ARIZONA GOLF AUGUST 2026
insider
INTRODUCING
A dot focal point and long alignment line help anchor your gaze, aiding in accuracy and consistency.
FORGIVENESS WITH FEEL Elastomer insert delivers soft, responsive feel and distance control.
©PING 2026 | P.O. BOX 82000 PHOENIX, AZ 85071
Onset shaft position in Ally Blue and Ketsch models allows you to see entire face for improved alignment.
A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. With a striking white finish, the multi-material, high-MOI Scottsdale TEC putters introduce EYE Q, an alignment technology inspired by eye-tracking research that helps you focus and sink more putts. Each model positions the CG behind the shaft axis to ensure the CG is pulled through the stroke for stability while delivering the torque requirements to match your stroke type.
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Editor’s Letter
SEEDS OF CHANGE Transition is a word we hear regularly in golf. It can be in the context of a golfer initiating the downswing from the backswing, and often at this time of year in Arizona when speaking about the process of overseeding and courses transitioning from dormant Bermudagrass to fresh fairways of green ryegrass. This two-to-three-week process that courses undertake is an annual event that golfers in Arizona plan around as they schedule
my wife and I will officially transition into empty nesters. It’s a funny thing spending 18 years preparing your children to go out into the world and be good humans and then feel the pangs of sadness when they grow into those people and head out on their own. Fortunately for me, while both my son and daughter have now left the nest, they will always be my kiddos and for that I am ever grateful.
their weekly games.
So, as you transition through
For me, this year is
Arizona Golf Insider, my hope
highlighted by another transition, and it’s one that involves neither the golf swing nor golf courses. This month, my youngest
the pages of this issue of is you find some reminders of what makes you grateful for this game that is part of all our lives.
child, my favorite little girl, is heading off into the world as a college freshman and
Jason Knybel jason@azgolf.org
Arizona Golf Insider
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ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER 5555 E Karsten Way, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85008 (602) 944-3035 | azgolf.org
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS
John Souza, President Tim Hulscher, Vice President Jackie Bertsch, Vice President Vera Ciancola, Treasurer COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Abe Candelaria III Harry Cavanagh Jr. Victor Ferreira Tameka Fox Hartman Jay Pennypacker Joe Shershenovich, PGA Rod Tomita
A Z G O L F S TA F F
Catherine Carmignani, Executive Director Angela Mead, Manager of Strategic Projects & Administration Mark Rosato, Head of Growth & Innovation
S TA K E H O L D E R R E L AT I O N S
Alex Tsakiris, Assistant Executive Director/Head of Stakeholder Relations Mike Mason, Director, Handicapping & Course Rating Peg Tanner, Volunteer Manager
At AZ GOLF, we exist to connect golfers with the greatest game on this green earth. As the governing body of Arizona golf, we continuously strive to elevate the sport and unlock access for all levels of players — embracing beginners’ road to refinement while celebrating competition amongst champions.
ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER (ISSN 2765-9054) is published four times per year by AZ GOLF. It is supported by member dues, utilizing $5 per member per year. No part of this magazine may be reproduced for use as an advertising, publicity or endorsement item without written approval from AZ GOLF. Arizona Golf Insider is offered on a subscription basis for $12.95 annually. Individual copies may be obtained by forwarding $5 to the address above. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AZ GOLF, 5555 E Karsten Way, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85008
F I N A N C E & A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
Daniel Shoup, Head of Finance & Administration Vivian Kelley, Accounting Administrator Chloe Wood, Office Coordinator Susan Woods, Senior Manager, Accounting
MEMBERSHIP
Anj Brown, Head of Membership Meagan Garber, Senior Manager, Community Relations & Development Sharon Goldstone, Customer Relations Manager Eric Hickenlooper, Membership Services Manager Kathy Laux, Club Services Coordinator
M A R K E T I N G & C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
Jason Knybel, Head of Marketing and Communications Corey Cavanaugh, Marketing Manager Tom Skulski, Content & Communications Manager
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Logan Rasmussen, Head of Championships Alicia Barron, Tournament Program Coordinator Amy Fruhwirth, Championships Manager Austin Pelias, Championships Manager Kylie Shoemake, Assistant Director of Competitions
U S G A P. J . B O AT W R I G H T I N T E R N S Jack Dempsey Lauren Gurney Chris Stephenson
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Produced for AZ GOLF by
FCP President
George Fuller george808fuller@gmail.com Ma n a g i n g E d i t o r
Tom Mackin Designer
Randi Karabin | Karabin Creative Contributors
Christina Barrueta Malcolm Campbell Corey Cavanaugh Joe Passov Tori Schuller Tom Skulski
Front Nine
Halfway House
Back Nine
Club Room
8 | News & Notes
24 | Green Highway
42 | Shutterbug
54 | 19th Hole
32 | The Cool(er) Clubs
50 | Industry Q&A
58 | Fitness & Wellness
14 | Column
A Nostalgic Return to the Wild West
16 | Sustainability
Golf Courses & Water; Every Drop Counts
18 | Classic Course
New Zest in the Old Pueblo: Tucson Country Club
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On the Cover
The annual overseeding process is now underway throughout Arizona.
Escape to the California Coast
Indoor Golf Provides an Escape from the Summer Heat
36 | B ack to the Future
Scottsdale Country Club
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Arizona’s Short Courses are Long on Fun Jake Hoselton, CEO and Co-founder Grass Clippings
52 | Challenge Hole
Torreon Golf Club, Cabin Course No. 8
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The Oakmont at Continental Country Club
60 | Allied Associations
Golf Gear for Good
62 | Instruction
with Amy Fruhwirth
64 | Rules of Golf 66 | Handicapping 68 | Parting Shot
54 Arizona Golf Insider
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OPPORTUNITY THROUGH GOLF The relaunch of the AZ GOLF
By working alongside
Foundation this month is a
industry partners, community
milestone worth celebrating.
organizations, donors and
I am incredibly proud of the
golfers, we can better
work our staff and volunteer
understand where needs
leaders have done to shape
exist and direct our efforts
the Foundation’s next
where they can have the
chapter. This effort has been
greatest impact. In doing so,
thoughtful and intentional
we can strengthen the game
from the beginning, driven
while also making a positive
by a shared belief that AZ
difference in the communities
GOLF has both an opportunity
golf touches throughout
and a responsibility to make
Arizona.
a meaningful impact on the future of golf in Arizona.
The relaunch is an exciting step forward for AZ GOLF and
At the heart of the Foundation
an important extension of our
is a simple purpose: helping
mission to engage the Arizona
more people access,
community through the game
experience and thrive in
of golf. I am proud of what our
the game of golf across
team has built and even more
Arizona. We believe in
excited about what lies ahead.
creating opportunity through golf — whether that means introducing someone to the game, supporting those with hopes and dreams within it or investing in programs and partnerships that create meaningful and lasting connections.
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@azgolfassociation
Catherine Carmignani
Executive Director’s Letter
Arizona Golf Insider
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Front Nine | News + Notes
Arizona Women’s Amateur Alexis Vakasiuola captured the 52nd Arizona Women’s Amateur Championship in late June at Terravita Golf & Country Club in Scottsdale. After finishing just 1 stroke shy of the title a year ago, Vakasiuola returned with rounds of 70, 71 and 73 to win the 54-hole championship and complete a memorable redemption story. The 18-year-old claimed her first Kachina Trophy and earned an exemption into the 126th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at The Honors Course in Tennessee, where she had rounds of 81 and 73 in stroke play.
