DON'T FORGET YOUR CLUBS...VALLEY OF THE SUN RIVALS WINDY CITY AS A PUBLIC GOLFERS DREAM

I've always considered my hometown of Chicago as a public golfers dream.  Over 200 courses scattered from the Wisconsin to Indiana borders, from affordable muni's to PGA tournament quality tracks, are available to everyone.  Only one problem...winter!  Once the cold weather arrives, it's time to look for warmer climes, and one of my favorite getaways is to pack the clubs and hop on a flight to the Valley of the Sun, metro Phoenix.

The desert destination rivals the Windy City in both quantity and quality of accessible golf, stretching over 70 miles from Gold Canyon to the east to Buckeye to the west, with Scottsdale in the middle featuring over 20 full length courses populating the many upscale resorts.  I've played 7 rounds over the last 2 years in November and December, the perfect way to extend the golf year as the local season comes to a close.

Although you will certainly find the traditional tree lined parkland layouts common to the Midwest, it's the courses spread across the Sonoran desert that I find most inviting. Bright green ribbons of turf boldly stand out against the stark beauty of the rocky, cactus studded landscape, with the often mountainous terrain adding to the diversity and appeal.

Centrally located Scottsdale is home to several of the top courses and resorts in the area. Troon North features two acclaimed desert style layouts, and the Tom Weiskopf designed Monument and Pinnacle courses are both included in Golfweek's Top 100 U.S. Resort courses.  15 minutes south of Troon is the TPC Stadium course, another Weiskopf creation that in February transforms into the raucous home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which annually draws the biggest and most passionate crowds on the PGA tour.  A slightly less challenging (and less expensive) alternative at TPC is the Champions course.

In addition to the Troon North courses, Troon Golf Management operates over a dozen public facilities in the Valley, and these courses are considered as some of the top layouts in the area.  On my last visit in December I played the Troon managed Golf Club of Estrella, a scenic trip through the foothills of the Sierra Estrella Mountains in Goodyear, about 30 minutes southwest of Phoenix.  Other courses under Troon management include Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, Westin Kierland, Quintero and The Boulders, all included on Golf Advisor Senior Staff Writer Mike Bailey's list of Top 10 Public Course in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. 

The city of Phoenix has 117 holes of public golf under the governance of the parks and recreation department, with five 18 hole layouts included.  The Maryvale course in the southwest corner of the city was a basic muni for over 60 years, but a recently completed renovation by architect John Fought transformed the old layout into the Grand Canyon University Golf Course.  Stretching out to over 7,200 yards on a par of 71, the new design features mature trees, deep bunkers and some of the quickest greens I've ever putted on, a worthy challenge for the Division 1 GCU Lopes golf team and one of the best values in the area.

The other city owned course of note is Papago, located just east of the Sky Harbor Airport near Tempe. Papago under went its own multi-million dollar update in 2008, and the city has contracted with the other area D1 university, Arizona State, to manage the course and to eventually provide a new home for the schools men and women's golf teams.

In addition to Estrella and GCU, I also played the Trilogy at Vistancia in northwest metro Peoria and Red Mountain Ranch across town in Mesa. Vistancia, designed by Gary Panks, was awarded the prestigious Golf Digest 5 star designation in 2008, which placed it in the elite company of Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black and Bandon Dunes. Though I'm not sure if Vistancia met that high standard, the desert landscape studded with native grasses over rolling terrain is a good play and an affordable option to the pricier courses in Scottsdale.

Red Mountain Ranch is a private club that offers limited play to the public, and is a rare local Pete Dye design which features the typical severe green side mounding, sloping greens and trademark use of railroad ties that are often found at Dye courses.  Though only 6,600 yards from the tips, RMR sports a steep 146 slope, but the 7 combinations of tee lengths will let you find your comfort zone on this tough but fun layout.

I did my best to stay within a reasonable budget, as all 4 rounds I played in December ranged from $59 to $69, which are good prices for early winter.  The area is extremely season sensitive, so when the snowbirds and spring training visitors inundate Phoenix, the rates will rise accordingly.  A weekday morning round at the highly regarded Cholla and Saguaro courses at We-Ko-Pa topped out at $235, while online green fees at Troon North were $237. The TPC Stadium course will empty your wallet at an eye popping $349.  

"Those are the courses we play in the summer at a fraction of the cost," shared Axle Marcoline, a transplanted Chicagoan and avid golfer who moved to Phoenix 8 years ago. "But we have our list of "winter courses" that are good layouts and are reasonably priced, like Stonecreek in Paradise Valley and Vistancia." Here's a sample of courses from around the region that I've either played, had recent positive reviews on Golf Advisor or were recommended as good values, with current high season weekday morning rates for under $100 that will still give you time for an afternoon ball game and a few beers:

WEST VALLEY
Hillcrest (Sun City West) $44
Sundance (Buckeye) $47
Coyote Lakes (Surprise) $47
Wigwam Patriot (Litchfield Park) $99

PHOENIX
Aguila $47
Arizona Grand $55
Grand Canyon University $59
Club West $69
Stonecreek (Paradise Valley) $84
Papago $85

SCOTTSDALE
Orange Tree $59
McCormick Ranch $79
Silverado $94

METRO NORTH
Legend at Arrowhead (Glendale) $60
Desert Canyon (Fountain Hills) $85
Vistancia (Peoria) $89


METRO SOUTH
Coldwater (Avondale) - $62
Duke at Rancho El Dorado - $69 

EAST VALLEY
San Marcos (Chandler) $50
Lone Tree (Chandler) $58
Red Mountain Ranch (Mesa) $85
Superstition Springs (Mesa) $89
ASU Karsten (Tempe) $89
Gold Canyon Sidewinder $98
Las Sendas (Mesa) $99

Besides Golf Advisor, I extensively used the Arizona Golfer, Phoenix Golf Source, and Arizona Golf Authority websites to research the courses I wanted to play in December. Each website has detailed listings of all area courses plus helpful regional specific articles, with the Arizona Golf Authority currently running an article on the website that has the game schedules and park locations for all the teams training in Arizona.

I used the following criteria - good layouts from across the region designed by different course architects, with a $300 budget for 4 rounds over 3 days, and I was quite happy with Vistancia, GCU, Estrella and Red Mountain, but I think any of my top choices would have been equally rewarding as the depth of quality, affordable courses in the region rivals the Windy City.

So if you're heading out west to watch the World Champion Cubs or rebuilding White Sox, don't forget the clubs, as a morning round at one of the fine area golf courses followed by an afternoon spring training game cheering on the home town teams in the warm desert sunshine is a great way to spend a day in the Valley of the Sun.