My second attempt. Learning more on editing. My camera placement needs to improve. It’s a bit too far back. Sorry for the language on this! I will be learning how to edit foul language next week.

I honestly have no idea if anyone reads this. That’s fine. I hope people are searching for information on a golf course and their search hits one of these blogs and they get some information out of them. But…….I’ve written my last blog. I’m honestly bored with writing. I haven’t really written a blog since December 1st. The last blog which was posted right before I started this one, was something I did on my phone mid December. Since the beginning of December I’ve played at lea’st a dozen times. I’ve played short courses and full courses. It just depends on what I can find on http://www.golfnow.com. Christmas day I played Willowcreek in Sun City with my dad. On December 25th the courses are closed for business, but they let people go out and play. It was a nice day out and I hit decently. Since December, I’ve played Western Skies, Painted Mountain, Continental (rode a Phat Scooter!), Bear Creek, Cave Creek, the Encanto 9, and Great Eagle. I’ve been playing well and enjoying it. But, I’m bored with writing. In the beginning of this blog I said I tried video, but wasn’t into it. I have a face for radio and a voice that should never be heard…….yet, I’m giving it another shot. I’ve recorded a couple of rounds and I am slowly learning how to edit video. I’m a simple man. I am using an old cell phone and Windows Live Movie Maker. I’m googling (the internet is a wealth of info, isn’t it?!!!!) how to edit and learning more, quickly. I’m fascinated by it, actually, and have many ideas for future videos. I also have an Instagram and YouTube account to post videos. Here’s my first video posted on YouTube!

I’ve been lazy lately and have been meaning to finish this blog for the last 3 weeks. Today is December 1^st……….

5445 East Lincoln Drive Paradise Valley, Az. 85253 (877) 725-6029

http://www.shortcoursepv.com

Tee Box Options: Back=2310 Yards. Middle=2065 Yards. Forward=1735 Yards. Total Par=54.

I’ve previously stated my love for short courses and I played a very interesting course last week. Mountain Shadows: The Short Course is an 18 hole short course located on the north side of Camelback Mountain. Built in 1961, it is located at the Mountain Shadows resort. Tuesday was the only day this week I would have for golf. I had commitments in the late afternoon and early evening so I was looking for a round that would work. I didn’t have a short course in mind, but when I found the round on http://www.golfnow.com, it fit my needs to I booked a mid-morning tee time. Plus, this course has been on my radar for the last 2 years. I had heard very good things hadn’t taken the opportunity to play there, yet.

To set the scene, the resort sits among an affluent and upscale neighborhood. In other words….there’s lots of money around here. Everything looks nice. The houses, streets, cars, people, etc. The resort looked great and I was met in the parking lot by an attendant to take my clubs for me/stage my golf cart. At check in, I noticed the clubhouse was spotless. Instead of the normal (I find) rustic décor of most clubhouses, this clubhouse was very bright. Shelves, floors, and the walls were very bright in color. Directly behind the clubhouse is a patio area and bar. There’s a beautiful putting green out back, as well, and an amazing view of the north side of Camelback Mountain. I did have a specific tee time, but being a single, I was told I could go whenever. Luckily for me a nice couple visiting from out of state let me play along. My first impression was how immaculate this course was. Also, all 18 holes are named. With monikers such as ‘Plunge’ (#1), ‘Climb’ (#9), and ‘High Bar’ (#17), I find this to be a classy touch to an already beautiful course.

The first 2 holes go directly towards the mountain. The fairways are very green. The sand is soft and seemed easy to hit out of, but I wasn’t in a bunker during this round. One of my companions for the day said it was good golf sand. He was in a few of them so……I’ll take his word for it. I missed all but 5 greens on tee off. I wasn’t hitting the best shots off of the tee. I can tell you that they take great care of the fairways as any divot had sand in it. Green sand, too, which adds to the appearance. I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that not many Phoenix valley courses (in my experience, so far) have proper rough. Most of the rough is very short and you can see your ball from a distance. The rough at The Short Course was as rough should be. I didn’t lose a ball, yesterday, but I had a spot if trouble trying to hit on a couple of holes.

