Played Poston Butte Golf Club at 9:52am on July 30th with a hot deal off GolfNow price of $30 w/cart. I've reviewed this course before and the service has stayed pretty consistent. Same guys outside near bag drop, cart girl was seen twice on a rather tame Friday tee sheet wise and the indoor staff were helpful as always. They told me I could go out early when I arrived at 9:30am and I did that passing up on the free range balls included in each round.

The conditions were in recovery mode I'd say. I've seen from GolfNow reviews that the course is experiencing some burn out around the course and I'd say that was accurate. The tee boxes were great and level with minimal divot damage on any par fours and fives with the par threes being about average. The fairways were pretty consistent all day; many of the landing spots were lush with adjacent areas having brown spots and browned out grass but I wouldn't stretch and say any hole's fairway was unplayable. The fairways were just a bit dry in spots and looked to be growing back in with the large amount of rain in recent weeks we've received. The rough was LONG and easily hid my golf ball a few times causing at least a two club yardage impact when found. I didn't lose any golf balls in the rough but I could easily see it being possible. The bunkers were all pretty decent, texture was good but majority of the day I found myself looking in them and seeing various pebbles and foreign debris in them. They could use some TLC and more raking as it seemed they'd been beaten by the storms. The greens were slow and in recovery conditions from a punching a week or two ago. You couldn't see the punch holes or sand anymore but the grass was definitely a little longer than usual.

This course is a regular for me because it's usually empty in the summer, free range balls and rather interesting course that tests all the clubs. Service is always top notch being a Troon managed course so I'd say it's worth the trip. If you find a hot deal before summer ends, come here with a buddy and expect a fun day. Maybe not the conditions I've mentioned in my previous reviews but still a fun course with above average conditions right now.

Played We-Ko-Pa Cholla (We-Ko-Pa stands for Four Peaks in the Yavapai language, Cholla is the jumping cactus that can be found but not touched! around the course and much of AZ) for $49 at 1:30 pm on July 29th. This course is consistently ranked as a top public course in Arizona and in some reviews, nationally recognized as well (though it's often its sister course Saguaro that is more renown) which made this course a must play for me this year. I've heard from various outlets that the conditions, staff, amenities and pretty much everything in between is top notch. Well, that was trusted AND verified. Once you maneuver around through the entrance way of the accompanying casino you make your way through a pretty sizable parking lot that is required for the two course complex. Pulling up to the bag drop I was greeted by a member of the outdoor staff of which there was plenty and my bags were placed on the cart. Once my belongings were secured I drove up to the golf shop that was beautifully framed between the clubhouse, practice tee and restaurant. I was greeted by two other staff members to check in. Though I arrived early, they said we'll be teeing off exactly at 1:30 due to some green maintenance that was needed and I was free to hit the included range balls. The practice area is ample and plenty of grass was present.

Onto the course, we started off the back nine. Every piece of this property seemed meticulously maintained and lush. I'm sure there's something to be said with the constant rain the valley has experienced in recent weeks that would contribute to that but, rest assured the conditions were premier. Honestly, there's not much I can say. The tee boxes were level and lush, no bare spots. Divots on the tee boxes were pretty minimal as well. Even the par threes seemed rather flawless. The fairways were well lined, great firmness and allowed for the ball to sit up as if it was on newly installed carpet. The fairways were scarce of many divots as well even though there weren't any sand mix bottles on the carts. The surrounding rough was quite high which was home to plenty of insects including mosquitos which were present all day (this isn't necessarily a detracting factor if I brought bug spray, but I didn't and neither did my playing partners). The rough didn't have any bare spots and could easily hide a golf ball, we may have lost a few throughout the round in it. The bunkers throughout the course were of great, consistent texture from the fairways to the green side bunkers. The greens were slow, but true. A few of the greens, about three, had some disease or burn spots but nothing substantial. Those three greens were the only blemish condition wise as the rest of the course was literally, perfect.

