Scottsdale options for Next Week

[Bombn]

Play ing We-Ko-Pa, but also looking for a couple more

Heading down to Scottsdale for the next few days to play a rounds Sunday through Tues with my 14 year old son (he is a 7 handicap). First scheduled rounds at We-Ko-Pa on Sunday (got the summer WekoPass thanks to the board for $50 so already head of the game there with green fees of only $33!)! But also looking for nice courses that may offer Junior rates. Saw Talking Stick has a $15 Junior rate but have not heard much about these courses. Seems to be the only course with a posted Junior Rate?

Any Other recommendations?

Looked at Troon North (Golfnow at $55) and Boulders $70 (little high compared to everything else), Kierland has one tee times at $27.50 otherwise $69, Vista Verde $25 looks cheap.

Help!

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Definatley spend the $ to play Troon outside of Wekopa Troon Pinnacle is my favorite course here. Kierland is way overpriced anything over $30 is too much for summer golf there. Vista Is a great track one of my favorites out here. You can prob find boulders for less if you play it during the week and wait till a day or two before to book it. Talking Stick is ok The north is the better of the two, but it is a very boring piece of land that Coore/Crenshaw had to work with. Thats saying a lot for me since they are my favorite design team.

[teejaywhy]

Troon North is a great value at that rate (it's $250 in the winter!). Vista Verde is must see. No amenities yet due to the real estate bust, but a very good golf course. Kierland is OK, a fine example of a "concave"golf course.

Talking Stick North gets no love from the general public, but it is in my top 10 Phoenix. Not flashy but PURE GOLF. A great minimalist design that is further proof that Bill Coore "gets it." The south course is nothing special, a traditional layout with trees and water hazards, but the North is more of a rustic, throwback style.

Lots of golf in Phoenix, check the sticky thread at the top of this forum for detailed course reviews and recommendations.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I really want to like the North course Tom, while I love the design of the course just for some reason the piece of land they built it on is so boring especially now with the casino in the way. To me its just one of the courses I overlook because of what they charge during the summer in comparision to Wekopa and Troon.

[teejaywhy]

Two faults with TSN - indeed it is not a good value, and they keep it too wet which the interferes with the intended design that promotes the ground game. It is such a great walking course. I really think it takes multiple plays to appreciate. The first time I played it, I wondered what was the big deal. But each subsequent time, I like it more. I think our senses get dulled by the big flashy designs like the Troons and other foothills courses with great movement and views. TSN is very subtle and organic. No killer views or big elevation changes, but great golf holes. If it were kept more firm and fast and were a little cheaper, it would be my perfect everyday course.

[putt4_66]

I think the short drive down to Mesa is worth it to play Gold Canyon Dinosaur. I enjoyed all the "top courses" in Scottsdale that I have played. The most fun I've had at any course in the Phoenix area is the Dinosaur.

[gmu155]

I had fun at troon north. fun course. not super hard.

[silentcmh]

SunRidge Canyon in Fountain Hills was around $35 on golfnow last I checked. I'd definitely recommend that.

Skip Kierland. Just not worth the Scottsdale resort $$ they charge.

I keep hearing great things about Vista Verde. I've been meaning to make it up there myself.

[Bombn]

Played both Cholla and Saguaro today was kinda underwhelmed.

Played Cholla first and unfortunately was paired with two people who couldn’t shoot under 150. We watch them hit the ball either 5 feet forward or into the desert on every shot. It got very old quickly. They were closing Cholla after today for overseeding and the condition was not great. Probably rate the fairways 6 out 10 and the greens maybe 8 out 10. Pretty screwy course and first time out would have been nice to have someone show us the ropes. Couple of just stupid holes (like 8 - although I did birdie it) and some odd drivable par 4's (like no. 1). I'm sure after you play it a few times it is much more interesting rather than just gimmicky).

Saguaro was in much better condition and a solid 9 out 10 for everything. Much better thought-out course with better holes, and not just forced into the terrain. More truly memorable holes like 18 (wow), but really the closing 5 holes are awesome, and really the entire backside is very solid. The dirt cart paths and tee's were just pretty cool.

For us Saguaro was a MUCH better course, but if we weren’t stuck for 5 hours with people that had no business playing this tough of a course, as well as the subpar condition, I'm sure I would grow to like Cholla.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

# 8 on cholla is different, personally I am not a huge fan. Hopefully you made it to 18 on Saguaro before the wind picked up this afternoon since it is normaly dead into the wind. Did they have the tee's all the way back at the 508 mark? What next on your list to play?

[Bombn]

Wind wasn’t all that bad, only a club or so, nothing a couple of guys Vegas are not used it!

18 was 470 I believe, had 195 left uphill, nice 4 iron to about 20 feet. Tough green if you get above the whole. Brutally tough closing hole, but very memorable.

18 on Cholla was pretty screwy, I hit a great drive drive down the left side with only 115 to a very back pin. Get up to the hole to see just how narrow the green is in the back, maybe 15-20 feet wide! Non-accessible hole, pretty much had to just hit in the middle of the green. Again, from the tee is almost impossible to know what to do, lots of risk going over the left bunker, but if you go down the right I guess its probably just a hybrid....not sure!

[size="3"]Got a great rate to play Talking Stick – North Course tomorrow, just $35 for me and my son plays for free, hard to pass that up. [/size]

[size="3"]Tuesday looks like Karsten ASU as we just got a $25 rate in the morning that is hard to beat, and being an ASU Alumni it’s got some nostalgia. Plus, my son thinks it’s really cool to play the home course of ASU. However, it’s an odd course with some weird holes as well.[/size]