1125 E. Rio Salado Parkway Tempe, Az. 85281 (480) 921-8070
Tee Box Options: Professional=7002 Yards. Champion=6288 Yards. Regular=5671 Yards. Forward=4765 Yards. Total Par=70 (34/36)
There has been a rumor surrounding Karsten Golf Course for the last couple of years that the course is closing. ASU Karsten was the home of Arizona State University’s Golf Teams. There have been many collegiate tournaments and championships held there over the years. I started hearing word that ASU was going to use the land that the current course was on to build a massive sports complex. This complex would house all of the training facilities for all ASU sports.
There also will be dormitories for all ASU athletes as well as a hockey arena for ASU’s hockey team. The hockey team has gone from club level to NCAA level in the last few years so they need facilities as well. ASU’s golf teams now play at Papago Golf Course which is a few miles away from Karsten. Due to hearing the rumor, I played Karsten for the first time last summer. I enjoyed my round and figured it would be gone soon after. I considered it another course off the list.
ASU Karsten is still there…..for the time being. The rumor still abounds. Also, there are many horrible reviews online regarding the current conditions of the course. There are comments that ‘they’ (owners, management?) have given up on the course…..that they don’t water anymore……that all grass on the course is completely dead…..that the greens aren’t playable, etc. I can tell you this is not true….at all. I had nothing to do on Tuesday so I called Monday afternoon. Karsten has a flat rate of $25+tax right now, so I booked a tee time over the phone and eagerly awaited Tuesday morning.
I had a 7am tee time, but was able to get out a few minutes early and they sent me out to play the back 9, first. I played from the regular tees, which I have to admit are too short of a distance for me at just over 5600 yards. But, the next tee box back is almost 6300 yards and I like to play around 6000 yards. If I can get my handicap down a couple more strokes I will start moving back a tee box on a regular basis. Teeing off on #10 is like hitting down a hallway. Karsten has rolling fairways and mounds on the side….plus lots of fairway bunkers. The back 9 definitely has more bunkers than the front.
Karsten Golf Course is a mixture of everything one would want in Arizona golf. It is a links style course with each hole being unique and separated from the other holes, separated in that most of the fairways have mounds down each side of the fairways or beautiful desert areas with moderately thick trees and brush. The rumors of the course being in disrepair are completely false. All tee boxes, fairways, and greens were very well maintained. Yes, there were some brown spots (overseed starts Oct. 1st), but not as depicted in most of the reviews I’ve read.
There were a handful of greens that had obvious repair work……but, no more than 5 that I remember. This repair work did not hinder play on the greens at all. The cup was not cut anywhere near the repairs. I landed in the repairs a couple of times and had to putt through it, but the repair had already taken and my ball rolled true. My curiosity was piqued, yet I didn’t ask, as to what originally caused the damage. Were there vandals or a huge dry spot? For this blog, I do regret not asking.
Karsten has some cart paths that crisscross and located there are 2 ‘comfort areas’ (restrooms) that are permanent structures and for golf course toilets, they’re pretty nice. There seemed to be drinking water at about every 3rd hole or so, which was plenty. I carry a 30oz tumbler with me when I play and it never had a chance to be empty. Playing the back 9 first, #10 runs parallel with Rio Salado parkway, for #11, you have to go through a tunnel to play holes 11-17. #16 is a 175 yard par 3 with a body of water on the right. It doesn’t come into play as much at the regular tees as it does for the tips.
You cross back under for #18. #9 and #18 run parallel with each other back to the clubhouse with a picturesque elongated body of water running in between. I didn’t do very well on the back 9. I never use excuses. I don’t blame my clubs as I am the one using them. I don’t blame the course as I am the one playing it. I just did not have a good back 9 and hit a 56…20 over par.
I had a better front 9 than the back. The front 9 is a par 34 and has far less bunkers than the back. You tee off on #1 and the fairway plays along the current ASU training facilities. The swimming/diving practice facilities as well as the dome that houses the indoor football practice field can be seen. #3 is a fun dogleg left par 4 playing at 333 yards. Big hitters can probably cut across the bend, but I’m not a big hitter! At the #4 tee, you can see the Tempe fire department’s training tower. They had some drill in progress when I was teeing off, which was kind of interesting. #6 & #7 are consecutive par 3s. Southern Ridge in Laveen is the only other course I’ve played that has consecutive par 3s (#4 and #5) and I thought I would mention it as I found it unique. There aren’t any par 5s on the front due to the front 9 being a par 34. This is worth a mention.
I had one double bogey and the rest were bogeys for 10 over equaling 44. I finished with a total of 100. That’s the highest I’ve hit in months besides my 106 at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium course a couple of months ago. I have made sure to go online and leave a good review for ASU Karsten on their Facebook page and at http://www.golfadvisor.com. As stated earlier, Karsten is in far better shape than is being portrayed online. The clubhouse has one of the nicest proshops I’ve ever seen and also has a very nice bar and grill. There is a driving range, chipping/putting green, and PING has a golf school set up. I think there is information about it on Karsten’s website. If the rumor is true and the course disappears for a sports facility, I do hope you get to play there before it happens. It a very good track and a fun course to play.
Dry Heat Hacker 