Favorite course in Phoenix?

[teejaywhy]

[quote name='Pepperturbo' timestamp='1336765706' post='4897058']

Off topic, but curious.. Were you a member at Ahwatukee when Mark Calcavecchia lived there?
[/quote]

Seems I remember that he had a house in the Ahwatukee Foothills, which is a nearby but more upscale area.

[DriveIt"N"3Putt]

I like dessert highlands and TPC stadium course. The views and course condition at dessert highlands is second to none.

[YMark]

[quote name='mysterymanmarty' timestamp='1337055039' post='4916494']
I like dessert highlands and TPC stadium course. The views and course condition at dessert highlands is second to none.
[/quote]

Desert Highlands is even better, although it is private. TPC.... overrated.

[Rohlio]

Southern Dunes.

[Rohlio]

[quote name='teejaywhy' timestamp='1337003155' post='4910706']
[quote name='Pepperturbo' timestamp='1336765706' post='4897058']
Off topic, but curious.. Were you a member at Ahwatukee when Mark Calcavecchia lived there?
[/quote]

Seems I remember that he had a house in the Ahwatukee Foothills, which is a nearby but more upscale area.
[/quote]

My mother-in-laws brother bought that house last year....backyard is SWEET.

[teejaywhy]

[quote name='YMark' timestamp='1337098002' post='4918576']
[quote name='mysterymanmarty' timestamp='1337055039' post='4916494']
I like dessert highlands and TPC stadium course. The views and course condition at dessert highlands is second to none.
[/quote]

Desert Highlands is even better, although it is private. TPC.... overrated.
[/quote]

One shouldn't however, overlook the delicious charms of Dessert Highlands.

My take on DH, indeed wonderful conditions and outstanding scenics. It was really one of the early modern prototypes for desert golf. That said, the style has evolved in the thirty years since DH opened, and designers have learned a lot about what works better when dealing with turf restrictions. As a golf course, it is quite typical of the early Nicklaus style - very demanding on the green approaches, with fairly stern penalty for slight misses. It was said, JN designed courses that suited his strengths, particularly his ability to hit a high soft fade with a long iron. That shot is of extreme benefit at DH. There are some really cool holes out there and the club seems to be a top notch facility. But for me to play it on a regular basis and have fun, I would need to adopt the extreme "tee it forward" concept! Not that that is a bad thing necessarily. The only other thing I didn't like, and I don't know if this was part of the original concept, but on many holes the native is cleared in a wide swaths leaving a gravelly waste areas lining both sides of some fairways which is helpful to avoid lost balls but not too pleasing aesthetically.

[Pleasedwith3putts]

Feedback from my trip this week;

Quintero - all good really with course in nice shape and service better than (the low level) expected. Bunkers poor with coarse sand that is great for easy maintenance but very tricky to get any control from. Nice practice area too. Take lots of balls as missed fairway = desert = lost ball

Grayhawk Talon - well worth a visit and again in good shape with great vibe about the whole resort

TPC Stadium - nice to play but worst shape of the 3 and lots of dead pitchmarks on the greens and the odd bare patch. They are also into their maintenance program hollow tining everywhere and painfully slow following weak players enjoying the lower rates

A further tip is the range at TPC stadium course is $20 for 110 balls plus use of a nice chipping area with bunker

[YMark]

[quote name='Pleasedwith3putts' timestamp='1337189345' post='4925670']A further tip is the range at TPC stadium course is $20 for 110 balls plus use of a nice chipping area with bunker
[/quote]

Just an FYI, but the range at the Point Lookout Mountain is just as nice and you can hit all the balls you want for $22.

[jdotconnor]

Played Estrella Mountain Ranch a week ago and Raven at Verrado yesterday. Estrella was nice as always. Not a ton of run out but not cruel like it seems Las Sendas sounds. Raven is wider landing areas but as nice as the greens putted they were dreadfully dry and hard as a rock. You can't make a course that requires a drop and stop approach and then have greens that are unholdable on pitches. Very frustrating cause I played VERY well but scored poorly, The greens sounded like wood floors when you dropped a ball on them. I like Wigwam Gold and Red but if you come here to play "Arizona" courses they aren't it. They make me feel like I'm not in Phoenix.

[isaacbm]

[quote name='jdotconnor' timestamp='1337211418' post='4927762']
Played Estrella Mountain Ranch a week ago and Raven at Verrado yesterday. Estrella was nice as always. Not a ton of run out but not cruel like it seems Las Sendas sounds. Raven is wider landing areas but as nice as the greens putted they were dreadfully dry and hard as a rock. You can't make a course that requires a drop and stop approach and then have greens that are unholdable on pitches. Very frustrating cause I played VERY well but scored poorly, The greens sounded like wood floors when you dropped a ball on them. I like Wigwam Gold and Red but if you come here to play "Arizona" courses they aren't it. They make me feel like I'm not in Phoenix.
[/quote]

Good comment about Wigwam. I think that's why I liked them so much. After staying 6 months in the desert, I really start to crave parkland courses.

In no way are they desert courses though so for visitors, I wouldn't play them if that's what you're looking for.....

[DriveIt"N"3Putt]

[quote name='YMark' timestamp='1337098002' post='4918576']
[quote name='mysterymanmarty' timestamp='1337055039' post='4916494']
I like dessert highlands and TPC stadium course. The views and course condition at dessert highlands is second to none.
[/quote]


Desert Highlands is even better, although it is private. TPC.... overrated.
[/quote]

Damn spelling, I know it's private. My friends buddy works there and we got out last August. It was a 120 degree day, but I thought that the course was awesome. My swing was off my whole trip and it was a tough challenge. The views and amenities were astounding at desert highlands, I like the course design of TPC Scottsdale more though.

[wcb231]

Dunno if any of y'all use it or not, but I just booked a tee time at Karsten tomorrow for $14.50 using discountteetimes.com. It got recommended to me by a guy that I played Dobson Ranch with fairly recently, said it was better than GolfNow because they don't have booking fees. Originally the time was $29, but as soon as I logged into my account it offered the rate I got. They had tee times at Wildfire in the afternoon going for about $25 but the site wouldn't load the page for some reason