SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
January 23, 2008
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club is a one-of-a-kind desert, target style golf course with a spirit all of it's own. With apologies to SunCor Golf, their management company - this course has my number. A Keith Foster masterpiece that utilizes nature to the fullest begins at the upper mouth of a scenic canyon and descends via golf switch-backs to the floor of SunRidge Canyon. Players are lulled into a false sense of thinking they can post a good number on the front side which is downhill and downwind, winding through beautiful canyons punctuated by prolific desert flora. If you have brought your "A" game to this golf course you may not have suffered much damage to your score by the time you finish the front side. I have even played the first nine holes here at even par with a bit of luck and keeping the 3-putts at bay but then it all gets away from me on the back side. I don't know what they put in those hot dogs at the turn - just kidding!
They have a saying at SunRidge Canyon, "golf is not just a game, but an adventure" I wonder if they would care to hear my interpretation of their adventure, it might be slightly different than theirs? All kidding aside I find this a very difficult golf course. The Par 3's are just amazing, there are four of them but they average almost 200 yards and some of the canyon carries will just intimidate the heck out of you. Having said that it's a golf course that is so much fun to play that it almost doesn't matter when a big number comes your way.
You can play this course from the middle tees and dink it around in 82 or you can be a hero and play from the tips, heck it's only 6823 yards from the back tees. Then that same 82 will really mean something! But don't let me shame you into playing from the tips, really, it's ok, because this course will set up for players of all skill levels. That's the way it was designed so it really doesn't matter which tees you play from - this course will challenge you into playing your best golf - or else!
Making the turn at SunRidge Canyon seems tame enough, starting with the 10th hole, Par 4, just 308 yards from the tips. But this is only the beginning of your adventure, a trek that climbs steadily upward, against the predominant breeze, in the midst of a huge canyon. This course gives even the best players fits and those guys usually aren't distracted by the scenery! The views and the desert landscape here are awe inspiring and it's almost impossible not to stop and wonder - how did all of this get here? Not to mention putting a golf course on it. NASA could have conducted Moon training here!
I think SunRidge Canyon GC defines the way golf was intended to be played. Playing your "A" game here will definitely help but may not guarantee your best score. It's hard for me to measure the intimidation factor of a golf course like SunRidge but I can say for certain that I never saw anything like it in the mid-west - some holes here just flat have my number! Playing conditions on most of Scottsdale's courses are benign compared to other places like Las Vegas or Palm Springs where the wind can howl. Playing at SunRidge Canyon in Scottsdale, any little breeze that comes up on the back side of this course will cause you that moment of indecision, each shot demanding even more careful consideration of risk and reward. Its natural, strategic desert design attracts players of every skill level and even the purest of golfers will appreciate the subtle changes in topography which give the course a dramatic effect. Anyone who has played it would be hard put to disagree that SunRidge Canyon Golf Club is one of the best desert courses in the Scottsdale area.
SunRidge Canyon GC was selected No. 42 on Golf Magazine's list of "The Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the United States," and has been chosen by Arizona tournament players as the top-ranked daily-fee golf club. The staff here takes great care to welcome you to their golf course and it's with pride that they serve you. My best friend had his wedding reception here and I could not believe how beautiful the grounds looked, especially after the sun had just set. SunRidge Canyon is always in immaculate condition, with medium to fast surfaces on large, muti-level greens. If you can keep it in the fairway here and can hit it long you have a great shot at taming this beast - otherwise be prepared to take your lumps. SunRidge Canyon GC is one of my favorite tests of golf (it's beside the point that I usually fail the test) and I highly recommend it. Find out what Scottsdale visitors have discovered that sets it apart from any other Scottsdale golf course.
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club,13100 N SunRidge Dr,Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
