Tucson’s Five Municipal Golf Courses: Review from Arizona Golf Guides

Not to be overlooked among the city’s many excellent privately operated courses are Tucson City Golf’s five municipal courses. Each has something distinct to offer players in town.

520-791-GOLF or 520-791-5853 Please see the “Comprehensive Course Directory” for individual course addresses. www.tucsoncitygolf.com public holes: 18 course par: 72 (Fred Enke, Randolph), 70 (Dell Urich, El Rio, Silverbell) rating/slope: Dell Urich - championship 68.1/101 El Rio - championship 69.6/110 Fred Enke - championship 71.3/135 Randolph - championship 72.5/128 Silverbell - championship 71.6/128 range of yardages: 5,270–6,663 (DU), 5,824–6,418 (ER), 4,700–6,809 (FE), 5,972–6,863 (R), 5,235–6,936 (S) head pro/director of golf: Pam Drake (DU, R), Jim Goettel (ER), Tom Tatum (FE), Paul Noonan (S) cart & green fees: phone for information shoe policy: any type okay

Municipal golfers have two newly renovated courses to enjoy. Tucson City Golf has undertaken a complete makeover of the Silverbell Golf Course as well as a restoration project on the El Rio-Trini Alvarez Golf Course. On the latter, the city has returned the course to the same look it had years ago when it was the city’s first all-grass golf course, built in 1929.

El Rio hosts the national First Tee Program, providing on-site instruction and practice facilities for juniors. Youngsters start on a short-game practice area with putting green, chipping green, and bunker. They graduate to target greens constructed in the driving range, giving juniors three separate “holes” to play. Then it’s on to the regulation course, although juniors have separate tees 50 to 100 yards in front of the regular teeing areas.

The El Rio and Silverbell projects are guided by course architect Ken Kavanaugh, who made his mark locally when he designed a complete makeover of the Dell Urich Golf Course for floodcontrol purposes a decade ago. For that project Kavanaugh turned the course into a more challenging and interesting layout.

“We wanted to de-modernize El Rio,” Kavanaugh says. “There are few opportunities to play an old-style golf course.” Kavanaugh restored old bunkers that had been covered up over the years. During the restoration, a new irrigation system and new cart paths were installed. The course now offers tree-lined fariways and small greens.

Tucson City Golf’s flagship is Randolph Golf Course, one of two courses in the city to stage both PGA Tour and LPGA Tour tournaments. David Frost managed to tame Randolph with a 12-under-par 60 in one tournament round in 1990, but it wasn’t enough to win the Tucson Open.

Randolph offers tree-lined fairways and generous greens. When one reaches the sixth and seventh holes, the nearby traffic on Broadway reminds one of the saying “work is for people who don’t play golf.”

At Silverbell, five holes that were built on an old landfill have been moved. “It’s somewhat longer than the old layout at 6,800 yards from the back tees, with a par of 71,” Kavanaugh says. “I think people will really like it.”

And on the east side, Fred Enke Golf Course will also undergo some major changes within two to three years. Enke is the only “target” or desert golf course in the city lineup. It’s a course that demands accuracy off the tee. If you hit it off line, you’ll probably end up in the desert. It’s also a course where it’s important to play off the tees that suit your game.

Residents of Pima County receive reduced rates at all five municipal golf courses with the purchase of a Resident Card for $20, available at the pro shops at each of the courses. Tucson City Golf is at full force again, and with two new and exciting challenges for the muni player.

Learn More about Tucson City Golf

If you’d like to find out more about Tucson City Golf and other privately operated and municipal courses in Arizona, take a moment to request their free brochures. The Golf State has enough golf venues around to keep a player busy for a lifetime.