Arizona Amateur Brody Leid etched his name into AZ GOLF history in June, capturing the 102nd Arizona Amateur Championship at Tucson Country Club. The 19-yearold Phoenix native played eight rounds in six days, advancing through a field of 130 players to claim the title. After surviving 36 holes of stroke play to earn the No. 24 seed in match play, Leid defeated a series of Arizona’s top amateurs before earning a 3&2 victory over Victor Larsson in the championship match. The win secured Leid a spot in the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania, where he shot 74-73 in stroke play.
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YOUTH ON COURSE
Overseed Schedule
Youth on Course gives golfers ages 6-18
across the state are scheduled to freshen up
access to golf for $5 or less at participating courses across Arizona. The $40 annual
The 2026 Arizona golf course Overseed Schedule is here. Visit azgolf.org/2026overseeding-schedule to see when courses their fairways before you book your fall round.
fee includes an AZ GOLF membership and a GHIN Handicap Index. Through its partnership with the JGAA, AZ GOLF helps subsidize play at more than 40 Arizona golf courses, providing over 10,000 juniors with affordable access to the game and the opportunities it creates. Learn more at azgolf.org/youth-on-course-az
Arizona Golf Insider
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Front Nine | News + Notes
High School Rules & Etiquette Seminar Access to golf remains a challenge for high school players in Flagstaff, where previously just one public facility served an increasing number of student-athletes. As local coaches worked to create more playing opportunities, AZ GOLF came in to support those efforts while also preparing golfers to be great stewards of the game. At the end of July, AZ GOLF hosted a High School Rules & Etiquette Seminar at Continental Golf Club, where studentathletes learned about the Rules of Golf, pace of play, course care and proper on-course etiquette. The seminar helped open the door for practice and playing opportunities at private clubs in the area.
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Adaptive Clinics @ X-Golf AZ GOLF has partnered with the City of Scottsdale’s Adaptive Sports Program and X-Golf Scottsdale to host Discovery Golf Clinics for adaptive athletes. Each free clinic welcomes approximately a dozen participants ages 16 and older across four simulator bays, with PGA HOPE instructors providing personalized instruction and guidance for golfers of all experience levels. The clinics are designed to introduce the game in a fun, supportive environment while helping participants build confidence and develop skills they can carry onto the golf course.
Arizona Golf Insider
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INTRODUCING
Expanding opportunity for more people to access, experience and thrive in the game of golf across Arizona.
ACCESS Ensuring that golf is for everyone. Opening doors to the game of golf for all through programs like Youth on Course and Adaptive Golf initiatives.
PATHWAYS Supporting golf dreams. Funding programs, such as Team Arizona, that help golfers reach their full potential.
STEWARDSHIP Building the future of Arizona golf. Investing in the people, programs and places that make Arizona golf special – ensuring we’re creating a stronger future for all.
azgolf.org/foundation
Front Nine | Column
A Nostalgic Return to the Wild West
BY MALCOLM CAMPBELL
I hadn’t played more than a handful of rounds of golf with my son Dugald since he was about 10 years old, close to 40 years ago, when he called me this past February. “Dad, do you fancy coming over for some golf and some sunshine?” Since he lives in Western New York near Buffalo, and I a few miles from St Andrews on Scotland’s weather-exposed east coast, it didn’t take long to figure that as a pretty tempting prospect. “Your choice where we go and where we play,” he added. I responded instantly. “How about a week this April in the Arizona desert?” The Wild West has forever been an attraction beckoning this lifetime resident of Scotland. I remember my first visit to Arizona in the mid-1980s and being awestruck by the whole place. The giant saguaro cacti, the distant mountain ranges and the raw desert landscape. It brought to life childhood memories of backdrops in the black and white movies showing the Lone Ranger and Tonto and that sudden death playoff between Wyatt Earp and the Clanton Boys at the O.K. Corral. What solidified my love of the desert early on was a chance meeting there with my old golf pal Paul Walker. We bumped into each other while staying in adjacent rooms at the small Citadel Hotel (no longer there) on Happy Valley Road in North Scottsdale. Paul had bought a home nearby along with a membership at the then newly-opened Troon Country Club. For more than two decades I played with him in the member/guest tournament there. It remains one of my favourite places anywhere. I took my son there on our recent trip for a stroll down memory lane and found that doyen of head professionals, Tim Rafferty, still ably running the show. He greeted me like I had never been away.
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Left: Playing the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club. Below: Malcolm Campbell and son Dugald at Troon Country Club. Bottom: Campbell and posse at the Dinosaur Mountain Course, Gold Canyon Golf Resort.
From Camelback to Grayhawk, Gold Canyon’s Dinosaur Mountain to Kierland Golf Club and the delightful Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa — where I hope to return to see the new clubhouse now under construction — there’s an Arizona diet of great golf to feast on that makes the long journey from Scotland well worth it. Plenty of memories remain for me away from the courses, too. Like boisterous evenings up at one of my favourite old haunts in Cave Creek, The Horny Toad, where the burgers are as meaty as the chat and the clientele. My son and I joined some friends there during our April trip, an evening that jogged memories from an earlier Arizona visit. It took place at a local
If you love golf — and I’ve played around the world for more years than I care to recall at this point — you’ve got to love Arizona. A bundle of America’s top PGA Tour players can’t all be wrong. They don’t live in Scottsdale because they like the Convention Bureau’s ad campaigns.
“Arizona. It’s not Scotland, but hell boy, I can’t wait to go back.” —MALCOLM CAMPBELL
establishment, whose name I can’t at this distance in time remember. But I can still see a sheriff with a deputy on each shoulder crashing through the swinging doors as we sat at long tables drinking beer and getting into the music from the band. As the sheriff stopped,
They moved there because the royal and
adjusted the six-guns strapped
ancient game and the desert lifestyle
to his legs, and looked up from
make the perfect fit.
under a ten-gallon hat the size
Over the years I’ve played dozens of courses in the state, from Troon CC to the former PGA Tour stop at Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa in the south; from wonderful Jack Nicklaus-designed courses like Desert Highlands Golf Club to the seven that have his signature on them at Desert Mountain Club. In Fountain Hills there’s We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, where I have happy memories of battles with the esteemed managing editor of this very publication. It was one of the
of the Grand Canyon, the band stopped like they’d been hit by a bull. We all kept our heads down as total silence descended. The two deputies strolled into the men’s room, came out with a poor unfortunate by the scruff of the neck, and threw him out the swinging doors. The sheriff looked back, hitched his guns and the band took up where they had left off as if nothing had happened!
courses I took my son to on our recent
Arizona. It’s not Scotland, but hell
Arizona odyssey.
boy, I can’t wait to go back.
Arizona Golf Insider
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Front Nine | Sustainability
DROPCounts
Every
WATER ISSUES POSE IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE FOR ARIZONA BY JASON KNYBEL
Every Drop Counts. Three words that seem relevant now more than ever. The megadrought we have been
Living in Arizona, we recognize
For decades, the golf industry
that water is a precious
has been not only a proactive
resource, and as golfers in the
participant in conservation
state, we also recognize that
efforts, but a leader in the
our ability to play the game we
space.
love hinges on golf’s ability to provide water to our courses in an efficient and measured manner.
