Phoenix trip 5/11-14 review

[brownm]

Dove Mtn., We-Ko-Pa, Talking Stick (No pics)

My brother and I just finished a quick golf trip to Phoenix last week. He is around a 4, I play to a 7.

The plan was simple: 3 days, 3 sites, 108 holes of golf. Didn't count on 102*+ temps in May, but that's what we got. We adapted, rode rather than walked, and drank A LOT of water and slathered on sunscreen. Here's a quick review:

Day 1: Dove Mountain

Flew into PHX, got the rental car (easiest ever at Hertz, more expensive but better than the el-cheapo Fox and Payless), and headed toward Tuscon. Google says 2 hours, really closer to 1.5 hour as traffic is flying through the desert. The deal at the Ritz-Carlton was sweet: shoulder season $499 per room (i.e. this price covered both of us sharing a room), includes hotel, breakfast, and unlimited golf from 2pm day of arrival until 7pm day of departure. Rate dips to $299 in off-season. GREAT hotel, spoiled us for the week. The course consists of three 9 hole tracks.
The Saguaro and the Tortolita are the nines used for the WGC, the Wild Burro is the other. Greens had been aerated about three weeks earlier, and were fine. Slower than normal according to the staff, but the course may have been more playable because of that.
Very penal course off the tee - if you spray it you will have a long day. Once in the fairway though, the approach shots are daunting in the fact that the greens are very undulating and correct placement is needed for reasonable birdie putts. Unless you are really struggling, the approach shots are reasonable in that you will have a chance to recover from the chipping areas and bunkers if you miss the target. We played the Saguaro-Tortolita loop twice, each time approachng 3 hours for the loop. At the end of the day, we tried to will ourselves through the Wild Burro. The greens there had not recovered as much from the maintenance, were very slow and somewhat bumpy. We got behind a slow group (members?) and decided to make a shortened loop of 1-2-3-7-8-9. Got the flavor, a little different from the other nines and seemed a little shorter and more open. 42 holes was enough of an indoctrination into the desert heat though, and we called it a day and headed to Phoenix that evening.
BTW- highly recommend the breakfast burrito and the chilaquiles for breakfast.

Day 2: We-Ko-Pa

Stayed in the Four Points Sheraton in Tempe. Not spectatcular, especially after the Ritz, but reasonable considering it was free using Starwood points. Fairly central and next to ASU, but too hot to really walk anywhere. I would probably look into something a little nicer next time, more on the outskirts of Tempe or Scottsdale. We ended up driving everywhere anyway.
Booked a deal at We-Ko-Pa at $160 for 36 holes. Played the Saguaro in the morning and walked with push carts. Easy walk until the last few holes, in retrospect would have ridden given the hills at the end and the 100*+ temps considering we were going 36. Classic Coore-Crenshaw course, playable and walkable. Bunkering along the fairway and greens dictates the angle of play. Back tees were reasonable, very little wind. Definitely the easier of the two courses at We-Ko-Pa, and the one to shoot a number on.
Afternoon as on the Cholla, which is not a walking course. This is the course to play if you want "desert" golf. Waste areas, cacti, rocky outcroppings...I was in all three! All in all, the course is very playable though, just a contrast to the open feel of the Saguaro course. Great holes, a lot of strategy involved, elevation changes, and a sneaky water hazard on the 18th.
Not sure which is my favorite, but we liked both of these better than Dove Mtn.

Day 3: Talking Stick

Easily the least interesting surrounding landscape of the courses we played, but the design teams did a nice job of making things interesting. Deal was $140 for 36 holes. Played the North first - another Coore Crenshaw design. Similar design elements to their other designs, see my Dormie Club review as well. I really liked this course, and we both said this was the place to go with a group of varying abilities as this would provide the most fun round. Back tees had some large par 3's, but overall we thought is was manageable. Best greens of the week, dense turf and decent speed, but held approaches well. Did notice a lot of grain, especially on uphill chips, keep it in mind when playing and fly the ball closer to the hole. Nice surroundings with wild horses walking around the perimeter of the course. Here, the desert scrub is easily played from, with trees and small plants scattered around. However, we didn't lose a ball all day and had many shots out of the dirt in the scrub. As other reviews have stated, this course is flat in general. The green complexes have some swails and humps, and there is a little bit of an incline o some holes. Like I said above, the designers had less to work with and made a very fun course.
The South was our last round, and we had a good time. The course borders the adjacent casino at times, and is not as nice as the North. However, it is a fun track and had some interesting holes. These include a par 5 with a meandering burn (rare for the desert), a risk/reward finishing hole with water (I made it even more risky by blasting it RIGHT of the water and playing back across - an unconventional par), and several interesting par 3 holes. Again, great for a group trip where you may need something less penal for high handicappers.

Overall we rated the courses something like:
1) Cholla
2) Saguaro
3) TS North
4) Dove Mtn: Saguaro/Tortolita
6) TS South
7) Dove Mtn. Wild Burro (though to be fair we only played 6 holes and were exhausted by that point)

A few non-golf highlights:
Los Sombreros restaurant. On Scottsdale road, great Mexican dishes in a ice atmosphere, 15-20 bucks an entree.
Four Peaks Brewery, 1340 E. 8th Street, #104 Tempe, AZ 85281. Good beer, sports bar atmosphere, outdoor seating with cooling fans and misters.


Mike

[YMark]

Nice writeup. Glad you enjoyed yourself in AZ, it was a bit warmer than usual for this time of year. Temps still a bit high this week, but back to mid 90s.