Played on Dec. 16th, had a 10 am tee time, but there were so many cancellations because of the weather forecast, we went out at 0930. It was a beautiful day, no one in front of us that we could see at all, and a group was 3+ holes behind us. We were a 3some and played in 3 1/2 hours. Greens were excellent, smooth and fast. There are some very subtle breaks on these greens. They were running pretty fast today. The rest of the course was in great shape, much much better than SilverRock which I played the day before, and these I.W. courses get lots of play. I don't know what the rack rate was but I have a friend who is a resident so they and their guests get a great rate. I've always thought the Players course is more difficult than the Celb. course, but not according to the ratings. Good track to play. If you have trouble getting tee times, wait until 2 days before you are playing as the course gets tee times back from the 2 hotels on property, so there may be (better) times available or times you want.

I've wanted to play this course for several years now, but circumstances ( their flood, my schedule etc.) haven't allowed me to do so. I booked a time on line a couple of weeks before I played, paid $109 for a 10 a.m. tee time. Crazy thing is that although I booked to play on a Thursday there were the same number of tee times on the Wednesday but they were $145-$155, I guess I just don't understand "dynamic pricing". You can also call the pro-shop for tee times. On to the course. The driving range, practice area, putting greens and first tee are a loooong ways away from the club house, probably set up for the original planned housing/retail/hotel development that never took place. This is a tough track, especially playing it for the first time, and/or without someone who has. Although carts have GPS it doesn't really give you the true bearing of the course. Lots of bunkers, many hidden from the tee box, and greens are well bunkered. I must say I was somewhat surprised at the poor condition of the greens, they were bumpy, although would hold a good shot in. There were many sand/mix filled ball marks, and in fact there are grounds crew members who actually go on the green and "repair?" the ball marks with this mix, so not only are they bumpy but look very odd with different colours. Fairways were in good shape, rough was fairly long and at times hard to hit out of. Bunkers were generally consistent, however some fairway bunkers were a bit thin, that can be good for a fairway bunker though. There are some really tough holes here, especially on the (current) back nine. We played the blue/white combo tees and that was plenty for us. Back nine has some holes right along the mountain(s) and the big horn sheep wander on down. We were done in 4 1/2 hrs, but it could have been longer had we given thought to our shots, which after a while became futile, you just didn't know where to hit it to. Par 3's from ridiculously simple to ludicrously difficult. Although I am glad I played it, I won't go back anytime soon. Rumor always had it the pro's wanted out of the " Bob Hope" rota as it was too difficult/goofy. I understand that the course is going to be re-designed as the housing/retail/hotel development is about to go ahead, and likely make it more "user friendly". You can have a tough course that IS user friendly. Service was very good.

Returned to this course on December 13th. It is one of my favorites and likely my favorite course in the valley. It was in excellent shape through all phases of the track. The greens were fast and held a well struck shot. Fairways and tees were also excellent. Bunkers, I was in a few today, had lots of sand, and were fluffy, but most importantly consistent. The fairways here are fairly generous, but if you do miss them you will likely be in the sand, desert or water. Greens are fairly big and running pretty quick on this day. It is important to hit to the correct level on the green (gee that's a revelation isn't it?) , otherwise you'll be looking at the possibility of a long breaking putt. There was a small tournament in front of us, so the pace of play was a bit slow, but we were still done in 4hrs 15 mins. They have a concession (again) at the 10th tee so you don't have to make the trek to the clubhouse restaurant to grab a bite or a drink. Service was good, their online rate for this round was $67 for a 10 a.m. tee time, which I think was excellent rate for this course. They usually do have good/affordable rates. 5 minute drive from the airport so easy access for your opening, or one final round if you're flying in or out of PSP.

Played Thursday December 8th to familiarize myself with the course in anticipation of the upcoming GK Plays. The course was in great shape, from tees thru greens. Fairways are fairly soft so not a lot of roll out. Greens were running fairly fast (10.5 according to sign @ pro-shop) but I'm not sure they were that quick. The layout is quite different from the previous one I played many, many years ago. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. If you are in the area this is a must play.

Played Blue/White 9's today. Got a decent deal thru their website. Pacesetter time - to be finished the round <4 hrs. No chance of that today we were 4:15. I like this courses 3 nines quite a bit. 5 of the holes were cartpath only which always causes delays-long rounds. Where it was cartpath only the fairways had many, many divots-unrepaired/unsanded, as most people, including myself, usually forget to take the sand bottle with us, so no divot repairs by the players and it seems to me that the grounds crew don't do it either, so lots of divots. The tees were quite bare, with many being uneven/ not level, and the par 3's had lots of divots. The greens were generally pretty good, however on several greens there are "valleys" and the balls hit there frequently and leave divots, even with attempts to repair them there are a lot of them, which make those greens bumpy. You really have to pay attention to where the pins are and hit the ball to that level as some/many of the greens have large undulations making for some looooong and "interesting" putts.