@azgolfassociation
the most water-efficient golf courses in the world, thanks to the deep expertise of Arizona
experiencing for the past 26
With over 325 golf facilities
golf course superintendents
years continues to plague
serving over 650,000 golfers
who work behind the scenes
the Southwest, with record
in the state and a tourism
to use as little of the resource
low precipitation and higher
industry that relies on these
as possible while maintaining
than average temperatures
facilities, golf is a vital piece
superior playing conditions.
contributing to the prospect
of the fabric of Arizona. The
of increasing aridity now and
game serves as a physical
into the future.
outlet for juniors, seniors and everyone in-between.
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Arizona is home to some of
Arizona golf has been a leader in the adoption of
proactively with water providers and policymakers around the state to technological advancements,
communicate golf’s impact
such as turfgrass research
and water stewardship.
to develop drought-tolerant strains that reduce water usage; investment in smart irrigation systems; utilization of soil moisture meters to fine-tune irrigation needs; investment in and use of wetting agents and irrigation audits to maximize water stewardship; replacing turfgrass in non-playable areas with native landscapes to reduce the total turfgrass acreage and limits pre-acre irrigation totals; and utilizing alternative water sources such as reclaimed and recycled
The question that remains is what can you do? Beyond acting as a responsible steward of your own water usage, here are two ways you can help: 1. Share the story of the work the industry is doing to save water at Arizona golf courses. 2. Be an informed golfer by visiting azgolf.org/ every-drop-counts and add your name to the AZ GOLF Support Network to stay abreast of changes as they
water. All of these investments
happen.
and implementations lead to
Remember, Every Drop
golf utilizing only 2% of daily water usage statewide. With the ongoing drought
Counts. And together we can spread the word that Water Matters. Golf Matters.
diminishing our resources
"For decades, the golf industry has been not only a proactive participant in conservation efforts, but a leader in the space." —JASON KNYBEL
and the upcoming expiration of the operational guidelines defining how Colorado River water rights are managed, the federal government recently announced a river management framework which will require Lower Basin states (Arizona, California and Nevada) to use less water. For Arizona, that means reducing roughly 30% of the state’s annual supply starting January 1, 2027. Through the Arizona Alliance for Golf, the industry’s advocacy arm, the golf industry has been working Arizona Golf Insider
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NEW ZEST
BY JOE PASSOV
IN THE OLD PUEBLO
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@azgolfassociation
Front Nine | Classic Course
TUCSON COUNTRY CLUB BLENDS A STORIED PAST WITH A DYNAMIC FUTURE. PHOTO BY COREY CAVANAUGH
Arizona Golf Insider
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“The strongest impression is that Tucson Country Club feels like a living piece of Tucson itself.” – STEVE ELIAS, DIRECTOR OF GOLF
Quietly tucked into a low-key
So much so that Tucson CC’s
Within the past five years,
neighborhood in the shadow
club championship trophy
it has welcomed the next
of the Catalina Mountains,
is called the Updegraff Cup;
generation with a bear hug,
Tucson Country Club resides
he captured that title on no
becoming the new home
in rarefied air. No private club
less than 27 occasions. The
for the University of Arizona
in southern Arizona yields
universal respect afforded to
men’s and women’s golf
more history and wields more
Updegraff as a person and
programs. In addition to
influence. Host to the Arizona
player was such that in 1990
a course renovation and
Amateur for the ninth time
AZ GOLF established the
expansion, and the addition of
this past June, it’s also clear
Updegraff Award, its highest
world-class practice facilities,
that no private golf course in
honor, given to an individual
the club houses the William M.
the Southwest so successfully
whose dedication, leadership
“Bill” Clements Golf Center,
fuses traditional golf values
and service have made a
a $14.8 million facility that
such as walkability and
lasting and positive impact on
elevated Wildcats Golf into
playability with a big-time test
golf in Arizona.
elite territory for college
of golf.
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@azgolfassociation
Yet, Tucson CC doesn’t
facilities.
Few represented those values
cling solely to its admirable
At its heart, however, Tucson
and conquered the layout’s
Updegraff connection.
CC is a classic golf and social
formidable challenges more
club where generations of
than the late Dr. Ed Updegraff.
families gather.
Front Nine | Classic Course
Above: Tucson Country Club legend Ed Updegraff with the U.S. Senior Amateur trophy he won in 1981. Left: The Santa Catalina Mountains provide a memorable backdrop at the par-3 12th hole.
A STORIED HISTORY
moving northeast of the city.
Tucson CC was the pre-World
Founders secured the 580-
War II brainchild of the Old
acre Rancho de la Sombra,
Pueblo’s most prominent
turned Billy Bell loose and
citizens, among them the
planted countless pines to
Drachmans, Boices and
provide instant definition and
Amoses, who had grown
character. Mesquites also
disenchanted with the city’s
dotted the property, along
only other private club, El
with cottonwoods and willows
Rio, which opened in 1929. It
on the holes that edged the
wasn’t that members disliked
adjacent Rillito River.
the layout — after all, they hired the same architect who created El Rio, William P. Bell, to design the new course. Rather, El Rio resided on the west side of town and Tucson’s movers and shakers were increasingly
Opening day took place on February 8, 1948, and Bell rang up a heralded design, one listed in the April 1949 issue of Esquire magazine as one of the world’s 18 mustplays. It has since hosted 19 USGA championship qualifiers, nine Arizona
TOP LEFT PHOTO BY MIKE GOGEL; TOP RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY USGA; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY COREY CAVANAUGH
Arizona Golf Insider
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Amateurs, the 1964 Western
demand is still there for a
With formidable length since
Amateur, the 1982 U.S. Senior
quality golf shot,” he said.
the earliest days, it might
Amateur and the 1992 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.
“Golfers do not simply play a round here – they participate in a continuing story that has unfolded on the same ground for nearly 80 years.” – STEVE ELIAS
tests, as well as one of the
Measuring 6,833 yards just
most scenic, given its setting
25 years ago, a Mike Gogel
astride the usually dry bed
renovation in 2023 pushed
of the Rillito River. “Not only
the back (or “Updegraff”)
is length a factor,” said Elias,
tees to 7,533 yards while also
“but the green is challenging
enhancing greens — many are
as it slopes away from you.
now surrounded by sharp fall-
It’s tough to hold even with a
offs — and greenside bunkers.
short iron or wedge in.”
Rated 76.2 from those back tees, the slope is a more modest 133, indicating that the layout is long but playable.
Another standout is the 237yard, par-3 17th, with trees and bunkers filling the picture, as well as the Catalinas as
When it comes to individual
a scenic backdrop. Playing
holes, Director of Golf Steve
at 217 yards on day one of
Elias has a clear favorite. That
the Arizona Amateur stroke
would be No. 12, a 179-yard
play qualifying this year, it
par 3 that might just be the
registered as the toughest
best hole on the entire course.
hole, with a scoring average
“It isn’t long by any means,
of 3.53.
a fall-off if you miss long-left and water looming short, the @azgolfassociation
among the course’s toughest
PARKLAND SPLENDOR
but with the design having
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The 605-yard, par-5 13th is
be hard to imagine golfers going exceptionally low. Post-renovation, U of A golfer Filip Jakubčík, who in 2026 became the first Wildcat to earn first-team All-American honors since 2004, has posted a 61. That score was matched during stroke play qualifying at this year’s Arizona Amateur by 17-year-old Ethan Butters, who just finished his junior year at Perry High School in Gilbert. At Butters’ age, he might well be mistaken for a caddie. Appropriately enough, Tucson CC has a proud tradition of caddies since the club’s inception and continues to be involved in the national Evans Scholars Program which provides $125,000 for college tuition and housing over four years to successful applicants.
