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Desert Golf-What to expect

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smokedhog

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Flying out to Scottsdale Friday for my first taste of desert golf and I'm not sure what to expect. How will ball flight, greens, etc be different from my normal course conditions?
 
Depends on what courses you play, stay out of the rough at all cost though, you may find some nasty snakes and critters, everything is so dry down here and the sand can be a bit rocky. But during this time of the year the weather is a bit better, except in the Phoenix area, but that has something to do more with Jan Brewer lol
 
Bring a desert club to get the ball back to the fairway. A friend of mine uses an old, heavy, sturdy putter for this. That way you don't mess up your good clubs. They made a "local" rule that they can only use it in the desert areas and it doesn't count against the club limit!
 
It really depends!

If you play a true desert course, you'll need to keep it in the fairway (of course lol) but being in the desert is especially tough because of the plants and whatnot. You run into stupid little shrubs or cactus that kill any chance of getting back to the fairway. Its almost like youre OOB anyway. The other problem is it may seem open but once a ball gets running in the desert, you just never know. Bring a club you don't mind getting scuffed up. I haven't seen a local rule for 15th club but it would be nice!

We have plenty of traditional courses as well. Orange Tree is a good example of a course in Phoenix that is really green, thick penalizing rough and tough greens. I played Encanto yesterday and it looks really open, but the greens had a lot of break and were pretty small.

Its still pretty hot so your ballflight wont really be effected. I've heard it flies further in more humid climates and that's partially been my experience. The greens and fairways I've played have been in really good shape for the summer but you have to be careful because a lot of courses are overseeding right now. So you'll see plenty with either poorly groomed fairways or shaved ones. Just call ahead of time.
 
Hey Tmex, do you go to a lot of places that really reduce their rates in July, August and September? When I went to Phoenix/Scottsdale a lot in the '90s, the courses were all but empty and we could play for almost nothing. (I remember I paid 14 bucks to play at the Biltmore, including cart). We would play as early as possible to be off the course by 10AM in in the pool drinking beers by 11!
 
Smallville said:
Hey Tmex, do you go to a lot of places that really reduce their rates in July, August and September? When I went to Phoenix/Scottsdale a lot in the '90s, the courses were all but empty and we could play for almost nothing. (I remember I paid 14 bucks to play at the Biltmore, including cart). We would play as early as possible to be off the course by 10AM in in the pool drinking beers by 11!
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Sure do man! LOL. Find you some really good hot deals on Golf Now. Especially since I have Monday's off. It's sometimes a little busy but it clears up after a few holes. I paid $30 to play Dinosaur Mountain man. And $50 to play Greyhawk! Which seems expensive but they're like $175 courses. Usually Redlyne finds a deal for $14 somewhere though haha.
 
What I've noticed is that the greens slope like the land- basically it slopes away from the mountains to the valleys and sometimes the desert greens can be tough and hard so bring a spinny ball and a hard putter lol
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
What I've noticed is that the greens slope like the land- basically it slopes away from the mountains to the valleys and sometimes the desert greens can be tough and hard so bring a spinny ball and a hard putter lol
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LOL yes. You do need a higher ballflight or just some spin to hold these greens. Its funny though because sometimes the greens can be really, really slow.
 
Tmex said:
LOL yes. You do need a higher ballflight or just some spin to hold these greens. Its funny though because sometimes the greens can be really, really slow.
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right? it's a hit and miss, I predict it lol, and then there's those flash thunderstorms that come out of nowhere dump all their piss and then they disappear, gosh I love the desert
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
right? it's a hit and miss, I predict it lol, and then there's those flash thunderstorms that come out of nowhere dump all their piss and then they disappear, gosh I love the desert
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Or the wind from nowhere. The front 9 of the course we played yesterday... wind impacting most holes.. Back 9... nothing!
 
Tmex said:
Or the wind from nowhere. The front 9 of the course we played yesterday... wind impacting most holes.. Back 9... nothing!
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It's so unpredictable, at the beginning of the year I played in like 30 mph wind on the back 9 and then it disappeared on the front 9. In the "spring" I take a rain coat, a thick coat and other things just in case the weather changes rapidly, desert golf is fun.
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
It's so unpredictable, at the beginning of the year I played in like 30 mph wind on the back 9 and then it disappeared on the front 9. In the "spring" I take a rain coat, a thick coat and other things just in case the weather changes rapidly, desert golf is fun.
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It sure is! I love it and hate it haha.
 
Smallville said:
Bring a desert club to get the ball back to the fairway. A friend of mine uses an old, heavy, sturdy putter for this. That way you don't mess up your good clubs. They made a "local" rule that they can only use it in the desert areas and it doesn't count against the club limit!
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This is a great idea, I can't count how many times I've hit into the rocky desert and had to bang up my clubs.

