A spring training trip to the Phoenix-Scottsdale area provides fans with several options for baseball and golf.
Watching a ball soar through a turquoise-tinted sky is always a treat. Whether it comes off the bat of Mike Trout or Yasiel Puig or was propelled by your 7-iron makes little difference.
So, to borrow a phrase from Ernie Banks, why not play two? Or watch two? Or, if in Phoenix/Scottsdale for MLB spring training, watch one and play one in the form of a game and a round, respectively.
Plan it right and it’s doable on the same day. And if long-range planning is your thing, mapping out a week to see the Angels in Tempe, the Dodgers in Glendale and the Padres in Peoria could be fun. And don’t forget about the World Series champion Giants (Again? Seriously?) who train in Scottsdale. With 15 teams in the Cactus League, there’s no shortage of baseball to see. And with more than 150 courses in the Valley of the Sun, there’s plenty of good golf to be played as well. Several of the courses are attached to or near a resort so long drives can be saved for the fairways and not the highways.
Ready to roll? Here are some possibilities.
BOULDERS RESORT
Jay Morrish designed two ruggedly beautiful courses from the rocks that define this property in Carefree. The North and South courses are built into the foothills and provide quirky views of boulder formations and the natural desert terrain. The 6,950 -yard North provides good balance throughout the round and has some of the best long views in the region. The 6,880-yard South, however, most fits in with the name of the resort, as the layout weaves in and out of some quirky boulder formations, including the course’s signature “Boulder Pile” and “Rosie’s Rock.”
EAGLE MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB
Panoramic views of the mountains are plentiful at this course in Fountain Hills. Designer Scott Miller didn’t disturb the desert tranquility when he crafted the player-friendly 6,760-yard layout that includes elevation changes, rolling hills and undulating greens. Water comes into play twice – at the picturesque, downhill par-5 10th hole that has valley views and a narrow fairway sloping toward the water, and at the 420-yard, par-4 finishing hole that has a100-foot descent from the tee to a green that is also bordered by water and nine bunkers on the right.
GRAYHAWK GOLF CLUB
This 36-hole gem in Scottsdale has two of the more colorful layouts you’ll see in a desert venue.
The David Graham and Gary Panks-designed Talon Course is a target-style layout with gorgeous views of the McDowell Mountains. The back nine is particularly attractive because of fairways that skirt box canyons and wind through trees and colorful plants.
Almost every tee shot has forced carry, so playing from the correct tee is important for approach shots to sloped greens and a shot to score well.
Tom Fazio put a premium on the short game when he designed the Raptor Course, which has greens that are large, undulating and run off at the edges. The layout rolls through hills and across natural washes typical of the Sonoran Desert, and the fairways are mostly generous with several large bunker complexes. Like the nearby Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, Grayhawk gives visitors a shot at playing a professional-caliber venue, as Raptor was the site of the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open from 2007-09 and both Talon and Raptor were used for the World Match Play Championships in 1995, 1997 and 1998.
KIERLAND GOLF CLUB
This club, which opened in 2002, has three nine-hole layouts — Mesquite, Ironwood and Acacia — that can be mixed and matched for multiple experiences. Most of the fairways are wide and mounded, and many of the possible trouble spots — such as lakes, dry washes and trees — are more scenic than penal. Even though it’s part of a resort and tucked into a Scottsdale residential area, the course has been recognized by Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary for having more than 45 species of wildlife and at least 30 native plant types. It also has a few alternative ways to get around the course for adventurous players – specially designed Segways, golf bikes and surfing-like GolfBoards.
LONGBOW GOLF CLUB
A nice set of risk-reward par-5s, well-sculpted bunkers and cool views of the Red, Usery and Superstition mountain ranges make this course in Mesa a popular stop for locals and visitors. A hole that best sums up the look and playing conditions is the 429-yard, par-4 fourth, which has a distinct dogleg to the left around water that also comes into play on the left side of the narrow green. The course’s No. 1 handicap hole was part of a major refurbishment that concluded in 2003 and enhanced the course’s desert features that include vast waste areas, large bunker complexes and several grassy depressions.
