TOM FAZIO
Those fortunate enough to stay at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon (thelodgeatventanacanyon.com,
800-828-5701) enjoy an embarrassment of golf riches, with a choice of two Tom
Fazio designs, both set in the foothills of the spectacular Santa
Catalina Mountains.
The routings of both courses are varied and perfectly paced.
Each course features two long par-3s, balanced by two shorter one-shotters. Each
has two short (reachable for the long hitter) par-4s, which present themselves
just when you’re ready for a bit of a breather—or a chance at redemption.
The Canyon Course is a bit more generous (laterally) off the
tee than the Mountain, but still has plenty of bite. No one who has played the
par-5 finisher when the pin is cut back right will argue this point. Perhaps
used when the superintendent is in a bad mood, you’ll find water just five paces
behind, in front and to the right of this hole location.
The Mountain Course is more visually intimidating, and has
more holes that can be described as “target golf.” Take, for example, the
one-of-a-kind No. 3. It’s a par-3 of only 110 yards, but the green is carved out
of the side of a mountain, with the tee located on another mountain with a
yawning valley in between. We’d recommend a bail out area if there were one; a
knock-down shot is your friend, here. Hoist a wedge up into the air and you’ll
be at the mercy of the swirling winds. This is a hole you’ll never forget. It is
often referred to as “the most photographed hole west of the Mississippi.”
You’ll also enjoy superb conditioning, with speedy greens
year-round, thanks to a new hybrid Bermuda
surface. And remember: putts break away from the mountains.
JAY MORRISH
Designer Jay Morrish, both by himself and with former design
partner Tom Weiskopf, can claim some of the greatest designs in Arizona golf,
including Forest Highlands, The Boulders, Troon Golf and Country Club, Stone
Canyon and TPC Scottsdale.
Another to add to the list: The Golf Club Scottsdale (thegolfclubscottsdale.com,
480-443-8868). Occupying a drop-dead gorgeous setting north of town, the course
has some of the most spectacular 360-degree views imaginable. No real estate
development intrudes upon the golf experience. In fact, 75 percent of the course
lies adjacent to state preserve land.
A number of design subtleties combine to make this a course
you’ll never grow tired of. For example, many holes offer shortcuts off the tee.
Most are blind shots (your aiming point will be a distant saguaro or rock
outcropping) to a narrow landing area. Pull it off, and you’ll be rewarded with
a shorter approach with a better playing angle. Play it safe and aim to the more
generous (and clearly visible) landing area, and you’ll be faced with a stiffer
challenge for your second.
There’s much more turf (90 acres) at The Golf Club Scottsdale
so it’s not what you might call target golf. Instead, it’s the fairway bunkering
that applies the pressure. For example, “pitch-out bunker” lies in the right
center of the landing area on No. 18. Hit into it and you’ll be forced to play
out sideways (hence the name). Be timid and aim too far left and you’ll be
through the fairway and into the desert.
The Golf Club Scottsdale is not all subtlety, however. In
fact, the green is pretty much straight away at the par-5 5th—641
yards from the tips! You know a par-5 is all you can handle when Tiger is forced
to hit his driver off the deck to reach it in two, as he was when playing the
course for the first time.
