deal at Wildfire.  I would choose these over McDowell first.  

[vandyfan]

6 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

2nd TPC Champions; or drive up to Legend Trail.   You can see if you can find a deal at Wildfire.  I would choose these over McDowell first.  

 

That is a good shout. Looks like I can play Champions for $74 on Tuesday morning. That is a great deal. 

[Bonneville85308]

3 minutes ago, vandyfan said:

 

That is a good shout. Looks like I can play Champions for $74 on Tuesday morning. That is a great deal. 

 

If I were you I'd book that right now. They do seem to price some of those times "dynamically" and they can go up as the date approaches, but I've never seen one under $69 this summer.

[SilverBullets]

On 8/1/2023 at 7:41 PM, chisag said:

... Well you can all cross Raven off your lists til after over seeding. Showed up today and found out I would be playing the front twice. Two flags on each green, white for the first 9 and red for the second 9. 🙄  Gonna re-do all the bunkers on the back 9, which of course is desperately needed, so it will be shut down Mon-Fri and you play the front 9 twice. I have no idea what shape the back will be in on weekends but imagine quite a few bunkers will be roped off. Bummer. 

I wish I would have seen this.  Showed up last night and found out 9 was closed.  Really annoying that my buddy who booked the tee time didn't catch the super small print on the website lol.  

 

What's interesting is that I played the back twice yesterday because they were working on the front.  I didn't see any evidence on the back 9 that work had been started on the bunkers.  They were pretty hard pack.  Apparently the full 18 holes will be open on the weekends. 

 

The greens were pretty bad.  As bad as I've seen their greens in the summer since I started playing there a couple years ago.  They were pretty shaggy and very bumpy.  They had been recently plugged but it looked like the more needle point aeration.  Those seemed relatively unimpactful it was just shaggy greens and spotty grass which made them really bumpy.  Def. disappointing and I'm normally super impressed with Raven's greens in the summer.  I guess this is what 115* for a month straight does.  

[chisag]

24 minutes ago, SilverBullets said:

The greens were pretty bad.  As bad as I've seen their greens in the summer since I started playing there a couple years ago.  They were pretty shaggy and very bumpy.  They had been recently plugged but it looked like the more needle point aeration.  Those seemed relatively unimpactful it was just shaggy greens and spotty grass which made them really bumpy.  Def. disappointing and I'm normally super impressed with Raven's greens in the summer.  I guess this is what 115* for a month straight does.  

 

 

... At least they refunded my August Arcis payment and canceled my Sumer Arcis account which normally requires a 2 month written notice. But yea, the July weather might have been a factor. 🥵

 

● The average maximum temperature in July was 114.7 degrees.

● The average minimum temperature was 90.8.

● Every day in July had above-normal temperatures.

● Only one day in July had a high temperature below 110 degrees.

● July set a new all-time record for the most consecutive days with high temperatures at or above 110 degrees (31 days) from June 30 to July 30.

● 17 days in July hit maximum temperatures at or above 115 degrees, breaking the record of six days set in 2020.

● July set a new all-time record warm low temperature of 97 degrees.

● Three days in July reached 119 degrees.

● Twelve days in July broke or tied daily high temperature records.

● Sixteen days in July broke or tied daily warm low temperature records.

● The longest stretch of days under an excessive heat warning was set from July 1 to July 29, nearly quadrupling the number of days from the previous record, which was eight days.

[hackeraz]

On 8/3/2023 at 8:49 AM, chisag said:

 

 

... At least they refunded my August Arcis payment and canceled my Sumer Arcis account which normally requires a 2 month written notice. But yea, the July weather might have been a factor. 🥵

 

● The average maximum temperature in July was 114.7 degrees.

● The average minimum temperature was 90.8.

● Every day in July had above-normal temperatures.

● Only one day in July had a high temperature below 110 degrees.

● July set a new all-time record for the most consecutive days with high temperatures at or above 110 degrees (31 days) from June 30 to July 30.

● 17 days in July hit maximum temperatures at or above 115 degrees, breaking the record of six days set in 2020.

● July set a new all-time record warm low temperature of 97 degrees.

● Three days in July reached 119 degrees.

● Twelve days in July broke or tied daily high temperature records.

● Sixteen days in July broke or tied daily warm low temperature records.

● The longest stretch of days under an excessive heat warning was set from July 1 to July 29, nearly quadrupling the number of days from the previous record, which was eight days.

 

Man, I really need to find a remote position. Anyone hiring a (remote) Purchasing Manager? 

[fore_life]

On 8/4/2023 at 10:12 AM, hackeraz said:

 

Man, I really need to find a remote position. Anyone hiring a (remote) Purchasing Manager? 

https://www.indeed.com/q-purchasing-manager-l-remote-jobs.html

[hackeraz]

22 hours ago, fore_life said:

https://www.indeed.com/q-purchasing-manager-l-remote-jobs.html

Ha, believe me when I say I've been working on that route. 

[Baraethon]

Looking for a more budget option (hoping $65 or less) on the north side to play next Monday. I'm looking at Dove Valley or Legend at Arrowhead - has anyone played these and can recommend for or against? Thanks!

[puttnforthe8]

12 hours ago, Baraethon said:

Looking for a more budget option (hoping $65 or less) on the north side to play next Monday. I'm looking at Dove Valley or Legend at Arrowhead - has anyone played these and can recommend for or against? Thanks!

