Arizona Golf

What it really should boil down to is how much do you want to enjoy the day and how authentic of a "desert golf" experience do you wish to have? Rees Jones' Quintero IS a terrific course, but if you are hitting the ball sideways it is simply brutal. We-Ko-Pa offers two tracks: Go with Saguaro. It is a Coore/Crenshaw design that will give you a true "flow of the land" desert golf experience. Be prepared to make a couple of road trips, too: Run up north to Wickenburg to play Big Wick @ Wickenburg Ranch. Unique routing (six par threes, five par fives and seven par fours) make for an interesting round. Next, head south to The Golf Club at Dove Mountain, former home of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, designed by Jack Nicklaus. From all of the way back it is just a shade under 8,000 yards and it has some of the most remarkable green complexes that Mr. Nicklaus has ever put into the ground. The Saguaro to Tortolita routing is what they used for the tournament. I know I mentioned that Quintero could beat you up if you were hitting all over the place. That can happen here, as well... but the greens on this golf course, which were completely re-done after the babies on Tour whined so much, are something to behold. And if you REALLY want to have an experience, go out for a late emergency nine on the Wild Burro nine: THESE greens are tougher than the other two nines. Forget Kierland. Camelback is fine, but it is still residential golf in the middle of Scottsdale/Paradise Valley. Troon North, Grayhawk, TPC (Stadium and Champions) are all fine tracks. The Boulders courses remain terrific and are worth playing. Talking Stick North is actually better than all of the above. But if you are coming here to have a TRUE DESERT GOLF experience, you need to actually get out into the desert. Great golf courses indelibly etch themselves into your soul and the four courses suggested above are capable of doing just that.