AZ Golf Guides

METROPOLITAN TUCSON

The Gallery Golf Club

MARANA

There’s no point in beating around the creosote bush: It’s clear that the new South Course at The Gallery is a winner. Diverse elements, including the rolling terrain, the rich texture of the natural desert, and the generous attention spent on creating the most understated features reveal the lengths to which the owner and architect have gone in order to further refine the concept of golf in the desert—not just “desert golf.”

The original North Course at The Gallery is distinct, unlike other so-called desert courses where the main goal is to “stay out of the desert.” The wide fairways as well as the green bunkers intimidate with their high, steep walls and their depth. Reaching the green means flying the ball in, often from sidehill lies, but the greens’ designs help funnel the ball toward the target. Many holes run through canyons with dramatic settings.

The South Course, meanwhile, has an entirely different feel. Architect John Fought began his magic by following the beautiful, gently downhill terrain that has the golfer playing seven holes in a row to the west before making two loops in “links” fashion. Tees, slightly elevated, are rectangular and will be mowed back to front as well as placed with a geometric precision that will allow a dead center setup to the fairway.

Tee-box positions also vary in location, with the championship tee on any given hole either back right or back left, and the others just the opposite. Either way, clear choices as to how to best shape one’s drive are present, especially from the tips. Shallow fairway bunkers aid in framing the holes, and they’re not so deep you can’t use the sand as a reference point.

The hybrid 328 Tifdwarf Bermuda lines the fairways. Interestingly, this same grass was used in the 60s and 70s on the greens at the finer golf clubs in the desert. The greens are Dominant Plus, a blend of three different bentgrasses. In short, the South will play fast once fully grown in.

Very important are the greens’ designs. In contrast to the North, the South’s greens are very large and are all elevated from three to five feet. In varying degrees, all the edges roll away. So shots that land or roll near the edges will follow the lay of the land—creating a heightened emphasis on chipping and short pitches to undulating greens.

You have to experience for yourself the many dramatic holes and panoramic views of distant valleys and mountains, the tasteful manmade rock formations fronting the 14th green, the artfully hidden cart paths and Old World handmade bridges, the two lakes, and the tall, delicate feather grass that will appear on several holes. Also, the 2,400-acre Tortolita Preserve lies immediately south, protected from development and further creating the sense of playing golf in a verdant, desert haven. Make that heaven.

NILS NELSON