THE PHOENICIAN
Three nine-hole layouts give this Scottsdale site diversity for players who like to mix it up a bit. The Desert loop provides elevation changes; the Oasis has touches of water; and the Canyon has sweeping views of the valley because of its location on the southern slope of Camelback Mountain. All three nines are short, with the longest 18-hole setup being 6,300 yards, but shot-making skills will be tested. And there’s an island green, but since this is Arizona the putting surface of the 300-yard, par-4 ninth hole of the Desert course is surrounded by sand, not water.
QUINTERO GOLF CLUB
If you’re a connoisseur of par-3s, Quintero has a quartet that will linger in your mind long after you’ve departed the former private course in Peoria about 2,500 feet above the desert floor. Elevation changes provide spectacular long views and give players a feeling of seclusion. Each fairway appears to be its own private corridor because of the handiwork done by Rees Jones, who kept the natural feel of the rugged landscape.
Some of his best work is on the shorter holes, with the 219-yard No. 6, 212-yard No. 9, 200-yard No. 13 and 201-yard No. 16 providing a combination of beast and beauty from the back tees, which measure 7,208 yards.
Three of the par-3s have tee boxes high above the green, with the final hole of the front nine requiring tee shots to carry a water feature and land on a kidney-shaped green that falls off in the back and is bordered to the right by a large bunker. A handcrafted rock wall makes the putting surface a lovely – albeit elusive – target.
SUNRIDGE CANYON GOLF CLUB
Good golf courses often build to a crescendo but rarely tout something that might build anxiety as the round progresses. But not many layouts are like SunRidge Canyon in Fountain Hills, a course that closes with the Wicked 6, a half-dozen holes that are equal part clever marketing, gorgeous views and devilish design work.
Elevation changes on the 6,823-yard, Keith Foster-designed course make it different from many of its desert peers. The round unfolds around the rugged ridges and deep canyons that divide Fountain Hills from Scottsdale, and after a gradual descent on the opening holes players climb back up the slope on the way in.
A microcosm of the course can be found on the 14th hole, a 180-yard par-3 that plays downhill from terraced canyon tee boxes to a green flanked on the right by a lake. The contrast of colors and views that include Four Peaks can be hypnotic, but focusing on your tee shot is recommended.
The same goes for the remaining four holes of the Wicked 6, which closes with a 430-yard par-4 that veers to the left and requires an accurate tee shot to avoid bunkers in the landing area. That sets up a shot to an elevated green fronted by a wash and surrounded by bunkers.
TALKING STICK GOLF CLUB?
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are a dynamic duo when it comes to design and they didn’t miss a beat while crafting two lovely layouts at this Scottsdale facility. Located on and owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the North and South courses provide a weaving adventure through the grasslands and rugged bunkering on the North Course and the more traditional, tree-lined fairways of the South Course.
The North is the longer (7,133 yards) and more strategic of the two, but the South (6,33 yards) has more trees, so if you’re looking for occasional shade and more defined fairways, that’s the loop to choose.??
TPC SCOTTSDALE (CHAMPIONS COURSE)
Avid golf fans are familiar with TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, the site of the annual party-slash-golf tournament known as the Phoenix Open. Less familiar is the property’s Champions Course, which joined the TPC network seven years ago after a redesign by Randy Heckenkemper. Because of the desert terrain and tight fairways, Champions is often a stiffer test for amateurs than the Stadium Course.
Two of the more intriguing holes are Nos. 5 and 15. Both are par-4s with elevated tee boxes that give players options off the tee with split fairways. Big hitters will likely want to go straight for the green with their tee shots, but any ball not well struck will bounce around in the vast desert waste area.
Most other fairways are wide enough for all levels of play, thus providing golfers with a feel for playing championship desert-style golf without spending an extra $100 to do so. And the stellar mountain views are the same as the ones seen from the Stadium Course across the street.?
TROON NORTH GOLF CLUB
Cacti, arroyos, rock outcroppings and panoramic views of Pinnacle Peak and other mountain ranges are abundant on the two layouts at this Scottsdale treasure. Tom Weiskopf, who co-designed the Monument Course with Jay Morrish in 1990 and designed the Pinnacle Course in 1995, blended the courses in 2007 to improve playability.