Course design is interesting; designed by Scott Miller who designed Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho (known for the floating island hole you need a boat to get to) and nearby Eagle Mountain in Fountain Hills, AZ, you'll get a taste of target, desert golf. You can't see the whole fairway and without prior course experience it's tough to know exactly where to start your shot. I used GolfLogix while playing and still lost three tee shots due to incorrect usage of my driver. There's plenty of forced carries with danger looming on either side of fairways home to plenty of desert rock and shrubbery awaiting your errant golf ball. The design is very much targeted (see what I did there) to knowing the distance to the next piece of grass, hitting it where you want to and finding your ball to do it all over again. While the course is in phenomenal shape, the architecture wasn't of vast character. Personally, target desert golf is my least favorite golf course design style.

All this talk of the strategy just for me to say, come here and play any time of the year and I'd reckon to say at any price. The conditions, the views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the staff and anything in between not mentioned here...is worth your visit.

Played as a single on May 13th at 11:22 am for $45 off GolfNow, comparably the website has a tee time reservation system through EZLinks(?), same price. This course is inside of a community (more accurately described as a snowbird resort RV Park) but doesn't play that way as many course in Arizona fall into. Approaching the pro shop and carts there's usually ample staff, I didn't see anyone immediately and helped myself to a cart. Walked inside, notably they are still strict on masks inside the pro shop (they did close for 14 days last year in the midst of the height of COVID due to an employee catching it) and I checked in quickly, bought small range balls of $5 and was told to tee off when I'm finished warming up.

Onto the course, the driving range is between the 18th hole and the 8th hole a bit away from the 1st tee. It was quite ample, lot of open stations and trimmed grass to warm up with a handful of target greens with different distances. As I made my way to the 1st tee I noticed the fairway looked a bit more brown than usual. Seemed to be the first fairway only though as the rest of the course was fairly maintained. The rough was pretty minimal, nothing to hide your ball but would result in possible flyer into the green. The bunkers were machined raked, no available rakes to players but I didn't experience any difficult lies there. The fringe and areas around the green were lush but bare spots were visible on some holes. The greens were firm but slow(?) which is a weird combination. The roll was true though and was a pleasure to knock some birdie putts in.

This course is definitely fun to play and super walkable. You can count 5 holes that share the edge of the course with houses, the rest of the holes are adjacent to another hole (or two holes) which is unique to courses here in the valley. This course keeps its maintenance throughout the summer more than nearby 'cheaper' courses which makes it a good value most of the time. Perhaps golf is changing because this time of the year you can usually find it for sub-$30 however we're still in surge it seems. I'd say it's worth the price for now but if the rest of the course turns into the brown seen on hole 1...I'd venture to say it's not worth $45+ in 100+ degree weather. Personally.

I played here on August 21st with my best friend (who's an instructor at a course in Chandler) around 12:30 pm for a cool $30 riding (resident rate if Mesa is on your driver license) off GolfNow. We've played this course for years, it was our high school course years back and have always thought of this course fondly. Since the course is a municipal its always been accessible and revered as the best in Mesa...because it's the ONLY municipal in Mesa, AZ. This course has recently been taken over by a management company and it's very noticeable. In some ways it's a good thing, in others not so much. I say this with emphasis, I've been here a few times without playing in past months and the guy inside (Drew, you'll see a lot of him on their social media pages) always without fail tries to push their summer cards or range passes in a pressuring manner. I'm all one for selling when sales are present, but dude...cmon. It's a muni. Any ways, the staff here is present as always and sometimes over staffed to the point of fault but they were here to help...sometimes.

We checked in quickly and proceeded to the first tee. Before that we were greeted by ample practice greens, range that was had over 40 slots for warmup or practice and a chipping green with bunker. All in good shape. As we drover to the first tee we saw a starter who engaged in chit chat as we were 15 minutes early to our tee time. The first tee was open and ready for the taking, but she was so engulfed in watching her iPad for other tee times and golfers checking in...she made us wait for the other two with us who arrived literally a minute before our tee time. Take note.

