|
By Russ Christ, special for GolfArizona.com  PHOENIX- (October 21, 1999) - In a recent survey conducted by the Arizona Golf Association, some of the public golf courses in the Maricopa County revealed peak season green fees. Peak season in Arizona normally begins after the holiday season ends. Troon North Golf Club’s Monument and Pinnacle Golf Courses topped the list at $240 per player beginning January 18. The Boulders Club in Carefree, ranked recently by Conde Naste Traveler’s readers as the seventh best golf resort in the United States, will charge guests $225 ($200 if you stay at the resort). The Raven Golf Club at South Mountain, near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, ($150 per player after Christmas), witnessed a slight increase from 1998, while Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, is at $125 on weekends and $100 Monday through Thursday. With quality comes cost in Arizona. According to a survey conducted in 1997 by the National Golf Foundation, Arizona has the third highest average weekend green fees in the country ($66.70), almost double the national average ($37.30). Hawaii and Nevada are the most expensive places to play. The figures reflect in-season averages with a cart and suggest something about supply and demand economics. During peak season, many of the best courses in Scottsdale and Phoenix charge individuals over $150 for 18 holes and actually turn people away due to booked tee sheets. The green fees, in most cases, are all-inclusive; practice balls, course guides, superior service and immaculately conditioned playing surfaces. Some High-End Options Grayhawk Golf Club Kierland Golf Club Legend Trail Golf Club Raven Golf Club at South Mountain SunRidge Canyon Golf Club 480-837-5100 $160 $145 (if you book inside of week) Talking Stick Golf Club The Boulders Club Troon North Golf Club If you’re interested in saving money on green fees it can be done. All five of the municipal courses in Phoenix, including two of the best, Cave Creek and Papago, charge only $28 dollars for non-residents during the peak season. Residents of Maricopa County can play for $19. Reserving a tee time at these courses is next to impossible because the phone lines are often jammed. “Municipal golf provides an affordable option and it is a difficult thing to plan, but,” says Jerry Fife, the golf administrative supervisor for the City of Phoenix, “we do reserve two tee times a day for walk-ons.” Singles have the best chance to get on and should employ this strategy: call the golf shop the day before you arrive or show up in the early morning and put your name on the walk-on list. Some affordable options: Dobson Ranch Golf Course Longbow Golf Club Papago Golf Course The 500 Club TPC Desert Golf Course Related links: |
Wildfire Golf Club - Faldo Course