GRANITE FALLS NORTH COURSE at Sun City Grand Golf Club
(623-546-7575)
Arizona Golf Course Review
General information
Sun City Grand is a residential community in Surprise, with four golf courses available for its membership, and
for the general public. Rounds are secured for members during the week, and the public is welcome to book
weekend tee times five days in advance. Rates prime time top out at just over $50 during the busy season
(including cart), making golf on any of these four courses one of the best values available in Arizona.
The Granite Falls North and South courses share the same clubhouse, which features a pro shop and a full
service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week, plus breakfast/lunch until 2 PM on
Sundays. A grass range with target areas is on property, plus a short game area with practice bunker, and two
putting greens. The Desert Springs clubhouse features a pro shop and Dillon's Barbeque, and the practice
facilities include a range, putting green and short game area with bunker. Cimarron is the newest course, added
to the mix in 2002. There is no restaurant but a snack bar serves sandwiches and drinks. A range and putting green complete the practice facilities here.
All four courses use similar yardage marking systems - with cart paths and fairway blocks measured to the
center of the green at 100, 150 and 200 yards. Some sprinkler heads are marked, and pin placements are
indicated by color coded flags that determine front, middle and back hole locations. The also are 150 yardage
stakes on all par fours and fives. Comfort stations are spread out along all four layouts, and conditions from tee
to green are quite remarkable for courses with this affordable price structure.
North Course at Granite Falls
The North Course was added to the property in 2002, and is one of the most interesting of the four designs. The
fairways are generous but undulations and abundant sand traps will challenge the shot making abilities of most
golfers. Four sets of tees play to 6720 yards/122 slope, 6375/117 slope, 5808 yards/111 slope and 5315/116
slope. On our mid-August visit, the course was in excellent condition, with sculpted tees, manicured fairways and
true rolling greens. Most of the putting surfaces provide openings in front that make for easy recoveries - but
mounding and bunkers (of both sand and grass variety) can create difficult up and downs on shots that miss left
or right. From many of the holes, mountain scenery frames the greens creating postcard perfect backdrops. The
desert waste areas that often define the fairways are wonderfully landscaped, and if not in our behind a bush, are not to difficult to play out of.
There is water in play on 10 holes, six on the front and 4 on the back side. Forced carries are very short however,
and almost non existent from the forward tees. While aesthetically pleasing, these ponds are often on the
perimeter, although they do come into play greenside on a number of approach shots. There is plenty of room
between the hazard and the green on the par three third pictured below, and off the tee on 16 only very poorly hit tee shots will land in the hazard.
The two finishing holes are memorable. Number 17 begins from a landscaped tee area and plays to a very wide
fairway. The area from 100 yards in is extremely undulating, and ridges make putting a challenge. The tee shot
on 18 is best aimed towards the fountain in the distance. A water hazard forms a moat in front of the green,
creating the need for a lay up on the second shot of this closing par five, to the 70-80 yard zone. Long is gone as
a pond also rests behind the green. Both holes are featured in photos below.
This is a beautiful golf course, and the facilities match the quality of the layout. For those with some flexibility in
their schedule, the North Course - or any of the 4 layouts at Sun City Grand afford a great opportunity to keep a
few bucks in your pockets while playing a course earns the praises of even the most discerning golfers. Highly
recommended! For more info and for a direct link to the Sun City Grand web site, visit our page for Granite Falls North by clicking here.
|
