A large oak tree presents an obstacle on the first hole of the Conquistador Course at Hilton El Conquistador Country Club in Tucson. (Mike Bailey/TravelGolf)

Looking for a fair, enjoyable test? Hilton's Conquistador Course in Tucson has game

By Mike Bailey,
Senior Staff Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. - Among the 45 holes under management of the Hilton El Conquistador Country Club, the nine-hole Pusch Ridge Course sits on the hotel grounds, while the two 18-hole layouts - also part of the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort - require a 10-minute shuttle ride from the property.

Resort guests, it seems, prefer the Canada Course, with its plentiful views and elevation change and a couple of tricky holes. But day in and day out, the club's members prefer the Conquistador Course - your first clue to play it. And if you stay at the resort for two consecutive days, you'll get your chance, because the golf courses alternate between members and guests.

"Conquistador is more straightforward," said Jay Synkelma, lead instructor of the property's Hilton Golf Academy. "And there are not as many short par 4s."

Jeff Hardin and Greg Nash designed both courses. The Conquistador opened first in 1982 as a semi-desert layout with more of a parkland feel. The golf course starts with its trickiest hole, a dogleg-right, downhill par-4. A huge tree plays havoc with approach shots from the left side of the fairway.

The par-71 Conquistador, relatively flat in comparison to the Canada Course, features six tee combinations, from 4,804 to 6,755 yards. Many of the bunkers have been removed over the years, so basically, you get to hit it, find it and hit it again.

Plenty of bueno holes on the Conquistador Course

The Conquistador Course offers lots of solid golf holes with everything out front. If you can't carry to the green, most holes include run-up avenues.

But the golf course will test you, especially from the back tees.

No. 8, a long, straightaway par 4 with a narrow, deep green, plays 441 yards as the No. 1-handicap hole.

At 539 yards, the par-5 11th, with its very wide but shallow green, offers a good risk-reward opportunity. And on the par-5, 532-yard 16th, you hit your tee shot straight toward the Santa Catalina Mountains, which, alone, provide a pretty good view.

The Conquistador Course at Hilton El Conquistador C.C.: The verdict

If you're looking for Ritz-Carlton-like conditioning, the Conquistador might disappoint, but you will get good playing conditions.

The Conquistador does not provide wall-to-wall, thick ryegrass in the winter, though the fairways and greens are overseeded.

In fact, the Conquistador presents an exception to the rule among resort golf courses in Arizona. Grown as a warm-season golf course, it thrives when the temperatures rise and the Bermuda grass grows thick.

Conditioning aside, the Conquistador is a straightforward, good test of golf with a nice variety of holes. Hardly a pushover, it demands use of all the clubs in your bag. And the course flows nicely from its challenging opener.

Hilton El Conquistador Country Club: Stay and play, practice and lessons

The Hilton offers golf packages that encompass all 45 holes. And you can book a package with the golf school, directed by Synkelma, an excellent, veteran teacher who has played in a number of PGA Tour events.

The Hilton Golf Academy, situated away from the main driving range at the country club, features a plush grass range and an extensive short-game area reserved for students. Individual and group lessons are available.

March 19, 2010

Mike Bailey is a senior staff writer based in the Houston area. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 15 years in the golf industry. Before joining the WorldGolf.com team in 2008, he held positions at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Read Mike's golf blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.