Another early cool morning. teed off at 735. GN rate $39. This is a very good layout/design no real dumb holes here. The conditions of the course have, over the past 4-5 years, been "hit n miss" and a couple of years ago the grass was dead, greens were horrible and no sand in bunkers. A recent reviewer said the greens were awful, I can report that they are growing back in, and are now actually "green". Greens on the front were still pretty thin in spots, and still had some bare spots. Greens on the back side were in better condition. They weren't as fast as other courses I've played in the past week and a tip for putting there is remember where South Mountain is, as they break away from the mountain. Fairways were thin, and there were bare spots throughout. The sand was very good, lots of sand in the bunkers and were consistent throughout. T boxes were ok. As mentioned the conditions were ok. We were done in 3 hours. Customer service was good. Don"t think the coffee shop/restaurant is open until 9. I really hope they keep working on the course maintenance, as it is a good layout.






















gn rate $33

Played January 31. Phoned course and got the best deal after checking various web-sites the course itself offered the best deal.. 0954 time for $70+tx. Course was in very good condition overall. A few bare spots on the fairways but nothing significant and the fairways here are fairly generous. Greens were good, held a shot, putted true. Lots of bunkers on this course, sand was generally good, some were a bit thin but overall good. The bunkers are very well placed and will catch errant tee shots and approach shots Some of the bunkers are huge, so avoid at all costs!! The staff are very friendly, pa
ce of play today was very good, our foursome was done in 3 hrs. 55 minutes and never did see the group in front or behind us, well spaced times today. Definitely play it if you can get a good rate, but the $150 rack rate is a bit high, even though this is one of my favorite tracks in Phx area.

This is probably my favorite course in the Valley. It was in very good condition today, although some of the greens had a bare spot or 2, as the grass hasn't fully grown in yet in a few places. The greens were still smooth, and would hold a shot. The were fairly quick today, not the quickest I've played them on this course, but still a good speed. Fairways and tee boxes were very good, as was the sand...and I was in a lot of bunkers today. Didn't play very good today, but I still love the course. Teed off at 0934 and finished in just under 4 hours.

Played this course for the first time yesterday (November 29th). The started told us that the sidewalk we were standing on , was the only level place on the course- he was right !!! The course was in very good condition, greens were firm and fast but would hold a well struck shot....I didn't have many of those. The entire course is very difficult, especially the front 9 where you didn't get a flat lie often, and your shots are subject to some crazy bounces. There is lots of sand and water on the course, the bunkers being plentiful and big. The greens are generally pretty hard to hit, seems as if they are all elevated, and if you don't hit them just right, there are run off areas and you could be faced with long and/or difficult chips. I am not a lover of Pete Dye designs, and this is no exception, although the course was in great condition I wouldn't play here again....I'm glad I played it, but not again.

Played on black Friday. Played the yellow tees @ 6339 yds 70.1/127. The course was in pretty good condition, although the greens on this course were much slower than the Players course, and shaggier, likely as it was the last of the 2 to come out of over-seeding and hasn't quite got up to speed or top condition yet. As with the Players course some blind tee shots can make it difficult for someone playing for the first time, GPS lets you know where the group in front is. There are lots and lots of bunkers on this course and just like the Players course, they are strategically placed, both fairway and greenside bunkers. They were in good condition. It seemed as if a lot of greens were elevated requiring an extra club to get it there. Again greens were 2 tiered with some pretty big breaks on some. Both of these tracks are generally in excellent condition, but always very busy. Having said that our 930 tee time had us finished in 4 hours 10 minutes. Service is great, generally see the cart person every 3 or 4 holes.

Returned to play I.W. again. Played the Players course today. This to me is the more difficult of the two courses here. There are quite a few blind shots on this course (there are some on the Celebrity course too) , so pay attention to the GPS. We played from the yellow (middle) tees @ 6326 yds, 70.6/126, plenty long enough. There are 7 sets of tees! The course was in great shape. Tee boxes and fairways were very good, rough was in good shape medium long, lush. Sand traps, of which there a many, were generally very good. Greens were excellent running fast, and true. They would hold a shot, they are big greens many with 2 levels so shot placement to the green is crucial or you may be putting up or down quite a slope. Excellent customer service. Played in 4hrs 20 on Thanksgiving day.

Another LATE, LATE review by me. Short and sweet, course was in great shape when we played Dec. 17/13. Played in the morning so wind was not a factor, but can be a major factor. Tees, fairways and greens were in excellent condition. I have played when the greens have been faster, they are very large, and usually multi tiered. Sand could have been a bit better (but my mantra is "don't go in them"). This course can eat you up very quickly and easily, play the correct tees for you handicap level, or from where you feel comfortable, or you may have a difficult round. Water does come into play. I like the course, but find it quite difficult. Great service, beautiful club house, grill and bar.