Grayhawk Golf Club -- Talon Course
The Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale has become a prime destination for any golfer traveling to the Southwest. It boasts two 18-hole courses, the Talon and Raptor, which hosts the PGA Tour's Frys.com Open. Both courses are regularly placed in "Golf Digest's" top 100 to play, but the Talon is generally considered the better play because of its scenic design. The 6,973-yard Talon course provides a real-life postcard view of the McDowell Mountains and peeks at the Scottsdale and Phoenix skylines. For being in the desert, this course is lush with greenery but also provides plenty of fairway bunkers and two major water hazards. The canyons lining the back nine provide the most natural of elements on a spectacular golf course. The greens are fast and hard, but they allow for risk and rewards and a lot of bump and run.
8620 East Thompson Peak Parkway
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-502-1800
Grayhawkgolf.com
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
SunRidge is located in Fountain Hills, about 30 minutes northeast of Phoenix. This 6,823-yard course costs more than $100 less than Grayhawk to play. The greens fees will generally run you about $75 as of September 2009 and leave you with an incredible experience as both a golfer and a sightseer. The course is entrenched in its natural surroundings, taking you from the top of the canyon down to the foothills, then back up again. Like any well-kept Arizona course, you can play it all year.
If the sloped boundaries and unsettled washes aren't enough to throw you off, try the elevation changes--the back nine is played almost completely uphill. The signature hole is the 209-yard, par-3 17th, which features a 50-foot deep boxed canyon stretching 100 yards. The hole also has an alternate tee area, which is elevated over a horseshoe green. From this tee, it plays a long 152 yards. Club selection is the biggest challenge on this course because the yardage can be spectacularly deceptive.
13100 N SunRidge Drive
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
480-837-5100
Sunridgegolf.com
Christmas in Phoenix
Just because you're in warm weather doesn't mean you'll miss any holiday cheer. Phoenix is becoming one of the top holiday getaway spots in the country. The city and the surrounding area not only offer an incredible mountain and desert backdrop, but they also offer a plethora of holiday activities. Get a taste of the Old West, with the lights festival in Avondale. Catch a holiday boat parade in Tempe or Canyon Lake. Or simply enjoy the concerts and electric lights festival in downtown Phoenix. Leave the mittens at home, though; the average high for December is around 70 degrees.
About The Author
Sean Quinn is a writer and editor based in New York City. He has spent the last decade covering major sporting events from the NFL playoffs to the U.S. Open. He has written for the Kansas City Star and ESPN, among others. He is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
