We Ko Pa, Talking Stick or ?

[DFarron]

Heading to the Ping plant in May and have time for 1 round. Have only played in Arizona twice,  looking for suggestions


1. I can play TPC Scottsdale for a very reasonable rate? Is it worth it ?


2. Phoenix CC, how solid is it ?


3. Others I am considering ….Talking Stick, We Ko Pa, Troon North, Arizona CC.


4. I have access to private courses, how are Desert Forest and Estancia?


Look forward to your opinions ?

[Tom_Doak]

Depends on what you are looking for.


Talking Stick North and The Other Course at Scottsdale National are the most interesting of the desert courses I've seen.


I haven't seen We Ko Pa; it's supposedly better than Talking Stick, but I doubt it is as interesting architecturally.


Desert Forest is a great place [or at least was, I haven't been there since the somewhat controversial rebuild of the greens].  It's a difficult course as it's quite a bit narrower than the rest of these.  If you're a very good player, you might like it the best of all.

[Ben Sims]

Between TSN and WKP Saguaro I’d probably play them 6-4, in favor or TSN.  Saguaro wins for setting, but TSN wins for interest, tightness of the routing, and it’s a better walk. So, I’m leaning TSN.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

TSN for interesting golf:
https://golfclubatlas.com/countries/talkingstick
I've never played Scottsdale National's Other Course but  from what I hear, and seen here, it's an all around experience."For those who cherish variety, The Bad Little Nine and The Other Course at Scottsdale National combine to provide Arizona’s finest playing experience."
https://golfclubatlas.com/countries/scottsdale-national-golf-club

[DFarron]

Depends on what you are looking for.


Talking Stick North and The Other Course at Scottsdale National are the most interesting of the desert courses I've seen.


I haven't seen We Ko Pa; it's supposedly better than Talking Stick, but I doubt it is as interesting architecturally.


Desert Forest is a great place [or at least was, I haven't been there since the somewhat controversial rebuild of the greens].  It's a difficult course as it's quite a bit narrower than the rest of these.  If you're a very good player, you might like it the best of all.

Don’t get to Arizona very often but after a loooong Idaho winter I’m going for a warm, enjoyable experience.
Thanks for the advice! Btw as a Michigan native I’m glad to hear that High Pointe is coming back, was always sorry I had missed it.

[Andrew Harvie]

Saguaro is pretty good. It feels geared to match play, in my opinion, given how many half-par holes there are and some weird tongues and wings in the greens. Talking Stick may be a better use of its property, but Saguaro is a better golf course.


Desert Forest is very good, if a bit hard. I prefer it to Estancia, although that is a fine Fazio effort. I have not seen Scottsdale National's Other course, but I want to.


If it's me, I might go to Saguaro or Desert Forest.

[JHoulihan]

If you are strong off the tee, Desert Forest is an option. If not, it can be a long day mentally. The greens are in the top 5% of speeds I have played personally.


Talking Stick is wide enough for nearly all of the tee. There is very little elevation change, but interesting hole to hole especially the varied lengths of the par three's.


WKP has 36 holes and is a 50/50 decision of which is best. I personally like Cholla but that is due the Saguaro length/width of par 4's.


Troon North has 36 as well. Course is built in a beautiful area, but the course width means a lost sleeve of balls off the tee from all but the straightest drivers.


Justin
Phoenix, AZ

[mike_beene]

Phoenix CC is fine but feels more like regular golf vs desert golf. If you leave Ping with anything new don’t even swing at a desert lie.

[Steve_Lovett]

There is nowhere quite like Desert Forest. It's an unassuming, low-key place and it's spectacular in the desert. Estancia or Whisper Rock are the other end of the spectrum - modern, stunning, and dramatic. If I had only one round, I'd play Desert Forest.

[Dave Givnish]

There's going to be quite a price difference between WeKoPa Saguaro and Talking Stick, if you can even get a time on WKP. O'odham (North) course is good, easily walkable (free push carts available), and it's a lot more convenient to town. P'iipash is a typical resort course. All 4 courses don't have real estate surrounding them yet. The views at WKP are a bit better.


Chino Bandido https://chinobandido.com/ is a good lunch stop to tie in with a Ping factory visit.


The assessment that Desert Forest was a great place is spot on. It is quiet and the desert surround is about as good any course other than Scottsdale National. The changes were not good in my opinion. They took away the ground game. Approach shots run up to the greens were forced into green side bunkers that were too deep for the small greens. Saguaro still has some of those good ground game elements. That said, if you can get on, play it and see what you think.

[Jerry Kluger]

I think I understand the admiration for Talking Stick but I think that part of the experience of golf in the area is the land movement in so many of the courses.  Troon Country Club is a Weiskopf design and he felt very strongly about the course and did some work there not too long before his death. 

[DFarron]

Ended up playing at Talking Stick. When I drove in the property didn’t look like much and the first hold was in rather disrepair, but then the fun started.


Hole after hole was interesting and had great views and interesting strategies …..the greens were excellent and I loved the 18th hole.