Played a fun round today at Grand Canyon University Course. Course is in much better shape than it was 3 years ago when I last played it. A pleasure to see every sand trap (and there are many) with go... Continue »

Played a fun round today at Grand Canyon University Course. Course is in much better shape than it was 3 years ago when I last played it. A pleasure to see every sand trap (and there are many) with good sand in them. Greens were receptive and quick. Pace was good in just under four hours.

I played GCU on a mid afternoon round teeing off around 1230. The course was busy but not jam packed. Numerous Covid precautions in place including a closed clubhouse and range balls delivered to the ... Continue »

I played GCU on a mid afternoon round teeing off around 1230. The course was busy but not jam packed. Numerous Covid precautions in place including a closed clubhouse and range balls delivered to the range.
Course conditions don’t differ much from my review last year. Conditions off the fairways are iffy. No rough to speak of but hard pan and weeds throughout. The greens and bunkers are in great condition.
A good course right now to challenge your game a bit.

Our tee time was 914 Saturday, 7/20 at GCU golf course. A large number of golfers were out this morning with lower temps and low rates at this course. GCU gets a lot of play on a regular basis. The... Continue »

Our tee time was 914 Saturday, 7/20 at GCU golf course. A large number of golfers were out this morning with lower temps and low rates at this course. GCU gets a lot of play on a regular basis. The last time I played this course a couple years ago I was not impressed with conditions. The course was in far better shape today and much more enjoyable.
We played the black tees and they were a challenge at almost 6800 yards. The course requires a fair amount of length off the tee with a number of the par 4s in the 420y-450y range. The course also requires accuracy in your approach shots as many greens are surrounded by well placed bunkers. The course does have a good variety of holes presenting different challenges.
Conditions were good for the price point. Fairways were not green carpet but bare spots were at a minimum. Tee boxes were all in good shape. The bunkers were nice with plenty of sand. The greens were the best part of the course. Soft, receptive of shots, and smooth throughout the day. The were were the same speed throughout the round.
GCU would be a good choice to play given conditions and the price of a weekend round at $30. Not a bad deal right now.

I played GCU course as first part of 36. Also the first time I have played since GCU took over the course.
The driving range as well as practice balls were in good condition. Plenty of spots and se... Continue »

I played GCU course as first part of 36. Also the first time I have played since GCU took over the course.
The driving range as well as practice balls were in good condition. Plenty of spots and seems bigger than the last time I was here. The other course amenities were very nice including the restaurant. Food was good and the restaurant itself was attractive. Employees were all nice and courteous.
Our tee time was 815 and the course was busy. Foursomes as well as twosomes mixed together on the course. The course doesn't do itself any favors with a long par 4 followed by a par 3. Pace of play was an issue all day long with the round taking us 5 hours. We were waiting on every hole. Every hole. We also did not see any type of marshall or player assistant at all during the day.
The course itself has good points and quite a few bad points. Set up of the course is challenging with numerous bunkers around the greens. Fortunately, the sand is awesome. Actual sand and not dirt like you see on many Arizona courses. The greens were a little bumpy from a recent aeration and on the fast side. Some of the pin positions were in a difficult spot for a Saturday morning. Tee boxes were all in good shape and not an issue through the day. The fairways were not in very good shape. I'm used to dry and crusty fairways in AZ in the summertime but these were pretty thin throughout the course. Many areas of bare dirt throughout the course.
I'm glad I was able to play here and experience but probably won't make it a regular course to play.

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 lik... Continue »

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.

Played this golf course after reviewing various places around phoenix and I was completely satisfied with it. Paid $35 with cart and teed off around 7:20am and finished around 10:30am. Would've finish... Continue »

Played this golf course after reviewing various places around phoenix and I was completely satisfied with it. Paid $35 with cart and teed off around 7:20am and finished around 10:30am. Would've finished faster but the threesome in front were a bunch of hackers playing from the back tees. The tee boxes were level, green and easy to plant a tee. Fairways were in great shape with the occasional dry spot here and there however nothing really to complain about. Greens were in great shape and rolled through to their line. As a tip, the greens are firm so you might want to take one less club to get a shot to hold the green otherwise you might hit around the flag and roll off the green. One thing I might say was the position of the sand traps; they were strategically place where they posed a hazard however they were some of the best sand traps I had ever been in. The staff was super friendly and I overall the experience was well worth it. Wished I had more time to play another round and would definitely recommend it.

This golf course has to be one of the best values for a good, playable course in the Phoenix area. I did not play the course prior to redo but the revised course is a joy to play. And, the challenge i... Continue »

This golf course has to be one of the best values for a good, playable course in the Phoenix area. I did not play the course prior to redo but the revised course is a joy to play. And, the challenge is there if you wish play the back tee. One nice aspect of this course is the varied elevation from tee to green. Some of the fairway lies vary as well. The positioning of the traps also provide some deception with depth and distance, which is makes the holes interesting.

The greens were in fantastic shape. But, if your looking for that nice check with lofted iron shots, it won't happen. The greens are lush, firm, dense and smooth bermuda with good pace. These greens are some of the best bermuda greens I have played.

The take away: great course in great shape, with exception of some bare patches on the fairways, at a great value.

Played Sunday 4/17. Booked a 12:42p tee time online from the golf course's website. $59.73 included cart. I'd seen the other recent reviews and heard the buzz about this course being redone by the s... Continue »

Played Sunday 4/17. Booked a 12:42p tee time online from the golf course's website. $59.73 included cart. I'd seen the other recent reviews and heard the buzz about this course being redone by the school. I never played the old Maryvale course, so I was able to look at the remodel as a fresh course. Word is out about this course. It was busy. POP was 5 hours and there was no ranger. The bright side was it gave me time to take pictures. Previous reviewers nailed the characteristics of the golf course. It's generally a flat course. Fairway & rough have some slope & mounding. Some holes had some burned & bare spots. Lots of well placed bunkers with plenty of sand. My playing partners thought the sand traps were some of the best they played from this year. Greens were very large and slightly elevated. They are fast. Running 11 - 11.5. They are firm. Hard underfoot and no divot marks. A high ball with spin was your best chance at controlling the ball. Play for some roll out. Overall a very solid golf course that should only get better with time. Nice new clubhouse. Beverage cart came around numerous times. Outside service was good on the front end, but not good at the end of the round. Good practice range, putting & chipping area. Course isn't well marked. A range finder was necessary. It's a golf course that you have to mange your way around the bunkers to play well. Definitely a course I would recommend & play again.

Played this course last Friday, (4/01),.... I frequent Phoenix a lot and love playing there, I used to play this course before when it was Maryvale. Wow!!! What a difference! Grand Canyon Universit... Continue »

Played this course last Friday, (4/01),.... I frequent Phoenix a lot and love playing there, I used to play this course before when it was Maryvale. Wow!!! What a difference! Grand Canyon University bought it an invested millions in it and boy does it show. This is a must play when in Phoenix. New trees, 5 tee boxes, and a lot of sand. Be sure to carry a GPS because none on the cart and marking is not the best. Remember it is a University teaching course. I played from the middle tees, White, and I played well. I did have problems with bunkers, slight elevations of the bunkers and greens, made it hard to tell the yardage between the two. But when I play again I will know. The greens are typical desert greens, have your bump and run game ready, very fast. A little more expensive than other Phoenix City courses, but $40-50 is a bargain. Nice range, and the restaurant is awesome. Staff consists of most students, but they were very nice and accommodating. I highly recommend this course.