Here comes the sun. Again. After all, this is Phoenix/Scottsdale where, to alter an Ernest Hemingway title, it always rises.
It also looks gorgeous as it illuminates, peeps through and eventually pops over the quirky rock formations at The Boulders, the aptly named resort in Carefree that opened in 1985 but was millions of years in the making.
Part of the Waldorf Astoria brand, The Boulders and its two golf courses spread out over 1,300 acres of Sonoran Desert, where endless foothills, granite boulders, cacti, indigenous plants, wildflowers, palo verde trees and other rugged foliage combine for an eerily beautiful scene.
The North and South courses at The Boulders vary enough to give visitors a different feel if multiple days of golf are on the agenda. Both of the Jay Morrish-designed layouts have received national recognition and differ slightly from many desert designs in that forced carry off the tee isn’t a constant part of the round. But that doesn’t mean sprayed tee shots will easily be found because desert waste areas are prevalent, as they are in most places in this part of the country.
“The courses are really integrated into the environment,” said director of club operations Tom McCahan. “The holes play through the rocks and around the washes. We’re blessed with a great piece of ground and two spectacular layouts.”
The North plays slightly longer than the South (6,811-6,726 yards), but the latter is the one to play if stunning views are what attract you to the links. The South’s layout is closer to some of the property’s eclectic rock formations, and many of the putting surfaces are near boulder piles that combine with other foliage to handsomely frame green complexes. The North is a little more open regarding fairways, and the desert areas and washes are a bit wider and deeper.
“It’s really a great combination,” McCahan said about the layouts that get a combined 70,000 rounds a year between members, resort guests and public play. “When we have all 36 holes open, which we do for most of the year, we alternate the courses between member and guest play, so a guest can get two distinct golf experiences if desired.”
Off the links, the 160 casitas and 61 pueblo villas and haciendas blend into the landscape and have a calming and spiritual feel. The stone-colored adobe structures are grouped in village-like clusters around a main lodge that houses a couple of the resort’s restaurants and lounges. A lively dining experience can also be had at the Spotted Donkey Cantina at el Pedegral, an outdoor shopping and culinary area that is part of the resort’s sprawling property.
A centerpiece of the serene scene at The Boulders is the resort’s 33,000-square foot spa, health and fitness center. The relaxing site has one of the property’s two pools, in addition to various treatment rooms, exercise locations, movement rooms, a yoga studio, café and an organic garden. It’s all a refreshing microcosm of the Southwestern aura and Native American influences that are prevalent in the region.
“You have everything here,” McCahan said. “And since it’s all owned by the same people and carries the Waldorf Astoria name, that makes it pretty special.”
