Southern Dunes Golf Club: Review from Arizona Golf Guides

480-367-8949 48456 W. Hwy 238 Maricopa, AZ 85239 www.golfsoutherndunes.com public resort holes: 18 course par: 72 rating/slope: - Red 71.7/124 - White 68.5/121 - Blue 70.6/126 - Gold 72.6/131 - Black 75.1/138 - Tips 76.2/141 range of yardages: 5,102–7,517 director of golf: Garrett Wallace cart & green fees: fall $99, season $129, spring $99, summer $59 course designer:Schmidt-Curley Design, Inc. with Fred Couples shoe policy: soft spikes only

It is game on! at Southern Dunes Golf Club for all who share a passion for the game. This acclaimed former private golf club now invites non-members and women to book tee reservations and experience Troon Golf on this bold and daring golf course.

Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley, with an assist from PGA Tour pro Fred Couples, configured the undulating fairways through dunes and expanses of native grasses. Spread over 320 acres of former farmland 25 minutes south of Phoenix, Southern Dunes is out of the ordinary in a desert environment. Five thousand eucalyptus trees grow as high as 30 feet, creating backdrops behind greens and tees.

The elongated, canted bunkers with flashed faces impose the challenge and create visual appeal. The relatively small greens are keenly receptive to typical length approach shots.

Southern Dunes touts its own version of Amen Corner, a challenging four-hole stretch that begins at No. 13, a beguiling par-5 that segues into further heroics. At 283 yards from the regular tees, 14 is a testy drivable par 4 with no less than 14 sand bunkers that factor into the decision to hit big. No. 15 counters with a par 4 stretching 494 yards uphill with a large bunker splitting the fairway. Conservative play prevails on Number 16, a rolling 580-yard par 5. Southern Dunes recently hosted the 85th Arizona Amateur Championship as well as the second stage of the PGA Tour Q-School—further testimony to the pure Troon Golf experience. The challenge is the same for all serious golfers, but new forward tees shorten the track to 5,100 yards and level the playing field for women.

Within the distinctive clubhouse by acclaimed architect Douglas Fredrickson, the golf shop, sumptuous Grille, and patio dining with a sweeping view of the Estrella Mountains epitomize the low-key approach of less extravagance, more golf.

DAVID HUBBARD

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