Need Some Help From the PHX Gents

[One_Putt_Blunder]

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[Clueless]

This is why there are so many types of golf courses to choose from, and why someone should take other peoples "recommendations" with a grain of salt. Opinions vary on what makes an enjoyable course. Some like unique challenge, I like well conditioned courses that are laid out in front of me. As a 15 hdc I am out to relax and enjoy the scenery. I can't bomb the driver 300 yds (ave 220) or shape my shots (lucky to be in the fairway) etc. It's no fun for a 15 hdc to hit a drive in the fairway only to watch it roll into a bunker. And yes, I played from the correct tee box, I played the whites at about 6,200 yards. I like courses like Orange Tree, TPC Champions and Stadium, Grayhawk, Wildfire Palmer, Eagle Mountain, McCormick Ranch, WeKopa. I hate Las Sendas, Troon North, Southern Dunes, Arizona National (Tucson) type courses. Blind shots and unique designs do nothing for me.

Hopefully others learn from this thread and all the various opinions when seeking "recommendations".

[fore_life]

I just dont think "blind shots" and southern dunes belong in the same sentence.

[KobeRothlisberger]

I just dont think "blind shots" and southern dunes belong in the same sentence.

 

I totally agree with that fore_life. The only way you have a blind shot is if you hit it nowhere near the fairway, or top it off the tee, and are down in a gully or something. Sounds like these words are coming from someone who struggled at Southern Dunes and found it a bit too challenging for himself. The day I played out there I was paired with a guy who was a 15 handicap. He said he plays out there twice a month and drives all the way from Tucson to do so. That to me tells me that its a course worthy of playing no matter what the handicap. Everyone has their preferences I guess. If you don't like Southern Dunes layout then it wouldn't be wise to go to any links style course. Or for that matter don't even think of going over to Scotland/Ireland to play.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I just dont think "blind shots" and southern dunes belong in the same sentence.

 

I totally agree with that fore_life. The only way you have a blind shot is if you hit it nowhere near the fairway, or top it off the tee, and are down in a gully or something. Sounds like these words are coming from someone who struggled at Southern Dunes and found it a bit too challenging for himself. The day I played out there I was paired with a guy who was a 15 handicap. He said he plays out there twice a month and drives all the way from Tucson to do so. That to me tells me that its a course worthy of playing no matter what the handicap. Everyone has their preferences I guess. If you don't like Southern Dunes layout then it wouldn't be wise to go to any links style course. Or for that matter don't even think of going over to Scotland/Ireland to play.

 

I agree with the exception of one hole #14 the short par 4 if you layup of the tee and get it on the left side of the fairway you are blind to the green.

[KobeRothlisberger]

I just dont think "blind shots" and southern dunes belong in the same sentence.

 

I totally agree with that fore_life. The only way you have a blind shot is if you hit it nowhere near the fairway, or top it off the tee, and are down in a gully or something. Sounds like these words are coming from someone who struggled at Southern Dunes and found it a bit too challenging for himself. The day I played out there I was paired with a guy who was a 15 handicap. He said he plays out there twice a month and drives all the way from Tucson to do so. That to me tells me that its a course worthy of playing no matter what the handicap. Everyone has their preferences I guess. If you don't like Southern Dunes layout then it wouldn't be wise to go to any links style course. Or for that matter don't even think of going over to Scotland/Ireland to play.

 

I agree with the exception of one hole #14 the short par 4 if you layup of the tee and get it on the left side of the fairway you are blind to the green.

 

Unless you just bomb a driver into the greenside bunker and make a birdie that way. haha

But yeah thats the only hole on the course that could put you in a blind spot if you hit an iron or short shot off the tee. Thats why I'd rather just try my luck at driving the green.

[teejaywhy]

[quote name='One_Putt_Blunder' date='28 April 2010 - 12:48 PM' timestamp='1272484138' post='2406577']
[quote name='KobeRothlisberger' date='28 April 2010 - 12:33 PM' timestamp='1272483194' post='2406546']
[quote name='fore_life' date='28 April 2010 - 09:40 AM' timestamp='1272476457' post='2406355']
I just dont think "blind shots" and southern dunes belong in the same sentence.
[/quote]

I totally agree with that fore_life. The only way you have a blind shot is if you hit it nowhere near the fairway, or top it off the tee, and are down in a gully or something.
[/quote]

I agree with the exception of one hole #14 the short par 4 if you layup of the tee and get it on the left side of the fairway you are blind to the green.
[/quote]


There is also the tee shot on the par-3 17th. You can see only the top of the flagstick.

These things don't bother me, I actually like to see features like this. A throwback to the early days, before golf courses became so homogenized and sanitized.

I first played out there in the fall of 2008 when they initially opened it to the public. I was paired with two members that were nowhere to be found when it was time for me to tee off. In fact, the course was virtually empty. They sent me out all by myself. At the time they had not published a course guide so I was on my own to figure it out. Far from frustrating however, I had a blast.

[kander7]

Whirlwind is great shape right now. Southern Dunes was terrible last week. They have the open qualifier in ten days, it will be interesting if they do not work a miracle on those greens.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I just dont think "blind shots" and southern dunes belong in the same sentence.

 

I totally agree with that fore_life. The only way you have a blind shot is if you hit it nowhere near the fairway, or top it off the tee, and are down in a gully or something.