Onto the course, well this track gets a lot of play. A LOT. The tees which there are three to choose from were all in good/average shape besides all par 3s that were playing from temporary tee locations since they're re-sodding the tee boxes, should be ready to go in a "few weeks" we were told. The fairways were green but had bare spots ranging from the doglegs to the fairway bunkers and weren't really consistent. In fact this course was consistent in the fact that it wasn't consistent anywhere but the greens. The bunkers were firm some places and soft elsewhere, the fringe was present on some while non-existent on other holes and the greens were firm but also slow, true...but slow.

Overall the course was pleasant to play but not what we wanted to see from a course we love. The management group has seemed to transition their concerns from the golf course to the amenities and making money from punch cards and their driving range that's open until 10pm. I don't know about everyone but when I go to a course to play golf I'd prefer not to see football goal posts (two of them) in the driving range and a ton of targets that aren't greens in the range. I also prefer to not be sold to every breathing moment at this course. And I'd like to play ready golf and be allowed to tee off if the tee is open rather than waiting for the others who show up late and cause a bottle neck on every hole resulting in a 3.5+ hour round in the summer when it could've all been avoided by an attentive starter.

Small things add up, or subtract when they're appointed to the wrong places in golf course management.

Played here for my birthday round on July 1st around $40 at 1:42pm off GolfNow. This course (formerly North) is managed by Troon Golf which led to superb customer service and conditions as usual especially during this COVID pandemic. The cart guys helped us when we approached bag drop and drove our cart up to the parking station after we checked in. The clubhouse/grille area is aging well since opening a decade(?) ago and still presents itself as open, lavish and welcoming. Once paid we hit the practice range which is split into two portions, one for daily fee players (about 15 stations) and another for instruction/practice members (triple the size of daily fee). I mention this because while the range balls are free for pre-round warmup the grass available is less than stellar. Very chewed up and not entirely level for your choosing of a station. The practice green is rather large but doesn't have a dedicated chipping area or bunker.

Onto the course, the conditions were rather prime just before this course closed for punching the greens and aerifying the course. The tee boxes were all green and pretty accepting of your choice of placement. The fairways were well manicured and WIDE across this track. The bunkers that are immensely spread throughout this track showed a little bit of wear across the edges and at times needed to be cleaned from desert debris but without rakes they were still playable. The greens were firm and fast, just the way this course was designed to play so difficult to get the pace right all day but the conditions were great. Loved hitting putts all day. The only downfall all day was there were some burn marks around the green's runoff areas, anyone who's played here know what I mean. The fringe was fine but some areas where your ball may trickle into or fall just short of due to your approach shot missing the green may end up in the browned areas. Still playable but sore to the eye for sure.

The O'odham (formerly North) course is my preferred choice between the two here at Talking Stick. The variety of shots you can hit off the tee and into the green is always a proponent of great fun. The fairways are so wide that you can layup with an iron off the tee, play your natural 50 yard slice with your driver or whatever you may be hitting that day and still have a chance. Of course there has to be some defense you ask? The hazards aren't water or crazy out of bounds (though there are property lines deemed to be OB) but much rather slopes, large bunkers and the green complexes. The lines you take off the tee determine your fate of where you can attack but once on the green you have to be sharp with the flatstick to score.

This course is always one I keep my eye on to play when the rates are right and in the summer I feel in my opinion, the course shines the brightest. Fast and firm with great customer service is always a fun day.

Played this course as a single on Thursday, June 25th around 10:10am (last tee time on Tuesdays and Thursdays are 10:30am) for $45. Prepaid online to avoid social interaction, a result of COVID-19 and was greeted by the starter/bag drop guy. Range balls are included in the tee time so I made my way over to the practice tee. Upon arriving, you'll notice this course is tucked inside of a gated community and the course is situated along a large, looming clubhouse for residents and I believe there was even a waterpark/pool area next to the on course grille. Once you're at the practice range you'll also notice there's a members only section which I accidentally stumbled upon and then next to it there's the guest section. Fully stocked range, good amount of grass to hit from into grass greens and bunkers even to aim at. The backdrop of the range, and really the course, sets the day up for some amazing day dreaming.

