Played as a single, paired with a 3-some, tee time 2:45pm. KM is probably the busiest muni in the area, but somehow manages to keep the course in generally good shape. They do a good job in keeping th... Continue »

Played as a single, paired with a 3-some, tee time 2:45pm. KM is probably the busiest muni in the area, but somehow manages to keep the course in generally good shape. They do a good job in keeping the driving range usable, and are generous with their large/medium/small buckets of balls. There are multiple practice greens available, along with a large practice bunker. Hadn't played here in a couple years, and they rearranged the holes, so that you now start on what was the 10th tee, and finish on what was the 2nd tee. By and large, the tee boxes were even and in very good shape, and the fairways were also in good condition, very green but still allowing for balls to scoot a ways. The rough is scattered and sparse, and lots of OB if you slice the ball (particularly on the holes near the canal the bisects the course). Bunkers could have used a bit more sand, but they were fluffy enough for explosion shots. And while the greens were in decent shape (some damage from ball marks, some different grass in areas, the biggest disappointment was the speed. Very slow, you really had to whack at a 20 ft putt to not have it stop short, even on a downhill lie. Overall, a solid experience, and if you're looking for a fun round that's not overly taxing, Ken McDonald is for you. CP

Played 1/17. Tee time 12:30p. $42.50 included cart. Small bucket $5. Ken Macdonald is a Tempe municipal golf course. It has some tree lined holes, but for the most part the layout is straight, fl... Continue »

Played 1/17. Tee time 12:30p. $42.50 included cart. Small bucket $5. Ken Macdonald is a Tempe municipal golf course. It has some tree lined holes, but for the most part the layout is straight, flat and wide open.

Conditions overall were good. The tee boxes, fairways and greens were over seeded. The rough was left as dormant bermuda. Course played soft after rain the day before. Especially around the greens. The ball would land and stay right by the ball mark. Greens rolled true and were a medium speed. Fairways were good and firm. Course must get a lot of play. There were some fairways with many divots and greens with many unfixed ball marks.

Course has a nice practice range, putting and chipping area. Good course for all levels of play. If you want to play it longer than the card, you can play the "Tips tees" Makes the course play over 7000 yards. Photos submitted

I played here on 4/11/12. This course is a long time favorite in Tempe , AZ. It gets alot of play and is a good course for all levels of golfers. Probably the only knock on the layout is the forward t... Continue »

I played here on 4/11/12. This course is a long time favorite in Tempe , AZ. It gets alot of play and is a good course for all levels of golfers. Probably the only knock on the layout is the forward tees play 5782 , which is pretty long for alot of ladies. The greens were in good shape as they usually are and running medium as usual. Fairways were good with a few brown thin spots here and there. The rough is spotty with bare spots on some holes. The bunkers had new sand and were in great shape. They have a good driving range and good practice facilities. It's also a good walkers course.

Ken McDonald Golf Course Review
Tempe Arizona Golf Course Reviews

played on 9-16-11 Course was in great shape we were surprised as this course is played a lot and the summer heat tends to take its toll but, not this time. Tee boxes were level the fairways lush rough... Continue »

played on 9-16-11 Course was in great shape we were surprised as this course is played a lot and the summer heat tends to take its toll but, not this time. Tee boxes were level the fairways lush rough kept in good condition and the greens were soft and rolled true to medium to fast speed. teed off at 11:30 and had a single who was walking ahead of us (we were a twosome) but, he was fast and didn't hold us up one bit. Course is fairly flat and nothing real chalenging mature tree lined most fairways and for the price it was real good. This is probably the best time to play this course as when peak season hits the course is full of walkers as this course is played buy a lot of locals and can take some time. So if your looking for an inexpensive muni track that is in great shape get on this one before it starts to get busy.

Played Tues 6/01 mid-afternoon. No problem as a single walk-on, $24 rate w/cart. FYI, twilight rates start after 1 PM here. Course is a muni, always lots of traffic, but manages to stay in good shape.... Continue »

Played Tues 6/01 mid-afternoon. No problem as a single walk-on, $24 rate w/cart. FYI, twilight rates start after 1 PM here. Course is a muni, always lots of traffic, but manages to stay in good shape. All tee boxes in good-to-excellent condition except #3, which was a bit dry and pitted. Greens were phenomenal, held their lines beautifully. Course is a bit dry in places, but a fairway hitusually left you a decent opportunity to hit an approach, and the ball runs forever if you get it right. #11 is now a raised tee over the canal, probably the only "scenic" hole on the course. Large landing areas make this a great course for the beginner/bogey golfer. Only fairway bunker I landed in was literally as hard as concrete, though others appeared to be loose sand. Playing time in 3.5 hours, slower than it should be given the lower number of golfers. Overall, an enjoyable golf experience, especially for the price.

CP

With budget cutbacks the way they are these days, you never know what you're going to get with a city-owned public golf course. At Ken McDonald, you get a well-groomed course still in good-to-excellen... Continue »

With budget cutbacks the way they are these days, you never know what you're going to get with a city-owned public golf course. At Ken McDonald, you get a well-groomed course still in good-to-excellent shape even in the heart of summer and friendly staff all around.

McDonald is not a particularly difficult course; it's mostly flat, with water that really doesn't come into play and sand traps that are usually off to the side, as opposed to protect the hole from a ball running up onto the green. There's a few minor doglegs, but if you hit anywhere near straight your score should stay low.

The good: tee boxes were in terrific shape, majority of the fairways had close cut grass that allowed for a good run after the ball flight, and not too many dead/bare spots. Greens were slow, mildly bumpy, but had very little break in them, either above or below the hole; playing no more than one ball off the edge on most holes will get you into the cup.

The bad: sand traps were in poor shape: overwatered to the point of concrete hardness and standing water in the base of a number of them. I landed in four traps and was able to putt out of three of them, the "sand" was so firm. Also, this little gem is no secret to the locals. I played here at noon on a Friday and the course was pretty full. Hard to imagine saying that about 95% of the course here right now.

For the price, you cannot beat Ken McDonald. This will probably be my winter home, once the "nice" courses' rates go up again.

CP