5350 E. Marriott Drive Phoenix, Az. 85054 (480) 473-0205
http://www.jwdesertridgeresort.com
Tee Box Options: Black=7145 yards. Blue=6645 yards. White=6060 yards. Red=5390 yards. Brown=4835 yards. Combos: Blue/White=6310 yards. White/Red=5590 yards. Red/Brown=5025 yards. Total Par=72
I’m trying to find my writing groove or style. I’ve written a few of these and I guess they could be considered a blog. I set out to write reviews and not solely about my game, but I’ve read back through a few and I talk both about the course and my game …….anyways, I’m still working in it. My normal Saturday consists of working 10 hours, then my girlfriend comes over and we go to dinner, movies, etc. I thoroughly enjoy her company and we have a good time. With the holiday weekend, our time together is going to be delayed by a day. So what’s a man to do when he has an unexpected night to himself and the temperature is ‘only’ 100°………go play golf, of course!!!!!!!!!!! By the end of September, the golf rates will start to rise here in Phoenix. Living in the valley of the sun means golf year round, except, during the cooler months, many people snowbird here. We have the Waste Management Open in January, spring training during February and March, and spring breakers until the end of April. Golf rates start to decline at the beginning of June. If you’re cheap like me, you try to get in as much golf as you can during the summer….and summer is just about done. I went in to work at 4am, was out by 2:30pm, and was at the course by 4!
Wildfire has two 18 hole courses. The Palmer and The Faldo designed by their namesakes. I played the Faldo course last June during a tournament/work golf outing. The Faldo course is unique…if you like bunkers. There are 108 of them. Let me say that again: There. Are. One. Hundred. And. Eight. Of. Them!!!!!!! There are bunkers in the fairway. There are bunkers surrounding each green. There are bunkers blending into other bunkers. No, really. There are bunkers that are 60 yards long, if I were to guess, lining the sides of the fairways. Why so many damn bunkers, one may ask? I don’t know for sure. I can only repeat what I have heard. Someone I know played the Faldo course years ago. Halfway through it a marshal crossed his path and my friend asked him if Nick Faldo hated golf and why would he design a course like this? What the marshal said was that he heard Nick was going through some personal issues at the time and didn’t want to be there. So, he put sand traps everywhere and was done with it. Is this story true or not? I’m not sure but it adds to the mystique. Anyways, we played a best ball tournament and had a fun day, regardless. The course was nice except for all the damn traps. During every hole played one of our group went in a bunker. During a couple of holes we all were in one so we had to play from the best position in the bunker. Luckily, it was best ball and not too serious as we had no chance of winning. I would play Faldo again. I honestly would like to know how I would do on my own. In my opinion, this is target golf at its best.
For today’s round on the Palmer course I made a 4:20 tee time through www.golfnow.com. The rate was $29+tax. Not a bad price for this caliber of course, even at this time of year. I arrived early at the pro shop and checked in. A couple of nice gentlemen were working and got me on my way. Have I ever mentioned I collect logo balls? I do and have 2 49 ball racks that are almost full. I try to play as many new courses (new to me, that is) as I can so I can add to the collection and also test myself on a course I’ve never played. So, I went back to the cart station where my clubs were loaded and the cart guys gave me a bit of orientation of the course. I have to say, when I sat down on the seat of the golf cart, I’ve never experienced such a comfortable seat! Must have been brand new and made out of memory foam or something. Each time I sat down during my round I couldn’t think of anything for a second except how amazing this seat was. I have mentioned that if the course is bare (of golfers) I can play 18 holes in around 2 hours. Today was unexpectedly busy. Not crowded, but there were people out there. Wildfire isn’t a country club. It’s a resort, but you can be a member, too. The Marriott that the golf club is part of is in the Desert Ridge district of North Phoenix. It’s a very nice area. The Palmer course partially winds through a neighborhood and homes lining the course are beautiful. If you’ve read through any of my other blogs, you know that I’m not nitpicky about course conditions. I always state that Phoenix summers are brutal. The sun beating down on the grass, the heat, and however much the course can be watered are all factors of how well a course looks. Some places only focus on their greens. Some only focus on their greens and tee boxes. Wildfire is in amazing shape given the time of year and you can tell someone really cares and I was well impressed. There were some brown and bare spots here and there, but very small patches and they never came into play today. Also, there was not one patch of dirt or dead spot on any green. I was looking, too, as this has been common on most courses given the season. This track is mainly grass with desert areas (some are natural habitats with no entry signs) along the sides and in front of tee boxes.