The greens are a slightly different story. They’re not bad, but the grass isn’t as ‘lush’ as one would expect given the condition of the tee boxes and fairways. The greens were pretty hard and extremely fast. I’m not the best with my putter, but I’d barely tap the ball and it would take off like a rocket. Now, let me say that I am in no way saying this affected my game. I can suck at putting on fast, slow, or perfect greens. On the positive side, these greens are no joke. They put some thought into the design and none were easy. Most short courses I’ve played have a basic green design. They are generally round and flat with, maybe, some sort of bank…but not these. Undulating, wavy, banked…..you name it. The conditions are here. I never tee’d off thinking that I had already seen this before.

Holes 1-6 outskirt a neighborhood and then you enter inside of said neighborhood for Hole #7. ‘Picturesque’ hole #7, (there was a placard that said so), ‘Jutty’, is the first hole you encounter with water. The next Hole of mention is #11, ‘Snyder Burn’. There is water to the right (a very swamp=like area with long reeds. You’re not finding your ball in there) and a green one has to ‘climb’. There is a level surface at the front of the green, but the pin is on top. I would say the next tier to this green is 4 feet or so in elevation so you have to knock your ball right up there. It took me 3 tries and I 6 putted. A 6 putt! I was on in regulation!

Holes #13 (‘Mummy’) & #14 (‘Dell’) share a green, which I’ve only seen on a couple of courses before and I find to be a very unique design. #13 is a straight ahead 125 yard hole. Once finished, you go around the green to the left, and come back for #14. There is a surprise in between #17 and #18 that I have never seen before anywhere……there is a bonus hole that doesn’t count for the round. Hole “17.5, The Forrest Wager is a ‘Par 2’ 30 yard green. According to their website, “The Forrest Wager is a long, flowing green where the object is to play against your opponents in similar fashion to the popular golf game Bingo Bango Bongo. Here, one point is awarded for the closest to the hole on the first shot played. Another for the first player to hole out (the farthest plays first, as always). And a third point for the lowest score. Affectionately described as a par-2, The Forrest Wager can serve to settle bets, solidify a press or determine a tie-breaker”. We all tried and came nowhere near the flag. There is a big mound a few feet in front of where you’re supposed to start from. Beyond that, it doesn’t get any easier.

The day and the round were excellent. Not score wise, but it was a beautiful day with good company. I was happy to get a good price (around $25) for a resort course. I have seen the green fees for The Short Course at least double in the Phoenix winter months. The staff was friendly and so were the other golfers besides the couple I played with that I interacted with. I would be happy to play here again.

1911 East Desert Inn Road. Las Vegas, NV. 89169. (866) 695-1961

http://www.lasvegasnational.com

Tee Box Options: Professional=6725 Yards. Back=6272 Yards. Middle=5739 Yards. Forward=5155 Yards. Total Par=71.

Viva Las Vegas!!!! I drove to LV this weekend to meet with friends who were there on vacation. The drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas is easy and very scenic with beautiful mountains and a desert flooded with Joshua trees. It’s almost a straight shot from city to city and I enjoy that drive much more than driving to California (Los Angeles, mainly) due to far less traffic and congestion. I left Phoenix on Sunday morning around 4am and the drive is mapped as 4-4.5 hours but, I stopped a couple of times so the journey rounded out to about 5 hours total. While in Sin City, I had already planned on playing a round. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I was hoping to get some out of town entries in and here was my opportunity for my first. I also wanted to play the par 3 at the Las Vegas Golf Center, but I had a small emergency back home and I needed to return sooner than planned. Las Vegas has much to offer in golf. If you’re staying in the vicinity of the strip, there is the Golf Center, Bali Hai Golf, and LV National right there. North of Fremont Street there are many other courses ranging from municipal par 3s to big golf resorts.

