Arizona Dreaming: Greater Phoenix and Northern Arizona Golf Courses – Page 3

by David Hubbard

Raven Golf Club at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona – Courtesy of Raven Golf Club at South Mountain

Greater Phoenix rising

Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club, a challenging and graceful layout by Robert Trent Jones Jr., plays in the footsteps of ancient dwellers who conjured a similar beauty and function from the harsh surroundings. The Jones II team created the course amid specific landscape features and historic attributes. Just north, tucked into the hills and ravines of Cave Creek, Rancho Mañana Golf Club offers 18 holes on a high-desert course surrounded by an equally unforgettable landscape.

Three Phoenix favorites lie only minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Off Interstate 10 and Baseline Road, the Arizona Grand Golf Course surrounds the Arizona Grand Resort and edges South Mountain Preserve.

For something entirely different, Raven Golf Club at South Mountain offers a change of pace among thousands of mature pine trees lining the fairways carved through former farmland.

The Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix, Arizona – D2 Productions

Across the way on 32nd Street, The Legacy Golf Resort spreads out on the grounds of the historic Heard Ranch, where several of the original structures dating back to 1900 still stand. The golf course, a Gary Panks layout, has hosted the LPGA Tour.

Located across from Boeing’s impressive helicopter-assembly plant at Higley and McDowell Roads in northeast Mesa, Longbow Golf Club continues to gain popularity as a course that’s more challenging than it appears. Captivating views of Red Mountain, the prominent East Greater Phoenix area landmark, undoubtedly add even more to the enjoyment of a round here.

On the Gila River Indian Reservation south of Phoenix off Interstate 10, the 500-room Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa incorporates Native American themes.

Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass features two terrific 18-hole courses – Devil’s Claw and the Cattail. Both present challenges difficult enough for the PGA Nationwide Tour with aesthetic touches that reflect the Gila River Indian culture.

In south Chandler, Ocotillo Golf Resort raises the bar on parkland beauty as a lushly landscaped complement to the natural environment. Its 27 holes wind around 95 acres of lakes and cascading streams and seven miles of shoreline.

Surrounded by the San Tan mountain range and Superstition Mountain is Trilogy Golf Club at Power Ranch; this 18-hole, par-71 course challenges golfers as the course makes it way along the Queen Creek wash.

The West Valley stands tall

Peoria’s Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia continues to attract potential omeowners as the major component in Shea Homes’ burgeoning new golf community. Tom Lehman and John Fought’s design for Raven Golf Club at Verrado features flowing fairways that smooth the rugged terrain of the White Tank mountain range in Buckeye. This new community, named Verrado, continues to rake in praise and awards for its livable design.

In the absolute southwest corner of the megalopolis, Golf Club of Estrella is among the last vestiges of unimpeded desert golf and features the solo design work of Jack Nicklaus II.

Road trips

Exploring other areas of the state for a game of golf is just a daytrip away. Thirty miles south of Phoenix in the community of Maricopa, The Duke at Rancho El Dorado features a bold layout with wide, forgiving fairways and a rustic clubhouse built near the area once ranched by John Wayne.

Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona – Courtesy of Communication Links/Lonna Tucker

Sixty-five miles northwest of Phoenix in Wickenburg, the time-honored Rancho de los Caballeros features Los Caballeros Golf Club, a restful yet thrilling high-desert track romping through one of Arizona’s remaining cowboy-ranch resorts. This former dude ranch has become a sumptuous hideaway, but has kept its authentic Old West flavor intact.

Ninety miles east of Phoenix near Globe, the San Carlos Apache community prides itself on Apache Stronghold Golf Club, an inviting amenity to the Apache Gold Casino. Tom Doak’s environmentally sensitive design is visually stimulating and challenging – and its views will always remain free of real estate development.

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