Onto the course, this Kavanaugh design with Lehman Design group's redesign in 2016 led to some of the holes being re-routed. This doesn't seem to impact the conditions which were very, very pure. The temps recently in the valley have been easing into the 110s and the tee boxes, to the manicured fairways, always looming lush rough up to the greens were....green. Deep green. Not too much in the way of burn spots though it's summer and if you go after reading this I'm sure you may find a FEW. The greens were rolling quick and pure, a tough combo when the undulations on this course play games with 3 footers for par. The bunkers were soft green side and texturized perfectly in the fairways. The rough was lush with it growing to 3-5 inches in some spots but the main lateral hazards to avoid will be the desert landscaping which was maintained. The tee boxes were phenomenal.

This course definitely has the Lehman thumbprint on it design wise, off the tee box you often are presented with a bunker that poses a threat until you realize it's green side or a dogleg that's bound by a large hill/mound that can extend your drive's distance if you're lucky. Strategy wise this course was a blast absolutely. Nothing ridiculous in distance if you place yourself correctly and from the tips the 7200 doesn't actually feel THAT long (except for the 600+ yard par 5 16th). The greens are undulating and well protected when they are short holes, open and accepting of an array of shots when long and varying enough that you're never bored when putting. The fairways here are extremely forgiving and open (I only missed two fairways all day) which is a much needed breath of fresh air. And lastly, the views are amazing. Sure there are houses and communities popping up with construction noise audible all day long but the mountain vistas of nearby Four Peaks, McDowell Mountain , Superstition Mountain visible, I mean it was just photoshoot after photoshoot for new iPhone Wallpapers.

This course (according to my sources I talked to at the course) is attempting to go private however they are nowhere near the numbers to do so at present moment. As long as this course is available for public daily fees, I'd say the conditions it's in and views in comparison to the price is definitely worth it. Not to mention, it's within a short drive of some of the finest private courses in Scottsdale and from people I talked to who've played both, this course holds its own.

Played Longbow GC for the first time (I've eyed it for a LONG time) on Sunday June 14th for $40 off GolfNow as my usual foursome played around 9:10am. As you drive up to the Longbow complex (facilities and store plazas are becoming more and more present here) you're led down a road named after the course and the parking lot seems small but on a crowded Sunday it was packed and still had spots to park. The cart guys tended our bags at bag drop and placed our four bags on four separate, sanitized carts (COVID-19 precautions still in place) and we paid at the nearby, well equipped pro shop. The range was filled with ample grass and free slots to choose from however practice balls does not come included. The practice greens are quite indicative of the shape of the course and was a good spot to roll some putts in before our round. The cart guys gave us the keys to the carts at exactly our tee time and we were off.

The course was experiencing some summer conditions for sure. The tees I played from (green, one forward of tips) were filled with bare/burnt grass however I always was able to find a pleasing spot for my tee shot. The fairways were in okay condition, some spots were soggy, some were lush and others were bare; they were a crapshoot. The fairways/greens surroundings was mostly native desert sand/rocks but the rough was semi present and provided a different lie than the ideal positions...but they weren't penal and ball hiding at all. The greens were the highlight of the round, they were running at an 11 (course had informed us of that upon pulling up with a sign showing course conditions) and were pretty true all day. The actual sand bunkers had a nice consistency near greens but fairway bunkers had some overwatering issues. Overall the conditions were good, but for a course with Longbow's self proclaimed excellence I'd say there's room for improvement.