As I’ve stated in previous blogs, I am cheap. I don’t like spending tons of money on golf, but if it’s a one-time deal, I will shell out some cash. LVNGC’s normal rate is $99. I found a hot deal of $80 on http://www.golfnow.com. I also had a $10 off a hot deal reward to use so my round was $70 and change. LVNGC is about a 3 miles off of the strip. If you are driving north on Las Vegas Boulevard, bang a right at the Encore Hotel (next to the Wynn) and go straight to LV National GC.  A very nice cart guy met me in the parking lot to fetch my clubs. He directed me towards check in and already had a small bucket of balls for warm up. The clubhouse is very nice. They have everything for sale as other club houses and the next employee I met to check me in was extremely friendly. Two nice people in a row! Attached to the clubhouse is the Rat Pack bar and grille…..a nod to Deano, Frank, and Sammi. Las Vegas is a very interesting place with decades of history. Lots of good history and lots of the seedy underworld of the mafia. After check in, I was directed to my cart. Next to the clubhouse was a putting green and beyond that was the range. The range was like any other, yet it had a small shack where the starter resided. The shack also had toilets and a snack bar-which I believe was only open on the weekend. I hit a few balls on the range and putted for a bit on the green then it was time to play.

I was matched up with an older gentleman from Oklahoma and a guy from Edmonton that was younger than me. Both men were very nice and good golfers. I’d like to mention that my new Canadian friend was utilizing one of those nifty golf boards. It was his first time and he did well with it but said he was really tired by the end of the day. You use different muscles to control the thing. I don’t know if I could use one. My balance is horrible and I’d probably crash. I’ll stick with the golf cart or walking.

Someone had a metal dinosaur in thier backyard.

We tee’d off in the early afternoon and were on our way. The course was packed that day. The Canadian was in town for business, but said he visits a lot so he had played the course a few times before. The beer cart girl, Candice, knew him by name. She stopped for us at least 4 times. This is the most I’ve ever experienced on any course I have played in the last 3 years. The course is beautiful. The grass is very green and well maintained. I found no flaws in the tee boxes, fairways, or the greens. It is a wonderful municipal/public course. As I mentioned, Las Vegas is full of mafia history. There is a history marker at every tee. Each marker had a factoid about some mob member and which house they lived on or some incident that happened there. A small plane crashed on the first fairway which was recreated in the movie ‘Casino’. We played the first couple of holes as a threesome.

The third hole is a par 3 and we were waiting on a group who was waiting on a group which was waiting on a group….you get the picture. We had a single join up with us as he wasn’t going anywhere fast. He was a UNLV student who was studying Golf Course Management, which was pretty interesting given we were playing. We kept making jokes about he had the best homework ever. My round was going well for the first two holes but it then went right in the crapper starting with hole 3, which is a par 3 over water. I lost 2 balls on this hole, taking the first hit as a mulligan. The rest of my round went no better.

I couldn’t hit a good shot to save my life. I topped the ball. I hit behind the ball. I must have lipped at least 12 putts…..you know….where you putt it directly at the hole, it veers to one side slightly, and the ball ends up rounding the lip of the cup rolling away from the hole. That’s another stroke, people. I don’t play gimmes or ‘pick it up’. I keep an honest handicap (except for the previously mentioned rare mulligan). I had my second bad round in a row. I hit 103 for the day. I’m better than this, but I still enjoyed the course. The day was beautiful, sunny, and the temperature was around 75° at tee off. The course was very crowded that day, yet pace was fine and finished in 4:15 which was posted at the first hole. Since Las Vegas is such a short and easy drive from Phoenix, I plan on going back and getting more rounds in.

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.

