7505 McCormick Parkway Scottsdale, Az. 85258 (602) 948-0260
http://www.mccormickranchgolf.com
Tee Box Options: Blue=7187 Yards. White=6371 Yards. Brown=5993 Yards. Red=5333 Yards. Total Par=72
Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water…….
I’ve been playing fairly well. My rounds have been averaging around the high 80s to the low 90s and I have been extremely happy with my game and how I’ve been hitting the ball. My handicap has dropped to 20. Yes, 20 is my lowest handicap. I’m happy with it because I’m trending downward. My goal is to shave 2 more stroke off of that and be a solid 18. Bogey golf would be just fine with me. But…..sometimes the golf gods have to teach you a lesson and knock you down a peg. I had my ass handed to me today and it wasn’t the course, my clubs, or luck. It was all me. I couldn’t hit a good tee shot. I kept topping fairway shots, lipping putts, and my chipping sucked. I couldn’t get a break today.
I played McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, Az., which is a suburb of Phoenix, located in the northeast valley. I had recently noticed that I had 2 $10 off rewards in my http://www.golfnow.com account. One was due to expire November 1st and I didn’t want that to go to waste. I found today’s round and with the discount it was just over $40. McCormick Ranch Golf Club has 2 courses: Pines and Palms. I played the Pine course which is lined with pine trees. The Palm course was closed for overseed and it is lined with….you guessed it….Palm trees! First impressions……this is a beautiful course. They are post overseed and past cart path only, so it was nice to take the cart to your ball. The carts also had GPS which when compared to my rangefinder was very accurate within a yard or so. The weather was beautiful somewhere around the mid-70s at tee time. The grass was very green and there was a wonderful smell in the air. That freshly cut grass smell, if you will.
I was paired with a nice retired Canadian couple who were visiting for a couple of weeks and here to play a few courses during their stay. The gentleman and I played from the white tees, which is 300+ yards longer than I normally play, but I had done well last week and played under my 6000 yard preference, so I thought I’d give the whites a go. That was my first mistake. My new friends from Alberta were wonderful to play with. They both were good golfers and fun people in general. My first 5 holes were a good start and my normal scoring range. I had a par, 2 bogeys, and 2 double bogeys. It all went downhill from there. Number 6 was 4 over and 7 was 3 over. Topping, lipping, and horrible chipping (I swear I didn’t mean for that to rhyme) was just my lot on that day.
Even though I was laying a turd for the round, I did enjoy the course. It is quite beautiful this time of year. The temperature has dropped, overseed is complete so most courses are very green and have had much maintenance done, which makes for very comfortable playing conditions. With all of the pine trees, there is more oxygen in the immediate area which adds to the refreshing smell. Pines is a unique course given most tracks around the valley have palm trees or are desert designs. From hole 1 through 18, the course flows very well. There is no wondering where the next tee box is.
The rough was longer than any other course I have played in the valley. See, most courses in the valley have ‘rough’, but it is not very long. Traditional rough makes your ball disappear. You normally cannot see your ball from a distance. You have to be close to find it. The last time I experienced this was when I played in Texas in 2016. The tee boxes were in excellent condition. The greens weren’t overly difficult. Not completely flat, but also not impossible to play. I have no complaints about the greens…but I do take issue with golfers who don’t understand etiquette…..fix your ball marks, people!!!!! Fix a few while you’re there and help the rest of us out. I always fix a few while I’m on each green. It’s a good habit to get into. There were toilets and water fountains on the course and the beer chick came by us 4 times in her wagon. I told her that was the most I have ever seen a beverage cart during my round. But, I also only started writing the blog this past summer.
The back 9 holes went about the same as the front. I actually scored 52/52 for a total of 104, so each 9s mirrored each other. I had another 4 over and a triple on the back 9. I also had 3 3 putts. I was only in the sand twice: once in a fairway bunker and once next to a green. Neither was very deep and the sand was easy to hit out of. Number 15 was the most unique hole of the day. There is a body of water down the left side. The water comes in to the right the full width of the fairway in 2 spots and has an island green. I did put my second shot into the drink and had to take a penalty. McCormick Ranch is a very nice facility. There is a really nice driving range, a pitching green (I honestly didn’t see a putting green, but I just might have missed it) and 36 holes of golf. I look forward to playing the Palms course in the future.
Dry Heat Hacker 