TOP PHOTO BY MIKE GOGEL; RIGHT PHOTO BY COREY CAVANAUGH
Front Nine | Classic Course
Those young loopers are adding their own chapter to the rich history of a course long respected as a treasured throwback of old line, fun-toplay golf. “The strongest impression is that Tucson Country Club feels like a living piece of Tucson itself,” Elias said. “As the city has grown and changed around it, the club has maintained many of the qualities that defined it generations ago. That combination of mature, treelined landscape, timeless architecture, walkable design and enduring traditions give the property a sense of permanence. Golfers do not simply play a round here — they participate in a continuing story that has unfolded on the same ground for nearly 80 years.”
Above left: The seventh is another example of the challenging par 4s at Tucson Country Club. This page: The distinctive clubhouse awaits behind the 18th green.
Arizona Golf Insider
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Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
Escape to the California Coast BY GEORGE FULLER
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@azgolfassociation
Halfway House | Green Highway
A tempting trio of cool oceanside destinations. Arizonans may not always agree on the issues of the day — how much growth is too much growth, driverless cars yea or nay, will the Cardinals ever return to the Super Bowl — but one thing no one disputes is what to do when the summer temps hit 100-plus degrees for the third month in a row. You get out of town if you can. Perhaps to the Southern California coast, where three top-tier, ocean-adjacent golf destinations await.
Arizona Golf Insider
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TERRANEA RESORT For a golf-lite escape, consider Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. Though the nine-hole, walking-only Links at Terranea certainly provides a few hours of fun golf, this resort is more about the serene setting, memorable dining and total relaxation.
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@azgolfassociation
Halfway House | Green Highway
The holes range from 104 to 173 yards in length, with No. 8 having the best views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island in the distance.
The Links, designed by Todd
The land on which Terranea
while enjoying specialty tacos
Eckenrode and opened in
was built was once the site
(the swordfish tacos are highly
2009, stretches out behind the
of Marineland of the Pacific,
recommended), burgers and
resort with numerous elevation
which, when it opened in 1954,
salads, and a selection of local
changes throughout. The holes
was the largest oceanarium in
beers and cocktails.
range from 104 to 173 yards
the world. From 1958 to 1961
in length, with No. 8 having
the television show “Sea Hunt,
the best views of the Pacific
starring Lloyd Bridges,” was
Ocean and Catalina Island in
filmed in and around the coastal
the distance. The course is no
waters here, and a “Sea Hunt”
pushover, but it’s also the kind of
nautical theme is prevalent at
golf experience the whole family
dining outlet Nelson’s (the name
will enjoy.
of Lloyd Bridges’ character in the show) where you can sit on the patio soaking in the views
Most of the resort’s guestrooms boast ocean views, and cooling off options are plentiful: several pools, a water slide and a splash pad. The Spa at Terranea tempts with a full menu of treatments and pampering, along with a fitness center and Solviva, a health-oriented café.
Arizona Golf Insider
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THE RESORT AT PELICAN HILL
Best-in class would be The Resort at Pelican Hill, which occupies 504 acres of blufftop property in tony Newport Coast. 28
@azgolfassociation
Halfway House | Green Highway
Best-in-class would be The Resort at Pelican Hill, which occupies 504 acres of blufftop property in tony Newport Coast. With 36 holes of Tom Faziodesigned golf and killer Pacific Ocean views, this spot checks all the boxes for both fun and luxury.
from the back tees on both routings. A recent renovation of the award-winning Ocean South course by golf architect Brian Curley focused on bunker restoration, tee box expansion
The two courses, Ocean South
and improvements to the green
and Ocean North, take full
surrounds. While that work is
advantage of the views and
more visible on some holes than
rollicking terrain, with better
others, the stellar original routing
players facing a strong challenge
stayed the same. Back-to-back oceanside par-3 holes — Nos. 12 and 13 — stand out, as will the 442-yard doglegleft finishing hole that requires a canyon carry from the elevated tee and another carry over a grassy barranca to reach the diagonal putting surface. With the Ocean South renovations now complete, Curley and crew will set sights on implementing similar restoration work on the Occean North course. According to golf General Manager Robert Ford, work is being completed nine holes at a time so that 27 holes will remain open throughout for guest and member play. Accommodations at The Resort at Pelican Hill range from bungalow suites to two-, three- and four-bedroom ocean view villas. The latter include fully equipped kitchens, washer and dryer, and private garage. Dining at the resort is particularly outstanding, whether at the Pelican Grill & Bar (steaks, fish, wood-fired pizzas, salads), the more casual Coliseum Pool & Grill (pizza, pasta, handhelds, burgers), or simply getting coffee, juice or a quick breakfast at Caffè & Market. Arizona Golf Insider
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WALDORF ASTORIA MONARCH BEACH RESORT & CLUB About 30 minutes south of The Resort at Pelican Hill is Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point. Similarly set on a high bluff overlooking the Pacific, guests here find 18 holes of Robert Trent Jones, Jr.designed golf, with two holes — Nos. 3 and 4 — playing near the water’s edge. While you will encounter those two beauties early in the round, the course remains enjoyable throughout, with the back nine playing down a canyon and across several barrancas before ending with a strong finishing hole next to the clubhouse. Guests (and members) have access to the private Monarch Bay Beach Club, where you can ride the waves, soak up the sun and enjoy the oceanfront bar and restaurant. All the equipment you need for surfing, paddle boarding and more is available for rent, along with expert instruction and chair, umbrella and towel service on the sand. The hotel itself is perched above the course and beach, with some guestrooms featuring pool views and others with unforgettable ocean views. Suites and penthouse suites boast
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multiple terraces with a fire pit. Dining options are highlighted by Chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak where wood-fired beef, including Wagyu, New York strip, prime ribeye and porterhouse, is naturally the main focus (the menu does include seafood options). At the golf clubhouse, Club 19 is a popular place to unwind after a round. Grab a salad, a burger or a sandwich along with a cold beverage and count your (cooler) blessings as you enjoy your escape from the heat.
Halfway House | Green Highway
Set on a high bluff overlooking the Pacific, guests here find 18 holes of Robert Trent Jones, Jr.designed golf, with two holes – Nos. 3 and 4 – playing near the water’s edge. Arizona Golf Insider
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Halfway House | Indoor Golf
THE COOL(ER) CLUBS
BY TOM MACKIN
INDOOR GOLF OPTIONS PROVIDE ESCAPE FROM SUMMER HEAT “The hotter the better.” You won’t hear many Arizonans utter those words during the summer months. Unless, that is, they own one of the many indoor golf options sprouting up around the state. According to the National Golf Foundation, participation for indoor simulators and screen golf is up 154 percent compared to 2019. Over nine million U.S. participants headed inside last year, more than half of whom are traditional golfers.
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The Back Nine
Arizona Golf Insider
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Halfway House | Indoor Golf
X-Golf in Scottsdale
Don Littrell, PGA, is owner and
the air conditioning,” he said. “Plus,
demographic split almost evenly
director of instruction at the
you’re not having to look for golf
between serious golfers and
multi-simulator Oasis Golf Club
balls, nobody’s hitting into you and
those merely out for fun.
and Lounge, which opened this
you’re not hitting into anybody, and
past January in Tucson. He lists the
you’re not waiting for the beverage
main factors he believes are fueling
cart to come around. I think those
those numbers.
are all reasons why these facilities
“I think it’s just about the comfort the setting provides, especially with
The Back Nine
are doing very well and this portion of the game is growing.”
