Golf Course Review TPC Scottsdale CHAMPIONS Scottsdale Arizona
Reviewed by: jamesg18015, Phoenix, AZ
Played TPC Scottsdale Champions early Sunday morning paired with a threesome as one of the first few groups out. POP was perfect at 3:30. I’ve played here 3 times in the past 2 weeks.
Golf Playing Conditions 9.55 IMMACULATE
The course is in truly excellent condition all around. The greens are probably the best I’ve played in the Phoenix area recently. Firm, yet receptive to short iron shots, no bare spots, smooth, on the fast side of average for an upscale public course. Fairways were very lush due to the heavy overnight watering this course is given, there were many wet spots due to my early tee time but a person playing later in the day would probably not run into this. Bunker sand is perfect as usual.
They are currently allowing solo rider carts. Pool noodles sitting about 1″ below the edge of the cups. They are starting to put rakes back on the course. The only minor annoyance is that they have no drinking water on the course and since last week they put the coolers back on the carts and no longer let you bring your own cooler. You can put your own stuff in the cart cooler, but it only hold about 2-3 bottles of water. So, I had to stuff 3 extra water bottles in my bag and put my cooler back in the car. Would have been easier if I could have just shown them I didn’t have booze in it or whatever and kept it with me.
Free range balls as usual and the range tee turf was in perfect condition.
Golf Course Review Talking Stick Golf Club O’ODHAM Scottsdale Arizona
Reviewed by: sdscratchorbust, Scottsdale
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Golf Playing Conditions 7.68 GREAT
Shout out to Mrkich’s recommendation I was finally able to score a round at the North side of Talking Stick. Since these two course are owned by the resort and maintained year round, or maybe the location, whatever it is the prices are always higher here comparatively speaking. I was able to get out on a Monday morning by random chance and scored a $45 hot deal.
Pure winter conditions. I would give fairways 8.5/10 only because a 9 is tough but they were close to carpet just a little played. Greens had divots from play but were the perfect firmness to roll really true. The speed was the perfect medium fast. Really finally maintained fringes and green areas. Top notch desert winter conditions.
The practice facility here is quite impressive. They do make an attempt to make it a more full resort like golf experience but it’s a miss IMO due to the heavy hitters in the area who know what they are doing. IMO the clubhouse architecture is blocky cold and gives an uninviting vibe. Stark contrast to the modern architecture of the resort next door.
I love the North south. It has soul is the best way to describe it. Talking Stick is located on probably the absolute worst plot of land in the US. It is literally a flat square plot in the desert. Instead of going the Fazio approach Coore and Crenshaw really did make a minimalist masterpiece of out it. I was never a big fan of We Ko Pa and especially not of the Talking Stick S. because of the artificial nature of the them. A Scottish links-style course carved out in the desert makes no sense to me. What the North is, is a smooth flowing golf course that seems to flow out of the natural terrain. The course is routed back and forth inside a box, with holes next to each other. There’s a barbed wire fence running along one side and a ginormous casino/hotel phallus shooting up out of the desert on the other. In spite of these limitations the course has my top 5 course flow ever for me. Start with a nice but no pushover par 4. Then one of the most uniquely designed and defended par 5’s I’ve ever encountered. It’s pure genius. Then a bunch of quality adult big boy par 4’s that require solid drives and quality shot making into elevated protected greens. There’s no cute desert short 4 pars that can get monotonous. Then you don’t come into a par three until the 6th hole. I love it. My group broke off at 9 and versus waiting I re walked the front 9. It was serene golf pureness. It’s good here. The bunkers are a unique contrast being being overly flowing and artificial. Versus having mounds breaking apart most holes, C&C placed these cavernous bunkers to break apart holes. Very unique and visually impressive. The greens aren’t a true links but have smoothly trimmed collars allowing Texas wedging. The green side bunkers are a stark contrast than you find here. They flow into undulations with minimal lips. The main defense being the slop away from them that is carried onto the greens. Really fun subtle sloping greens. I loved them.
I can’t wait to get back out and play the full 18.
I got a coworker to come with me and play the Stadium at twilight before they shut it down here quickly.
Scottsdale was recently hit with a extreme cold spell, rain, and frost. The course was immaculate a few weeks ago. But it looks like the cold spell killed the grass in the divots, and ball marks. The course was showing a lot of damage in the aprons around the greens. Still in great shape but not the flawless tour quality at the moment. I’m sure when they shut it down for a few weeks it will be perfect for the pros.