One of the funkier holes in the region is the 244-yard, par-3 16th hole on the Monument where players can stand on the tee and gaze at quirky boulder stacks to the left and a putting surface about 120 feet below.??
RAVEN GOLF CLUB – PHOENIX?
This course (formerly the Raven at South Mountain) provides a splendid experience because of the layout’s diversity, which includes pine tree-lined fairways, multi-tiered greens and all of the other features associated with desert golf. Gary Panks and David Graham transformed the flat former cotton field into a layout that now includes a plethora of mounds and colorful vegetation. Some forced carries and tucked-away arroyos are the main lines of defense on the 7,078-yard layout.
VERRADO GOLF CLUB?
Located west of Phoenix at the foot of the White Tank Mountains in Buckeye, this layout offers golfers a fun experience because of the long views and elevation changes not often seen in the desert. The fairways on the 7,258-yard layout are mostly open, but approaches to the large and undulating greens can be tight, so make sure your short game is up to par before venturing out. John Fought and Tom Lehman did a nice job of working with the land and preserving the landscape’s integrity at this facility that opened in 2004.
SOUTHERN DUNES GOLF CLUB
At 7,300 yards, this course is big and bold and some of the best work done by the design team of Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley, particularly with the recent renovations at the course that opened in 2002 and was purchased by the Ak-Chin Indian Community in 2010.
Broad, fescue-framed fairways, clever bunkering and firm, undulating greens are framed by unobstructed mountain and desert vistas, and a complete bunker renovation, additional tee boxes, expanded landing areas and other design improvements in the past year have made the layout even more playable, attractive and sustainable.
The most noticeable change, however, is at the driving range that transforms into a six-hole short course at non-peak practice times.
PLAY BALL!
Here’s a primer for where to go to see your favorite Southland teams:
ANGELS
Park: Tempe Diablo Stadium
Address: 2200 West Alameda Drive, Tempe
Seating capacity: 9,600
Parking: 1,350 spaces on opposite sides of the stadium that fill up fast before practices and games. Office complex lots across the street are used when stadium parking space is full.
Practice fields: Next door to the stadium, extending to 48th Street. The big league fields are closest to the stadium; the four fields at the back of the complex are for Angels’ minor leaguer practices and games.
Contact: (480) 350-5205
First spring home game: March 5 against Milwaukee
Last spring home game: April 1 against Oakland
Public golf options in Tempe: Rolling Hills Golf Course in Papago Park is an executive course good for short-game work or a quick round; Ken McDonald Golf Course is consistently ranked as one of the metropolitan area’s top daily fee courses.
DODGERS
Park: Camelback Ranch
Address: 10710 West Camelback Road, Glendale
Seating capacity: 13,500
Parking: 5,000 spaces divided between two lots, only one of which is partially paved. The dirt parking lot behind center field is accessed directly from Camelback Road on days it’s needed.
Practice fields: The Dodgers share the facility with the Chicago White Sox, with Dodgers practice fields on the eastern side of the campus; a lake separates the teams’ practice areas.
Contact: (623) 302-5000
First spring home game: March 4 against the White Sox
Last spring home game: March 31 against the White Sox
Public golf options in Glendale: The Arnold Palmer-designed Legend at Arrowhead Golf Club has six lakes, numerous doglegs and sloping greens; The 500 Club at Adobe Dam has 27 holes to fit all levels of play.
PADRES
Park: Peoria Sports Complex
Address: 16101 North 83rd Ave., Peoria
Seating capacity: 11,300
Parking: 2,700 paved spaces total on two sides of the stadium.
Practice fields: The Padres share the facility with the Seattle Mariners. Fans heading to the Padres’ practice facilities should park in the stadium’s east lot. The training complexes are adjacent to the main stadium, running parallel to the first base line (Mariners) and extending beyond it (Padres). Practice fields are numbered 1 through 6, with 1 and 2 for minor leaguers and 3-6 for players reporting to camp.
Contact: (623) 773-8700
First spring home game: March 4 against Seattle
Last spring home game: April 2 against Milwaukee
Public golf options in Peoria: Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia has stunning desert backdrops and is the only course in Arizona to earn a 5-star rating from Golf Digest; Peoria Pines Golf & Restaurant is a par-63 course with five water features.
