Grande Valley, Eloy AZ - Forrest Richardson

[David Sneddon]

I was down in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area last Friday, and decided to head a little south on I10 to Eloy and see what golf was avaliable for a walk-on single.

Grande Valley was recommended by a friend and thought I'd give it a try, since the alternative was to head for home and shovel snow out of my driveway. The short story is that I enjoyed the course, people and staff so much I stayed an extra day and played it again Sunday.

The course itself is no "Championship" course and doesn't advertise itself as such, but it is what most public courses both new and old should aspire to; eminently playable for all levels of golfer, kept in good condition (firm and fast) with excellent green complexes, which along with the mounding are the course's  main defence.

When you consider that originally the site was flat as a pancake, Forrest did an excellent job of creating a golf course out of little more than bare desert.  The course is walkable, though I noticed that most took carts, and the green fee is a modest $43 for Saturday and Sunday play, cart and range balls included.

There are no bunkers on the course, which should help with speed of play, and of course reduce maintenance budgets, and really, the course doesn't need any, plays just fine with the mounding and slightly rolling fairways. 

The greens are the devil's own work, though.    Forrest must have had fun burying the entire zoo underneath them.  They were maintained at reasonable speed, rolling around a 9 or thereabouts, but with the contour and slope, you had to have your approach land on the correct part of the green, otherwise you could be left thanking the Golf Gods you only took three putts to get down.  IIRC, the 6th green was a real joy - pretty much divided into four sections by two opposite running ridges.

I was helped in no small measure by the three locals I was sent out with on the Saturday morning - it was their home course, so their advice on where to land the tee shot/approach was invaluable.  The course does, if anything, favour those who draw the ball, though there are a couple of holes where a fade off the tee might be more advised.

From the above you'd be correct in assuming I thoroughly enjoyed my two rounds, especially since I had a nice 78 on Saturday and a 75 on Sunday. 

Forrest did a marvelous job with this course.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I think this course had a different name when it first opened. I note from the website that recent work was done on the course.

http://www.gvrgolfclub.com/

Another value course worth playing but not as far as Eloy is The Duke at Rancho ElDorado in Maricopa. Also, the recently public Southern Dunes, also in Maricopa, is another good choice.

[David Sneddon]

I think this course had a different name when it first opened. I note from the website that recent work was done on the course.

http://www.gvrgolfclub.com/

Another value course worth playing but not as far as Eloy is The Duke at Rancho ElDorado in Maricopa. Also, the recently public Southern Dunes, also in Maricopa, is another good choice.

Thanks Steve - wasn't aware of any re-design.
Friend of mine mentioned that Southern Dunes was now public and was a good course.

My course options are usually limited since I have to find somewhere to drop my 48' trailer, then proceed to the course in my tractor 

[mark chalfant]

David,

Thanks for the report. It is always great  to hear about a good course that  has NO bunkers!  Congratulations Forrest, the greens sound very fun.

[Jeff_Mingay]

From the above you'd be correct in assuming I thoroughly enjoyed my two rounds, especially since I had a nice 78 on Saturday and a 75 on Sunday. 

Apparently, this course isn't hard enough 

[David Sneddon]

From the above you'd be correct in assuming I thoroughly enjoyed my two rounds, especially since I had a nice 78 on Saturday and a 75 on Sunday. 

Apparently, this course isn't hard enough 

The state of my game makes it a hard enough course, Jeff.
 

[Michael Blake]

Curious as to the reasoning for no bunkers?

[Jason Topp]

Interesting that it is nearly 7200 yards but the course rating is 72.6 and the slope 117.  I think Eloy is at a pretty low elevation so I am surprised that it is even possible for the rating and slope to be that low.

[David Sneddon]

Interesting that it is nearly 7200 yards but the course rating is 72.6 and the slope 117.  I think Eloy is at a pretty low elevation so I am surprised that it is even possible for the rating and slope to be that low.

Eloy is 1550ft ASL.  Not Denver high, but high enough I noticed the ball travelling slightly further. 

[Wayne_Freedman]

I, for one, have learned to appreciate the funky Forrest. He's out there, but he means well.
At Peacock Gap, I have even learned to appreciate some hole that I previously blasted.

The 7th, in particular, makes sense only after you realize that it does not make sense.
Get that?

[Bill_McBride]

I, for one, have learned to appreciate the funky Forrest. He's out there, but he means well.
At Peacock Gap, I have even learned to appreciate some hole that I previously blasted.

The 7th, in particular, makes sense only after you realize that it does not make sense.
Get that?

Wayne, pay no attention to my remark that those who don't appreciate what Forrest did with the greens at Peacock are "knuckleheads," I was just kidding.  Honest.   

[Forrest Richardson]

What a nice post. Thanks for the comments.

I cannot recall exactly how many bunkers we had in the beginning. Maybe 10 — or less? The last owner got rid of them, which I opposed. I also opposed the lake at No. 18 — a clear violation of my design, and also the very strict water laws in Arizona.

The greens are the defense. I appreciate this recognition.

Total budget: $1.7 million. That included irrigation, all grading of the flat site and drainage. This was 1990.

[Forrest Richardson]

Wayne — I like the fact that you can make sense out of my not making sense. Thanks for your two cents worth on the sense. I detect a scent of sense...not sure if on your part, or mine. Regardless, thanks.

Grande Valley (Eloy) — by the way — was completed in in the late 1980s.

[Tom Yost]

Eloy-Tohono was the original name was it not, Forrest?

A question about #15.  The scorecard map shows an alternate fairway left.  The first time I played the course, I think I banged one out that way only to find my ball in the dirt, no evidence that there ever was any grass on that area...

By the way Forrest,  I think you are the king of GCA with courses having been renamed!      (Thinking of Arizona Grand... which by the way, I understand they have reversed #18 and turned it into #1 again...    )

[Forrest Richardson]

Yes, the original name was Eloy-Tohono. No. 15 was a split fairway par-4 and we did, indeed, plant grass on the left lobe which was separated by a ditch planted with desert grasses and sage. I think one of the previous owners had his eyes light up when he saw a possibility to narrow the fairway and add a few homes to the outside perimeter. Never done thankfully. However, the left side "went away" so to speak.

---

At Arizona Grand we "put back" the original No. 1 hole this past summer, although it is not exact due to a massive new resort lobby, restaurant, golf shop and bar. The best part is that the awkward island green added by unnamed individuals in the 1990s is no longer associated with my name — and no longer a part of this earth. You now play up the hill at No. 1, which was always the intention. No clue why the renamed the course — probably just to "turn over a new leaf."

P.S.  Originally the course was Pointe Resort at South Mountain...then Phantom Horse...now Arizona Grand