Nothing’s been set, but I’m good to just call it a 4-club.
@samba24 @Waffles @GeneralTSo @ComfyDouble @jknudtson @walkben @jpop942 @JSimo @Landonhitch
Everyone go ahead and add your handicap, and we can look to set some pairings.
At the moment it doesn’t look like the course will be too crowded, so we might be able to get away with a foursome and sixsome…or maybe we just break into two fivesomes, and have 2 separate games of Wolf.
There are definite differences from an agronomy standpoint (more humid climates in states east of here better support year round bermuda, even if it goes dormant).
Also, many Arizona courses all but require carts, either because of mountainous or real estate design factors (usually the latter) and you really can’t have carts out on dormant bermuda all winter. That’s why many places like the Sandhills have been able to go dormant, the courses allow it, because they are walker friendly. Furthermore, as much as they are a tourist destination, they aren’t a winter tourist destination first and foremost. They do fine with a lot of their winter play coming from locals and the locals are just fine playing on dormant (often painted) turf.
None of that is true here. Most courses in Arizona make the majority of their budget from Dec-April and the tourists coming during those months expect the green lush conditions. Eagle Canyon can’t charge guys from Chicago $200/round in January if the course is brown (or only painted green), but if they aren’t getting $200/round in peak season they aren’t going to survive long.
And, even beyond the cartball thing, desert designs don’t do well dormant. Apart from Apache Stronghold, the only other course I can recall trying to go dormant was Vistal (which closed years ago). It was a decent track, desert style, kinda on the side of South Mountain. But a desert course playing dormant and thus, season goes on, very fast/firm, gets kinda out of hand. In my experience, the ball just wouldn’t stop until it found a bunker or some desert. Not every course would be this way, but an awful lot of courses out here are built in hilly areas.
With all that said, I have always though munis should go dormant. While they might be getting some tourist rounds, they are still ultimately community courses and never moreso than in the winter when everything else is so insanely expensive. Encanto, GCU, Kenny Mac, and many other munis would play great dormant, they’d be open two more weeks in the fall, and you’d save a ton on water, fertilizer, and seed. The cart thing would be a concern. I don’t now how much cart traffic dormant bermuda can truly take, but these courses already let carts out in the dormant bermuda rough (granted this is maybe a reason they have a very hard time with transition every spring).
Same boat as sub150 - I have played PVCC before so want to allow others if they’re able, but I could do most days through August if you are looking for a player.
All valid points and appreciate the detailed reply. I mostly play muni golf or other courses that aren’t desert, so that’s where my kind initially went. I get it if your Troons or TPCs don’t/can’t go dormant but I would love to see a dormant GCU, Papago (hilly enough to be pretty tough dormant), Talking Stick, Toka Sticks, Dobson, etc. Definitely not the move for all courses but if it’s a walkable course, non-desert, and/or not a tourist hot spot then I’d be interested in seeing it brown.
Talking Stick would play great brown but being attached to a resort they are never going to do it.
Hell, over the years there it’s been like pulling teeth to get various management companies to allow walking and there aren’t many more walkable courses in the Valley.
Yeah the non-walking policies at so many courses around here really bug me. AZ golf is ran by truly some of the dumbest people in the game.
I haven’t played there in years but the one that really used to boggle my mind was Biltmore Adobe. Members could walk but everyone else was carts only. Why? It’s one of the most walkable courses around, short, tees close to greens, barely any up and down. There’s one walk from 9 green to 10 tee but even that isn’t really much. And it’s not even for revenue, because like 95% of courses here your green fee just includes a cart. WTF.
The Links I can get. No one should walk that course. (No one should even play that course.)
I’ve only played one of the Biltmore courses once and I was good on not seeing the place ever again. Couldn’t tell you which one it was. The whole vibe of that place doesn’t jive with me (or didn’t when I played it ten years ago, I guess).
I could do 8/26 if there is still a spot available, or if that’s the date you choose.
good times at rolling hills today, glad I finally got to meet up with some of y’all.
thanks @KMola14 for coordinating!
Does anyone here have any intel on Mesa Country Club?
I have played it in the last year (as I have a buddy who is a member) what intel are you looking for?
Mostly how the course is. I guess some membership intel would not be a bad thing either 
The course is above average for the area (not as good as Las Sendas or Longbow IMO, but better then Red Mountain and all the 55+ community courses in Mesa), lots of elevation changes some blind tee shots, not a particular challenging course as it is on a pretty small piece of property (the 10th tee box is pretty much in the bar. Very reminiscent of courses in the Midwest, where a lot of holes are parallel to each other. Really hard to find trouble off the tee (but you can find trees), most of the challenge is on and around the green, they keep the greens rolling pretty fast and not a lot of straight putts. Most of the green slope back to front.
If you can get out there (100% private have to be with a member or a member) it is fun, but I don’t know that I could make it the only course I would play long term. Hopefully your find this helpful.
As for membership, I think they just raised the price, so I think the initial fee is up to 20-25K and then it was 600 a month after that with a 1000 spend on food and drink. My member friend also mentioned they were planning on a call for funds to upgrade some of the infrastructure like the gym and clubhouse.
YES this is clutch - thank you so much!!
Yeah, not sure I agree with this either but that’s more that I’m not a Las Sendas fan.
I played Mesa once, quite a few years ago. I have a really good memory for holes and courses but don’t know that I could really tell you much about individual holes out there. What sticks in my memory is the big hill that so many of the holes play into or off of, the few holes on the back where you play over the entrance road, and the one par 5 where the canal snakes right through the layup zone.
The original design was by William F Bell (the son of the Billy Bell who worked with Thomas and who designed more interesting courses). In Arizona he designed Maryvale (what GCU was before the reno), Papago, the front nine at Rolling Hills, and some other stuff. Mesa CC slots in with that portfolio. If it wasn’t private it would be a nice muni, but having been all this time it has certainly been better cared for and is in better condition.
In terms of other private clubs, the closest comp is maybe Moon Valley? Mesa CC certainly has more up and down than MV but is more of a contained/core course. But both have that mid-century feel to them which can be kinda nice but also a little weird here in Phoenix where someone tried to impose a midwest parkland golf course on the desert environment.
ask and you shall receive - love this boys. #golfnerds
This is mostly second-hand, so caveat emptor. I have a friend who ‘was’ a member until recently after being there for quite a few years. Apparently the course has regressed quite a bit the last two years. I played out there late last year and the greens had some bad spots and there was a lot of repair work going on. They will definitely let you play a round as a visitor if you are inquiring about membership. I’d do that before committing to anything.
caveat emptor haha what a usage