Jim,
An update; I was at AS last week.
The conditions were as I remember them in winter - dormant Bermuda on the fairways and growing bent on tees and greens. The fairways are shaved shorter than I remember them so the lies are tight, but there is generally good coverage in the fairway. At the edges and transitions to the desert there are barren patches where the underlying gravel shows through. Here are a couple of pictures:
The tees are generally OK. In a few cases there are barren patches but they don't put the blocks on those areas. Here are a few pictures that include part of the tees. Two not so good and one that is fine.
The greens are generally OK, albeit a little fuzzy. Despite being fuzzy they still are speedy enough and challenging because of the internal movement in the greens. The only one with issues was the 8th where there were some sandy patches.
On a positive note there were some signs that they were attempting to manage the course conditions better. Many entry points to the fairways were roped off to try and keep wear and tear on the fairways down. At least one tee on the 16th was resodded. There was some work on irrigation piping going on. Looks like they were trying. But, as long as they don't overseed in the winter it'll be a challenge to make the course look good to the majority in the winter.
Service was fine for me. It's not a CCFAD so you have to carry your clubs from the car. And there's no cart girl. But the shop person was pleasant. The starter was pleasant. And there was no pace of play issue so no need for a marshall. In fact we were never closer than two holes to any other group.
And, lastly, it's $55 (or $45 if you walk). About a third or less of the price of most in Phoenix.
Given the architecture and price, I think it's worth playing as a visitor. If it was my home course the conditioning might weigh on me after a while.