Ocean State Golf

Arizona Golf Vacation: Scottsdale Continues to Shine

Every time we take an Arizona golf vacation, we remember one of the best things about golf: you can always find a great place to play it year round.

Here in New England most of us have to hibernate for a few months as the ground freezes and that white stuff drops from the sky and hides our golf balls in the fairway (or rough or woods).

One of those nice places to travel to in the winter for an Arizona golf vacation is Scottsdale.

How do you pick which ones to play? You need help.

Ocean State Golf had the privilege of staying in the Scottsdale area and playing some very nice courses on our Arizona golf vacation in Scottsdale.

Resort Suites in North Scottsdale

One of them was the Resort Suites in North Scottsdale. The complex includes some standard hotel rooms, but is known for their suites that feature full living rooms and dining areas with multi-bedrooms. Centrally located, it makes a great spot for your travels to the various courses close by.

Resort Suites was purchased by Goldman Sachs and is being run by Marcus Hotels, headquartered in Wisconsin. “We are doing a major renovation of the property including the rooms, pools, decks and restaurant,” said Dan Zollo of the marketing staff. “We want to provide a higher standard for our guests, and people will notice the difference,” he added.

One of their premier courses on the Arizona golf vacation package is Grayhawk Golf Club. There are two courses on the property and the Raptor Course is on most of the Top 100 Courses list.

Phil Mickelson is an ambassador at the club and Gary McCord and Peter Kostis run the golf school on the property. Beautiful vistas and undulating fast greens highlight this course that measures 7,315 yards from the championship tees. Beautiful vistas and undulating fast greens highlight Grayhawk Golf Club.

Resort Suites can be reached at 888-222-1059 or on the web at www.resortsuites.com

Ocotillo Golf Resort

Another course that we played on our Arizona golf vacation in Scottsdale was Ocotillo Golf Resort. It does not look like it belongs in the desert as it has water on 15 holes. There are even many houseboats in front of large homes on the property. People use them as patios and also to meander through the canals on the property. Usually you worry about cactus, prickly pears and the desert on most courses in Arizona, but at Ocotillo it is that blue stuff.

The water is all reclaimed and it also claimed a few of our spheres.

Troon North has two of the top courses in the country called Monument and Pinnacle. We played the Pinnacle course and very much enjoyed the golf up the mountain and then down it again.

The views are spectacular and the forced carries over rocks and canyons will get your attention but also last in your memory.

Eagle Mountain is the only course that I have ever played that goes around a mountain. Designed by Scott Miller, the course offers wide fairways that slope to the middle that saves a lot of shots from that brown stuff. There are quite a few blind shots, but it is an excellent course offering fine views of the Scottsdale and Phoenix below.

Gold Canyon Resort

Another day on our Arizona golf vacation we headed east on U.S. 60 past Mesa to Gold Canyon Resort. It is less than 45 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport and definitely worth the ride. The complex has two courses, Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course and Sidewinder Golf Course. Many of the locals say that Sidewinder is more difficult, but Dinosaur Mountain is much more spectacular.

You will not believe some of the impressive views that you get from the tees. When you ride your cart (don’t walk unless you are related to a mountain goat) up the hill to the par 3 fifth, you think you are heading up to heaven.

When you get to the top and look down about 220 yards away, you realize that it is a long way down (about 150 feet drop) to the green below. The Superstition Mountains are in view on most holes, and you might wonder what ghosts designed some of the undulating greens.

Southwest Airlines has many direct flights from Providence to Phoenix daily, So an Arizona golf vacation is actually cheap and easy. We left Providence at 8 a.m. and were checking into Resort Suites at 1 p.m. Mountain Time. Not bad!

Resort Suites can be reached at 888-222-1059 or on the web at www.resortsuites.com, or you can contact the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-782-1117 or www.scottsdalecvb.com. Sure beats looking at that white stuff in New England all winter.

More Than Golf in Scottsdale

The wonderful weather in Scottsdale during the winter provides an opportunity for those who like tennis as well as golf to play outdoors where tennis should be played.

So, on your next Arizona golf vacation visit the Scottsdale Resort and Athletic Club on E. Indian Bend Road, just a mile from Talking Stick Golf Club.

Scottsdale Resort and Athletic Club offers 11 championship tennis courts and was voted one of the Top 50 Tennis Resorts by Tennis Magazine. The property has wonderful workout rooms with fitness classes and separate studios and two pools as to keep you in shape when not playing tennis or golf.

Each year the Resort and Athletic Club host the Fiesta Bowl Tennis Tournament and last year they had over 800 entrants. This year’s tournament will be held in December. Call for more information.

“We have a wonderful Eurasian Spa, a full-service spa with aromatherapy massages and facials and body scrubs with Green Tea,” said Rebecca Hing, daughter of the owners, as we toured the property. There is also a casual and fine dining restaurant called OC SEVEN on the property overlooking the tennis courts.

The resort has large rooms and suites and is centrally located near Camelback Mountain. You can get more information about the Scottsdale Resort and Athletic Club at www.scottsdaleathleticclub.com or calling (877) 343-0033.