Phoenix Arizona

Hello All, I'm heading to Phoenix in a couple of weeks and would like to play golf one day. Can anyone recommend a suitable course for a 22 hcp? Would like to play a dessert course just because I never have. Not much dessert here in Tennessee.

In My Bag

PING G20 Irons 5-pw, with a 4 Hybrid

One of my favorite courses is Dinosaur Mountain at the Gold Canyon Resort - just outside of Apache Junction.  They also have the Sidewinder there too - so you could get two rounds in the same day pretty easily as both are on the resort.

Probably a lot of dessert in Tennessee, just no desert.  I'll take a peach cobbler myself.  A couple of enjoyable courses for a mid-handicap is Grayhawk (I prefer the Raptor) or Troon North.  They'll challenge you because of the sand but if you can keep it straight you can score OK as long as your flat stick behaves.  For a little less of a challenge and a lot less sand check out the resort courses like Camelback.  Well manicured but pretty open and no real desert.

Troon North Monument is nice and will run you about $70.  Personally I love to play courses with history or to play where the pro's play so you could always look at the stadium course at the TCP.   It can be played for as cheap as $99 right now.  Let us know where you decide to play.

I just got an email from the Raven that you can play there for $30.  That is a great course too - and close to the airport.  Where are you staying in Phoenix?  The Phoenix metro area is huge.  Literally - people can live in Glendale and say they are near Phoenix.  And then folks in Queen Creek can say they are near Phoenix.  And the time to get form Queen Creek to Glendale is like 2hrs.  LOL

So there is a lot of area - and a ton of courses.  If you let us know where in Phoenix you'll be staying... We could give you better ideas.  But the courses mentioned so far - are all solid choices.

Staying at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Convention Center.

Agreed.... ASU Karsten course is in Tempe which is an easy commute from the Phoenix downtown area where he will be staying.  The Raven is fun too - and it is located in the area just south.

I heard that ASU was going to shutdown the course - so you might want to try it before it is no longer.  The 9th and 18th holes are tough!  Especially from the tips.

Another good option would be Papago.  It is never busy but the grounds keeper there knows what he is doing.  The course is in great shape and is definitely a good example of a desert course.  Greens are always in good shape- Papago hosted an LPGA event several years back.  I think it is one of the better values in the valley.  The views are sweet wrapping around the Papago mountains and you also get some nice city views on a couple holes.  I think their rate right now is $27 with a cart.  All the other courses are great as well.  Definitely call and make sure the course is aerating as most do it in September.

Troon has a couple of really nice courses in the Phoenix Metro area, I recommend checking them out.  Golf Club of Estrella is my favorite, but a bit of a drive from downtown.  Also Ocotillo Golf Resort is nice if you like a challenge and enjoy hitting over water on almost every hole.

Here's a link to the best courses to play in PHX area.

http://golfcourses.weebly.com/phoenix-az.html