Strategy wise I'd place this amongst the tier of championship caliber. Off the tee it is challenging with doglegs and sightlines that obscure your ideal shot. You need to be able to shape your woods off the tee and miss in the correct spots around/on greens to shoot a score. It didn't feel like a long course because I hit irons off about half of the par 4s however the course does wear on you. I felt like we kept playing similar layout par 4 after par 4. I wouldn't say it was a boring round of golf at all, but it doesn't awaken a golf architect lover during any stretch of holes either. I feel the best way to describe the golf course design is that it wants to be an open, free feeling landscape but the surroundings restrict it...and I don't mean the construction buildings or plazas around the course. I mean the man made water hazards, the line of trees adjacent to some holes and desert landscaping prevents it to feel wide open like it's design intends to present it as.

My final takeaway is that while the GPS/Bluetooth enabled golf cart, free water bottles in cooler upon tee time and expansive practice facilities are all notable pluses, there isn't anything on the course that makes me...remember the round or thirst for a return immediately. I will play again however here's to hoping the conditions are better shortly.

Played Ocotillo (Gold 9 to Blue 9) for $50 on Friday June 5th around 8:06am on a beautiful mid-90's June summer day in AZ. Driving up to the course the parking spaces are ample for this 27 hole complex that hosts many other events than just golf. This Mickelson golf property (one of the few in AZ not private) has present staff at bag drop, two rangers and a good not great clubhouse. The driving range (not included in the tee time any longer) is a good size, I didn't use it but it looked in decent shape. There's two practice putting greens scattered in front of the bar/grille area and they're similar to the course's greens for a good intro pre-round.

Onto the course conditions; absent of rain the course was rather soaked throughout. I overheard there was a city championship coming here and they were definitely trying to green the course up. The tee boxes were lush and overgrown in some areas, no major divot damage except par 3's, with ample space to find grass however. The fairways were generally in good/decent shape however throughout some of the areas you could find yourself begging for more grass as there were some dried out burn spots. The rough was present even though around this course there's more water hazards than penal rough. The bunkers were of good consistency, not muddy but not tour fluff/soft bunker sand. The greens held their own, a few pitch marks and fringe problems on a few greens. They were slow/soft but a breeze to putt on nonetheless.

This course is one of the most inconsistent courses I know of, one month it can be picturesque and the next visit will be like today where it's definitely playable but it's not exquisite. I know I'm nitpicking (like with the fringe and fairway burn spots in non-landing areas) but a complex of this caliber and management, I expect more. It's a fun day for sure and I have a sense of sentimental feelings towards this place but for the prices charged there's still better shape and quality courses in Arizona.

Played this (now, only remaining in AZ) Pete Dye designed course that used to be private years ago for $50 off GolfNow around 11am Friday May 29th. Pulling into this community, it is visually a declining upper class area that has fallen on hard(er) times than in previous prime East Mesa rich times. The 'country club' has community areas, banquet halls and even a tennis/swimming club. The course itself is presented aside the other extra curricular activities with it's own sorta-separate parking lot. The club house was sufficient with COVID-19 measurements loosely followed (bare minimum for sure) and the staff was present. I paid my green fee, wanted to warm up so I bought a shabby looking shag bag of about 40 balls for an additional $8 and was given instructions about the directions (which are needed) to get to the practice tee. Also should note I got a course guide for free which is nice to see more and more courses practicing.

Now, I don't know what it is about Pete Dye courses of which I've now played three (ASU Karsten, Kiawah Ocean and now RMRCC) but the routing and cart paths are ALWAYS convoluted for whatever reason. I almost got lost two to three times...just felt that needed to be mentioned. Onto the course conditions! The practice tee had ample space into a dirt filled, grass absent, targets aplenty area with practice greens around. The tee boxes, which there are 5 of, were trimmed and surrounded by little landscaping rock paths. The fairways were well lined and a little dry which to expect of the summer conditions starting. The bunkers were well maintained without rakes for the players of the day but allowed for a variety of shots into greens. The greens all day showed consistent roll absent of horrendous pitch marks and rolling around a 10 I'd guess. The downfall was, if I had to pick, the rough as they had many bare spots even with the majority of fairways and greens being surrounded by bunkers or native desert area.

