OCOTILLO GOLF CLUB
Arizona Golf Course Review
Ocotillo Golf Resort is a 4 star championship golf course (Golf Digest) located in Chandler, about 45 minutes
south of Scottsdale. 27 holes of superb, quality golf is complimented by an excellent grass range and two large
practice greens. The clubhouse is one of the finest we have seen in Arizona. A well-stocked pro shop is adjacent
to Bernard's Restaurant - featuring fine dining and a first class atmosphere. Dine inside or venture to their
outdoor veranda and be surrounded by a resort like ambiance of bubbling waterfalls, fine linens, candle light,
native woods and natural stone. The men and ladies locker rooms are also plush, filled with amenities expected at fine resorts.
The course itself is worth the trip from Phoenix or Scottsdale. It is a unique layout, with plush conditioning from
tee to green and an abundance of water hazards throughout the three nines. Water comes into play (sometimes
more than once) on all nine holes of the Blue Course. While intimidating for short hitters, the average golfer will
have opportunities for strategic lay-ups and reasonable carries on many holes. The White course has five holes
with water hazards, and the Gold 7. That means only 6 holes of the 27 deny you the opportunity to get your ball
wet! Needless to say, strategy is important on your round at Ocotillo.
The greens are consistently quick, but soft enough to hold approaches. Most have gorgeous sand bunker
complexes, giving you even more to think about. Aesthetically, Ocotillo is one of the most pleasing public access
designs in the nation. With slope ratings from 122 to 139 - you had better bring your "A" game.
The opening hole of the Blue Course is a mid range par 5 with lots of open space off the tee. Your second may
be affected by the water hazard that creeps into the fairway on the right side about 100 yards out. The approach
is slightly uphill and almost all carry. A reasonable par four that bends gently to the left awaits you on the second.
Water is only in play if you muff your tee shot. The third demands an accurate tee shot that stops 80 - 90 yards
short of the green - as the approach is another wedge over water. The fourth is one of the most beautiful holes on
the course. This mid length par three over water is a fair birdie opportunity. Holes 5 and 6 have narrow canals in
front of the tees and lakes all along the left sides of the fairways. Three fairway bunkers and a huge sand
complex near the green on 5, and an extremely undulating green on number 6 provide interesting challenges.
Another birdie is available on the short par three seventh. Be sure to land on the correct portion of the green, as
it is double tiered. Gorgeous homes border the fairway on the left, and across the water on the beautiful par 4
eighth. The design of the homes in the area actually adds to the beauty of the course. Take a look around and
you will probably see an abundance of water fowl and wildlife. Snowy Egrets, Blue Herons and Cranes are
amongst the variety of birds in abundance. A monster bass elevated from the water (probably trying to catch one
of my errant shots) near the ninth green. Luckily, he missed, as I ended up with a good score on this short par
four. After laying up to 70 - 80 yards short of the green, an accurate approach over a 20 yard expanse of water is
necessary. This is a great closing hole on the Blue Course.
The White Course plays to 3285 yards and has water in play in some shape or form on 5 of the nine holes -
including forced carries on numbers two, three, four and nine. There also are 37 soft sand bunkers in located
along the landing areas of the landscaped fairways, or situated greenside. The alternate sets of this par 35
layout play to 3031, 2857, and 2565 yards. As with the Blue and Gold Courses, sprinkler heads are measured to
the center of the green, and cart paths also have permanent markers on all par fours and fives. Pin placment
sheets are posted on all golf carts indicating rotating hole locations.
Twenty seven holes with water in play on 19, and with 118 sand bunkers to contend with.. One would think that
we were tired of getting "beat up" by a tough course. We lost over a dozen balls amongst our threesome - but did
not seem to mind. Though it would be difficult to navigate Ocotillo with one ball, we realized that most of balls we
left for the fishes were due to tactical errors or very bad shots. Though challenged - we enjoyed our round
thoroughly and regret that we did not allow enough time to play all 27 holes. This is a challenging yet fun and fair
course. Great golf holes, exquisite conditioning, fine servce - all trademarks of Troon Golf - which owns and
manages this property. We highly recommend a round at Ocotillo - on the the top public access courses in the country!
Click here to visit the Two Guys Who Golf detailed listing page with a link (if available) to this course's website.
|