Also don't try to be a hero and just punch it on the fairway

Tmex said:
It sure is! I love it and hate it haha.
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yes it's a cruel Mistress!!

One time I hit into the middle of a Yucca, I had to hit it out since it was my second shot on the hardest hole on my course, I wanted a par, haha that did not turn out to well

Note: cacti are sharp and painful. . .
 
Tmex said:
Sure do man! LOL. Find you some really good hot deals on Golf Now. Especially since I have Monday's off. It's sometimes a little busy but it clears up after a few holes. I paid $30 to play Dinosaur Mountain man. And $50 to play Greyhawk! Which seems expensive but they're like $175 courses. Usually Redlyne finds a deal for $14 somewhere though haha.
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Man, I loved Dinosaur Mountain! I think I may have even liked that a bit more than We-Ko-Pa, which I though was amazing!
 
As far as an extra club I always carry a 4h that I'm ok with beating up and wedge that I have a love hate relationship with so I'm not upset if I trash it. I'll be playing at talking stick this weekend but I have no idea about overall course conditions or how it rates. Pretty sure it will be the only course I'll have a chance to play this weekend but should be a great overall time.
 
Talking stick is a nice track...I'm actually going to be there all weekend too lol.
 
Talking Stick is among the wider courses in the Valley and it's basically flat. It's a Troon facility, so it's usually in great shape. It's definitely a resort style course in that it's canted a bit more toward fun than challenge; not that *I* can score low there.

Looking at the overseed schedule, it looks like you'll play the North course, and you'll be on it more than a week before they close it for overseeding. The course may be a bit dry and cut a bit low, but you'll avoid the dreaded scalped conditions of the week before overseeding.

I always carry a rock club (don't play tournaments); I carry a beat up 6 iron.

Weather will be warm (95 here is warm but not really uncomfortable). They do have a shower. I don't recall if they offer towel service.

Just to throw it out there, the buffet at the adjacent Talking Stick Resort is well worth hitting.
 
I visited Scottsdale back in mid-June. I didn't notice any difference in ball distance. It was around 100 each day but we got out within an hour of first light and were finished before lunch each day. Hey its a dry heat. Seriously, compared to our humid summers here in Georgia, it felt so much better.

Played Kierland and both We-Ko-Pa courses. Loved all three.
 
Well I'm going to be there with the Pure grips round with Haney contest and didn't know what to expect. Not sure how much free time I'll have but I think I'm going to hit up the buffet for breakfast. I think all the other meals will be in a hospitality suite. And as far as the heat goes, I live in the middle of rice country. After a summer of 103 with 70% humidity I think I'll be fine.
 
smokedhog said:
Well I'm going to be there with the Pure grips round with Haney contest and didn't know what to expect. Not sure how much free time I'll have but I think I'm going to hit up the buffet for breakfast but I think all the other meals will be in a hospitality suite. And as far as the heat goes, I live in the middle of rice country. After a summer of 103 with 70% humidity I think I'll be fine.
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yeah man the most humidity we get is like 30% lol, I wonder if you'll meet c0ncept there
 
smokedhog said:
Well I'm going to be there with the Pure grips round with Haney contest and didn't know what to expect. Not sure how much free time I'll have but I think I'm going to hit up the buffet for breakfast. I think all the other meals will be in a hospitality suite. And as far as the heat goes, I live in the middle of rice country. After a summer of 103 with 70% humidity I think I'll be fine.
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Have fun in AZ!
 
Would be fun to meet another THP member, not many others from my area. 30 percent sounds like a dream, this summer I had one day with an actual of 107 and a heat index in the 117 range. That was a poor day to hit the driving range.
 
smokedhog said:
Would be fun to meet another THP member, not many others from my area. 30 percent sounds like a dream, this summer I had one day with an actual of 107 and a heat index in the 117 range. That was a poor day to hit the driving range.
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Will you be around on Monday? You are more than welcome to join Tmex and I for a round.
 
I would love to but I'm flying back out Sunday afternoon. I'm a school teacher and I'll also have to be out of my classroom on Tuesday for a state mandated meeting. I can't bear to leave my kids in the hands of a sub for three straight days.
 
smokedhog said:
I would love to but I'm flying back out Sunday afternoon. I'm a school teacher and I'll also have to be out of my classroom on Tuesday for a state mandated meeting. I can't bear to leave my kids in the hands of a sub for three straight days.
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I hear ya! Three straight days of videos will drive the kids nuts. Unfortunately I have plans this weekend, so I don't have time for a round while you are here. Maybe next time though!
 
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