 

I agree with the exception of one hole #14 the short par 4 if you layup of the tee and get it on the left side of the fairway you are blind to the green.

 

 

There is also the tee shot on the par-3 17th. You can see only the top of the flagstick.

 

These things don't bother me, I actually like to see features like this. A throwback to the early days, before golf courses became so homogenized and sanitized.

 

I first played out there in the fall of 2008 when they initially opened it to the public. I was paired with two members that were nowhere to be found when it was time for me to tee off. In fact, the course was virtually empty. They sent me out all by myself. At the time they had not published a course guide so I was on my own to figure it out. Far from frustrating however, I had a blast.

 

True i forgot about this one, almost aced it last time rolled right past the hole to 8 or 9 inches. Interesting hole there have been a couple times I thought I hit bad shots that ended up good and vice versa, but I like the hole part of a really good closing strech.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

It sucks to hear that the greens are in bad shape I would have thought with the amount of rain we have had this year the course would be in great shape like just about everything else out here. I have been wanting to get out there and play again, but it sounds like I will have to hold off for a while.

[teejaywhy]

Not sure, but my guess is that with Bermuda greens that have not been overseeded (as was the case at SD this winter), spring maintenance might call for a verticut or core aerification and topdressing much earlier than typically done on greens having the rye overseed (which is usually not done until late May/Early June).

gotj1 said it looked like they had recently punched the greens.

With the weather warming up, I'm certain that the greens will be soon back up to snuff. I certainly hope so.

Despite the Troon management, I'm pretty sure they don't have the maintenance budget that the Scottsdale courses have.

[teejaywhy]

If I have one minor complaint about SD, it is the "native grass." It looks nice and does soften the transition between the turf and the desert, but it seems to catch a little too much irrigation and therefore grows very thick along the turf boundries. In this case, if you miss the fairway, it is better to [i]really miss[/i] than to [i]just miss[/i] where it is easy to lose a ball.

Wispy fescue it is not!

The expansive nature of the fairways does mitigate this for the most part, so it is only a minor complaint.

Similar situation out at Trilogy @ Vistancia.

[*sigh*]

[quote name='fore_life' date='27 April 2010 - 07:12 PM' timestamp='1272424337' post='2405438']
Ohio, FYI Southern Dunes is only a Troon course because they bought it after the course went bankrupt. Now its open to the public, and women,too. You should def go out there and play it, or just look at the course flyover/one_putts pictures.
[/quote]Yep, it's not a true Troon course.

But it really is a great course. Quite unique, and as I believe TJ said earlier, it was designed to be a Private Member's only course so it definitely has a different feel than most courses around here.

I think it kicked just about everybody's butts at our outing out there, but I know I had a great time, and that seemed to be the general consensus.

Oh and as TJ also said, if you are going to miss the fairway, MISS THE FAIRWAY, the native grass is a killer.

[teejaywhy]

I may be wrong, but isn't Troon Golf a "management company?" They don't own all of those properties. They certainly didn't develop all of them. As far as the golf courses, there is no common theme in the architecture that I can discern. In fact, a quick mental survey of some of the Troon managed courses in the greater PHX area reveals a very broad spectrum of designs and designers.

Troon N.
Talking Stick
Ocotillo
Southern Dunes
Kierland
Whirlwind
I challenge anyone to describe how any of these courses are similar.

No doubt, they all managed with the customer service experience in mind. "Country-club-for-a-day" concept. Nice amenities. Top conditioning.

But when someone says "it's a Troon course," that does not necessarily give me any preconceived idea about the golf course.

[teejaywhy]

Here's something else and not directed at anyone in particular, but I frequently read about someone not liking a course because "I hit a perfect drive and it went into a bunker..."

No, a perfect drive does not end up in a bunker. If it went into a bunker, it wasn't really a perfect drive.

[KobeRothlisberger]

Here's something else and not directed at anyone in particular, but I frequently read about someone not liking a course because "I hit a perfect drive and it went into a bunker..."

 

No, a perfect drive does not end up in a bunker. If it went into a bunker, it wasn't really a perfect drive.

 

That comment comes from someone who was happy it went straight. Straight into the bunker!!

[One_Putt_Blunder]

[quote name='tjy355' date='29 April 2010 - 08:06 AM' timestamp='1272553581' post='2408011']
Here's something else and not directed at anyone in particular, but I frequently read about someone not liking a course because "I hit a perfect drive and it went into a bunker..."

No, a perfect drive does not end up in a bunker. If it went into a bunker, it wasn't really a perfect drive.
[/quote]


HAHAHA I swear this has happened to me with medicaptain as my witness. We were playing Vista Verde when the fairways were dormant and I hit this great tee shot on #14? the first par 5 on the backnine. Anyways played it as I usually do start it at the right edge of the fairway bunker with a little cut. Always leaves me 275-250 out from the hole. It was one of those shots that I hit so good I just reached down and grabbed my tee and started walking. Medicaptain says WTF was that bounce well for some strange reason my ball just bounced dead left on a flat fairway and rolled right up to the edge of the bunker which left me standing in the bunker with the ball about 3 feet above my feet. Not sure how a ball bounces and skids dead left after hitting a flat surface with a fade.

[djdogstar]

TPC Champions is a great under rated course. We-ko-pa is still my favorite in the area though. 36 great holes and now they let you cart off the paths even in the winter.