“We have our weekend golfers that come in, get beer and pizzas, and hit balls,” said the Ohio native. “Then we have we have our families that come in, and it’s a great place for
SERIOUS FUN
kids to learn. We have some
Josh Cecil is the owner of X-Golf
membership options, too. We
Scottsdale, which debuted in
have a full bar, a great food menu
September 2025 and is so far
and plenty of space, so we get
the lone Arizona outpost of its
a lot of corporate events and
Korea-based parent company. At a
birthday parties.”
former law office space that he had gutted, there are seven simulators (Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black and Coeur d’Alene are the most popular layouts to play) and a customer
“If people want to play in a three-man scramble league on Thursdays over 10 weeks, we have that,” added Cecil. “If they want to work from here during the day and hit some balls, great.
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“We make everyone feel like they’re welcome without the country club feel that sometimes can push people away.” — JOSH CECIL
If they have a golf clothing brand and want to have a little pop-up shop here, no problem. That’s what makes the golf community so fun. We make everyone feel like they’re welcome without the country club feel that sometimes can push people away.” Getting used to hitting golf balls
WHOLE NEW WORLD
Tim Suzor took indoor golf in a different direction when he founded Putting World in Scottsdale three years ago. The 25,000-square-foot
of the simulators. “People are
facility is sited in a former Office
willing to practice on them
Max space, and is anchored by an
because the data is accurate.
18-hole artificial turf putting course.
You’re never going to replace
It’s a serious layout — no windmills
real golf. And there’s not that
or clown mouths on this routing
many off-course outdoor
— which has even hosted World
places to hit balls around here
Putting Tour championships. There’s
anymore. I think they can really
high-tech putter fitting studios,
help grow the game.”
putting lessons are available and a full-fledged bar and restaurant. The facility is open to the public but also offers memberships.
It’s no surprise that Putting World’s busiest months come in the summer. “We do a lot of private corporate events, and
But it was only last summer that
people really can’t have those or
simulators were installed.
a charity event at a golf course in the summer, so they come here,”
inside does take some time,
“It dawned on us that we would
however. “I think that’s the biggest
be a unique product if we added
hurdle to get over,” said Cecil.
simulators, because we’d be the
“You’re surrounded by walls and
only one with those and an indoor
you feel like you’re going to hit
putting course,” said Suzor. “So
Fancy 24/7 access to some
something, and a lot of people don’t
we went ahead and renovated our
simulator golf? That’s what you
swing like they would outside. I tell
golf shop and put two simulators
get at The Back Nine. Austin
everyone to swing like you would
in there.”
Wright owns three locations of
outside. You’re not going to hurt anything in here.”
“They’re here to stay, and they keep advancing,” Suzor added
noted Suzor. “We’re about to have one with 500 people, the biggest event that we’ve ever had.”
that franchise in Chandler, South Chandler and Tempe. All are unmanned facilities; members book simulator times on an
Putting World in Scottsdale
app and then receive a code to access the facility for their tee times. “Obviously, the heat is just a great marketing tool for us,” said Wright, who estimates he sees an increase of 20 to 30 percent in business during the summer months. “Our membership base is a pretty good mix of people who are just trying to come in at certain times to play golf when they normally can’t, or they’re trying to beat the heat.” And who in Arizona isn’t trying to do just that?
Arizona Golf Insider
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Halfway House | New Chapter
Back to the
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PHOTO BY DAVE SANSOM
Scottsdale’s very first golf course hasn’t gone away, but it’s now sporting a decidedly familiar name. Scottsdale Country Club is
SCOTTSDALE COUNTRY CLUB IS REBORN WITH ITS OLD NAME—AND NEW ENERGY BY JOE PASSOV
back. The facility known as Starfire Golf Club from 2001 through late March of 2026 has reverted to the name it was known by from 1958 until it became Starfire. The name change is just one of many elements in a dynamic transformation welcoming a new putting course, a reimagined short course and state-of-the-art practice facilities — all designed to be family-friendly.
Arizona Golf Insider
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Halfway House | New Chapter
The mojo shift began in
“We thought when we
Academy relocated its
“That’s what these two guys
September 2024, when
acquired it that it was just
world-renowned instruction
[from Swing First] are trying
Swing First Golf — which
something we could enjoy, to
programs to Starfire. Designed
to do here. When my wife and
owned five other Valley golf
become stewards of a place
and led by Top 100 teacher
I drove up tonight, it was a
properties — purchased
that we’ve always loved,”
and longtime broadcaster
throwback to 40 years ago,
Starfire for $24 million. The
said Ashton. “But we realized
Peter Kostis, swing coach
maybe longer, when parents
company’s owners, Dave
very quickly that there was
to four major championship
could take their kids to a golf
Ashton and Jeff Lundgren
an enormous opportunity
winners, the academy move
course, drop them off, know
are childhood friends
to make it new again. It’s
from Grayhawk was like
that they were going to be
who grew up in the area.
the oldest golf course in
coming full circle.
safe. They could go play golf,
Lundgren had played the
Scottsdale and we could
course hundreds of times
make it fresh and vibrant
in the 1980s, many while
by creating these unique
competing for Chaparral
experiences.”
High School, so this acquisition was personal.
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have fun and it didn’t have to
“All the improvements to the range, starting with Trackman Range and our academy at the other end are designed
cost an arm and a leg. It’s the vibe that’s here. It’s the passion for golf and it’s the fun.”
PERFECT PR ACTICE
to promote golf,” said Kostis
In April 2026, the new and
The transition to elevated
at a recent media gathering.
vastly improved range opened
status for the facility started
to the sound of thunderous
in 2025, when The Kostis
golf claps. Covered hitting TOP AND BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTOS BY DAVE SANSOM
Left and below: The new driving range features the latest Trackman technology.
bays greet golfers, and each individual space is equipped with the latest and greatest
“All the improvements to the range... are designed to promote golf.”
artificial turf and Trackman
– PETER KOSTIS
technology, giving players the tools to practice, play games and improve in a comfortable environment. Among the comforts are chairs and a sofa in each hitting bay, plus access to food and beverage service from the new Robin’s Nest, which dispenses its wares from a vintage Airstream trailer next to the clubhouse.
Right: The Robin’s Nest serves up food and drinks that can be enjoyed on the go or in the surrounding beer garden. Arizona Golf Insider
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Halfway House | New Chapter
“This is your neighborhood country club. Everyone is welcome.” — JEFF LUNDGREN
and plants. Some putts
and flexible, with an alternate
a wedge and a putter, with
provide straightforward Point
six-hole loop that can be
holes that measure from 50 to
A to Point B challenges, while
played in under an hour.
120 yards.
Hosted by “Dick the Cowboy,”
“We also sought to create
the course’s resident mascot,
a different experience for
the course unfurls nine par-3
a short course in Phoenix.
holes plus a one-of-a-kind,
Obviously, 10 holes is
“The Bandana putting green
150-foot-long par 2 named
different. The par-2 is
makes it very easy for people
“Shorty,” that is housed on
different. The revetted
of all ages and abilities to
the same putting surface that
bunkers are different. The Blue
connect with the game of
accommodates The Bandana.
Boulder hole is different. It
golf, to feel welcome and
Among the distinctive holes
also has some edginess to it
not feel intimidated,” said
is the fourth, called “Blue
with the dunes landscapes we
Lundgren.
Boulder,” which spots a
built.”
others demand imagination and touch to negotiate tricky slopes — with the option of quaffing a beverage as you go.
