Monday, March 20, 2006

CP's Top Three Scottsdale 36 hole combos!

Coming to Scottsdale, and want to get as much golf in as you can??? Here (in my humble opinion) are the best 36 hole days in the valley.

#1 - Gold Canyon - Sidewinder and Dinosaur Mountain

This is still my favorite 36 hole day. You've got both courses at the same facility, and it's good to warm up on the Sidewinder course in the morning, get your swing in shape, and grab a cold beer (and a prayer) at the turn to take on the formidable Dinosaur Mountain in the afternoon. It's a good 30-40 minute drive east from Scottsdale, but well worth it!

#2 - Golf Club at Eagle Mountain and SunRidge Canyon

Play two of the best tracks in the valley with Eagle and SunRidge - definitely play Eagle in the morning, as it's the more forgiving of the two - most of the fairways here are bowl shaped, so if you spray it a little off the tee, you're still O.K. Views are awesome, and Eagle has the best staff in the valley. Feeling confident? Super. Now we'll bury you on the back nine at SunRidge Canyon. SunRidge is a similar course as far as topography to Eagle, but MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. I think SunRidge has the best "3 finishing holes" in the state. #16, a true 3 shot par 5, then make sure to play from the tips at #17 - a ridiculous par 3 that's all carry over the valley, ending with a dog leg left long par 4 to finish. (No worries - you just gotta hit a 275 yard draw over fairway bunkers that are in play in order to have any prayer at par) You'll need a cold one after the back nine at SunRidge, but you'll HAVE to return...

#3 - TPC Stadium and Grayhawk Talon

For this one, you have to have 2 things... SOME GAME AND LOTSA CASH. Definitely one of the more expensive 36 hole combos, but worth the money if you wanna play where the pros do... Start at TPC Stadium, as the front nine is relatively gentle, and ends with a fantastic last 4 holes, then take the 10 minute drive north to Grayhawk Golf Club, where the clubhouse is spectacular, the service second to none, and the beer seems a little colder at Phil's Grill. Talon, a tougher test than TPC but not unfair for the typical hack if they play from the Terra Cotta tees. (5867 yards is all you'll want with this course if you're a 15 or more) I like Talon more than Raptor as it seems like the fairways are a little wider, and it has an island green on #17, "Devil's Drink" which is a great hole to take a little of your buddies pocket cash on a "closest to the pin" bet. Make sure to either have lunch before, or dinner after your round at Phil's Grill - great food and service, and some cool memorabilia.

Scottsdale has alot of great 36 hole days, but in my opinion, (and I've done 'em all), these are Scottsdale's "Top 3".

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