The stadium is finished. You have to play it once in your life. No other shot in golf like it that has the same feel. I understand TPC Scottsdale gets a bad rap because it doesn’t tie in to any natural features of the land and definitely has the artificial feel to it. I love seeing different golf courses take courses to different extremes i.e. “The Gauntlet” that is PGA WEST Stadium, the untouched natural beauty of a Rustic Canyon links style, or the over-the-top flair bunkering of a Faldo designed course.
The finish here is exhilarating. To be able to go for an island par 5 in two on 15. Then a makeable hole in one look at the short 16th. Then an easily driveable par 4. Followed by a risk reward finish on 18. (Lay up with a 3 wood or flirt the death pew bunkers on the left and try to split the fairway with a driver to set up an attackable birdie) You can finish with 4 birdies in a row easily.
I think it’s fun to have a course that isn’t stuck in the past and has a different golf experience offered.
Golf Course Review McDowell Mountain Golf Club Scottsdale Arizona
Reviewed by: sdscratchorbust, Scottsdale
Golf Playing Conditions 8.00 GREAT
Played super twilight here tonight. The course is in really good shape.
I drive by the view of this course every day on my way home. I haven’t played here since summer but had to get out after seeing how green the course is.
The reseed set extremely well here. Greens rolled well, medium speed, held well.
Sad playing here during a winter evening with the soft conditions. My drives had lost 30 yards of carry versus when I had played here during summer. It definitely made the course more of a shot-makers course from the tips.
I don’t mind the power lines and I always enjoy playing here. Friendly design with some fun holes and enough challenge.
Played here twilight during the week last week. Stadium is PURE
It’s cart paths only and they have begun erecting the scaffolding on the closing holes. The bare bones of the stadium is up and you get to walk through the tunnel into the arena. It’s quite a feeling hitting a shot even inside the scaffolding.
The conditions are just about as pure as it gets. The bunkers look refreshed from the maintenance. They rough is super thick and tasty as they grow it out. Greens were near perfect. Fairways have fair amount of divots and some wear which is the only thing holding it back before being tour ready. It is quite a difference when you play on tour quality grass and sand.
Currently caddies are required during the day and the price is steep. But it is beginning to have the tour feel.
Reviewed by: sdscratchorbust, Scottsdale
Played here last night at 4:00.
Golf Playing Conditions 6.93 GOOD
To give the course a fair shake it appears the course has seen some effects from the recent monsoons.
The Review
The greens are surprisingly soft this time of year. Most likely from all the recent rain. They were rolling a medium to medium fast. However the greens have seen a lot of play. They have been pelted. The front nine greens are the worst. They are beat up with ball marks. At first I thought it was because people weren’t repairing their ball marks but then as the round progressed I noticed almost every pitch was leaving a divot and they were very difficult to repair due to the soft moist greens. Only this half is open and coupled with the monsoon softness the greens are heavily devoted.
The bunkers are superb here, consistent high quality. Not fluffy but very evenly maintained. The tee boxes are moderately worn too. They were lumpy and have the divots of a lot of plays. Some uneven tees but nothing dramatic. Fairways were lush because of the rain but there were lots of damaged areas. Fairways are a little beat up. Lots of residiual brown areas from when it was dried out before the rain. Also it appears they dug holes and added additional drains in low area of some fairways to help it drain so there is some damage from those.
Fortunately most of the damaged, heavily played holes were in the front half of the opening nine. Once you made the turn, and especially once you climbed to the mountain holes it gets pure. The Bermuda has grown in nicely in the shaded holes and fairways were lush on those holes.
Additional Comments
I can see why people either love or hate this course. Although I disagree with those who hate it. This course is desert golf that embraces the extreme. The monument rock in the middle of the fairway is sweet. The lava rocks sprinkled in the approaches is an awesome visual effect. The opening 9 is nothing too special past the first 3 holes but once it makes the turn uphill on the back nine this course is absolutely spectacular. The 12th, 14th and 15th holes are world class amazing holes. The 15th is absolutely stupid beautiful and amazing with it’s views.