SHORT BUT SWEET
On the same day in late March 2026 that Starfire was renamed Scottsdale Country Club, architect Forrest Richardson debuted The Bandana, a 20,000-squarefoot putting green and ninehole putting course that is the ultimate entry-level golf experience. It’s fun and free, with the all-inclusive tagline,
On April 30, The Six Shooter opened for play. A 10-hole, par-29 short course designed by Richardson replaced the
gigantic, 30,000-pound boulder with a bluish tint that resides in the middle of the punchbowl green.
FUTURE PLANS
Ownership is optimistic that community residents will soon embrace a plan to
“Where length doesn’t matter.”
previous nine-hole, par-28
“The goal with The Six
allow four estate lots from
The course circumnavigates
layout called the Mulligan. It
Shooter was to create holes
an extra parcel to be sold.
was designed to be fun, fast
that played shorter, with just
The sale proceeds will help
a few clubs,” said Richardson.
furnish upgrades to the
“The first six holes form a
existing clubhouse restaurant
a rock garden dotted with native desert cacti, flowers
loop and you can play it with
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TOP PHOTO BY DAVE SANSOM
Left: The Bandana, a 20,000-square-foot putting green, mixes practice with fun. Below: Ambitious plans remain for the property. Bottom: Owners Dave Ashton and Jeff Lundgren next to the 30,000-pound “Blue Boulder.”
and the championship-
Adding tees for additional
caliber course. Richardson
flexibility, tree management,
anticipates revamping the
bunker renovation, an
pleasant parkland spread into
irrigation overhaul and the
something more distinctive
creation of dunes areas, such
and reflective of its 1953
as those that now grace The
roots, when it opened as
Six Shooter, are all on tap.
Sundown Ranch.
Whatever the timetable for the
Priority one will be to greatly reduce managed
fixes, a lot of folks are happy about the return to tradition.
turf acreage to meet
“The name Scottsdale
Arizona’s goals with water
Country Club conjures up
conservation. A byproduct
so many positive memories
of less turf to take care of is
for those of us who have
that the remaining turf can
been around the game for a
be maintained to a higher
good while,” said Lundgren.
quality. Richardson notes
“We’re excited to honor the
that another consequence of
history of this special place.
turf removal, especially from
Even though the name can
out-of-play areas, is that those
imply ‘private’ status, we want
spaces can be converted into
to redefine what ‘country
more aesthetically appealing
club’ can be. This is your
landscapes.
neighborhood country club. Everyone is welcome.” Arizona Golf Insider
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SHORT SWINGS 42
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Back Nine | Shutterbug
NO. 7 AT DESERT MOUNTAIN GOLF COURSE SCOTTSDALE
We all want to hit the ball farther. But what if you didn’t have to? That’s the beauty of short, or executive-style, courses. We’re not talking pitch-n-putt layouts, either. Rather these are the kind where you’re not forced to face your distance limitations. These are places that shine the light on your short game, and who among us couldn’t benefit from improving in that department? So put the driver away (for now) and feast your eyes on some of the shorter and highly entertaining courses found around Arizona.
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Back Nine | Shutterbug
THE SHORT COURSE AT MOUNTAIN SHADOWS SCOTTSDALE
Arizona Golf Insider
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Back Nine | Shutterbug
LI’L WICK WICKENBURG RANCH WICKENBURG
Arizona Golf Insider
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#MINIDUNES A K- C H I N S O U T H E R N D U N E S G O L F C L U B MARI C O PA
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Back Nine | Shutterbug
GR ASS CLIPPINGS ROLLING HILLS TEMPE
Arizona Golf Insider
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Back Nine | Industry Q&A
Thanks to the efforts of four childhood friends and their group chat name, Grass Clippings and Grass League have become well-known names in golf apparel and high stakes par-3 tournament events, respectively. Meet Phoenix native Jake Hoselton, the 33-year-old CEO and co-founder of Grass Clippings and Grass League, who is spearheading unique ways to enjoy the game. Who started the business? There are four co-founders, including myself and my brother Jimmy (along with fellow Arcadia High graduates Pete Wilson and Connor Riley). We are all golf buddies who have known each other our entire lives. There is validity to it being difficult to work INTERVIEW BY TORI SCHULLER
with family, but the rewards of it outweigh the benefits. I can’t say
ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER: How did the idea for Grass Clippings emerge? JAKE HOSELTON: My father was in real estate designing masterplanned communities with golf, and as a result I was close to the game and the people working in it. It was super cool for me to learn about golf courses from the lens of the director of agronomy. That person knows more about the property than anyone else and they felt like a silent hero who was
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enough about how great it has been. Where did the name come from? It was the name of a group text message our crew of golfers had. I had been sitting on (the name) since my early college days at Texas Christian University. But for some reason I was in love with it, and that became the start of Grass Clippings in 2018.
under-recognized. After college,
How did the brand evolve from a merchandise company?
I started my career in finance and on a
We created a golf brand that evoked
whim started Grass Clippings as a side
love, curation, grit and work ethic.
hustle. We thought we could bring
A Grass Clippings hat is an ode to
a cool brand to the game of golf. It
the greenskeepers and the people
snowballed into being my career.
that make golf happen. We take a
@azgolfassociation
“Grass League is the only format in the game that sees an LPGA player, a former PGA Tour player, a great midamateur golfer and a 65-yearold golfer sharing the same tee box.” — JAKE HOSELTON
Connor Riley, Pete Wilson, Jimmy Hoselton, Scott Hebert (Director of Agronomy at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills) and Jake Hoselton.
Where do you find the most joy in your journey? The best part of my job on the course side is seeing people in the community enjoy something that was a labor of love. On the Grass League side, we’ve built a stage that has materially changed golfers’ lives. When you see this body of work come down to someone making a 60-foot putt live on Golf Channel and throwing a fist pump, that is super valuable for us. It’s one big reward in that small moment.
huge responsibility to create culture around the art of agronomy, so it’s still the North Star of the brand, but there were a million different ways we could grow a business from there. We stumbled into our love for par-3 golf courses, an overlooked
What’s your message to those unfamiliar with Grass League? It’s the only format in the game that can see an LPGA player, a former PGA Tour Player, a great mid-amateur golfer and a 65-year-old golfer sharing the same tee box. They’re in the same camera
part of the game.
lens playing for the same purse, and
In the early days of us being a
League’s partnership with AZ GOLF as
merch brand, we started hosting tournaments at The Short Course at Mountain Shadows in Scottsdale. Our goals then became getting our
that’s a profound thing for sports. Grass Tournament Operations Partner, which began in 2024, also helped legitimize our competitions.
What do you have in store for the future? We’re going to open additional Grass Clippings properties across the United States and potentially around the world. From the actual golf course itself to the food, beverage and culture, we would take a similar but unique approach to making it fit in whichever new market it is in. We want to keep adding. I don’t see why a golf course can’t have sand volleyball courts and pickleball and lawn bowling.
own par-3 course and formalizing par-3 golf as a standalone sport. What were your priorities in the search for a facility? We didn’t want the course to look and feel like every other par-72 course; we wanted to be more entertainment-based. Having night golf was a non-negotiable for us. Rolling Hills had the ability to be lighted and it was centrally located in Tempe, so we pursued that (and signed a 30-year property lease with the city of Tempe in 2023).
