LONGBOW GOLF CLUB
Arizona Golf Course Review 6/18/04
Longbow Golf Club in Mesa is an OB Sports property, joining We Ko Pa and The Duke at Rancho Eldorado to provide a triumvirate of courses that are as varied in design as they are in price
structure. We Ko Pa is a true, upscale desert layout that is as good as it gets as far as public courses in Arizona. The Duke is a fine facility that can be considered a
great value course - and Longbow rests somewhere in between. Our immediately impression of this golf
property is that it is one tremendous place for a golf outing. First of all, the course is kept in wonderful condition, and the redesign by Ken Kavanaugh in 2002 (
 course re-opened in 2003) makes it both a
playable course for novices, yet a great challenge for the skilled player. To score well, golfers will have to stay out of the fairway bunkers, which are by no means merely window dressing. The sand
traps are deep and contoured, making recoveries for par a very difficult proposition. The fairway are usually quite generous,
although rolling and undulating in nature. As with all good courses - good shots are rewarded and offline shots are penalized.
The clubhouse features a pro shop and restaurant lounge that serves breakfast and lunch items - but the real amenity worth mentioning is the incredible outdoor patio
which affords nice views of the golf course. Seating can accommodate up to 200 people in a relaxing
atmosphere, fortified by heated ceiling units and a fireplace for the colder months of the year. During the
summer, a huge fan and misters that circumnavigate the entire patio provide a comfortable environment, even on the hottest of days. Sunami shade sculptures also provide relief from the sun and add an
aesthetic quality to the outdoor area (a few are also located at tee boxes on the course). A permanent outdoor kitchen has been added to the patio area, complete with grill and beer taps.
On course golfers will have no problem finding yardage indicators, as sprinkler heads that provide measurements to the center of the green are extremely plentiful. Longbow also gets high marks for using
permanent yardage markers on the cart paths at 100, 250 and 200 yards - a feature we wish more courses would consider. 150 yard stakes also double as directional devices, and are very visible off the
tees. Which also have yardage markers. The days pin placement will be one of three, with A, B & C areas posted on the back of all carts. Pay attention to these hole locations,
 as the mildly undulating but
often ridged greens can feature some tricky lag putts for approaches landing on the wrong portion. The property includes a large putting green and also one for chipping, plus a spacious
grass range with target areas. On our mid June visit the course was in great shape from tee to green, with thoughtful landscaping
throughout, especially near the tee areas. The terrain is quite level, and the desert areas that define the fairways are extremely well
groomed, affording a fighting chance for an opportunistic save.
 The first hole is a dogleg left par four with a waste area on that side
running the length of the hole. These desert hazards are topped with small stones that require solid contact for efficient shots. There
is plenty of room around the green for slightly offline approaches. The par three second is a beautiful hole that presents a good scoring opportunity - with room short right of the sloping putting
surface. Three turns 70 degrees to the right with a lay up to the 150 area the preferred play. Long hitters can carry the right fairway trap leaving a wedge approach from the 110-75 yard zone.
 The wide but
well bunkered fairway on four slopes to the left towards the desert. There is a huge, deep bunker short right of the elevated putting complex. The long par five 5th is
the course's # 1 handicap. This hole doglegs left around the desert, and plays to an undulating green with plenty of room for error to
the right. Six bends in the opposite direction, and invites golfers to cut off as much as their distance will allow. The tee shot must breach the 270 yard area in order to clear the right fairway trap,
affording an opportunity to reach this par five in two. The average player will have to lay up to the right center while avoiding the bunker on the left near the 80 yard area,
and another on the right about 50 yards out. A chip shot from the area just short of the green should
provide an easy up and down par or birdie. The right side of the green is a safe play on the par three 7th
, as a deep bunker short left discouraging tee shots to that side. The fairway traps short left and long
right are extremely penal on number 8, which encourages an approach to the open side of the putting complex on the right side. The generous fairway on nine ends with an arroyo angling across from the
200 yard area along the right to the 150 are on the left. There is no reason in holding back from attempting to reach this par five in two, as there is plenty of room short of the putting surface.
 A tee shot that hugs the corner of the desert area along the left will
cut off some distance on the long par five 10 (626 yards from the tips). Avoid the sand traps and place the approach on the correct portion of the left to right sloped green, and a good score could be
the result. The narrow fairway on eleven encourages a lay up to the 150 area, and an approach hit towards the back middle of the green is better than ending up short in the swales or greenside
sand bunker. The simple par three 12th precedes a dogleg left par four that invites golfers to cut off some distance by aiming to
the left of the bunkers deep of the fairway top about the 130-140 yard zone. The hazard cannot be seen
from the back tee areas - but we guarantee it is there. The further you go to the left, the longer the tee
shot must be to carry the water. Fourteen features a fairway which slopes right to left towards the desert.
 The tough approach is to a double tiered green, with
cavernous bunkers short left and deep right of the putting complex. The tee shot on 15 should be played to the left center of the ample fairway. The beautiful white sand bunker
left of the green complex will keep some slightly mis-hit approaches from landing in the water hazard that rests immediately to the left. Number 16 is a pretty par three with a carry over desert -
 plenty of bail out room to the right on this one. A lay up to the 80 yard area in the left
center of the fairway will result in a great scoring opportunity on the short par four 17th. Shots played right of center will find encounter an
approach that is partially blind. The tee shot on 18 should be aimed just right of the 150 yard stake - which throughout the course
indicates advantageous landing areas. This hole plays long from all but the foreward tees, with par being a very acceptable score.
With rates topping out around $100 prime time, a round at Longbow is highly recommended. Golfers will encounter a fair but challenging
layout, with good conditioning and outstanding facilities and service.
 Great off season and shoulder season rates are also available. For more
information and for a link to the Longbow website, visit our detailed listing page on our Arizona golf course listing section by clicking here.
For more information on OB Sports and its properties click here.
|
