Ken McDonald Golf Course

Golf Course Review Ken McDonald Golf Course Tempe Arizona

Reviewed by: jciapa02, Mesa, AZ
Played at Ken McDonald Golf Course at 9:36am for $28 with my foursome Sunday group on August 11. There was also a lunch special offered at check in for two drinks and a lunch, don’t know how long that’ll last but I (two of the four declined) didn’t take the offer. The customer service was ample, there were a long layout of golf carts awaiting our choosing and I only mention that because in the past I have had issues waiting for one to be cleaned and returned. This course has three practice greens with one full size bunker, and a lighted driving range with mats on certain days. Good, not great, amenities.

The Review

The course has went through it’s ups and downs and I have been one to be more enlightening of this Tempe City municipal as I always felt it was a great value and on the upswing. I was right.

The tee boxes here, of various lengths and difficulties, were nice and tidy without being too wet nor summer dried. The fairways had a nice green color hue to them offering up a plenty of lifted lies awaiting the club’s impact for the approach.

The greens were smooth on the front nine, with a few greens struggling to not die on the back nine (which I find ironic; they have dead spots on a few greens, most notably two par 3’s of 11 and 13, even though they brag with their informational pamphlet visible inside the carts about why their greens are cut higher than most places which is to KEEP them alive). Anyways, the greens for the most part were well trimmed and rolled smoothly at around a 10.5 all day without being to baked or impacted by high approach shots.

The bunkers were well textured, not crispy but not soaking wet. Fair to great conditions all day, especially considering this is a municipal course in the middle of August.

Parting Thoughts

This course strategy is a fun, simple and rather flat layout with elevation changes that’ll get your heart racing (sarcasm) however with the improving conditions year in and year out with customer service becoming more of a focal point…I can only see myself returning here more and more. Worth a play now, and when you’d like to save some dough and play in the winter without breaking the bank.