Arizona Golf Insider
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CABIN COURSE TORREON GOLF CLUB 8TH HOLE | PAR 4
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Locker Room| Challenge | Rules ofHole Golf Back Nine
CABIN COURSE This breathtaking downhill par 4 tumbles through the pines before bending gently to the right. From the elevated tees, players must navigate mountain winds and avoid a prominent fairway bunker to set up an approach into one of Torreon’s shallowest greens. Precision is paramount, while local knowledge reveals a final secret: like most greens at Torreon (also home to the Tower Course), every putt subtly drifts northeast toward the heart of Show Low.
—CALEB BLASS, PGA General Manager
TEE YARDAGES RED | 353 GOLD | 385 WHITE | 402 BLUE | 441 BLACK | 457
DID YOU KNOW? How did the town of Show Low, home to Torreon Golf Club, get its distinctive name? A seemingly unending card game back in the mid-1800s between two local settlers finally ended when one challenged the other to “show low” to capture the prize of a nearby ranch. He did just that, turning over a deuce of clubs for the win. That feat is also honored by the name of the town’s main street: Deuce of Clubs Avenue.
PHOTO BY COREY CAVANAUGH
Arizona Golf Insider
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MOUNTAIN BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA
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TIME
Club Room | 19th Hole
Cooler weather and great food make a trip to this Flagstaff eatery worth the effort. I’m seated on the patio at The Oakmont with a Frosé cocktail in hand, breathing in the mountain air of Flagstaff’s 7,000-foot elevation, while watching golfers practice on Continental Country Club’s putting and chipping greens. On one side, a covered patio with booths gives way to a lounge of sectionals and fire pits. On the other, café tables sit under umbrellas and sail cloth with planters of colorful flowers. Both face Mount Elden’s volcanic slopes, which loom some 2,000 feet above. “We’re on the ninth hole at the back of the mountain with Ponderosa Pines all around us,” says General Manager Sabrina Cosentino of a view that earned The Oakmont Best Outdoor Patio honors from the Arizona Daily Sun’s Best of Flag 2025 reader poll. The Oakmont opened inside the Continental CC clubhouse in 2014 and is run by Plated Projects, an Arizona-based hospitality group founded by brothers Ryan and Jared Field, and their lifelong friends Timothy Pacatte and Brian Terpay. Its
Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | 19th Hole
portfolio also includes
the space, from the booths
There are a couple of burgers
Taverna and Over Easy, the
upholstered in warm caramel
on the menu, but The
breakfast brand that has since
leather framed by forest-
Oakmont goes far beyond
expanded nationally.
green woodwork to the stone
your expected 19th hole grub.
bar top. “The layout of the bar
Seasonal by design, the menu
is the same, but we resurfaced
rotates around mainstays
everything,” says Cosentino.
and dishes that shift with the
“It used to have more of a
calendar. “We have staples
stainless steel vibe.”
such as Chicken Sonoma and
Two years ago, the restaurant underwent a renovation which Cosentino describes as aligning more closely with its surroundings. “We wanted to embrace an upscale mountain town aesthetic that really highlights northern Arizona,” she explains. “The updated space blends rustic elegance with modern comfort, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.” That move toward a more organic, earthier palette is vividly displayed throughout
R O TAT I N G M E N U
The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Kaelin Randall, a Northern Arizona University graduate whose degree in psychology specializing in culture and community informs his philosophy as much as his 13-plus years of culinary experience. “His unique background helps shape both the menu and the guest experience,” notes Cosentino. “He believes food is a way to bring people together, and that philosophy is reflected in every aspect of The Oakmont.”
Cajun Pasta,” says Cosentino, “and we’ll add summer or winter dishes.” Cooler weather might mean pot roast with mushroom demi-glace served over creamy mashed potatoes and salted caramel and pecan cheesecake for dessert, while summer might bring salmon with Marcona almond pesto finished off with banana pudding trifle. They join a core line-up that has evolved over the years. Tempura Asparagus Fries drizzled with herb crema are served with Urfa aioli. Nachos Al Pastor takes Mexico’s taco-stand marinated pork with pineapple and piles it
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on tortilla chips with nacho cheese, black bean corn salsa, pickled jalapeños, and queso fresco. The aforementioned Cajun Pasta (Cosentino’s personal favorite) with shrimp, blackened chicken and andouille sausage in Cajun cream sauce has its own devoted following. And then there’s Chicken Sonoma, a lavash-crusted breast finished with artichokes, tomatoes and mushrooms in a Chardonnaylaced sauce, tracing its roots to the late Buster’s, the longtime Flagstaff institution Plated Projects acquired in 2015, where it first earned cult status. On the beverage side, wines skew California, with additions of Italian Pinot Grigio, Argentine Malbec and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Closer to home, Arizona brews such as Mother Road Tower Station IPA and Huss Brewing’s Long Drive Lager join Oakmont Amber, a house-branded ale brewed exclusively for the restaurant. Blurring beer and cocktail, the Iceberg tops Pacifico lager with frozen margarita for one of the bar’s most-ordered drinks, leading into the cocktail menu, where Cosentino names the Frosé (rosé wine, blended with vodka, peach, lemon and strawberry) and the Espresso’tini (Tito’s vodka,
espresso liqueur, Tully honey and cold brew) as two more favorites. The Oakmont runs a daily High Tee Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with a reverse Happy Hour kicking in at 8 p.m. The week has its own rhythm also, with daily specials that include prime rib on Fridays and bottomless mimosas at Sunday brunch. “We do a variety of events, too,” Cosentino adds. “There are community mixers throughout the summer and we have wine dinners as well.”
Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | Fitness & Wellness Presented by
DEVELOPING POWER TO INCREASE DISTANCE
Performance Tips When selecting power
exercises: Lean toward total body, multi-joint movements
Perform the exercises
in a fast and explosive manner
When using medicine
balls select one that is 5-10% of your body weight
Sets: 2-4 | Reps: 6-10
Here are three exercises to add to your workouts to develop power throughout your body:
Lower Body Power:
ICE SKATER
Start on one leg in an athletic position. Jump laterally sideto-side maintaining an athletic posture with your chest up and using your whole foot to land, stabilize and change direction. GOOD FOR GOLF:
In the progression of athletic development, Banner Sports Medicine’s High Performance Center moves athletes through the phases of stabilization and then strength to ensure a proper foundation for golfers implementing power exercises into their performance program. Developing power helps golfers increase ground reaction forces and rotational speeds, resulting in a faster swing and increased distance.
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Helps develop ability to create greater ground reaction forces (into the ground) with a transfer of energy from one side to the other.
Core Power:
MEDICINE BALL OBLIQUE THROW
Stand facing a wall with feet straight and medicine ball loaded on one side of the body. With good posture and limiting rotation through the hips, throw the medicine ball explosively off the wall with the intent to catch it on the other side of the body. Catch, load and throw it back quickly for the number of desired reps. GOOD FOR GOLF:
This move starts to develop a stable base and improves strength and power in key core musculature involved in the golf swing.
Upper Body Power:
MEDICINE BALL ROTATIONAL CHOP
Stand in a stagger stance (one foot slightly in front of the other) holding a medicine ball high across your body. Slam the ball down and across your body so it deflects off the floor and into the wall, while keeping your arms straight and maintaining your athletic posture. GOOD FOR GOLF:
The stagger stance position helps to improve balance and stability during explosive movements while your upper body is training to move fast through a pattern mimicking the downswing. Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | Allied Associations
Golf Gear For Good Growing the Game by Giving Back
BY TOM SKULSKI
“Some kids are getting their first set ever, making the transition into feeling comfortable enough to play golf outside of instruction and First Tee programming,” said First Tee – Phoenix
For many young golfers in Maricopa County, the journey begins with borrowed clubs. They arrive at a First Tee – Phoenix class eager to learn, picking up equipment that has already lived one life on a golf course. Through several sessions, those clubs become tools for building confidence and a love for the game.