What type of review would this be without strategy? Pete Dye's designs linger on my mind the more and more I study golf course architecture because I truly feel he...is a genius. This course was a brute in all the right ways. From the Gold Tips it plays around 6600 which isn't long in today's game but each hole presented a challenge. Whether it was the sightline off the tee from a looming fairway bunker, the position of the flag on an elevated well guarded green or the continuous, multi-tiered greens...each hole had Pete Dye's fingerprint. I left today thinking simply, Pete Dye's courses play the golfer as much as the golfer plays the course. I enjoyed myself today and price/amenities withstanding I would absolutely advise the Arizona resident to try out this course themselves.

Never did I feel the conditions of the course hampered my ability to hit the shot I wanted, never did I feel the course was reaching the "manufactured difficulty" many other locations fall into the trap of nor did I ever lose sight of what the game of golf means which is to have fun and challenge your skill.

Played this course as a threesome booked last minute Sunday for $40 since Ken McDonald Golf Course (municipal at Tempe was out of carts and instilled a quite rude demeanor in us visitors) ran out of carts. The course parking lot approaches the clubhouse and pro shop that are both quite aged easily enough to find the club drop. The cart barn guys were available and had washed/sanitized the carts (unlike Ken McDonald, okay I'll stop) and prepped the round for us. The check-in was simple, no CDC guidelines for COVID-19 surprisingly but I don't necessarily mind myself.

The course (which I also played in early March) is in declining shape heading into the summer months. The tee boxes had grass, yes...with plenty of divots even on Par 5s. Some weren't leveled perfectly and it became more noticeable as I walked up to the tees my partners were playing (White tees) in comparison to the tips. The fairways were trimmed rather nicely, no aesthetically pleasing trim lines or anything but overall led to a nice platform to hit my approach shot. To note, the rough and fairways bled into each other often times where the only difference didn't seem to be as the architect designed the rough to start much rather where the greenskeepers decided to stop cutting for fairway length. The greens were the best part of the day, which is not to say they were the purest carpet you could find. There were ample pitch marks on some greens however for the majority it was good enough to make putts. The back nine was definitely better than the front nine's greens somehow.

This course's strategy lends itself to lower scores for even the high handicapper. Houses line most if not all the holes and there isn't many blind tee shots. I counted about two tee shots where I needed previous playing experience to hit the appropriate line. I wouldn't come here consistently taking into account where I live...but sure. If you live in the Ahwatukee Foothills and nearby within per say 5 miles...it's a golf course that's open right now.

Booked as a single at 1:12 pm for $39 of GolfNow, boy was I excited to play this course. This course is located Northwest of Florence, AZ so it's basically an 70 minute drive for anyone in the Mesa/Chandler/Tempe region, if you're in Scottsdale you've probably ignored this course notification...DON'T. The service was ample and present on a packed Friday here midday. No cart guys picking up your bags once you drive up but I personally don't mind that (especially with COVID-19). Pro shop had some info about the virus and limiting people in enclosed spaces, check in was quick and I was off to hit complimentary balls on the practice tee. A quick look around, they have a large putting green with a practice chipping green with a bunker and ample room on the practice tee. I was getting a good lather going and grooving my swing for the day. I kept an eye on the time and was never checked in by the starter who was present so I drove over at around 1:05pm. I was told my two some decided to tee of early (without my knowledge, hmmm) and I had to chase them down as they were about to leave the first tee. A little bumpy start but we're off.

