PALM VALLEY GOLF CLUB - North/South Course (623-935-2500)
Arizona Golf Course Review
Note: The Palm Valley Golf Club has transitioned into a 27 hole championship facility comprised of the North, South and new West courses (the West course is the original Lakes mid-length course that has been totally redesigned by Phil Mickelson Golf Design.
The Palm Valley Golf Club is a 27 hole championship layout designed by Arthur Hills and includes a full practice facility with a double sided range, short game area and a large
putting greens. It is a wonderful facility for beginners and for avid golfers alike - and is perhaps the best bang for your buck in the Phoenix area. Players have the option to play 3
different 18 hole combinations of the North, South and West courses.
The North/South Course is a true championship design. There are 5 sets of tees, with the Championships playing to over 7000 yards and the mid tees (whites) at 6160. The slope
rating ranges from 133 to 112, so you can choose your own medicine. Though surrounded by desert and waste areas, the Palms generally has sufficient room on the fairways
and lots of dormant grass bordering both sides. This is much easier to hit out of than the types of rough encountered on northern courses. The greens throughout the layout are of
medium size and in good shape. Rotating pin placement (info provided on score cards) information will help you discern which clubs to use on your approaches. Stakes at 100,
150 and 200 are very visible on all the fairways.
The course opens with a short par four, with a long carry over desert. The putting surface is elevated and is fronted by a deep bunker. A good tee shot should present a great
opportunity for birdie or par here. Two is a par 5 that plays downhill off the tee with desert waiting for errant shots to the right. The green is elevated and undulating. Three is a
picture hole - a short par three that is followed by a mid length par four and five - making this three hole sequence the easiest stretch on the course. The number two handicap
sixth is a long and narrow par four, where par is great and bogey is acceptable. It plays at 455 yards from the tips and 410 from the mid tees. Seven is the last of the par threes. It is
a beautiful hole with a deep bunker guarding the green to the right. The last two holes on the front nine are very reasonable par fours, affording you a chance to put up some good
numbers going into the back nine.
The 10th hole is a mid length par four with a narrow fairway sloping from left to right, playing to an elevated green. Number eleven demands a tee shot over the desert to a wide
open fairway. A waste area comes into play on the right side about 100 yards from the green. A narrow fairway with dormant grasses along rolling mounds on both sides follows
on the long par four twelfth. An uphill par three is next (1 club extra) making 4 holes in a row where distance is required off the tee. The fourteenth and fifteenth holes are beautiful
mid length par fours that play uphill to elevated greens. Avoid the fairway bunkers and you have a good shot at par or better here. Sixteen is quite long, and your tee shot must carry
a large waste area. The first of several easy par threes follows. This mid iron shot must also carry a waste area, but is nonetheless a good birdie hole. The number 1 handicap of
the Palms is the finishing hole. Tee up for a long drive over the desert to a fairway that narrows as you approach the green. This par 5 will take three shots to reach for most golfers
- with little room for error around the green. There is a vast difference between the various tee boxes on Palm Valley. We are talking 500 yards between the Whites and the Blues -
and another 425 between the Blues and the Tournament tees. For beginners and junior golfers, there are also the Palm Valley tees - playing at just 4200 yards.
Click here to visit the Two Guys Who Golf detailed listing page with a link (if available) to this course's website.
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