Executive Director Erin McDonough. That milestone has become possible thanks to Golf Gear For Good, a program with a simple mission: Give back. Donate gear. Grow the game. GO LF WA REHOUS E
While it may look like a warehouse from the outside, the South Phoenix facility has become one of the most important
Then comes one of the most rewarding
engines behind First Tee – Phoenix’s aim
moments for the First Tee – Phoenix staff.
of making golf accessible to every child
A child finishes one of their sessions,
in the valley.
discovers golf is something they truly
Last August, First Tee – Phoenix moved
enjoy and is ready for a set of clubs to
its offices to Arizona Golf House. Rather
call their own.
than leaving behind its longtime home in South Phoenix, the organization found
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MORE THAN CLUBS
Receiving a set of clubs isn’t the first step. It’s a milestone. a new purpose for the building. The former office officially reopened as Golf Gear For Good, a dedicated warehouse where golf equipment across Arizona gets a second life. “If it’s golf, we got it,” McDonough said with a laugh, alluding to the endless catalog of clubs, golf balls, apparel, books and practice equipment that fill the space inside the warehouse. Whether someone donates a single wedge or an entire garage full of golf gear, it eventually finds its way to the warehouse. Donations can be dropped off by appointment at the warehouse, or brought to PGA TOUR Superstore locations throughout Arizona. Once collected, everything is sorted and prepared for its next destination. The warehouse serves as the processing center for nearly every in-kind donation the organization receives. Clubs and equipment used at First Tee camps, clinics and classes once
Rather than placing clubs into the hands of every new participant, First Tee – Phoenix encourages families to first experience the something their child wants to
The revenue generated through
pursue. “We want you to start by becoming
apparel and shoes be new or very lightly used. Even used golf balls have value. McDonough recalled one donation pickup that included nearly 20,000 golf balls, all of which were repurposed. “If we don’t have a set that fits a child, we can cut clubs down to the right size and regrip them right here,” McDonough said. That extra step helps ensure every
role in keeping First Tee – Phoenix programming affordable.
McDonough said. “We tell our
“Our program is about 80 percent
families to go through a full session and not get a set yet. Try it and learn. If your child is still interested in golf, tell one of the First Tee coaches that you’re ready for a set.” That approach has already made a meaningful impact. In less than a year since Golf Gear For Good
subsidized,” McDonough said. “For the price to be what it is for kids, we have to subsidize 80 percent of that. One kid in our program costs about $1,000, but families only pay $195 or less. That means we have to raise money, we have to sell clubs and have to do events to make sure
opened, First Tee – Phoenix has
we keep that price at that low level.”
distributed more than 100 sets of
Every donated club, every purchase
clubs to children throughout the Valley. The impact doesn’t stop there. Each fall and spring, First Tee – Phoenix hosts equipment sales featuring
prices. The next sale is
used golf clubs while requesting
Golf Gear For Good plays a vital
a member at First Tee – Phoenix,”
“We had to have a place to process
The organization accepts gently
can have access to trying golf at an affordable price,” McDonough said.
donated clubs, apparel and golf
said.
family so that all family members
program and discover if golf is
belonged to someone else.
all of these donations,” McDonough
grow the love of the game into the
and every set built through Golf Gear For Good helps First Tee – Phoenix remove barriers to the game, ensuring more young golfers have the opportunity to discover a lifelong love of golf.
gear at affordable scheduled for Oct. 17, with First Tee members receiving early morning access before the event opens to the public. Those sales create affordable access to golf equipment for families while generating critical funding for First Tee – Phoenix programming. “It’s our way from a mission standpoint to grow the game and
child receives equipment that feels comfortable and gives them the best chance to succeed. Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | Instruction
Think Again WITH AMY FRUHWIRTH
You’ve hit what you thought was a great approach shot but a cruel gust of wind touches it and your ball comes up just short of the green. When faced with a chip shot, most golfers automatically default to grabbing their trusty wedge and hope not to lay the sod over it or blade it, either leaving the ball woefully short of the hole or over the back of the green. But there is a more confidenceinspiring approach that gets the ball up and rolling more quickly and will likely save you a few strokes. Next time you’re in this situation, let go of the wedge, grab your hybrid and follow these steps to get the ball closer to the hole.
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1
Choke down on the club. Since your hybrid is longer than your putter, choking down gives you more control.
AZ GOLF Lesson Tee Presented by
2
Amy Fruhwirth, Championships Manager for AZ GOLF, played on the LPGA Tour for 12 years and is a member of the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame.
Stand closer to the ball. Being a bit more upright gets the heel of the club off the ground.
Make a putting stroke. Nothing fancy, just back and forth like you’re using your flatstick.
3 Find your next hybrid at 2nd Swing Golf today.
Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | Rules of Golf
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Special Treatment LIFE ON THE GREEN
The putting surface — “the
marks, spike marks, hole
green” — is a special place.
plugs and issues caused
It is cut, rolled and trimmed
by shoes or animals. But
to create a truly unique
be aware that aeration
surface, and for the golfer,
holes, natural surface
it signifies that following
imperfections or normal
your fairway splitting drive
wear are not included in
and striped approach shot,
these fixes. Putting near a
you have gotten to the final
bunker? No worries. Sand
destination of the hole. It’s
and loose soil may be
also special in the sense
removed, even when on
that there are things you
the line of play. There is one
are allowed to do on the
caveat: All these actions
green that you are not in
must be done promptly and
other areas of the course.
may not improve your line
You do not need to take a
of play beyond the repair.
hands-off approach on the
For more information on
green and have the ability
the putting green, check
to mark, lift and clean your
out Rule 13 in the Rules
ball when on the putting
of Golf.
surface. You are also able to repair most damage on the green, including ball
Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | Handicapping
Course Rating
™
WHAT ARE ALL OF THESE NUMBERS?
Course Rating, the Bogey Rating is reflective of the score a bogey The scorecard. Combined with the trusty stubby pencil, it is used during every round of golf. The scorecard has quite a few numbers on it. Some are fairly basic like hole
normal conditions. While it does not appear on the scorecard, it does play a pivotal role in what we are about to discuss next.
number and yardage, but others
Finally, we have the Slope Rating®.
are a bit of a mystery. Let’s take the
This final metric reflects the relative
Course Rating™ and Slope Rating®,
difficulty of the golf course for non-
the siblings on the card separated
scratch players compared to scratch
by a slash. They reflect the difficulty
players. To get this figure, the
of the course, but how?
Course Rating is subtracted from
First, let’s talk Course Rating. This figure is an indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player under normal course and weather conditions —
the Bogey Rating and multiplied by a constant. A golf course of standard relative difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113 with the full range running from 55 to 155.
the expected score for someone
So, when you pick up the scorecard
with a Handicap Index® of 0.0. As
before your next round, be sure to
an example, a Course Rating of
take a look at the Course Rating and
72.8 references a scratch player’s
Slope Rating and choose the set of
expected score of 73.
tees that will provide you with the
Now we’re going to sneak in a number that most of us don’t see, the Bogey Rating™. Similar to the
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golfer can expect to shoot under
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level of challenge and fun you are hoping to find that day.
Arizona Golf Insider
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Club Room | Parting Shot
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@azgolfassociation
Arizona Golf Insider
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