Onto the course, the main event. Whew. Conditions are pure. The tee boxes were perfectly lined and setup nicely. They have 5 tee boxes with a few combo sets that can play the course for your skill 7 different ways. Tips around 7300, Men's FWD around 6300 and Women's around 5300. Good variance. The fairways were cut crisply and had beautiful mower lines/pattern in all the fairways. The rough was of good length and consistency which was then lined by maintained red rock/landscaping. The bunkers were the only downside as they were more sandy at the beach than packed sand for green side spin. The greens were absolutely pristine and rolled so true. Funny thing is the two workers at the course and local said they were slow, oh my goodness I wouldn't want to putt downhill when they're "fast"..they were running at least a 12.5. The whole course was in phenomenal shape, I couldn't even believe how great the course looked. I was in the type of disbelief you're in when your fast food order actually looks like the pictures and videos on advertisements. This course looked like the pictures you see...in mid-late April..when the heat is kicking in and the grass is transitioning. Unbelievable.

Now, my favorite part is the strategic review I write for courses. Poston Butte is not like you're normal golf club in AZ. Yes there are houses nearby but the course was built first and years later the houses came. Some courses were built the opposite way. I say that because the fairways are wide, generous and plenty of undulations. The holes vary in strategy off the tee and approaches into the green. Want to hit driver every hole? You're welcome to it as there's room...but you won't have to. In fact you'll gain an advantage often times by having a good number into these greens as they're often tiered and angled. The 17th island green (according to the local, Scooter) is the same size as the TPC Sawgrass course. Oddly enough from the tee the green looks quite habitable...however once you walk that bridge you'll see the green is pretty small with little fringe space and one small bunker front left. It's memorable for sure (missed the 8 footer for birdie though).

All in all, this is another prime example of a Troon Managed course that's in spectacular shape year round with service to boot. This course was beyond fun and the locals/workers were more than gracious in their hosting. Definitely an extremely fun track , in beyond pure shape and good price for the play. I will be back this summer to do a deep dive of photos and play at my lonesome.

Booked a GolfNow Tee time at 8:30am as a single for $45 as my girlfriend works nearby and has heard/seen some good things about this place and area in general. When I pulled into the parking lot around 7:50am I saw maybe at most 10 cars which is surprising to say the least for ANY Arizona golf course when not summer but maybe COVID-19 had something to do with that. Anyways, the customer service was present. Two people greeting at front with well established distancing , don't know if there was any way to confirm if the carts had been sanitized but they didn't grab my bag and get in my face so that's good. As I walked to the pro shop there was a sign that read: "no more than 4 people in the pro shop at a time" and I walked in and confirmed my pre-paid tee time. The guy at the desk (Gary or Steve) asked if I was a first timer, I said yes and he gave me a course guide for free and gave me some pointers.

Onto the course, the conditions seemed very middling...and I mean that for the majority it was still prime season but you can TELL that the sun and heat is starting to be right around the corner. The fairways and the greens were still prime and aesthetically pleasing to look at and play off. However, the course got rough around the edges. I counted 4 greens that had suffered from some type of grass disease that was killing the collar of the green/fringe area. Sparse, but present . The bunkers were of a great consistency without any rakes present however they had been tended to in the morning obviously (or recently, IDK). The greens were very soft and surprisingly on the slower side, I couldn't get a putt to the hole almost all day.

This course is truly a tale of two personalities. The front nine (which used to be the back nine according to the old course guide I was given) is called "Mountain" which it certainly does for about 7 holes. The first gradually climbs up. With the second hole already giving picturesque views. The rest of the front nine plays in and around the mountain which ends with a par 3 8th and par 5 9th, I mention that because those two holes display what the back nine "Valley" is like. Flat and LONG. The back nine plays about 3,800 from the tips and the course rounds out at 7,162. That's pretty regulation. While the course plays long, it plays even longer because the fairways are so narrow and tight (lined by houses on the back) which makes for a day of sludging out long-mid irons out of rough or desert to postage sized stamp greens. Challenging for sure.

The course was in middle/high tier playability in conditions, the routing is fun however the strategy is kind of ...driver long irons heavy. Bring your a game with the big dog because it needs to be accurate. This course is NOT walkable for note, but an enjoyable place to get away from the Mesa/PHX/Scottsdale hub.