4707 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd. (623) 492-9500
Tee Box Options: Championship (Black)=6897 yards. Regular (White)=6202 yards. Forward (Red)=5508 yards. Total Par=72.
Have you ever disappointed a parent? Oh good Lord, I have…on many occasions! But this one particular occasion involved my father. I first played the 500 Club on July 16th. I told my dad about playing the following day and he was a bit upset with me. I thought he had played the course before. I didn’t know it was on his list. So, feeling bad about it, I went back today with my dad and we played a round. The golf course is in Phoenix, Az., in the northern part of the valley.
The 500 Club has 2 courses: The main course and also the Futures course which is an executive/junior course. We’ll get to hat one in another post. In the middle of the summer, they have a rate of $30 after noon, which we took advantage of. During the winter in Phoenix, rates are at a premium. So, was a bargain. The course layout is a desert design. The course is surrounded by black hills which almost have the look of volcanic rock. The desert areas are very tidy-there’s not a bunch of scrub brush, etc. They keep the course very clean and groomed. There are 2 bodies of water. One runs the length between hole 17 & 18, which puts water in front of the 18th green. The other surrounds the green on hole 4 making it an island green. There’s a footbridge to get there from the cart path. The water also comes into play on the 12th green too. I know, it’s where I lost my only ball. Instead of the layout of most holes being straight back and forth, there are many right and left dog legs. There are also many medium sized trees lining both sides of the fairway, giving some challenge to ball position and shot choices. Hole 11 is a 135 yard (from the whites) par 3 in which you play uphill. There are a couple of bunkers that you cannot see from the tee which makes for an interesting blind shot. The tee boxes and fairways are in very good shape. The greens are a bit thin. That’s ok, though, in my opinion. The temperature today was 111 degrees. We’ve had a brutal summer that will last for another month, at least. This bakes the hell out of grass in Phoenix. They were still playable with no complaints at all.
The 500 Club is a very playable golf course for all skill levels. The bunkers are shallow and easy to play out of. The sand was, as my dad colorfully described, crispy. The greens are relatively flat, yet have some slight waves and break to make it fun, yet not get too crazy or difficult. There is a small bar & grill inside with beer, wine, etc. When you walk into the main building there is an open floor plan with the pro shop on one side and the food on the other. I saw a few people eating and the food did look tasty. The staff was very friendly. I haven’t played many courses where the staff wasn’t anything but nice and accommodating, but I feel it needs to be mentioned. I hope these reviews are informative if anyone reads them! Until the next one……..
Dry Heat Hacker 