I just played the course. I think the work is fantastic, extremely well done, and very much with sensitive respect for Red Lawrence’s original creation. When I returned home, I drug out my Confidential Guide to read what Tom Doak had to say about the course many years ago:
“Only the large, plain greens keep it from being my favorite desert layout.”
No worries about that now. I didn’t see or play DF before the restoration and only had the benefit of Ran’s lyrical course description and other comments here as my preparation. I expected the course to be very narrow and extremely difficult for a mediocre golfer like me. When I got there and saw that the fairways had not been over-seeded (to limit the competition with the newly planted Bermuda), I gulped and thought “Oh great, it’s going to play fast as well; I’m going to shoot a 100.” It was fast; probably the fastest unfrozen course I’ve ever played. And, yes, it was a challenging test of golf. However, it was one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf I have ever played anywhere. In my view, the course is a thinking golfer’s paradise. Every shot requires thought, choice, and execution, sometimes precise execution. There are so many options on every hole, failure can only be the product of operator error, the guy hitting the shots. There was plenty of room to play any game you wanted and some stern rewards for choosing or executing badly. But when the shots came off as desired, I felt as exhilarated as I ever had with the game.
I sent my first shot wildly off into the desert. Not a good start: reload. Made a slight adjustment, told myself I had to concentrate and play my game, and played the next twelve holes with the same ball. I put that one into the desert only when I got overconfident and tried to take advantage of the fast conditions by bashing it as far as I could. That’s an operator error on Desert Forest. You must play with thought and respect. The desert is beautiful to behold. You don’t want to spend much time playing golf there. The point I’m trying to make here is that the course is very playable and infinitely interesting, even to a hack like me, and that it will require your full attention.
Two lost balls, both operator error, some pars, a birdie, some bogeys, a few others, and tons of fun. As an example of desert golf, I thought it was a masterpiece. The green complexes are fantastic. They are slopey, full of subtle internal contours, and defended by some fierce, deep, and beautifully crafted bunkers. They weren’t designed to be skating rinks at which to hit thoughtless shots or putts. They were designed to fit seamlessly into a beautiful, thoughtful golf course in the Sonoran Desert. If they are running at 12, they will be scary. But why would anyone do that to a wonderful course? Like lipstick on a sow, it’s just not right.
I’m not much of a course critic. I agree with those that think courses should be played and enjoyed, not rated. That’s just me, I play golf for fun and have to admit that I can have fun playing golf on a crappy course with the right mates. DF far exceeded my expectations and was a ton of fun to play. Sure, it’s a challenging course, but for all of the right reasons.
One can’t play there without noticing a certain aura about the club. The range was full on weekday before our round, one of the last off for the day. It was pretty busy at the turn and still had a few players out there at end of the day. Dedicated golfers working on their games. Great practice facilities. A very comfortable and beautifully maintained facility. Pure golf. I commend the members for making the “bold and imaginative update of a desert classic.” That took guts and respect for their course and the game. No dumbing down to be found here. You are lucky folks to be able to play your course. I hope you enjoy it much, much more over time than I did on my one, fleeting visit. I have the feeling that you will. And thanks for providing a wonderful experience.