The 18 holes at the Sanctuary Golf Course require you to play target golf and you won’t always be hitting driver off the tee. A lot of holes require good course management and force you to really focus on the middle of the fairways. The fairways are surrounded by a little bit of rough and a lot of desert. Long hitters won’t have an advantage on this course, especially if they hit their ball sideways at all.
Stretching just over 350 yards, the first tee box sits elevated over the wide but bunkered fairway below. The green sits invitingly accessible at the end of the dogleg to the left and can tempt the longer hitters to take on the desert on the left and the massive waste bunker that will gobble up a driver not hit far enough. Bail right and decently hit drives will surely find one of the numerous pot bunkers that dot the right side of the hole.
That may be all you need to read to book a tee time at one of the Valley’s most unique layouts. And I might usually refer to “unique” as a bad thing, but in this case I believe Greg Nash crafted a wonderful golfers playground that has the teeth to test the best players, but the soft edge to allow enjoyment for all skill levels.
Southern Dunes Golf Club embodies the opportunity and challenge that face course designers in the Valley. Southern Dunes blends the desert surrounding with a true links feel. With whipping winds and firm, fast greens expect your handicap to be tough to match on this layout that features a beautiful blend of modern and traditional features.
You don’t have to look much further than the NCAA Championship trophy the ASU Women’s Golf Team brought home this June to know that the ASU Karsten Golf Course is a championship caliber golf course. And I can report the course in beautiful condition. If you’ve never played ASU Karsten Golf Course, there’s no better time than now.
Designed by renowned architect Bill Coore and two-time Masters Champ Ben Crenshaw, the Saguaro Course opened in December of 2006 and has quickly garnered much deserved national attention. I’d be surprised if you haven’t at least heard of We-Ko-Pa Golf Club by now, as it’s name has been included in numerous “Best Courses” lists, including being named #1 Public Access Course in Arizona by GOLFWEEK Magazine.
If you’re trying to figure out whether or not to go test your game at one of Grayhawk’s two championship golf courses, you don’t have do much more than turn on television coverage of any PGA Tour tournament. Not only does the Raptor Course host the Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour, but the unmistakable Grayhawk logo is perched on the front pocket of Phil Mickelson’s golf bag.
The Raven at South Mountain is a course golfers of all skill levels can appreciate. This course offers ample birdie and bogey opportunities for weathered and beginner golfers alike. Each 9 offers a distinct variety of holes, long and short, challenging and enjoyable. The Raven at South Mountain, totaling 7,078 yards, is the perfect choice for a casual Sunday afternoon round with friends.
The signature hole at Kierland Golf Club is without question the 9th at Acacia. With the pristine and award-winning Westin Kierland Resort looming behind the green, this par-5 will test any golfer. One thing I have always loved is a par-5 in which you can see the green in plain view—this is certainly the case here. From the elevated tee you can practically see your reflection in the 15th floor windows of the hotel.
While there are many great holes of golf on this golf course, The “Signature” hole is #18. It is a 545 yard par 5 guarded by two bunkers on the right side of the fairway. An uphill approach with another green side bunker to the right and a significant drop to the left of the green makes this approach difficult to get to the pin. There are three grain silos just off the tee on the right which are a historical land mark for the Heard farm owned by Dwight B. Heard.
