GRAYHAWK GOLF CLUB
Arizona Golf Course Review - Talon Course 6/20/04
General information:
Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale boasts one of Arizona top golf facilities, with two 18-hole 4 star championship courses as the
centerpiece. The Raptor - the original design by Tom Fazio, and the Talon by David Graham and Gary Panks, form a one-two punch that puts Grayhawk on the map as one of the area's top golf destinations.
With Joe Shershenovich at the helm as golf director, and with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson as a PGA Tour professional representative, this property provides facilities that are hard to match.
 The
expansive, modern clubhouse features a pro shop that has been rated as one of the "100 Best Golf Shops in America" since 1996, as selected by Golf Word Business. Wonderfully appointed
locker rooms with showers are available for men and women, and are connected to a vast lobby that also features meeting and special events rooms. The Fairway House is a multi-use facility
that can accommodate 50-300 people for a wide range of functions, and an adjacent outdoor patio has additional seating
with ceiling fans for summer months and a huge double sided fireplace proving comfort and atmosphere
during the cooler seasons. The Quill Creek Café and Phil's Grill provide a variety of fare and beverages (the Thai Chicken Salad is incredible) at reasonable prices.
The practice facilities at Grayhawk are about as good as it gets. A complimentary grass range stocked with golf bags full of practice balls awaits players for a quick warm up. Three putting greens are on
property, and a wonderful short game area near the
 Talon course features a large sand bunker and chipping/pitching green. The conditions at the practice area are
outstanding, and the courteous service by the attendants (who will come to get you for your tee time), is worth mentioning. Also noteworthy is that Grayhawk is home to the Kostis/McCord
Learning Center (CBS commentators Peter Kostis and Gary McCord). Three day golf schools and corporate outings with customized packages including clinics and exhibitions are available.
Both courses here have yardage markers near the cart paths posted every 55 feet - which especially
helps when the conditions warrant cart path only. Recently, it was decided to allow golfers to drive on the
fairways with the 90 degree rule, during the hot summer months. In season (winter, spring and fall) however, the norm is that carts have to stay on the paths. There also are yardages posted on sprinkler
heads in the fairways, and pin placements are indicated by flags marked on green diagrams that are
posted on the back of each cart. Before teeing off, players can help themselves to tees, ball markers and green repair tools, and hole diagram cards are also available.
 Talon Review
The Talon course is a mature desert layout that features an abundance of landscaped foliage, including thoughtfully designed tee areas decorated with gorgeous wildflowers. And oh yes - the
surrounding desert and mountains form postcard perfect backdrops and panoramic views on the majority of holes.
 Many of the green complexes provide sufficient level areas and afford opportunities for bump and run
saves, from approaches landing short of the beautiful Crenshaw bent grass greens. Four sets of tee boxes allow golfers to choose from yardages and slopes measuring 6973//143, 6391/133,
5867/120 slope for men and 133 slope for women, and 5143 yards/121 slope.
 The Opening hole provides a plentiful fairway and a green complex that is open in front, allowing for bump and run approaches. A lay up
to the left center is recommended on two, as bunkers and mounding guard the right side. Pay attention to the pin location as this putting
surface is ridged and undulating. The par five third doglegs to the left, with layered railroad tie bunkers guarding the green. After a short
desert carry, the fourth hole also provides a generous landing zone, and is a good scoring hole especially from the Palo Verde and Terra Cotta tees,
 which measure 363 and 329 yards. The beautiful par three 5th plays from layered tees, to a putting complex fronted by a huge sand waste area.
There is room in the mounds and collection areas left of the green. These first five holes afford golfers an opportunity to get their game together before confronting the course's number one handicap. A
short carry over desert will find an extremely undulating fairway on this long par four. The second shot plays uphill with significant room greenside.
 Grip it and rip it and hope for a good lie. There is ample fairway off the tee on seven, but moguls to the right and desert left make the approach a
challenging one. The eighth is a gorgeous par three with desert wildflowers bordering the tee boxes. The carry over desert is shorter than it appears, as there is plenty of room short of the green
. The closing hole on the front is a mid-length par five with an ample landing zone. The approach to an elevated putting complex
features a huge railroad tie sand trap that protects the front right portion of the green. There is some room in the collection areas immediately to the left.
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Looking for a snack or beverage? A restaurant/snack bar is located at the turn, situated before the dogleg left par four tenth.
 A tee shot played left of the fairway bunker will find advantageous positioning along this rolling fairway. From here the approach to an open green
is a simple one, allowing golfers to run one up to the putting surface. Eleven is a mid-range par three that plays over a desert ravine with moguls and mounding dominating the landscape. Long is a good
option here. On number 14, the fairway ends at an arroyo that crosses about 70 yards out. There is plenty of room short on the approach. The par four 13th is a spectacular golf hole that features a
tee shot over desert to a fairway bound by a wood retaining wall. The 100 yard area comprises a preferable landing zone, leaving a
wedge or short iron to a green complex that drops downwards on the right. Anything short will find the moguls and bunkers that guard the green. The wide undulating fairway
on 14 is accentuated with 3 formidable bunkers that line the right side from 135 yards in. The uphill
approach features two more sand traps to the right of the green. Fifteen is a long par 4 with slopes on
either side that provide a bowl-like effect - guiding slightly off line tees shots back to the fairway. The hole
turns left and plays uphill to a putting complex that is very receptive to low running shots.
 The 16th presents a wide fairway that is squeezed on the left near the 80 yard area by a huge sand waste bunker. There is room to the right, but an
approach aimed over the center pot bunker has the best chance of setting up a good scoring opportunity. Seventeen is a pretty par three that for all practical purposes, amounts to an island green.
There is some right, but golfers will find their wedge game challenged here. Eighteen is a beautiful finishing hole that begins with a short desert carry to a wide fairway bound by sand traps on
the right side. The water along the left should not hamper the second shot, but must be taken into consideration on the approach, as it rests immediately left of the putting surface.
The five level waterfall that separates the 18th from the tenth holes is a tribute to the attention to detail
that is afforded by the creators and staff at Grayhawk. Located about 40 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport, this facility is situated in the midst of some of Arizona's premier real estate. For more
information on either of the courses at Grayhawk, visit our pages on our Arizona golf course listing section - which provides a link to the Grayhawk website - by clicking here.
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