3505 E. Union Hills Drive Phoenix, Az. 85050 (602) 992-7190

http://www.paradisevalleygc.com

Tee Box Options: Championship=4145 yards. Regular=3789 yards. Total Par=61

It’s approaching ‘winter’ in Phoenix and as the temperature drops, the golf rates go up. The next 5 months will see an influx of part time residents that come from other states and Canada for the warmer temps in relation to where they are from. Our average temperature during the winter is 60-70°. After the New Year, we have the Waste Management Open, then Spring training for baseball from late February to March. With the tourism and visitors golf becomes expensive in the valley. During this time, I try to find deals on Golf Now and I mainly play executive courses. During the next few months, I have no doubt the majority of my blogs with be regarding the short courses….and I am going to gush about them.

Honestly, I love them. I am spoiled with being able to play a full 18 holes during the summer in 2-2.5 hours. This is not lost on me. But, this is also next to impossible from November to June. When I play a full par 72 track during the winter, it is a 4 hour tour at least. Phoenix has many 9 (Par 30) and 18 hole (Par 60) short courses. I think they are a great opportunity to get in some quick golf. Also, I walk these courses. I absolutely love walking golf. There is nothing I would rather do than sling my bag over my shoulders and trudge around a course. It is amazing exercise and I feel gives you a better feel for a course. The par 4s are usually shorter (280 yards for example) and the courses are relatively flat. I’d also like to mention that many courses are adding foot golf, as PVGC has.

Tuesday was my first time at PVGC and I had heard many good things about this course. I visited www.golfnow.com, reserved a late morning tee time for $15 (cart was included, but I wanted to walk), and was on my way. PVGC has a small clubhouse and a course. It’s not very fancy, but most execs aren’t. I putted and chipped a bit and was sent out early as a single as they had a break in between groups.

I tee’d up, took my first shot, and was on my way. The course was post overseed and in good shape. I was expecting it to be a bit lusher given the rains we just endured and I still could see a fair amount of grass seed as I was walking. The tee boxes were nice and the greens were in good shape and my ball rolled true.

There are a lot of trees on this course, which I liked. They line and separate the fairways. I didn’t have any trouble with them. I did lose my Noodle on the 9^th. The course is a Par 61 because #9 is a par 5. This is the only one on the course. I hit a decent drive but it started to spin to the right after it carried and I lost it in the trees that lined the driving range. I was bummed. I liked that ball. There are a few bunkers, but they are no problem at all as they aren’t deep and the sand was very playable.

One thing I have always enjoyed about Phoenix courses is wildlife. I’ve have seen packs of coyotes, flocks of grackles, ducks, geese, and have been told about rattlesnake sightings which I feel fortunate to not have experienced. Nope, I am not a fan of snakes. PVGC has a lot of geese and ducks. When walking, you have to be mindful of the poop. There is lots of it. The mowers chop it up each morning, but it tends to build up throughout the day.

PVGC is comparable to other 18 hole execs in the valley such as Bel Air in Phoenix, Rolling Hills in Tempe, and Continental in Scottsdale. I played from the ‘Championship’ tees. The executive tips, if you will. On short courses, it’s not difficult to keep the ball in the fairway (unless you’re losing a Noodle on the only par 5). Most of the holes on execs are Par 3s. For me, I get to use many clubs in my bag and really can work on my short game. I know some people can play an executive course with wedges and a putter, but I don’t hit the ball very far. The par 3s offer varying distances ranging from 113 to 212 yards. The par 4s range from 288 to 365 yards. The lone par 5 is 475 yards.

I hit 42 on the front and a 36 on the back for 17 over par and a total of 78. I did have 3-3 putts, which is a bit disappointing. When the round is over one can definitely see where all the mistakes happened when finalizing the card. Paradise Valley Golf Course is a good short course. I did enjoy my round. One group let me play through and I did play with a gentleman who was riding and caught up to me on 15. 2 hours for a walking round definitely wasn’t bad.

