Just a quick update, was interested in seeing how the greens were handling summer conditions as the "Champion" Bermuda variety is new, I played on 7/3 and if there a better greens in town, I would like to know where! They are amazingly dense and consistent, yet roll beautifly. The fairways still have some thin spots from the new construction, but are coming along.

This is one of the very best courses in the Phoenix metro portfolio. Originally conceived as an exclusive private club, it fell into the public realm when economic conditions cratered. It has recently been been bought by the Gila River tribe and they are doing an excellent job at carrying out the original vision. The course was designed for walking and is an outstanding layout. There is no development around the course and you can generally only see the hole you are playing. There are a ton of bunkers on the course and they are the among the best in town. I played about 2 weeks ago and the course was impeccable. The greens fast (11+) and true, fairways and tee boxes excellent. Good service, good restaurant, good staff round out a top notch experience. The only thing I would like to see is the original walking trails brushed out and smoothed where erosion has roughed them up.

Played 6/19/2016, course in excellent summer condition given the above average temps recently. Greens fast and putt very true, fairways almost impeccable and tee boxes very good. The only knock on conditions here is the bunkers, they have virtually no sand and are hard and gravelly. This is a really good layout, no development on the course to speak of, good layout to walk. I would also point out there is very little shade on this course, it is more a desert links course with native vegetation, and little drinking water. I recall only one water location on each side.

Maryvale GC, now known as the Grand Canyon University course after a complete overhaul, is nothing like it was for the past decade+. Formerly a flat, open course with mature trees, it has been toughened up considerably, not the least of which was adding another 500 yards to now stretch it out to over 7200 yards from the tips. An old William Bell design (Papago and Torrey Pines are other courses in his portfolio), it has been refreshed by adding many bunkers (which are excellent) which frame the shots very nicely. Considerable dirt was moved and there is now a lot of movement and vertical in the fairways and many greens have been built up slightly. Most of the mature trees have been retained so it still has a parkland feel. Maybe the most interesting change is the putting surfaces. They put in Champion Bermuda, a relatively new "ultradwarf" Bermuda with fine texture compared to more traditional Bermuda. It has not been overseeded and is a very fast (probably running about 11+ right now), extremely true putting surface. A brand new restaurant and pro shop was added that is likewise very well done. A new must-play in Phoenix, especially with the reasonable pricing. Only complaint I had was the pace of play, and I will be back!

This is a straightforward executive course, the lowest priced course in Scottsdale, named "Best Inexpensive Course" by the Arizona Republic. It plays up and down Indian Bend Wash, which is a flood plain, and thus only has development around the perimeter of the course. Lots of mature trees, easy course to walk, and is a good place for beginners to learn on-course etiquette and keeping pace. Not a lot of trouble on the course, some water, pretty flat greens, and in generally good condition. You can use pretty much every club in your bag at some point.

Played on 7/11, about 1:00 PM. Course was in as good a condition as you will see in summer in PHX. Everything from tee to green was outstanding, no bad spots anywhere, with the exception of some bunkers being a little thin and hard. Greens were very slow, maybe 8 or 9. Excellent value as they had a $25 rate, which included range balls and a cart even though some of us walked. The design of both the North and South courses here is sort of disappointing, they are so generic that you can hardly remember a hole after finishing either course, everything looks sort of the same. Having said that, hard to beat an excellently conditioned course at a great rate in a sub 4 hour round.

If I were to take a beginner out on a course for the first time, this would be the place. It is basically wall-to-wall grass, with no real trouble. The greens are not difficult, I think there is only one bunker on the whole course and it is flat and open. A very fun, playable layout, yet you will use quite a few clubs in your bag. Nice little course in the middle of the city.

This is an old school layout with smallish greens and mature trees. It has a good variety of holes, with a fair amount of vertical on several holes. Although it is relatively short, it is no pushover, you have to navigate the mature trees, rough, and desert off the fairways and getting out of position on some of the greens is trouble. The course is not very walker-friendly due to a stretch of holes on the front nine that are really spread out.

Played on 10/3, course was in excellent condition all around. Bunkers have recently been redone and are the best I've seen for awhile. This is a fun, straightforward, very playable course, what you see is what you get. A good variety of holes, requiring some thinking. Course has a lot of mature trees, and this translates to shade in AZ which is often a selection criterion in hotter months!

Recently played here for the first time. This is a fun, well-designed course with a lot of variety. It is a good layout, with minimal development around most of the course. It has a lot of vertical change and is set in mostly natural Sonoran desert vegetation. Course was in overall good condition, especially considering it was summer in AZ. It was a very good value, I recommend it to anyone, there are enough different tee boxes to make it playable for all skill levels.