Overview: Having played the Ambiente Course each of the the last two summers, I have been interested to go play the course in the fall and/or winter to see what shape the course would be in during th... Continue »

Overview: Having played the Ambiente Course each of the the last two summers, I have been interested to go play the course in the fall and/or winter to see what shape the course would be in during the "high season" in Phoenix. I was very impressed with the conditions during the summer, so my expectations were definitely elevated. I got a great Golf Now deal this past Tuesday at 1:40 pm for a total of $107. I was very happy to get this rate because it was very close to what I paid this past July. I was also excited because the course was off the cart path after over seed.

Clubhouse: Very easy check in was greeted promptly by the players assistant. The pro shop had a lot of merchandise in stock, and was presented very well.

Course: Ambiente has definitely become one of my favorite courses in the Phoenix area due to the re-design in 2013. The course is now more of a links style and is rather tight off the tee. I was a little bit disappointed with the conditions after over seed. The fairways were a little thin, and the rough was inconsistent. Some places were very lush while spots were bare. I was quite disappointed to see that they did not over seed the greens this year. So, the greens were going to be bermuda for the entire winter. They rolled nice and were consistent in speed, but I would probably think that December - March that they would not be that good because the cool morning temperatures would not allow the bermuda to grow. Plus, cosmetically they would not look good, and they might have to put some green dye on them to create the illusion that they are "lush" and thriving. Lastly, the sand traps were ok, but a bunch of them definitely need to be raked.

Final Thoughts: The going rate for course was anywhere from $210 - $250 on the day that I played, and if I paid that rate I would have not been happy with the condition of the course. With the 2023 Phoenix Open being an "elevated" event (with a purse of $20 million dollars), and with the Super Bowl in Phoenix that same week, pricing for golf is going to be steep. I hope the Camelback Golf Club - Ambiente Course improves before February comes around. I will definitely come back and play the course next summer, and I might even try to play there in the shoulder season of April/May.

Happy Thanksgiving to the GK'ers!!