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CLUB WEST GOLF CLUB ( 480-460-4400)
Arizona Golf Course Review 8/27/04
Club West Golf Club in Phoenix is a SunCor Golf property, a company dedicated to creating and maintaining the world's finest golf facilities. After providing reviews for all their other prime properties
including Sedona, StoneRidge Canyon, SunRidge Canyon, and The Sanctuary in Arizona plus Coral Canyon in St George Utah, we were anxious to play Club West - and were not disappointed on our late
August visit. As witnessed by the above photos, Club West is situated in a spectacular setting, with gorgeous desert mountain views that often frame the greens and tee boxes. Opened in 1993, this Brian
Whitcomb design snakes its way through 90 acres of rolling desert, blending a pleasant mix of challenging and fun to play golf holes. The par fifth third is an interesting and challenging hole from the
championship tees, but is score-able from all others. The tee shot plays to a wide fairway with a wonderful mountain backdrop, while the approach plays over or between greenside landscaping that
includes saguaro cactus and desert brush (pictured below)
Number four is also a great golf hole, with the tee shot playing over a desert area that invites one to cut
off as much of the hole as their distance and accuracy will allow. A safe lay up left of center will leave a
reasonable approach, while a long accurate drive could result in a short wedge on the second shot.
Anything right will result in a tough recovery out of one of the many sand bunkers that line that side - or
worse, from the desert. Images from the tee and near the line of fairway traps are featured below. While
these two holes present good scoring opportunities, golfers will encounter some challenging par fours and fives.
The championship tees measure 7051 yards with a slope of 130. Alternative sets play to 6556 yards/123 slope, 6128 yards/118 slope, and 4985 yards with a slope 107 for men and 112 for women.
From the blue tee areas there are 5 par fours of 400 plus yards. The long par five 8th is the course's # 1
handicap, with a desert ravine along the right that crosses in front. Golfers who attempt to reach in two
will find a bit of room to the right of the green. A safer method is to lay up to the left center about 100
yards out, and approach the putting surface with a wedge or short iron. The view from behind is postcard frame-able! Also pictured below is an image from the 18th tee - which provides a glimpse of the
sculpted and layered tee boxes, that are frequently bordered by manicured desert and indigenous brush. The back side features some forced desert carries - which are challenging from the back tees but
manageable from the white and gold tee boxes. The par three 17th is very unique - as it features two independent greens. From an elevated tee, golfers have the choice of playing to one of two green
complexes - 215 yards or 164 yards away from the tips.
On property at Club West is a practice facility that includes a huge putting green, grass range, and a short game area with sand bunker. The clubhouse features a pro shop, outdoor patio plus a
restaurant/lounge that serves a lunch menu and all the favorite beverages. The Pro Link GPS is standard
on all carts, providing accurate distance from tee to the pin - along with hole diagrams and tips. The
yardages to the pin are also featured on the back of all carts. 150 yard stakes and color coded markers
on the cart paths at 100, 150 and 200 yards are also helpful. Club West is a beautiful golf facility -
challenging enough to satisfy the seasoned golfers, yet playable enough for high handicappers. Highly recommended! For more info, visit our page for Club West on our Arizona web catalog of Places to Play
by clicking here.
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