17225 N. Citrus Rd. Surprise, Az. 85374 (623) 584-4000

http://www.aztraditions.com

Tee Box Options: Black=6073. Copper=5908. White=5412. Yellow=5050. Total Par=70

It had been a month since I last swung a golf club. No driving range, TopGolf, Putt Putt…..no nuthin’. I was ready to go. I needed a round. Luckily, my good old dad came through and made a tee time for Arizona traditions. I had played this course 2 years ago or so, but that was when I had just started again and wasn’t collecting logo balls, yet. So, last Monday was essentially a new course and a new logo ball for the collection. Az Traditions is a lovely course in the northwest Phoenix valley, just west of the 303 freeway. It is also the sister course to Great Eagle Golf Club which is just down the road a bit.

When you arrive at the course, you have to check in at a security gate and let them know you have a tee time. The clubhouse is just to the right of this and you have a great view of #18 on your way in. They were backed up a few minutes and we started 20 or so minutes after our time slot. The course had just reopened after overseed and they were quite busy. Not a problem though. Dad and I are pretty easy going. We were called to the tee, met the other 2 gentlemen in our 4 some, and we were off. Since I hadn’t played in a month I opted to play the white tees. Just shy of 5500 yards, I wanted to ease back into it, but I really should have played back 1 as they are just over 5900 and I usually want to play about 6000 yards.

The course was in amazing shape. Just gorgeous, post overseed….really as it should be. The greens were a bit slow, but this is to be expected. They have to let them grow a bit more. A couple future mowings and they will roll amazingly. Az Traditions is a very playable course. Its location is close to Sun City and Sun City west, which are both 55+ retirement communities. Retirees and snowbirds are the main clientele for all of the courses in the area. Courses in this area should be playable and easier than resort courses. People lose a bit from their game as they age. No one wants to admit it, but it happens. You lose distance in your clubs. This course is wide open. There are small desert areas, but there is no danger of losing your ball. The sand traps aren’t that deep, and the greens aren’t flat…but they aren’t impossible to get the ball in the hole, either. There are a couple bodies of water. One definitely comes into play on hole 15 as it is a par 4 that doglegs right around the pond.

It was cart path only when we played. I normally hate this. It’s a necessary evil if you want to play right after overseed. It’s no fun when you can’t hit the dang ball anywhere near the cart path. My worst case scenario would be to grab my clubs and start walking. I have a carry-stand bag so it’s not that big of a deal for me. I love walking the golf course….more on that next blog. I was proud of myself to keep the ball mid fairway or close to the path. I even played the entire round with one ball! It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. As an aside…I was trying out a new ball. Now, understand I am not a great golfer. I don’t even consider myself good. I just enjoy playing. I don’t like spending much money on golf balls. It irks me when I go into Golf Galaxy or the PGA Superstore and they try to sell me Pro V 1s when all I want is an affordable ball. 2 years ago I was playing a Nike Power Distance. They were $15 a dozen. Then Nike stopped making them. I went through a couple different brands of balls and then found Titleist Soft and Long which were also $15/dozen. I bought 8 dozen of them and they lasted a year….but now Titleist doesn’t make those anymore, either. I can’t seem to win. Noodle now has the Neon. I like Noodle golf balls, but I hate white golf balls. I can’t see them after I hit them. I’ve been playing fluorescent yellow since I started again. My dad bought a sleeve of the Noodles and gave me one. I liked it. They are under $20/dozen, so they might be my new ball.

We had a good round, overall. I didn’t use a mulligan or have any penalty strokes. I shot an 85, which I was quite happy with considering I hadn’t played in a while. I feel my game is coming around and I am quite happy, lately. For the time being, I am happy playing bogey golf. Remember, this was par 70 and I hit 15 over. If I can stay this consistent I will be happy. I think the next phase is to start making those bogeys into pars. I doubt I’ll ever be a low handicap, but it’s still something to think about.