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Originally Posted by DuffMan
Any suggestions for Mesa area?
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Depending where you are in Mesa you can access some pretty nice courses locally. I'll break them down by east/west, the division being Val Vista.
In east Mesa,
Superstition Springs is a muni-quality course, but are good a layout and a good value for your dollar. You have
Las Sendas and
Red Mountain Ranch both in NE Mesa. Both are interesting courses that both feature some blind shots. Not a fan of that myself, but some like that sort of thing. Given my druthers I'd play Red Mountain Ranch over Las Sendas. If you want to support both the local and Canadian economy you'll want to play Las Sendas. The McBean brothers own it. You could also swing down Power and play
Power Ranch. Fun course with real subtle greens that will steal your lunch money on you.
The best in the area is
Gold Canyon. You're talking a 20 minute drive.
Dinosaur Mountain is the one to play if you want an unforgettable experience. It is a picture postcard off every tee box. Just remember that the first four holes and the final five (14-18) are the original nine and the greens are evil as hell. Everything breaks away from the mountain, and hard. Once you get on the stretch 5-13 you'll have a chance to make up strokes lost on those first four holes. My recommendation is to step up a tee box and enjoy the round. Again, this is owned by Calgary money.
In west Mesa you have some different options. You can go play
Dobson Ranch, which is a muni, but a good layout. City of Mesa usually keeps it in good shape. From there you can head down the road and play
Ocotillo. It's got water on 24 of 27 holes, so it is unique in that regard. You are also close enough to go play
ASU Karsten, which is a great track. The nice part about west Mesa is it is close enough to easily go access The Raven and Legacy. Both are great golf course and you'll enjoy both. Also close enough to play is
Whirl Wind. Again, 36 holes of great golf. The tournament course that the Gateway used was
Cat tail, but I prefer
Devil's Claw.
For a nice side trip you can take the Beeline (87 or Country Club) and go up through the backside of Fountain Hills. There you have access to
We Ko Pa. Some people love them, but I've never been a fan.
Saguaro is a Crenshaw design and is the goofier of the two.
Cholla is the original and most playbale of the two. Both layouts are kind of tricked up. You can also hit
Eagle Mountain or
Sunridge Canyon, both of which are great courses that hit the sweet spot for cost versus value.
That should keep you entertained. Did mention I offer caddy services on weekends.