SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
Arizona Golf Course Review- 6/20/02 - Photos updated in 2006
SunRidge Canyon is a premier desert golf destination, located among the ridges and canyons of the McDowell Mountains, which form the boundary between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. It is the top
course of an impressive list of Arizona SunCor Golf properties that include The Sanctuary, Sedona Golf
Resort, Club West, StoneRidge and Palm Valley Golf Club. Breathtaking is a good way to describe the vistas surrounding the beautiful fairways and green complexes on this course, which has been honored
as: #42 in USA "Places You Can Play" by Golf Magazine, Host site for the 1997 State Team Championship, Host site for the 1996 LPGA Mitsubishi Championship, plus for one of "America's 100
Best" golf shops.
The clubhouse is as nice as they come, with a full service pro shop, indoor dining, banquet and outing
facilities, plus an outdoor terrace and grill with spectacular views of the course. The complimentary grass
range is quite expansive, with target greens, and a putting green and short game practice area are
adjacent. At "tee time" golfers are greeted by a friendly ranger who provides info on the intricacies off the
course. Pin placement sheets are also provided. A ProLink GPS with 12" screen and a chest filled with
ice is standard on every cart. For first time visitors the 150-yard stakes on the par fours and fives are
especially helpful as targets, and can certainly save some strokes. The 90 degree rule is generally in effect - which helps facilitate 4 to 4 1/2 hour rounds (or less).
The topography at SunRidge is quite rolling, with mounded fairways and large green complexes that feature strategic bunkering and gentle undulations. The desert and surrounding mountains are always in
view. Carries over desert areas are frequent from the back tees, though most are quite short. Sufficient
landing areas are the rule rather than the exception, and the front tees are user-friendly, with the
exception of some forced carries on the par threes. The 4 sets of tee boxes are beautifully sculpted on each hole, and measure from 6823 to 5122 yards. The back and middle tees play between 6403 and
5944. The slope rating varies from 142 to 128, allowing golfers an opportunity to choose their medicine, and make to their day as challenging or as docile as they desire. The layout at SunRidge Canyon
unfolds slowly, and becomes more dramatic as the round progresses. Many of the middle and certainly the closing holes present awe-inspiring vistas, as the fairways meander into box canyons and over and
around arroyos towards greens that are defined by age-old stands of mesquite, ironwood and palo trees.
The opening hole plays easily if you stay to the right side off the tee. Grass swells will engulf approaches
that land short of the green. The second has a wide landing area past the short desert arroyo that must
be cleared off the tee. The rolling fairway slopes right towards the desert, while bunkers on the left
warrant consideration. The third is a dogleg right par five with lots of room on both sides, all the way to
the green. Stay clear of the fairway bunker on the right side of the fairway on the par 4 fourth, and you
should have an easy approach and possible birdie opportunity. This is a nice opening stretch of holes, that allows golfers to warm up and to get a feel of the course before it becomes demanding. The long
par four 5th is the number 1 handicap of the layout. It is tight off the tee, with fairway mounds funneling
shots towards the center. The green is challenging as it slopes noticeably right to left, with two bunkers
protecting against an approach from the right side. Par it and get out of town! You must carry a deep
ravine on the par three sixth - short is not an option here. The short par four seventh plays downhill, and
there is more fairway than it appears off the tee. There are two carries featured here, one off the tee and
another over the ravine 50 yards out. This is pretty tough for a 15th handicap hole. The eighth is an easy
hole from the whites and front tees (168/156 yards), but plays long from the backs and championships (243/235). Coming in you are confronted by one of the most interesting holes on the front. After a tee
shot over a dry creek bed, you have two choices. Aim for the 150 stake and play for the green on your
third shot, or hit a fairway wood over the hazard that is about 125 yards out. There is about 50 yards of fairway between the green and the hazard.
The tee shot on ten must clear a pond from the back tees, and the hazard extends along the left to near the 100-yard marker. Numerous fairway and greenside bunkers provide the challenge on this very short
par four. A dogleg left follows, with a desert wash crossing near the 150 yard marker left, and 190 out to
the right. The smart play is to lay up just right of and past the left fairway bunker, and before the desert
arroyo. A ridge runs down the center of the green so pay attention to the pin placement. There is some
bail out room left on the short par three 12th, which is all carry over desert. This precedes the longest
hole of the layout, which measures between 578 and 441 yards. The rolling fairway slopes right to left
and there is an arroyo to clear 200 yards from the green. Afterwards, a water hazard lurks all the way
past the green, and bunkers guard the left side. The beautiful little waterfall on the right is frequently the
habitat for great Blue Herons. Number 14 is a spectacular hole. Water in front and along the right will
challenge your entry to the green on the pretty par three. The tee boxes are elevated and the view from
on top is gorgeous. There is some bail out room short left, but it's sayonara if you are long. The fifteenth
looks intimidating off the tee, but there is actually more room than it appears on the right side. The
fairway slopes right towards the bunkers, so a shot towards the 150 stake is the prudent play here. The
approach is tight, with a little bail out room right. The narrow fairway on 16 slopes right to left off the tee
and an arroyo crosses about 140 out. The approach plays uphill to a putting complex featuring 3 pot bunkers short and 1 long. The seventeenth plays from an elevated tee and is almost all carry over a
canyon, with ample room to the right. Players on the forward tee get a significant break here, as the front
tee box is on the other side of the drop-off. Take note of the extremely undulating green ( see very first
picture). Eighteen is a challenging finishing hole. There is ample room off the tee, but distance is important here. The approach plays extremely uphill, with considerable bunkering around the green.
A day at SunRidge Canyon is well spent. The Two Guys Who Golf get more requests about this course
than any other on our Arizona golf vacation destination site. It is a quality layout with upscale conditioning
and amenities. Great rates of $40 to $65 are advertised during the summer, making this an incredible value. It is approximately 25 minutes from downtown Scottsdale, and well worth the trip.
Click here for the Two Guys Who Golf informational page for this course with a link to its website (if available).
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