Rancho Mañana Golf Club: Review from Arizona Golf Guides

Escape the city and relax on the course at Rancho Mañana Golf Club. This Phoenix-area venue offers superior desert golf play and scenery.

480-488-0398 5734 E. Rancho Mañana Blvd. Cave Creek, AZ 85331 www.ranchomanana.com resort holes: 18 course par: 70 rating/slope: - blue 66.7/128 - white 64/119 - white (ladies) 68/126 - red 64.1/112 range of yardages: 4,464–6,016 superintendent: Dave Flood head pro: Carolyn McMullen general manager: Dale Samar cart & green fees: $39–$139 course designer: Bill Johnston shoe policy: alternative cleats required

In a vintage Southwest setting, mañana has to do with the moment at hand. Mañana says stop worrying about deadlines, what’s the rush, all in due time, relax, enjoy—an attitude check that permeates the laidback atmosphere surrounding Rancho Mañana Golf Resort & Spa.

Tucked in the desert hills and ravines of Cave Creek, this is the Southwest the world imagines—contemporary comfort and convenience with a Territorial flavor. Here, with original structures carried over from the property’s former role as a 1940s dude ranch, the rustic nuances are genuine.

The course plays to par 70 over an imaginative routing along Cave Creek Wash and through the Sonoran Desert topography. Shady cottonwoods counter the stands of saguaros, and well-maintained fairways thick with sod provide safe passage through the rocks and crags.

From three sets of tees, the overall challenge lies not in length, but placement and direction on more than a few tight hillside fairways. Tee shots on two par 3s on the front side lead to greens set in the creek bed below.

The relaxed 150-yard, par-3 Number 17 down Cave Creek, which offers the respite, while the sloping two-tier green poses the challenge. At the end of 18 holes, the mix is balanced. Proper maintenance and conditioning plus new tiff dwarf greens have put Rancho Mañana on a level to match the dramatic desert terrain, as well as the understated elegance of the shaded resort grounds.

The celebrated Tonto Bar and Grill, with its expansive patio dining, pairs perfectly with the golf experience. There’s no reason to put off going until tomorrow. Thanks to the unique challenges, peaceful setting, and quality comfort enjoyed at the resort, the only rush is to get here. Rancho Mañana is an experience that truly represents golf in the Arizona desert.

DAVID HUBBARD

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