Southern Dunes

[phoenix wildcat]

a buddy of mine keeps telling me to play here. Has anyone here played this course? Also what would you compare it to? I have heard it's similar to Trilogy at Vistancia (which i love...). Thanks

[dhop12]

fantastic layout. one of my favorites in the valley. easily a 200 dollar track if it were in north scottsdale, however I'd stay away till spring. I played it 2 weeks ago and drove an hour to get there only to find out they didn't overseed.

[teejaywhy]

Southern Dunes is a solid layout, [b][i]far[/i][/b] more interesting than Vistancia. Great variety of holes, bold greens, core layout without housing, walkable... What does it compare to? Maybe the Faldo course at Wildfire, also a Schmidt & Curley design with similar bunkering. And LOTS of bunkers is what you will find at SD. Very challenging from the back, but very playable from the mid-tees. You do need to be on your game to score well.

As for playing a course that is not overseeded - I ABSOLUTELY encourage you to see it and play it for yourself and make your own decision. The firm and fast conditions make for a fun and challenging round. The greens are firm but receptive and putt true and LIGHTNING fast. There is no reason to dismiss a course just because it is not green, especially a quality course like Southern Dunes.

[puttnforthe8]

Agree with tj almost verbatim. No Overseed has done nothing to diminish the course.

I play SD 4-5 mo because I enjoy it so much!

It is not like Vistancia. Defo much better!

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Played out there today. While the lack of overseed is different. It is still a great layout and the course plays firm and fast which is a nice break from the normal winter conditions. The greens are fantastic. Fast smooth and awesome to putt on. One of the toughest test of golf in the valley and well worth playing green grass or not.

[gotj1]

Just to echo what just about everyone said. Don't let brown grass scare you away from a great track. One of the best courses I've played in AZ. Let us know what you thought.

[deadsolid...shank]

I'm just curiuous since I haven't been back to Phoenix for six or seven years. Where is this course located, is it a new design or a remake of an older course. Also wondering, the course at the Point at South Mountain, is it gone or under a different name now. I never see it mentioned.

Appreciate the help.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Shank. Southern Dunes was built circa 2000ish under the name Royal Dunes. It was originally private and opened to the public at the end of 2008 due to financial issues. It is located in Maricopa about 30 min south of Phx. The other course you mentioned is now known as Arizona Grand.

[deadsolid...shank]

Thanks for the info One Putt.

[Rohlio]

Southern Dunes is now my favorite track in Arizona.

The bunker sand is terrible, but the course design is outstanding. Every shot requires planning and thought and I can't think of a single throw away hole.

It actually reminds me of Pacific Dunes if it flew south for the winter.

I have played it 5 times now and it is bucket list good imo. Of course with the bunker caveat. Even from the 7400 yard tips you would be advised to leave the driver in the bag sometimes.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

[quote name='Rohlio' post='2159192' date='Jan 3 2010, 06:08 PM']Southern Dunes is now my favorite track in Arizona.

The bunker sand is terrible, but the course design is outstanding. Every shot requires planning and thought and I can't think of a single throw away hole.

It actually reminds me of Pacific Dunes if it flew south for the winter.

I have played it 5 times now and it is bucket list good imo. Of course with the bunker caveat. Even from the 7400 yard tips you would be advised to leave the driver in the bag sometimes.[/quote]

I would disagree on the bunker sand, the sand itself is fantastic, the problem is it tends to not be spread evenly throughout the bunkers. Sometimes its nice and fluffy and perfect and sometimes its thin and hard-paked. Its just inconsistent, but it beats the heck out of the rocksand that most of the courses tend to have out here.

Its funny that you mention the comparision to Pacific Dunes. One of the guys I play with, is from the Pacific Northwest and that was the first thing he mentioned about the course is how much it reminded him of Pacific Dunes only in the desert.

[Rohlio]

The first time I played it when troon first took it over the sand was great. I understand that maintaining bunkers is the most expensive part of a course and they certainly have a lot to take care of, but over the last year it has gotten progressively worse. You are correct it isn't the sand itself but rather it seems they are not regularly tilling them and adding as much as they need to. I had to play them like extremely tight fairway lies when I was there in October. The rest of the course was in fantastic shape but the bunkers were all rock hard.

THis is only a very marginal complaint imo since I played it for $35 and like I said the layout is just so good.

As for the pacific dunes comment, it just seems to fit. I am happy someone else sees it too. In fact a few holes look almost copied. It is as if Fred Couples was on a vacatin at Bandon and desgned the holes on cocktail napkins between rounds (scotch or golf take your pick).