I tee’d off on #1 27 minutes ahead of schedule and played the par 4 quickly. I was on Tee #2 when I saw 4 people (a mom, dad, and 2 young boys) in the middle of the fairway. This was my first family of the day. Thankfully, the dad saw me right away and waved me through. My drive was ok. My second shot was 200 yards out. I used my 7 wood. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my 7 wood?!!!!!!! It is by far my favorite club in the bag. My iron set came with a 4 & 5 hybrid. For 3 years I have been trying to hit those things with no luck even with hours of practice. Last spring I decided to take them out of my bag. I bought a 5 iron off of eBay and a 7 wood in place of a 4 iron. I can nail that thing and love it. I’m not a big hitter. My drives only go 240 yards at the farthest and that is if I really nail it. 220 yards is pretty normal. I can hit the 7 wood as far as my 3 wood. I put the ball on the green a few feet from the flag. I finished, waved thank you again to the people and was on my way. Holes 3-7 went well. I play fast. I can’t help it. I get spoiled having the course to myself, sometimes, and I forget what it’s like to have to play during the winter in a foursome which can take 4+ hours. Days like today I just wanna go, go, go! When I play a round with my father he keeps telling me to slow down. I caught up with 2 guys on 7 and they let me play through. #8 is a par 3 and there were 2 people waiting on the tee and 2 people on the green. I think the people putting were playing their first round ever; just a lot of messing around and not much skill being displayed. In my first blog I spoke of when I started playing again and how I started slow (driving range, practice facilities, par 3 course, et cetera) because I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. I hate holding people up and it drives me nuts when it’s done to me. So, I did something I’ve only done once before: I skipped #8, gave myself a bogey for the hole, and played #9. Why the bogey, you may ask? I’ve been playing very close to bogey golf, lately. My last few rounds have been 90, 93, 93, 94, 91, 85, & 89. It’s not my true score for the hole, but odds are I would have bogeyed it anyways. At least I’m not giving myself a par! I finished #9 for a 45 total for the front 9 (see….bogey golf!).
I went to #10 to start the back 9 and who has tee’d off in front of me? Another family! This time it was a mom, dad, and a (I would guess) 4 year old kid. I was on the tee and the dad just kept looking back at me as I was waiting. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for people of any age or gender learning the game. It’s never too early or late to learn. But, don’t take your 4 year old to a beautiful course like this and let them hit the ball 25 feet while I’m waiting behind you to hit. You wave me through because it’s good etiquette. Not with this clown, though. I waited on holes 10, 11 and I finally had enough. I jumped ahead as they finished teeing off for #12. So, I did it again. I took a bogey for a hole I didn’t play and played #13, a par 3. In the afternoon, during the summer, there are no marshals present. If there were I would have said something and hopefully played through. My final score for the round was 92, but it wasn’t a true 92. That bothers me. And…..I also paid to play and should have got the chance to do so. I realize I can also be impatient. It gets dark in Phoenix right now at 7pm. The pro shop guy actually warned me about being out after sundown because there is no natural lighting for the cart paths. I just wanted to get my round in. Hole 14 is a neat par 5 where the fairway splits in the middle and comes back together at the green. I was well ahead of them by now and no one was in front of me. Hole #15 is a 165 yard par 3. I put it on the green from the tee and then 4 putted for a double bogey. Maybe this was a bit of karma for being impatient. On the tee for hole #18 I had a thought about commenting on the bunkers for the Palmer course. I hadn’t been in one and thought when I reached the green; I would take a gander to see what the conditions were. It wasn’t necessary to make the special trip as I hit my second shot in the bunker directly in front of the green. Have you ever played a round towards closing time, landed in a bunker, and noticed that there are no rake marks? It suddenly hits you that you are the only idiot to have violated this particular trap all day and that the grooming marks from the morning crew are still intact. Yes, that was me. I can now report, from experience, that the sand traps are quite playable. My new friend was only 3 feet or so deep. The sand was a bit crispy on the surface, but was nice and soft when hit through. The consistency was very much beach sand-like. Besides the two hold ups today, I did finish in 2 hours.
The Palmer course is absolutely gorgeous and in wonderful shape. I can honestly say it is in the best shape of any track I’ve played all summer. I don’t know what their rates are during the winter, but it would be worth it. Especially compared to a couple of weeks ago when I paid an outrageous amount of money to play the TPC Stadium course! This is a far nicer course, facility, and a far greater value. When I played the tournament last year we ate in the restaurant after and I remember the food being very good, too. Wildfire is an all-around great day out. As I write this, with dogs lying next to me snoring away without a care in the world, I’m stuffed. I stopped at Rehab Burger Therapy (www.rehabburgertherapy.com) in old town Scottsdale after my round for dinner. I’m satisfied, reflecting on another day of golf. A golf course is my happy place! I’d enjoy playing more and writing about it.
Dry Heat Hacker 