 

Avoid!  Drive a few min more and go play Vistancia or Sterling Grove.

 

If you must, Dove Valley over AH; or even go play Lookout Mtn. - visitors seem to like that course well enough.

 

 

[SatchelRuaz]

Noticed it's been a while since the original info has been updated. We still calling all that good? 

 

Heading to Arizona in Feb. I'll be around Phoenix and Tucson during our time there and starting to look at where to play. 

 

TIA.

[AzSuperHack76]

16 hours ago, Baraethon said:

Looking for a more budget option (hoping $65 or less) on the north side to play next Monday. I'm looking at Dove Valley or Legend at Arrowhead - has anyone played these and can recommend for or against? Thanks!

Legend of Arrowhead is awful, they have made improvements but spend your money elsewhere. 

 

500 club is a good option as well. VIstancia punched a couple weeks ago and still needs some time. 

[chisag]

... Wow what a Summer in HE!! in several ways. It seems like almost every course is in less than ideal conditions. This record breaking heat seems to be taking a toll on most everything. Even the rabbits and roadrunners are staying in the shade. 🥵

[puttnforthe8]

2 hours ago, SatchelRuaz said:

Noticed it's been a while since the original info has been updated. We still calling all that good? 

 

Heading to Arizona in Feb. I'll be around Phoenix and Tucson during our time there and starting to look at where to play. 

 

TIA.

For the most part..yup

[Sanfran328]

This is a great thread, thanks to everyone who has posted their opinions. My daughter lives in Queens Creek, and I’m visiting her again for a few days sometime between now and Christmas.

 

Last year I stayed at Wekopa and played both of those 2 great courses. But the drive back and forth to QC every day was not fun, so I’m planning to stay somewhere within 20-30 minutes of her. I also want to be located where I’m within about a half hour of 3 different quality courses that are hopefully in decent shape and have a nice desert feel. 

 

After some research I have drawn up a rough plan, and looking for input. I can stay at a hotel beside Longbow, which is reasonably close to QC, and play a round there. The other courses that are within a half hour that I’m considering after reading reviews are Talking Stick, Gold Canyon, Desert Canyon, and Papago. 

 

Do most courses book single golfers ahead of time? I was able to do that at Wekopa.

 

And also important, how soon after over-seeding are most courses in decent shape? It seems that most are finished by the end of October, so is mid-November okay? Or would I be better of waiting until after Thanksgiving, say the first week of December? I did that last year but narrowly missed some heavy rainfall.

 

I would appreciate your thoughts!

[puttnforthe8]

12 minutes ago, Sanfran328 said:

This is a great thread, thanks to everyone who has posted their opinions. My daughter lives in Queens Creek, and I’m visiting her again for a few days sometime between now and Christmas.

 

Last year I stayed at Wekopa and played both of those 2 great courses. But the drive back and forth to QC every day was not fun, so I’m planning to stay somewhere within 20-30 minutes of her. I also want to be located where I’m within about a half hour of 3 different quality courses that are hopefully in decent shape and have a nice desert feel. 

 

After some research I have drawn up a rough plan, and looking for input. I can stay at a hotel beside Longbow, which is reasonably close to QC, and play a round there. The other courses that are within a half hour that I’m considering after reading reviews are Talking Stick, Gold Canyon, Desert Canyon, and Papago. 

 

Do most courses book single golfers ahead of time? I was able to do that at Wekopa.

 

And also important, how soon after over-seeding are most courses in decent shape? It seems that most are finished by the end of October, so is mid-November okay? Or would I be better of waiting until after Thanksgiving, say the first week of December? I did that last year but narrowly missed some heavy rainfall.

 

I would appreciate your thoughts!

 

• After Thanksgiving
• Desert Canyon 🤮, Talking Stick - decent; Papago - decent; Longbow - good
• Would suggest better alternative and Stay in Chandler - you have 2 Whirwind courses, Southern Dunes, with 3-4 budget courses within a reasobale travel time.  Gila River Hotel or Sheraton Wildhorse are great hotels. 
•  

 

[Sanfran328]

19 hours ago, puttnforthe8 said:

 

• After Thanksgiving
• Desert Canyon 🤮, Talking Stick - decent; Papago - decent; Longbow - good
• Would suggest better alternative and Stay in Chandler - you have 2 Whirwind courses, Southern Dunes, with 3-4 budget courses within a reasobale travel time.  Gila River Hotel or Sheraton Wildhorse are great hotels. 
•  

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan. I actually played both Whirlwind courses a few years ago and liked them, and Southern Dunes gets great reviews. 

 

[Baraethon]

Papago yesterday. The first fairway was super muddy, but after that it firmed up a little (still some wet patches). Greens were still a bit bumpy from being aerated, but sounds like that's just summer here. 

[vallygolf]

On 8/11/2023 at 8:22 PM, puttnforthe8 said:

 

• After Thanksgiving
• Desert Canyon 🤮, Talking Stick - decent; Papago - decent; Longbow - good
• Would suggest better alternative and Stay in Chandler - you have 2 Whirwind courses, Southern Dunes, with 3-4 budget courses within a reasobale travel time.  Gila River Hotel or Sheraton Wildhorse are great hotels. 
•  

 

This x10 vs staying near Longbow.  I like longbow alot, but Whirlwind and Southern Dunes are much better, and it is easy to get to QC from there.  Booking a single isnt a problem at either location.