I do agree 18th could use a little more substance as it’s quite easy. I personally love the minimalist finish. It’s the perfect complement to the first. The first hole is on the ridiculous side and makes you nervous about what you are about to embark on, then the 18th is an easy landing back to reality after the breathtaking finish to this course.
Final Thoughts
It’s the adult big brother to the Boulders in my opinion. The greens aren’t overly difficult. The course isn’t too tight and the approaches aren’t overly demanding. You have to play this course in control and strategic and can’t go driver every hole. The course isn’t too long and the short par 4’s balance out the two long 470+ plus ones which are quite demanding.
This is far and away the best course I’ve played out here and it is a must play to any golfer. I think it’s a spectacular display of golf course design and ingenuity.
This is a course I will pay to play during winter to see it in mint condition as it would be worth the winter rates.
Played the newly renamed course O’odham (formerly North) for $31 at 2:18 pm on a packed Sunday 05/27.
Setting the Stage
First things first is we called and booked to play the Piipaash (formerly South) because that course is easier and the one my dad wanted to play. Pulling up before the tee time and speaking with the starter, Scott, mentioned to us that Piipaash will be playing slow all day because of the amount of people and O’odham is open, as we looked over at the first tee of Piipaash and there were 2 foursomes waiting. So we took Scott up on the offer and changed courses. I didn’t mind and I think it showed awareness that the starter gave us the choice.
The Review
What Scott mentioned was Piipaash was just host of the Scottsdale Open about a week ago and the course was in “peak” condition. It’s sister course O’odham was this links course was definitely that too. Every tee and fairway was firm and made every shot sit up. The greens were amazingly pure and running around an 11+, really fast compared to most courses pre-summer heat. The bunkers were free of debris and texture good enough to play the shot you wanted regardless of bunker location (there is a lot of them, not Ak-Chin Southern Dunes a lot but there are some tucked away and placed in the fairways).
My Thoughts
The strategy and design of this course is difficult enough to make you grind all day. Not a course per say where you’ll have a lot of triple or bigger for bogeys but it seems like you can never get your footing to score. The first hole is easy and straightforward, however right after you have the hardest hole par 5 second according to women’s handicap and the following par 4 is the hardest hole according to men’s handicap. The first par 3 is a mid-iron bunker guarded green at the 6th. Every shot needs to be calculated (can be thanks to on cart touchscreen GPS) and every 4 foot putt lined up. The holes seems to play off each other well and by the end of the day you realize it’s been an incredibly wearing 18 holes, without any water. Crazy how a course can be difficult without water.
The pace of play (below 4 hours and 10 minutes) and customer service provided makes this course pleasant, while the challenge of the design and landscape makes this a must play in the summer when most won’t drop $150 come Winter/Spring peak.
Editor’s Note: We need photos of this golf course! Help out your fellow GKers and upload some photos HERE!
Played Starfire on the 18th of February at 3:10pm at $29 twilight rate. Showed up early in hopes of being allowed to go out as a single because I was paired with an unknown grouping of three people and luckily enough they let me start with a well known local at 2:50 instead. Awesome. The pro shop is near the bag drop just past the dining area so easy to find and all staffers were present and helpful.
The course itself looked in presentable shape for a few weeks away from Spring. The tee boxes were easy to find and always seemed ready to accept a tee. The fairways were near perfect, knowing some landing areas that were close to the green being divot filled I would attempt to lay-up or go for the green, THEY WERE BAD in some areas. The bunkers were overwatered in some areas because of recent rain but none of them were crusty. The rough was 1-3 inches high so rather consistent and green around fairways. Greens were rolling great even though there seemed to be pitchmarks every one step, definitely something I’d keep an eye on. All in all the shape wasn’t anything noticeable and didn’t keep me from playing good golf.
This Arnold Palmer designed course has 3 nines, King/Hawk/Squire. We were scheduled to play King to the Hawk for completion of 18. King was a great combination of gettable par 5s and risky par 3s with no par 4 bearing incredible difficulty or requirements on the long irons. A rather tame and attackable 9 holes designed by a go-getter golfer.
On our way to the back 9, there were 3 FOURSOMES waiting on the first hole. NOPE. I wish I could say we stuck it tough and played through but we couldn’t. I wish I could write a review for the rest of the course but I can’t. Ranger needs to facilitate better timing between groups or this course needs to be avoided until the summer, which is when the local said it could be enjoyed to its full potential. Wouldn’t return to play until then.
