Like many others, I was in Phoenix last weekend. Most of the courses I played have been amply and ably covered elsewhere, but I would like to hilight an affordable option – Vistal, which cost our group $90 for the first round and $30 for the second at peak season with a tee time made well in advance from out of town.
Located South of downtown up against South Mountain, Vistal is a complete rebuild on the site of the old Thurderbird golf course, owned by Jim Colbert when I was in college (80’s). I never played Thunderbird, but by all accounts it was a dog tract.
Vistal, by contrast, packs a lot of interest in a very tight land area. Much of that interest is created by very penal fairway bunkers which often impose a full stroke penalty due to the need to pitch out. Thus, off the tee, one is constantly calculating his ability to place the ball where he wants, and weighing that option against the possibility of a 175-200 yard approach if he is too conservative off the tee.
The best holes on the course are the 5th through the 9th, which play in all directions against the side of the mountain. The course presents some truly unique challenges on other holes, ranging from a tree in front of the green on the par five first (sounds goofy, but I think it works), greens that favor shots of all shapes, including aerial, right to left, left to right and run up, a wonderful reverse redan green on a downhill par four (16) and a horseshoe (or tractor seat) green on the par five 17th.
Other positives about the course include (1) it is easily walkable, (2) the service is outstanding, without the butt-kissing or arrogant flavor so common at CCFAD’s and (3) it seems to be a course frequented by a lot of good local players based on my impression of the crowd on two separate visits spaced by a couple of years. Unlike most courses, here the 7100 yard tees get as much use as the other options.
Why is this course priced lower than others? I assume the primary reason is location – it is on the south part of town, in a poorer neighborhood and a hike from Scottsdale, depending on traffic. Second, the conditioning is adequate, but more in the range of a decent municipal course than a CCFAD. Third, the course is packed into a tight area, making stray shots from neighboring fairways a constant hazard. Finally, this course has been hurt by the unfortunate death of a customer from the drinking water several years ago – a scenario very unlikely to occur again given the measures they have in place now.
To me, none of these drawbacks takes away one iota from the golf. So often, I leave Phoenix courses feeling like I have been mugged - paying top dollar for average golf. Vistal makes you feel like you are getting away with something - very good golf for a more than reasonable price.
Definitely consider Vistal if you are looking for an affordable option in Phoenix.
Ron Whitten review:
http://www.golfdigest.com/courses/critic/index.ssf?/courses/critic/thunderbirds.htmlCourse website
http://www.vistalgolfclub.com/index.htm