I would recommend anybody go check it out. It really is a phenomenal track. Oh and hit a hybrid off of #2 over the mound on the left , you will thank me later. Also I don't care how hard you hit your driver on #16, it is a three shot hole; you can thank me for that one too

[teejaywhy]

[quote name='deadsolid...shank' post='2156760' date='Jan 2 2010, 04:14 PM']I'm just curiuous since I haven't been back to Phoenix for six or seven years. Where is this course located, is it a new design or a remake of an older course.[/quote]

[quote name='One_Putt_Blunder' post='2156786' date='Jan 2 2010, 04:27 PM']Southern Dunes was built circa 2000ish under the name Royal Dunes. It was originally private and opened to the public at the end of 2008 due to financial issues. It is located in Maricopa about 30 min south of Phx.[/quote]

Southern Dunes opened in 2002, a private golf club with design by the Scottsdale-based team of Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley with consultation by Fred Couples. The club was in the news initially because of its controversial "Men Only" membership policy. Somewhere along the line, they changed the name to Royal Dunes and in 2008 when it opened to the public, changed back to Southern Dunes.

[fore_life]

My brother and I are playing there tomorrow, I'll try to take some updated pics and post them in this thread. Very excited to get back out there, I haven't played it since the first WRX outing in April of last year.

[Charlie.Dont.Surf]

Cool...look forward to pics

[One_Putt_Blunder]

[quote name='Charlie.Dont.Surf' date='08 February 2010 - 10:06 AM' timestamp='1265648799' post='2236090']
Cool...look forward to pics
[/quote]


Charlie, here are some pics I took last year of the dunes
[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/221904-southern-dunes/"]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/221904-southern-dunes/[/url]

[Jay4]

[quote name='fore_life' date='07 February 2010 - 01:45 AM' timestamp='1265550356' post='2233725']
My brother and I are playing there tomorrow, I'll try to take some updated pics and post them in this thread. Very excited to get back out there, I haven't played it since the first WRX outing in April of last year.


[/quote]


I played with Mark and his brother yesterday, we had a blast. Very nice course, I had to jump out of my shoes from the back tees...LOL

[gotj1]

That course is looooong from the back tees! How were the conditions?

[Rohlio]

[quote name='gotj1' date='09 February 2010 - 05:02 PM' timestamp='1265752978' post='2239417']
That course is looooong from the back tees! How were the conditions?
[/quote]

Agreed, but with how firm it stays it isn't that long if you are driving it straight. Playing one up from the back is the most fun for me.

[Jay4]

OT, Mark his brother and I played TPC Champion Course today, if you get a chance to play you should, it's in "GREAT" shape.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

[quote name='gotj1' date='09 February 2010 - 03:02 PM' timestamp='1265752978' post='2239417']
That course is looooong from the back tees! How were the conditions?
[/quote]

Actually looking at it on the scorecard is much worse than actually playing it from the back tees. The one killer is number 6 par 3 at 245ish from the back. Other than that with as firm and fast as it plays I think it realistically plays closer to 7000-7100 yards. For some reason the dunes just fits my eye very well and I have been able to post some decent numbers out there from the back tees. Kinda makes me want to go back out there now.

[Jay4]

I agree Matt, just hard to hit it close on a 248 yard PAR3, that hole ate my lunch...

[One_Putt_Blunder]

[quote name='Jay4' date='11 February 2010 - 03:23 PM' timestamp='1265926989' post='2244604']
I agree Matt, just hard to hit it close on a 248 yard PAR3, that hole ate my lunch...
[/quote]

Very true, you can play that hole a number of different ways though depending on the pin, you can bailout right or left of the green. there is alot more room on the left vs what it looks like from the tee. You can do what I have done the last couple times and just smack 3 wood right at the pin only to have the false front kick it down to the collection area. Heck I was playing out there with medicaptain one time and the wind was blowing so much I had to hit driver on it, actually stuck it to 12 feet hahaha. I always just figure bogey and just try and play safe for a scambling par. Cause even if you hit that green its not an automatic 2 putt with some of the breaks in it.

[Skydiver22]

SD is my favorite course in the valley. I have 7 friends from Colorado that fly down every winter to play 36 a day for a weekend. They want SD every trip and have no problem with the brown grass. As for the sand in the bunkers, I agree with the lack of uniformity... but then again I probably hit the best 5 iron out of the fairway bunker on 15 that I've ever hit. Flew it 195 to about 3 ft. Luv that SD sand.

[Jay4]

I really like SD, can't get sloppy with mid and long iron into some of those holes. It keep you thinking at all times, because if you short side yourself, your chipping, pitching and flop shot better be spot on.

[Charlie.Dont.Surf]

Anyone played it recently...conditions?
Thinking of playing it fro 1st time this Sat

How long a drive is it from Tempe typically?

[fore_life]

Ive heard that its pretty rough right now, and the greens will probably be punched as well. Depending on where you are in tempe, its like 20-30 minutes. Im at Hardy and Elliot and thats about how long it takes me.