Golf Club at Vistoso is priced too high for Tucson

The Golf Club at Vistoso lulls you up to the gate with impressive views of The Tucson Catalina Mountains. The Catalina's are indeed pretty.

The North Side of Tucson gives everyone sweeping mountain views mixed with
rugged desert vegetation. Wander through the 18 holes of Vistoso and it is not uncommon to see wildlife such as Javelina as well as rattlesnakes, prancing and slithering through the fairways.

Nice scenery aside, Vistoso golf course is Tucson's most overpriced golf course. At $139 during the day (Peak Time) , $159 Friday through Sunday, Vistoso is hardly a bargain.

Golf courses of this caliber must have a complete repertoire and this Tucson golf course doesn't. For a course to expect this price tag in the value driven Tucson market, one would expect a stellar locker room. One would even expect an outstanding driving range. One would expect a superior clubhouse with all of the top notch amenities. And, one would expect to have good food with at least a decent Restaurant.

The Golf Club at Vistoso has none of that.

While touting itself as an elite Tucson golf course, Vistoso overrates itself by forgetting what good amenities are all about. They will tell you it's just about the golf course. That is true if you are charging only $59. But Vistoso's rates are the highest in Tucson and they have forgotten that amenities matter. The clubhouse is tiny and hardly exquisite. I've seen larger children's rooms. They should have taken a cue from a great clubhouse such as the spacious one at Arizona National.

Downright unforgivable is that Vistoso has no locker room. There is nowhere to change or take a shower after a long round of golf. Again, that is fine if you are running a budget or an economy course. The food area on the patio serves up some so/so burgers and hot dogs. The hot dogs are acceptable, but I would pass on the burgers. If Vistoso wanted to be "elite" like they claim to be, they should have taken a cue from Starr Pass, which has a great eating area and great food. It becomes quite apparent to anyone that after they built the golf course, the clubhouse and lackluster driving range was an afterthought. That's a shame.

Once on of the more popular courses in Tucson, tee times are now plentiful and not very difficult to get. With customers finding better golf courses such as Arizona National, Omni Tucson, Ventana and La Paloma more suited for their tastes, Vistoso has liquidated tee times using next day tee time services. The Golf Club at Vistoso does indeed have some impressive holes. And they have some nice attributes. However, it is not one of Tom Weiskopf finer efforts.

Vistoso is worth playing if you can get one of their liquidated or coupon specials for half off. However, you will play The Golf Club at Vistoso wishing what could have been.

Ron Reece calls them fair or foul. He is an amateur hack who has played all of Tucson's public and resort golf courses.

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