Yo Tuq(or anyone else) ...where would u play out of these options on a Saturday next week
All players generally play vanilla courses like Starfire and Silverado and hit 90s, 100s.
Splurging on something new and interesting for holiday weekend...$50 or under though

Red Mountain Ranch CC -$45 2PM
Golf Club of Estrella -$50 1PM
The Duke at Rancho El Dorado -$39 1PM
Southern Dunes -$45 2PM
Papago -$45 1:30PM

not sure how fast or slow these courses play so thats why i put the start times
tnxs

I replied to this in PM already but FWIW I think there is not one obvious standout and they are all pretty good values and a sign of the economy and how it's affected the golf industry. The one I'm unsure on is The Duke, haven't played it but it seems like kind of a Coldwater/Camelback/Vistal tier course from what I have heard. Not bad but not spectacular. I advised that if he's gonna drive clear down to Maricopa to pay the extra $6 and play Southern Dunes, although with that tee time he may have a hard time finishing.

Jus moved to phoenix and jus started reading 2+2. Also am a professional golfer...playing pepsi and desert tour right now with 2 gateway events in the near future. Ive been priviledged with playing some sweet tracks thus far and ill toss out my top 5 jus incase anyone cares....

5...Silverleaf. would be higher if the greens werent in such bad shape but i really like the layout. toughest par 3s i have ever played and 18th hole is very memorable which i like

4...Camelback. the one right off hayden. first pepsi event i played was here and thought it was a extremely fun course. shot 71 with 8 birdies YIKES!

3...Mirabel. tough track from the back tees feels like u always have a 5 iron in ur hand to a tucked pin on the 4s and 3s are very well done lots of beauty in north scottsdale.

2...Anthem Ironwood course. jus a flatout good test tee to green. lots of demanding tee shots with great bunker work. the greens are massive and roll as true as any ive ever seen.

1...Desert Forest! amazing! if u get a chance to play it plz do! very tight off the tee but not very long so its playable. the greens are tiny and always super fast. its rumored mickelson goes there before the masters cus the greens putt like augustas...jus what i heard

Was supposed to play Sidewinder at Gold Canyon on Sat for $59 bucks....was raining so we called to cancel....guys says we still have to drive out there and cancel since its just lightly sprinkling or get charged...FU
We're about 2/3rds way there its pouring rain...call again pissed...get the manager...says we should have been able to cancel from home. Gives us free upgrade to Dinosaur for same $59 price anytime of day next time we play...sweeet.

I hear it is a sick sick course

yes, played dinosaur once, it's awesome

Interesting list, but Camelback being on there just doesn't fit. I mean, I like it - a few years ago I set a personal record with a 30 on the back nine at Indian Bend, six birdies and three pars, was out of my mind - but it's a tier or six below Silverleaf and Desert Forest. The latter of which was a very humbling experience for me...I played it for the first time when I was <1 HDCP and shot like an 85. Felt like I had the living crap beat out of me all day. I think the rating/slope are the toughest in the state. If you can play there, you can play anywhere.

How did u get on DF Tuq?

I have a friend who was a former member there and was hosting a 12 or 16-man golf outing (can't remember how many), we played Desert Forest in the morning then drove up to Sedona and played Seven Canyons the next day. Pretty sweet combo. I've played since with another member but like so many private courses out here I hear they are really having problems getting or retaining members so there may be ways to weasel your way on without too much trouble.

Desert Forest is particularly wonderful in that it's all about the golf. It's spent a lot of time on various golf top 100 lists but isn't pretentious at all. The clubhouse isn't much fancier than your average municipal course and they encourage you to drive carts on the fairway as opposed to the rough, so as to keep it from getting matted down. Well, I suppose they mostly endorse walking. There are no cart paths.

Basic Question: What is the optimal tee time for a round in Phoenix on a weekday in late April?


TL/DR Background: I'll be in from NYC and have time for one round on Wednesday April 28. Before NYC I played about 30x/year with a handicap of around 7.5. Since living here, I play about 3x or 4x/year and usually shoot 85-90. I only have time for one round, so--since I play so infrequently and therefore have some budgetary headroom--I figure I'll just play Troon North. I've got all day open, though, so I'm wondering if it would be better to play at 7:30am or 2:00pm (which is my estimate on the latest available time to be sure to get in all 18 with a ~7pm sunset at that time of year) or somewhere in between.

I figure the heat has got to play into this decision, but I've never played in the area so I'm not sure what's the best strategy. I grew up playing in North Texas, where I usually played in 100+ degree summer heat & high humidity. So if I can have the course to myself during a hot part of the day, vs play a 6-hour round during a cool part of the day, I'd much rather take the heat.

I can only make a tee time there 60-or-less days out, so I'm planning to call them this Saturday to book a time. It looks like golfnow.com is currently running fees at about 6% less than rack, so I figure I'll keep checking in with that site to see what deals may crop up. Otherwise, I'll just pay full freight.

tee times are gonna drop majorly once the calendar hits April 5th

Yea u are right about camelback not being in the same ballpark but i just enjoy a fun playable course. Playing beasts all day is great but a birdie fest mixed in is a good thing. Anyone on here play the mountain shadows skins game? its on tuesdays at 12ish if u havent played there its a real treat!

buffett,

Honestly, in late April temperature shouldn't be a concern. It's about perfect at sunrise and sunset barring extreme weather, with it likely to be fairly warm in the afternoon. Trivia fact: the average day on the calendar when it gets to 100 degrees for the first time is May 15th, which is my birthday, which is why I remember it. It could well be a high of 100 your day in April, but it could also be 80. The "dry heat" thing is especially true in the spring - even if it does get to 100, it won't last long and won't be too bad. In other words, don't let concern about heat guide you - if it's really hot that would be pretty unusual. Just play at the time of day you prefer, and if that's late in the day you may save some money on twilight rates. (EDIT: if your heart is set on Troon North, that's a pretty good choice albeit pricey. I'd recommend what's now called the Pinnacle course after the renumbering. It features what are probably the two best nines of the four.)

yellowjakets,

While I've never played in the Mountain Shadows game on Tuesdays, I've heard some crazy stories about how high the pot gets and the quality of players that play in it. If I ever played I'd pretty much be a donor but wouldn't mind watching some time. It is hands down the best executive course I've ever seen or played.

yea theres a ton of gateway guys who come out and play but the gross part never seems to be very low. i 1under 2 weeks ago and finished 4th for 175ish....a few months ago there was no skins for 4 weeks thus a 4 week carryover the pot was up 7950. im playng with my buddy ryan and we tee it on the back nine first, first swing of the day he jars it! crazy ****ing day we got sohammered on the course it was great. to bad he ended up having to chop with some guy but 4k is still a nice payday

I worked at The Raven for years (1995-2000) and hate to hear this. As your experience suggests, it was not only a great place to play, but a great place to work too. We knew we had a hit with the mango scented cold towels!

Mini brag here...used to work in the golf business during college and high school and still have a bunch of buddies with some pretty good hookups.

Playing Oak Creek Country Club at 9:30 AM on Saturday, then Sedona Golf Resort at 2:00 PM, and Seven Canyons anytime on Sunday if it isn't raining. We are staying in my buddy's villa at Seven Canyons. All golf rounds comped LOL. At least I am running good somewhere!

I have played Oak Creek CC and Seven Canyons a bunch of times, but somewhow never played Sedona Golf Resort, anyone have any experiences?

It's going to be a little chilly up there, but at least it will be fun!