The Golf Club Scottsdale

[grandwazo]

I recently had a discussion with a real estate broker in the Scottsdale area, I'm looking to purchase a vacation home in the area, and I asked him what he thought the best way was to go about it.  He suggested buying a home outside of one of the well known developments in a housing only development and joining the The Golf Club of Scottsdale.  

Has anyone played the course? Comments?

Keeping in mind that money IS an object and that "value" is subjective, all things considered, what do you think the best all around value is in the valley and the surrounding area? Desert Mountain? Estancia? Desert Highlands, Superstition Mountain, Whisper Rock, etc.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Given the cost of this club, how are membership sales doing? Is this the type of club where you have to bring a game or can you get a game there? Mirabel and Troon CC sell to non residents as does Whisper Rock.

Best value in the Valley? It's all relative. Try Blackstone in Peoria in the West Valley. No real estate is required and the cost is less now because it just opened. IM me for details.

[Brad Klein]

Move to Carefree, join Desert Forest GC. It's the best pure club in the area.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I know if I lived there and could join any club in the area. Desert Forest GC would be the place for me.

[Bill_McBride]

The McBride boys (me, brother, son and nephew) will be teeing it up at the Golf Club of Scottsdale on Friday Feb 24. I'll let you know!  From all reports it is a great layout but pretty unwalkable the last four holes.  Apparently if you walk with a caddy the club stacks up some carts on the 15th tee and everybody rides including the caddies, the rest of the way.

That's pretty ugly, but I'll report back later.

[David Druzisky]

Don't forget Southern Dunes out in Maricopa - if you are not concerned about living at the property.

[Smokey_Pot_Bunker]

I worked on the construction crew for this course nearly from start to finish.  The course sits on a nice piece of property that Dick Bailey and Jay Moorish designed a good test of golf.

A number of holes sit among the native boulder outcroppings which puts a premium on accuracy. Holes of note for me are

#1 good openig par five with a great green site
#3 par 4 with a split fairway (favor the right side)
#4 dogleg left par 4 that once had what I thought was a great tabletop green that was lowered since I moved away from PHX.
#8 long par 4 with a difficult yet wonderful greensite.
#10 another split fairway par 5 with a a tightening feel fom the fist landing area into the green.
#12 a solid par 3

While all the holes are interesting IMHO some holes missed the mark. That's probably because I saw the natural lay of the land and what we constructed.

For the stacking of carts at 15 I see the point but it soundslike laziness to me, yes the climb from 15 fwy to the tee at 16 does go up quite quickly but from that point on you only have a small hill to climb on 18 other than that its all downhill also IMHO these last four holes could be walked.

The courses mentioned above me Desert Forest, Whisper Rock and Southern Dunes are excellent choices.

Now for living in PHX I always liked the Arcadia section of town it sits right on the eastern edge of Phoenix between say 44th st and 68th st (east west) and say Thomas road and Camelback Road (North South) its close to everything I think David will confirm this.

I Don't know if Troon golf offers a Membership to all their managed courses but if they did I would do that.  To many good courses under their umbrella to pass up.

Forgot to mention Bent Grass greens, enormous practice facility and the fact that the architects didn't force a water hole onto the course with a irrigation lake so they put it to the side of the range.

Google earth has good images of the course its just east of Troon North.

[grandwazo]

What an unbelievable resource GCA is.  Thank you gentlemen, your input is much appreciated.
Regards
Jeff

[Jerry Kluger]

Let me say that when I played Troon CC I got the impression that the club had a very active membership and was an excellent family environment.  The member I played with had been there for a long time and was very enthusiastic about the course and the club and felt that whenever he wanted to get out and play he could find a game with another member and really enjoyed himself as did his wife.

[Tom Renli]

Jeff,
I have the following comments on GCS:

* Course is very good - conditioning, variety of holes, strategic choices, lack of houses and width/elavation changes.
* I believe they are at less than 100 members, below their target at this point due to: location (they are out a little further NE), lack of clubhouse completion, late to the game (ten plus other high end N Sdale properties were built prior) and they were initially marketed as a single membership (not family).

The following are comments on private clubs in the Valley:

* Desert Forrest - absolutely the best course, probably the best value IMO.  If you need validation, play it once and read Brad's VERY fine book on it.

* SS MTN - Jack and Lyle Anderson, far SE Valley, 36 holes, host an LPGA event, annual membership available.

* Southern Dunes - far SW Valley, reasonable, hosted State Am last year.

* Phoenix CC - central Phx, Lehman redid recently, former site of Phx Open, price has dropped due to migration to N Sdale Clubs.