With much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic I was anxious to hustle back to Texas. I didn’t want to get stuck in California in case travel to/from the state was shutdown. So, after work on Thursday I drove from Bakersfield, CA to Phoenix, AZ and stayed the night there. I slept in on Friday and then hit the road again.
However, I did manage to golf once on the way back and picked Arizona National Golf Club – as I’d read good things about the course. The course is tucked against the Santa Catalina Mountains and turned out to be a good value for this time of year (about $60). About ten years ago I played a couple courses near Arizona National and recalled loving the scenery out this way.
It took me about 30 minutes on surface streets to get to the course from the I-10. So, Arizona National is not the most convenient stop when traveling through Tucson. But, that extra driving will be worth it, trust me!
I thought the best thing about Arizona National was its mountain views. As you’ll see in the pictures just about every hole has great views of the area. The par-3 4th probably has the best view of any.
The 4th is 184 yards and plays from one of the higher points on the property. It plays a club or two downhill to a small green with bunkers on each side. You get to clearly see the valley in front and the mountains behind you.
Except for some gentle elevation changes most of the course is flat. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Arizona National and overall I’d say he did a good job. The scenery will “wow” you more than the design, however the design allows for a good balance between challenge and playability. The shorter holes offer a chance to score.
I played the black tees which are 72.2/139/6785 (par-71) and felt that most of the difficulty came from some long holes and a bit of target golf on the back nine. Even if you aren’t hitting it perfect you shouldn’t lose a ball in the desert on every hole.
The back nine is over 3,600 yards and has a 227 yard par-3, 471 yard par-4 and 625 yard par-5! The 11th is the 625 yard par-5 and is tucked against the side of the mountains. The tee shot is blind and once you navigate that then the layup needs to favor the left side due to the slope. Then, there is a forced carry over a wash. Needless to say I was very happy with my par!
Everything about the conditioning at Arizona National was impressive. There was a lush wall-to-wall overseed and the rough was quite thick in spots. The greens were pure and rolled at a medium pace. The course was giving free drops from the bunkers due to the virus situation so I didn’t get a great feel for the sand – it looked decent for a desert course.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a round at Arizona National with its rewarding design and good views! I’m sure the course would go for $125+ this time of year in the Phoenix area so I’d call it a bargain.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):